Page 46 of In the Midnight Hour

“I didn’t kill Sir Radnor,” Hypatia stated calmly.

“I’m still not convinced he was murdered,” Mrs. Babcock said. “No one in the household would have done such a thing. You were the only other person here that night, and you’ve no reason to kill him.”

Hypatia smiled, and North detected relief in her features. “Thank you for your vote of confidence,” she said. “Did you see the Clavertons when they were here Saturday?”

“Briefly, but I didn’t converse with them,” the housekeeper replied. “They’d come to pay their respects, so I left them alone.”

“Yes, we understand they were alone in the drawing room for at least a little while,” Hypatia said. “Did they go upstairs to see Sir Radnor?”

“Can’t say for sure.”

“Perhaps Usher will know,” North said. “We need to speak with him about when he last saw the missing items that were kept in Sir Radnor’s dressing room.”

“Bah, I wouldn’t bother.” Mrs. Babcock waved her hand. “He’s as reliable as a brand-new scullery maid.”

“Is there someone else we could speak with?” Hypatia asked. “Perhaps the maid who cleans Sir Radnor’s chambers?”

Mrs. Babcock’s brows pitched into a V. “I’d just as soon you didn’t bother Gemma or Cora since they’re busy preparing for tomorrow. Mrs. Spragg needs all the help she can find in the kitchen.”

“My cook would be happy to help,” Hypatia offered. “Shall I send Mrs. Martin over in the morning?”

“I’m sure Mrs. Spragg would appreciate that, thank you.” Mrs. Babcock eyed her a long moment. “It might have been nice if Sir Radnor had married you. I wasn’t aware he’d hoped to, but after I thought about it, I wondered if he might have taken a fancy to someone recently. He’d been more cheerful of late, and he asked for fresh flowers in the library every week.” She blinked at Hypatia. “It didn’t even occur to me that he wished to court you, and I should have realized. This is how he behaved in the past when he became infatuated.”

Infatuated? North didn’t particularly care for that characterization. What did it even mean? “What happened with those…infatuations? Did he court anyone or propose marriage?”

Mrs. Babcock shook her head. “I don’t know, and I was not in his confidence. A few years ago, Usher would have been able to tell you anything you wanted to know. That time has passed, however. Don’t waste your time asking him.”

“I think we’d like to try,” North said. “Where might we find him?”

“He’s with Sir Radnor. He’s been keeping vigil most of the time since Saturday, even sleeping in the morning room.” She made a face as she shook her head. “I’ve no idea how he stands it. I’ll send him up. You do not want to enter the morning room at present.”

When the housekeeper had left, Hypatia turned to North. “Perhaps Mrs. Babcock is right about speaking with Usher. Should we even bother?”

“I think we must. Let’s see how he responds. At the very least, he may give us information we can corroborate elsewhere.”

A few minutes later, Usher walked into the drawing room, his thin gray hair slightly unkempt. His black armband was wider than everyone else’s, and his clothing was rumpled. He possessed an overall air of melancholy. Horribly, a faint stench of death clung to him as well.

“Good evening, Usher,” Hypatia said warmly. “Would you like to sit down?” Perhaps she recognized his sadness too.

“I’ve been sitting for a long while now,” Usher replied. “Watching over Sir Radnor until he’s laid to rest. Probably best I stand for a bit.”

Hypatia smiled at him. “Sir Radnor was fortunate to have you. We’d like to ask you about a few of the missing items—the walking stick, the necklace, and the snuffbox. Maberly said they were kept in Sir Radnor’s dressing chamber. Is that right?”

Usher nodded. “I’d no idea he was leaving that snuffbox to me. That was awfully generous of him.”

“Indeed,” North agreed. “It sounds as though you meant a great deal to Sir Radnor. When was the last time you recall seeing those items?”

Brow furrowed, Usher stared past them for a few moments. “Sir Radnor didn’t use the snuffbox and of course he wouldn’t wear the necklace. They were stored with other keepsakes in a small, carved box that belonged to his grandfather. I can’t say when I saw them last, just that they weren’t there when I went to fetch them for the solicitor.”

“I understand,” Hypatia assured him. “Only those two pieces were missing from the box?”

“That’s right.”

North wondered why the thief hadn’t taken any of the other items in the case. “Were the pieces left behind valuable?”

“Oh yes.” Usher’s eyes lit with enthusiasm. “There was another snuffbox—a gift from his father-in-law when he and Lady Fieldstone married. And several pieces of jewelry that belonged to his wife, most of it old—it came from her mother and grandmother.”

Why would the Clavertons, assuming they stole the necklace and snuffbox, leave such items? “What about the walking stick?” North asked. “When did you last see that?”