‘You went without me?’ I say, surprised by his recklessness. When we made the plan to corner the footman beneath the house, it was evident that it required six people to be successful, a pair to watch each of the three exits. Once Anna refused to help and Derby was knocked unconscious, I assumed Daniel would drop it. Evidently, Derby isn’t the last of my bull-headed hosts.
‘No choice, old chap,’ he says. ‘Thought I had him. Turns out I was mistaken. Luckily, I managed to fight him off before he loosed his knife.’
Anger sizzles deep in every word. I can only imagine how it must feel to be so preoccupied by the future that you’re blindsided by the present.
‘Have you found a way to free Anna yet?’ I ask.
With a painful groan, Daniel hitches his shotgun up his arm. Even limping at my slow pace, he’s barely able to stand up straight.
‘I haven’t, and I don’t think I’m going to,’ he says. ‘I’m sorry, hard as it is to hear, only one of us can leave, and the closer we get to 11 p.m., the more likely it is Anna will betray us. We can only trust each other from here on.’
She’ll betray you.
Is this the moment behind the Plague Doctor’s warning? Friendship is a simple matter when everybody stands to benefit, but now... how will she react knowing Daniel’s giving up on her?
How will you react?
Sensing my hesitation, Daniel lays a comforting hand on my shoulder. With a start I realise that Dance admires this man. He finds his sense of purpose exhilarating, his single-mindedness resonating with a quality my host values in himself. Perhaps that’s why Daniel approached me with this information rather than any of our other hosts. These two are reflections of each other.
‘You didn’t tell her, did you?’ he says anxiously. ‘About our offer being hollow?’
‘I was distracted.’
‘I know it’s difficult, but you must keep all of this to yourself,’ says Daniel, sweeping me into his confidence as one would a child entrusted with a secret. ‘If we’re to outfox the footman, we’ll need Anna’s help. We won’t get that if she knows we can’t hold up our end of the bargain.’
Heavy steps sound behind us, and, looking over my shoulder, I see Michael advancing on us, his customary grin replaced by a scowl.
‘Heavens,’ says Daniel. ‘You look like somebody kicked your dog. What on earth’s wrong?’
‘It’s this damnable search,’ he says irritably. ‘Belly saw a girl murdered out here, and yet I can’t get a single person to take it seriously. I’m not asking much, just that they look around as they walk. Maybe knock over a pile of leaves, that sort of thing.’
Daniel coughs, shooting Michael an embarrassed glance.
‘Oh, dear,’ says Michael, frowning at him. ‘This is bad news, isn’t it?’
‘Good news, really,’ says Daniel hastily. ‘There’s no dead girl. It was a misunderstanding.’
‘A misunderstanding,’ says Michael slowly. ‘How on earth could it be a misunderstanding?’
‘Derby was out here,’ says Daniel. ‘He frightened a maid, things got heated and your sister took a shot at him. Bell mistook it for a murder.’
‘Blast Derby!’ Michael turns abruptly for the house. ‘I’ll not have it. He can go to the devil under somebody else’s roof.’
‘It wasn’t his fault,’ interrupts Daniel. ‘Not this time at least. Hard as it is to believe, Derby was trying to help. He simply got the wrong end of the stick.’
Michael stops, eyeing Daniel suspiciously.
‘Are you certain?’ he asks.
‘I am,’ says Daniel, putting an arm around his friend’s tense shoulders. ‘It was a dreadful misunderstanding. Nobody’s fault.’
‘That’s a first for Derby.’
Michael lets out a rueful sigh, the fury evaporating from his face. He’s a man of fleeting emotions this one, quick to anger, easily amused and just as easily bored, I shouldn’t wonder. I briefly imagine what it would be like to inhabit that mind. Dance’s coldness has its drawbacks, but it’s undoubtedly preferable to Michael’s mood hopscotch.
‘All morning I’ve been telling the chaps there’s a dead body out here, and they should be ashamed of being so jolly,’ says Michael, abashed. ‘As if this weekend wasn’t already miserable enough for them.’
‘You were helping a friend.’ Daniel offers him a fatherly smile. ‘You have nothing to be ashamed of.’
I’m taken aback by Daniel’s kindness, and more than a little pleased. While I admire his commitment to escaping Blackheath, I’m alarmed by his ruthless pursuit of it. Suspicion is already my first emotion, and fear binds me tighter every minute. It would be easy to mistake everybody for enemies, and treat them accordingly, and I’m heartened to see Daniel is still capable of rising above such thoughts.
As Daniel and Michael walk close together, I take my opportunity to question the young man. ‘I couldn’t help but notice your revolver,’ I say, pointing to his holster. ‘It’s your mother’s, isn’t it?’
‘Is it?’ He seems genuinely surprised. ‘I didn’t even know Mother kept a gun. Evelyn gave it to me this morning.’
‘Why would she give you a revolver?’ I ask.
Michael flushes with embarrassment.
‘Because I don’t like hunting very much,’ he says, kicking at some leaves in his path. ‘All that blood and thrashing, it makes me feel damn queer. I wasn’t even supposed to be out here, but between the search and Father’s absence, I didn’t have a great deal of choice. I was in a dreadful state about it, but Evelyn’s a clever old stick. She gave me this’ – he taps the gun – ‘said it was impossible to hit anything, but I’d look very dashing trying.’
Daniel’s trying to suppress laughter, drawing a good-natured smile from Michael.
‘Where are your parents, Michael?’ I say, ignoring the teasing. ‘I thought this was their party, but the burden of it seems to have fallen solely on your shoulders.’
He scratches the back of his neck, looking gloomy.
‘Father’s locked himself in the gatehouse, Uncle Edward. He’s brooding as usual.’
Uncle?