Page 72 of In the Midnight Hour

Hypatia lifted her gaze.

“Is this all right?” Mrs. Jennings glanced at their hands. “I should have asked.”

“It’s more than all right.” Hypatia turned her hand so she could clasp Mrs. Jennings’. “It’s nice to have someone I can share this with.”

Mrs. Jennings’ mouth pressed into a thin line before she began to speak. “Sir Radnor behaved the same with me. One night, he asked me to come upstairs in order to show me an illustrated manuscript he’d just acquired. I was eager to see it, and like you, I’d had too much port, so I wasn’t thinking clearly.”

“There wasn’t a new manuscript, was there?” Hypatia whispered. “He lied to me about having one.”

“No, there wasn’t.” Mrs. Jennings took a breath and squeezed Hypatia’s hand. “When we went up to the second floor, I became confused—and slightly alarmed. Then, when he drew me into his bedchamber and closed the door, I realized I’d completely missed his intentions.”

“You didn’t miss them,” Hypatia argued, perhaps too forcefully, but this was important. Mrs. Jennings must not blame herself. “He hid them.”

“Yes, that’s right.” She clenched her jaw before continuing. “He also touched me, but by pulling me to him and kissing me. I felt just as you did—shocked and frozen. I didn’t fully comprehend what he meant to do until I was on the bed, and he was on top of me.”

Hypatia’s heart twisted. “I’m so sorry.”

“What did you do?” Mrs. Jennings asked. “Did you go upstairs with him?”

“No, I ran,” Hypatia replied. “I live next door, and I escaped through the back into the garden where there is a gate that adjoins my garden. When I think that all he had to do was creep into my yard some night and let himself inside.” Hypatia shuddered. “I don’t know that the back doors are always bolted. They are now.”

“That is terrifying.” Mrs. Jennings’ mouth lifted in a brief, tremulous smile. “But you escaped before anything else happened. You were lucky.”

Hypatia feared what would come next. “You weren’t?”

Mrs. Jennings shook her head. “I’m afraid I didn’t recover from my shock quickly enough to stop what he was intent on doing. Afterward, he stroked my hair and told me he loved me and that we would be married soon. I went home and didn’t leave again for a month until I moved here. I instructed my solicitor to find a house far enough away that I’d never see him again and that I had to move away from Pemberton Square as quickly as possible.” She withdrew her hand from Hypatia’s and rested it in her lap. “And here I am. I don’t go out much, and I’m considering leaving London altogether. My daughter is married and lives in Kent. I would like to go live near her.”

“I’m so sorry that happened.” Hypatia wanted to hug the woman but didn’t wish to overstep. “Thank you for sharing it with me.”

“I don’t suppose you’ll be able to keep it between us?” she asked hopefully. “I realize this gives me a motive to kill Sir Radnor, but I truly haven’t had communication with him since I left Pemberton Square. He tried to see me whilst I was still living there, but I always refused. My servants said I was ill, and, in a way, I was unwell.” Her eyes were dark with worry. “I’m afraid Bow Street will come here since Usher mentioned me. He was absolutely confused about seeing me. My retainers can attest that I was home last Friday night.”

“I can’t promise that Mr. Drummond won’t decide to call on you, but he doesn’t know we came to see you, and I don’t plan to tell him. Please know that Lord Northwood and I are working very hard to solve this murder as quickly as possible—for my sake and now yours.” She smiled at Mrs. Jennings, hoping to reassure her. “I know you didn’t kill him, just as I didn’t.”

“Thank you.” Mrs. Jennings appeared relieved, at least a little. “Would you mind if I hugged you?”

“Not at all.”

They embraced for several minutes. When they broke apart, each of them dabbed at their eyes.

Mrs. Jennings wiped her cheek and smiled at Hypatia. “I feel better for having told you that—lighter than I’ve felt in years.”

“I’m glad,” Hypatia said, also feeling better—at least about Sir Radnor. She wasn’t sure the wounds of her marriage would ever fully heal.

“Did you really think I might have killed Sir Radnor?” Mrs. Jennings asked. “It seems that’s why you wanted to speak with me.”

“I didn’t, actually. We believe one of the servants did, but so far, we don’t have any evidence that Sir Radnor was doing anything to them. I hoped that you could confirm his pattern of behavior. Though, I suppose it’s possible he only attacked us and other women he hoped to court.”

Mrs. Jennings shook her head, her eyes narrowing. “I don’t believe that. Sir Radnor’s housekeeper, Mrs. Nyburn, left his employ before I moved away from the square, as did his two upstairs maids.”

“At the same time?” Hypatia asked sharply.

“Yes. I don’t know what happened, but I found it suspicious.”

Hypatia’s heart began to beat faster. “I don’t suppose you know where we can find Mrs. Nyburn?”

Mrs. Jennings smiled. “I do, and you don’t have to go far. She became Mr. White’s housekeeper. He lives at number eleven.”

Next door to Northwood. There was an odd symmetry about that. “Thank you. For everything. You’ve been so helpful.”