Page 43 of Murder at Madame Chambon's
“For mercy’s sake!”Archie burst out at the end of his patience.“Lady Bradden reckons he came here to blackmail Madame Chambon over Celeste, but then he discovered evidence that Madame had a secret daughter bein’ educated in Paris: Evelina Tarot.That’s when we reckon Dunstable then blackmailed Madame so she’d ‘elp lay the ground for Miss Tarot to marry him—before he were done in.”
He might have continued had it not become clear to Lily that the news was too forcefully delivered to find sway with his lordship, who said, tightly, “Supposition.Didyousee evidence that Evelina is Madame’s daughter?”he asked Lily.
“No, but that’s whyyou’rehere, Lord Bellingham,” she replied.“To ask Madame directly…” She hesitated, adding, “That is, when the time is right and we’ve spoken to LuluBelle since I don’t think Madame would countenance us under her roof a moment longer once she’s been tackled with what I suspect is her most closely held secret.”
Lord Bellingham raised his eyes, thinking.He finally seemed to reach an acceptance of what Lily and Archie had been trying to tell him, for he said, “I had assumed, like most others, that the man who murdered Dunstable was a rival or adversary.But you, Lady Bradden, are suggesting the motive was very different.Something to do with Evelina, you say?Please explain.”
“I think it’s possible that whoever killed Dunstable wanted to get him out of the way so that he could profit from the knowledge of Miss Tarot’s secret origins,” said Lily.“ I suspect it was only because Madame was being blackmailed by Dunstable that she agreed to marriage between him and her daughter.And to be fair, Evelina agreed willingly.”
“When she had spent less than a week in the capital and knew no better!”Lord Bellingham’s voice rose, just as the door opened and a slight young woman entered the room.Her hair was slightly disordered, and she wore a long, loose dressing gown of red and blue patterned silk that highlighted her translucent skin.
LuluBelle looked very lovely and very tired.Even more tired than Lily remembered as she smiled and put out her hand before the girl gasped, “M’lady!”, her eyes widening as she took in Lily’s disguise before sizing up the two men, relaxing slightly when she saw Archie.“Gracie said there were someone here who wanted to see me especial-like, and she reckoned it would be worth me while, when I argued I needed my rest and were seeing no one else tonight.”
“It’s just us, LuluBelle,” Archie said cheerfully.“Lady Bradden and Lord Bellingham here have some questions about the murder.”
LuluBelle seemed suddenly overcome with nervousness at her audience and Lily, to dispel the awkwardness, invited everyone to sit before realizing the only place other than two spindly chairs, was the bed.
Waving LuluBelle to the chair beside the washstand, Lily sat by the bed while Lord Bellingham and Archie perched on the edge of the pink satin coverlet.
“LuluBelle, please, will you tell us when you first met Lord Dunstable and what your dealings with him were?”asked Lily.
LuluBelle’s eyes hardened.“The night he arrived, he requested that he see Celeste again, and when Madame said she was booked that evening, he offered a handsome fee that Madame couldn’t resist.Madame can’t ever resist the extra blunt the girls bring in.”The girl’s shoulders slumped, and she stared at the floor.
Lily, who knew all this, wondered suddenly if there really was any new information that would help them understand who might have murdered Dunstable, and why, but continued, “Gracie says you were a particular friend of Celeste’s.Do you know if Lord Dunstable was unkind to her?”
Lord Bellingham interrupted.“With all due respect, the murderer of this woman Celeste, has already been convicted!”
Lily pressed her lips together.“Please, let LuLubelle continue, Lord Bellingham.I think it’s better if the story reveals itself.LuLubelle, will you please describe Lord Dunstable’s visit, and the reason he came here?”
LuLubelle nodded.“Nothin’ were strange or different when I saw Celeste after.Dunstable were just like any other customer.But then he came again the next week, askin’ for Celeste.He paid well, and he seemed like any o’ them high society folks wot come here for a little summat on the side when they’s bored with their wives.”
Lord Bellingham shifted position but LuLubelle, encouraged by Lily’s look, went on, “It were after ‘is lordship left the second time that I went to find Celeste.She were cryin’ somethin’ terrible.Not like her at all.I asked if he were unkind to her and she said no, but that he’d seen her photograph inManners and Moralsand said he thought he’d recognized her.Then she put her hand to her mouth and told me she’d said more than enough and would never speak on it again.”
Before Lily could answer, the sound of thundering feet on the stairs was truncated by an angry, “What is the meaning of this, LuLubelle?”as Madame Chambon burst into the room.
There was just enough time for Lord Bellingham to disappear behind the Japanese dressing screen while Madame’s recognition of Lily made her eyes flash with something indefinable before Lily said mildly, “I am not here to spy on you, Madame, as we wanted to speak to you afterwards.However, now that you are here, would you spare us a few moments to help us with some questions about Lord Dunstable?”
Madame looked cornered as well she might.
“I believe the girls heard Lord Dunstable demanding something of you with regard to Celeste,” Lily persisted.
Madame, a striking figure in ruby red silk and lace to match her hair, looked as if she were staring down a predator as she faced Lily and Archie, arms akimbo, in the center of the elegant Aubusson rug.“That is true,” she replied.“But, with all due respect, Lady Bradden, what interest—or qualifications—do you have in discovering the identity of Lord Dunstable’s killer?And Celeste is of no importance.Her murderer was brought to justice.I have answered Inspector Wild’s questions to the best of my ability.I have no idea why you believe you can come here and demand answers to something that happened a long time ago and has no bearing on anything.”
“But I believe it does,” said Lily.“I believe Lord Dunstable recognized Celeste and came here to blackmail the young woman because he’d found proof of her real identity.When she was murdered, you claimed you had no idea who she really was.”Lily was sure Madame looked uncomfortable though it was difficult to gauge her emotional state.Madame, she had found, was always difficult to read as she pretended emotion to suit the moment.Nevertheless, she continued, “ I believe you knew LuLubelle had hidden the documents verifying Celeste’s identity and that on the night he was murdered, you had gone to demand she release them to you as you’d finally given in to his latest blackmail demands.I’m interested to know what Dunstable might have been blackmailing you with.”
Madame Chambon drew back her shoulders.“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Lady Bradden.”
Archie’s voice drifted from the end of the bed.“Word is that you spoke to Dunstable in your study.Then you argued.You were both heard shoutin’ before you left to fetch Celeste’s identity documents.Then he was murdered.”
“All right, I did leave to fetch what Celeste had left behind.”Madame Chambon hesitated.“But I didn’t hand anything over because … I found Lord Dunstable dead.”
“And there were no sign of a struggle,” Lily went on.“The blade of a paperknife had gone straight through his jugular vein cleanly and neatly.He was caught quite by surprise, so that the police have said the murderer could have been either man or woman.”
“And you had five girls working in the house, and five gentleman clients—”
“There were another man,” LuluBelle said, flashing a quick and guilty look at Madame who turned a telling shade darker.
Interesting, thought Lily, but now Madame was saying quickly, “You mean Captain Blackheath, I think, LuluBelle.He and Lord Dunstable also argued the night of the murder.”
