Dark Tide Rising by Anne Perry

Author:Anne Perry
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2018-09-17T16:00:00+00:00

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SHE HAD ALREADY DECIDED exactly who to ask for help regarding Laker and whatever his tragedy might have been. Major Carlton knew, or had known of, almost everyone who had served in the regular army since the beginning of the Crimean War, especially if they were from the counties around London—the Home Counties, as they were known.

She found him where she had expected, sitting in his small front room by the fire, reading regimental histories from his vast collection of books. She had nursed him through a particularly painful injury, and he had not forgotten her patience or, more particularly, her discretion. A man’s moment of weakness or indignity was never referred to again, or spoken of to others.

His manservant let her in and then disappeared to make fresh tea and, if there were any left, a few jam tarts. It was not four in the afternoon, but exceptions could be made. A man should not be a prisoner of convention.

Carlton stood with difficulty to greet her. She did not tell him it was unnecessary. He disliked above all things being reminded that he was an exception to the general rules of courtesy. He did not wish to be an exception. Everyone knew it. No one spoke of it.

“How are you?” she said warmly. “You look well.” It was not a nurse speaking, but a woman. The nurse saw the strain in his face, the pain, the added stiffness, the loss of a little more weight, and could guess the reasons. The woman did not.

She sat quickly so he might follow suit.

“I want your help.” She came straight to the point. There had never been pretense between them.

He tried not to look surprised. “With what?”

She had thought very hard how to address this. Even with complete honesty, there were several sides to it.

He was waiting, interested, keen to be of use again, in anything.

“My husband is commander of the Thames River Police.”

“I know.”

“Do you?”

“I keep up with you…and anyone who matters to you.” His expression darkened. “I know the terrible crime he is investigating.”

This made it more difficult, and at the same time, she was touched that he should still be interested in her life. Perhaps he had no one of his own. She could not remember his having mentioned anyone. Perhaps she should have come more often.

“One of the young men who works for him served in the army before joining the police. He is under a certain degree of suspicion, and I…I would very much like to clear him. He seldom speaks of his past, or his family. He will not say why. It may be something unhappy, rather than wrong. And it may be nothing to do with this current investigation.”

Carlton looked at her, also without pretense at belief. “Suspicion of what? Surely not of being involved in this…atrocity?”

“Of having to conceal something, maybe for privacy’s sake, his own or somebody else’s,” she answered. “If I knew what it was, it may well clear him of all suspicion.

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