Murder in the East End - Jennifer Ashley Page 0,74

turned bad and so I made an apple charlotte instead of the mousse. The bowls came down from luncheon quite clean, which I took to mean everyone had liked it.

Mrs. Redfern entered the kitchen to inform me of how many were expected for dinner. “Five,” she said. “Lady Cynthia will dine in today, as well as Mr. Bywater’s friend, Mr. Thanos, and a vicar called Mr. Fielding.”

I dropped the pencil I used to make notes, which fell to the floor and rolled into a crack between the slates.

“Mr. Fielding?” I repeated, trying to hide my agitation.

“Yes, the vicar who called on you,” Mrs. Redfern said, as though trying to be helpful. “With the charitable society, wasn’t he? I suppose Mrs. Bywater took to him. Or else he is yet another potential match for Lady Cynthia.”

She sounded disapproving. Though she thought it high time Cynthia wed, she did not like the way Mrs. Bywater was going about things, and she considered that none but an aristocrat would do for an aristocrat’s daughter.

Mr. Fielding had not been in the best of moods last night, and I could not believe he’d suddenly turn agreeable this evening. While I believed Cynthia probably could keep him in order, I worried very much.

“What about Miss Townsend?” I asked. “Was she invited?”

Mrs. Redfern looked surprised. “Not that I know of. Why?”

“It would even the number,” I said quickly. “Three ladies, three gentlemen.”

“I will suggest it.” Mrs. Redfern sounded doubtful. “I will let you know if you need to add one more serving.”

“Thank you.”

Mrs. Redfern eyed me as though she thought I might run mad at any moment, but she glided away.

I dug my pencil out of the crack and wrote hasty notes about what I should cook, but I could not settle my mind.

What was Mr. Fielding up to? He’d finagled the invitation, I was certain, but why? And why had Mr. Thanos been invited? Mr. Bywater liked him—there was that explanation. But I’d overheard Mrs. Bywater declare he was too poor for Cynthia, no matter how affable Mr. Bywater considered him.

Nonetheless, I put together sole with anchovy sauce for the first course, which would be followed by roast beef and pigeon in a thick gravy, followed by an herb salad and almond custard. The remainder of the apples would go into more tartlets.

With Tess’s help, as well as Elsie to assist with apple peeling, we had it finished. I continually moved to the high windows that looked out at the street, waiting to see the arrival of Mr. Thanos and Mr. Fielding.

They came separately, and I wondered if Mr. Fielding was aware Mr. Thanos would also be attending.

As the courses went up, I could not stop my worrying. I wished I could send for Daniel, who might find a reason to take Mr. Fielding away, but I did not know how to find him. James, my trusty go-between, was at the Foundling Hospital.

Nothing for it. After I sent up the roast, I babbled an excuse to Tess and quietly skimmed up the stairs into the main house, making my way soundlessly to the dining room. The double door was closed, but I carefully pried it open a crack and peered inside.

“Extraordinary,” I heard Mr. Fielding say. He sounded cheerful, but I detected the sharp irony in his voice. “Do go on, Mr. Thanos. All this mathematics is most riveting.”

19

Mr. Thanos flushed. Mr. Fielding was baiting him, and he knew it. Cynthia lifted her goblet of clear wine, the one glass she was allowed at dinner.

“It is riveting to me,” Cynthia said. “Amazing how numbers can come together and make the world run.”

“That is true,” Mr. Thanos said. I could see him in my sliver of doorway, and he turned to Cynthia eagerly. “Mr. Maxwell’s laws on electromagnetism and thermodynamics really are all we need to know. Equations that are beautiful, elegant, and simple.”

“If they are simple, why don’t the rest of us understand them?” Mr. Fielding asked in amusement. “I think these fellows invent things simply in order to keep their positions.”

“Mathematics can be learned by anyone,” Mr. Thanos said in earnestness. “If they take the trouble.”

“I concede not all of us are brilliant at it,” Cynthia broke in. “But to imply they invent it to stay employed is going a bit far, Mr. Fielding. Mr. Thanos will be a lecturer at the new Polytechnic, Uncle, did you know? Sir Arthur Maddox is his patron now.”

“Is he?” Mrs. Bywater chirped, brightening. “I’ve been to gatherings with