“Indeed, sir.” Deery vanished with his usual efficiency.
Pausing at the door of the library, Max smiled at the sounds of a lively discussion coming from within. He caught the words “absurd” and “Wellington”, and realized this was no debate on gowns or the Season. His sister and his mistress were involved in dissecting Wellington’s campaign. Bemused, he entered the fray.
“Good afternoon, ladies.”
“Max. Perfect timing.” Grace turned to him. “Could you please inform Kitty that her opinion of the Duke’s strategies at the battle of Conaghul are incorrect?”
He blinked. “Er…what?”
Kitty sighed. “You are unfamiliar with the Anglo-Mysore Wars, then?”
“The what wars?”
“Good Lord, Max. It was not that long ago. Maybe ten years or so.” Grace frowned at him.
“Well that explains it, then. I was busy being a Corinthian.”
“Drinking and whoring?” Kitty’s expression was mildly curious.
“That too.” He sighed. “But if I might turn your obviously acrimonious discussion to the present…”
“If you must,” pouted Grace. “But I swear I’m right, Kitty.”
“We’ll agree to disagree then,” said Kitty equitably. “And I will thank you for a lively debate.”
They exchanged pleased glances as Deery entered with a footman bearing a large tray. “Lunch, sir, ladies.”
“Excellent.” Max moved to the fire, turned around and proceeded to toast his arse. “I’m chilled to the bone.”
“No luck in town, then?” asked Kitty, allowing Deery to move her chair slightly so that she could reach a plate.
“None at all,” frowned Max. “It’s not that I have no enemies, or people that wish me ill. It’s that I know who they are and none seem to have sufficient cause to do me harm. Everyone was a dead end.” He shook his head. “I did repay the ten guineas I owed Harry Chalmers, but I swear it was because I’d completely forgotten the matter. So had he, it turns out, so he had a better morning than I did, since he got something out of it.”
“Come and eat something. We’ve just begun to work on this, Max. Early days…” Grace motioned him to a seat.
They ate in silence for a while, and Max found himself quite comfortable with it.
Finally, he leaned back in his chair and sipped his tea with pleasure. “Well, it occurs to me that I shall have to order a new carriage.”
“You can certainly use mine, Max,” offered Grace.
“Thank you, and we will if we have to,” he acknowledged. “But that doesn’t change the fact that mine needs replacing. Pity,” he thought aloud. “I really liked the styling.”
“Surely the company can provide another?” Kitty glanced at him.
“I hope so, yes.”
“Max,” said Grace, putting down her teacup. “I’ve just thought of something.”
“I’m eager to hear,” encouraged her brother.
“Well, it may be nothing, but it seems that over the last couple of months, I’ve read of other carriage accidents.”
Max looked at her. “Really?”
She nodded. “Yes. As I told Kitty earlier, I read all the papers most every day. Being isolated, one does, you know.”
About to open his mouth and embark on a lecture about getting out and about more, Max thought better of it. He’d revisit that issue at another time. “And you think there have been other accidents?”
“I’m sure of it,” she asserted. “In fact, I think there was one less than two weeks ago.”
“Why haven’t we heard of them?” asked Kitty, a puzzled look on her face.
“If there were no fatalities, why would we?” Max answered. “Carriages break down routinely. It’s only when someone of import is injured or killed that it becomes news.”
“Well, front page news, at least,” added Grace. “The reports I read were small mentions quite far back in the papers.” She gave a rueful little grin. “When I say I read the newspapers, I really mean I read the newspapers.”
“Hmm.” Max’s mind whirled around this information. He jumped up and rang for Deery. “If we have some old papers, it’s worth taking a look, I believe.”
Deery appeared. “Sir?”
“Do we keep old newspapers, Deery? If so how far back?”
“Yes, sir. I do keep old papers. We usually have four weeks’ worth saved; they are very useful for a variety of purposes around the house.”
Kitty looked at him curiously. “Really?”
“Yes, miss,” answered Deery. “You can clean windows very effectively with an old sheet of newspaper.”
Kitty blinked in surprise. “Well, goodness. I never knew that.”
~~~~*
By late afternoon, a pile of scraps had grown to respectable proportions in the center of the Aubusson carpet.
All three had discovered small notices, mentions of possible problems and of course the accidents Grace had originally recalled. Those pieces had been cut out of the sheets, and the rest discarded into the central pile.
As the last paper joined its mates, Kitty leaned back in her chair and stretched her arms above her head. “Well, that’s the last of it.” Her back ached a little and her fingers were quite dirty from the newsprint.
Grace nodded in agreement, a smudge on her nose. “Thank goodness we only had four weeks to deal with.”
Max was already assembling the clippings into piles.
Kitty stood and came over to his side. “Sorting?”
He nodded, intent upon his task. “This pile mentions the name of the carriage owner. This pile does not.” He gestured to the piles. “I thought it might be useful to see if there is any link between those affected.”
“Good idea,” concurred Kitty. “Especially if it reveals any link to you, as well. Either directly or indirectly.”
“Let me take that pile, Max.” She held out her hand. “I don’t know your circle of intimates, but I can give it a preliminary review to see if any of the names jump out at me.”
Max smiled. “Given your proclivity for the news, Grace, you probably know more about who’s who in London than Kitty and I put together.”
“While Grace does that, I’ve had another idea I’d like to pursue. May I have that pile?” She indicated the one Grace wasn’t using. “I would like to flip through those notices.”
“Looking for something in particular?” Max slid her the pile and she moved her chair next to him.
“Yes.”
“Well, I’ll go and clean up I think. And order tea.”
Kitty barely heard him. She had found what she sought. Or at least one thing she was looking for. Now to see if others matched.
It didn’t take long for her to review the entire pile. A third of it was pushed aside, while the rest remained in front of her. Five mentions. Five places where similar information showed up.
“Grace, may I have your pile when you’re done?”
“I’m done,” sighed Grace. “I found nothing to connect anyone in these announcements.”
“Thank you.” Kitty took the clippings as Grace pushed them over the table. “Don’t be too disheartened. I might have come across something useful.”