Page 64 of Murder at Madame Chambon's
“And will he respond immediately?”Lord Bellingham asked, his voice tight.“I would like to remind you that I believe we have something of an emergency on our hands.”
Madame Chambon stopped beneath a large portrait of herself in her younger days.If it was true to life, she had been a beauty.Now she looked raddled, and her expression was bleak.“He has never contacted me directly.I deal only through his lawyer, a man who has made it very clear that if I breach the stipulation of the contact, then my payments will cease.”
Lily moved in front of her, forcing her to meet her eye.“If this man has been so generous as to continue these payments, he must have some affection for you, or at least Evelina.He would surely be concerned that she has gone missing.Can we not approach him discreetly?”Running her hands the length of her fashionable gown, she added, “In fact, I’m confident he would see Lady Bradden if she made an unexpected call upon him.And Lord Bellingham, too, of course.Please, Madame, who is Evelina’s father?”
Madame Chambon stared at her for a long moment as if weighing up whether to divulge this information.Finally, she relented.“Lord Craddock,” she said softly, and the others gasped.
“The Earl of Ravenswood?”gasped Lily and Lord Bellingham in unison.“He is Evelina’s father?”asked Lily.
“And he continues to maintain both of you?”asked Lord Bellingham.“Or, to some extent, otherwise you would not need to continue this work, I suppose.Dear Lord, I dined with Lord Craddock only this week.”
Madame gave a short laugh.“And I have not seen him for nearly twenty years but I continue this work as my insurance that I will always be able to provide for my daughter as befits the station of a lady.There is no guarantee the payments will continue.”
Lily waited, and when Madame didn’t move, she prompted, “Then we will go to see Lord Craddock.Right now.”
Still, Madame remained rooted to the spot, her face trained on her once beautiful face in the portrait.“My poor Evelina,” she whispered.Then, swinging round, she said with more energy, as if she were reassuring herself, “Evelina is safe.This has nothing to do with Lord Dunstable’s murder.I have done everything that was asked of me and fulfilled every stipulation.I cannot be held accountable.”
“No one is holding you accountable, Madame Chambon,” said Lily, as she exchanged a concerned glance with Lord Bellingham who stepped forward to open the door.
But Madame shook her head, saying, “I cannot possibly go.If I break my promise and make myself known to Evelina’s father then all payments will cease.Evelina will have nothing!”
Lily hesitated.“Then you will go in disguise.Archie!”She beckoned to her friend, saying, “Tell Maisie to find something demure and appropriate for a visit to gentry for Madame.And perhaps a hat with a concealing veil.”Then, when he’d gone to expedite her request, Lily patted Madame on the arm saying reassuringly, “I’m sure our fears will prove groundless, Madame.We will find Evelina at Ravenhall Manor where, would you believe, she has a friend in Lady Elizabeth Craddock?”But it was only as she said the words that she and Lord Bellingham realized the enormity of this statement.
Evelina was the illegitimate half-sister of Lady Elizabeth?
Archie returned, and after Madame had been helped into her new clothes while the gentlemen stepped out, Lily said, “Madame Chambon, I shall introduce you as my friend, Mrs.Tennant.Come, Lord Bellingham, let us pay a call on Lord and Lady Craddock and be prepared for what we find.”
Chapter 31
The three of them—Lily, Lord Bellingham, and Madame Chambon—were soon in the carriage, Madame Chambon wearing a modest afternoon dress with a hat and veil.Lily had never seen her so nervous and wondered how she’d retained for so many years the loyalty of an old lover who could have discarded her at any time.
But perhaps the man had a soft spot for his daughter, thought Lily, until she was disabused of this notion when Madame said, “Lord Craddock hasn’t seen Evelina since she was an infant.”
When the carriage drew up in front of Ravenswood Hall, Lily was dumbstruck.Her father, Lord Lambton, lived in a grand home, but it was nothing like this.
Manicured gardens fronted an imposing façade dominated by towering classical Greek columns.However, later additions incorporated both Georgian and the Gothic revival.For such a strange amalgamation, the result was both whimsical and charming.It also made clear that this was an estate that had been in the family for many centuries.
Lily sent Madame Chambon a dubious look and saw that the brothel madame was looking distinctly awed.
Ravenswood Hall belonged to Lord Arthur Edward Craddock, the 5th Earl of Ravenswood.
What kind of man would he prove to be?
As they were led through the reception rooms, the priceless treasures obviously collected over centuries made Lily wonder at the nature of the earl.Would he feel any serious concern over the unexplained disappearance of his former mistress’s daughter—a child he hadn’t seen for nearly twenty years?Lily wondered if he would even remember Evelina.Aristocrats were not known for their morality.
And what would be their reception?Of course, Bellingham was known to them.They’d be surprised, but if they were home, they would receive them.It was some consolation.
They were greeted with no surprise by the butler, who led them into the drawing room.A short while later, a parlor maid said his lordship would see them shortly.
Instead, it was Lady Ravenswood who appeared, in company with her daughter, Lady Elizabeth and Lady Elizabeth’s friend Miss Clara who greeted Lord Bellingham with a surprised, “How nice that you should call, my lord!Why, are you here to tell us you and Miss Tarot —?”She clapped her hand to her mouth at a surreptitious dig in the ribs from her friend.
Lady Craddock, an attractive woman with light brown hair and a sweet smile, sat down on a pale blue sofa opposite Lily.The two girls took a seat at right angles.“I’m pleased to meet you, Lady Bradden,” said their hostess.“I’m a great admirer of the work you do and the column you write inMorals and Manners.I look forward to each week’s story on the worthy person who has bettered themselves through their own endeavors.In fact, I had contemplated whether to contact you regarding how I might add my support.You see, I run a small school for the workhouse girls on reading and arithmetic.”
Lily sent her a surprised smile as she went on, “My daughter Elizabeth and her friend Clara know Lord Bellingham and when they heard he’d called, insisted we all come through.”Lady Craddock nodded at Lord Bellingham.“I believe you spent the day together at the zoological gardens several weeks ago.”
“Yes, with Miss Tarot,” said Clara with a frown.“In fact, I thought perhaps you’d come here to pass on some happy news about Miss Tarot.Lady Perry was asking after her this morning, but we suspected she’d—” She broke off as she sent a confused and worried look in Lord Bellingham’s direction.
Lord Bellingham shook his head.“I wish that were so, but I’m here because we don’t know what has happened to Miss Tarot.Pardon me, Lady Craddock—” He broke off, clearly agitated, as he frowned at the three ladies.“The reason we’re here is that we’re trying to locate Miss Tarot.Lady Perry says you saw her stepping into a carriage at the funeral yesterday.But it was not mine.”The strain in his voice was evident, “Can you describe it?”
