Lessons in Solving the Wrong Problem - Charlie Cochrane Page 0,41
in the local lock-up on the night of the accident. Causing a breach of the peace.” Baylis sat back, evidently enjoying his guests’ discomfiture at the news.
Orlando cursed himself and the secret he’d been asked to keep. Henry would have known that and if they’d been brave enough to put the question, they’d not have lost time going down a dead end. Although… “Would Lord Henry have been aware Gold had been given a night or two in the cells?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t find out until later, when the man was killed on the railway. You know about that?” Baylis waited for them to nod, then said, “His lordship would have had more important things on his mind at the time. Taking over the estate at such a young age. I didn’t envy him the task.”
“You’ve clearly given the matter a lot of thought, both at the time and since.” If Baylis twigged the real reason for their interest in the accident, so be it. “Did you suspect anyone else of causing the accident? I believe the Saggers kept dogs. One of those couldn’t have got loose and chased the horse?”
“God bless you, sir, them dogs wouldn’t have chased a cat, let alone a horse. Soft as anything, they were. We had one of the puppies and it was useless as anything but a companion. Scared of horses, like its dam, so if Miss Saggers’s dogs had got out and met a horse, they’d have soon gone home with their tails between their legs. I’m not saying somebody didn’t make his lordship take a fall. But it wasn’t the dogs.”
Damn. Two theories exploded at once.
Jonty took up the thread. “My mother knew Miss Saggers, many years ago. Is the lady still alive?”
“That I couldn’t tell you. She was a fine woman, though. Not pretty, but any man would have been pleased to walk her down the aisle. Wasn’t to be. She was man shy although not man shy if you follow me.”
“I’m afraid I don’t follow at all? Can you explain it for us normal folk?” Jonty gave their host a charming if bewildered smile.
Baylis, perhaps believing university gentlemen had little knowledge of matters of the heart, used an analogy apt to the discussion. “Well, now, sometimes you get a filly that don’t want to be covered by any stallion. Prefers the company of other mares, if you get me. I don’t think Miss Saggers was that way, she just wanted her independence. I don’t think she was the sort to take treasure, either and her dogs would be too daft to root it out of the ground.”
“We definitely hadn’t considered that,” Jonty assured him. “We’re fairly certain it was dug up, though and there’s not a big field—excuse pun—to choose from regarding who knew where it was. Mary Gold, Edward’s maid, may have been one.”
“Lizzie reckoned she only pretended to know where the lad had been digging, to cover up the fact she’d been asleep. That poor lad, he never had any luck with his nurses.” That wasn’t spoken with any rancour, simply as a statement of fact. “Did his lordship tell you about the boy being drowned?”
“He did,” Orlando confirmed. “We were given the impression that when Edward ran off on the day he died, his nurse maid mistook your son for him and went off in the wrong direction.”
“Aye. That day one of the worst of my life. Same for everyone on the estate, seeing as we all loved him. Not my John’s fault or mine, but you can’t help wondering what might have happened if he’d not been there with me that day.” Baylis rummaged a handkerchief from his sleeve, to dab at his eye.
Jonty gently cuffed the old man’s elbow. “Hard not to blame oneself, even if the result might have been the same irrespective of your son being there. Were John and Edward so alike?”
“Not really, but from a distance you might mix them up. Similar age, similar colouring. It didn’t help that sometimes young Edward would want to come and watch me at work.”
“I’ve one final question, Mr Baylis, then we’ll take our leave.” Orlando glanced at Jonty, who nodded. Neither of them would want to upset their host further. “Edward’s mother thought she saw him on several occasions after he died. Could it have been John she spotted and grief made her blind to the fact?” Yes, they’d been told that he’d been accounted for, but better to have that verified.
“No,