Thomas Pitt Long Spoon Lane by Anne Perry

Author:Anne Perry [Perry, Anne]
Format: epub
Publisher: Anne Perry
Published: 2010-05-29T07:28:12.974000+00:00

"It could be anything, or nothing," Pitt answered. "And while it is interesting, it doesn't help us fight against the bill. All it will tell us, at best, is which side they ally with. So far we know from his newspaper that Denoon is for the bill, and Landsborough has said nothing at all."

"What will he say?" Voisey asked softly.

"I don't know. He's lost his only son. I daresay he doesn't know either. But this new side of the bill may be a step too far. It could be a blackmailer's charter."

"The right to question servants without the master know-ing?" Voisey said bitterly, his face tight with anger. "Of course it's a blackmailer's charter, for God's sake! Wetron could have the leaders of the nation in his hands. Is there any man in England whose valet doesn't know something about him that he would rather were not repeated? Even if it is only that he wears a corset to hold his belly in, or that his wife would rather sleep with the footman—although with luck she has more sense than actually to do it."

"Probably not," Pitt agreed. "But that is its weakness, not its strength. It means that no one will feel secure enough to vote for it."

Voisey closed his eyes. "You are beautifully naive! At least it would be beautiful, if it weren't so damn dangerous." His eyes opened wide. "They won't phrase it like that, you fool! There'll be all kinds of promises that it won't apply to the innocent. They'll swear it will only be used on those suspected of anarchist conspiracies. Every man in Parliament will know that he is either guiltless in that, or else he is already allied with Wetron, and imagines that protects him. And if he is in the Inner Circle, he is probably right. 'The guilty flee where no man pursueth,' " he quoted. "And all too often the

174 Anne Perry

innocent stand rooted to the spot imagining their innocence will save them. Until it is too late to run."

"Surely you have the skill, and either have or can acquire the knowledge to suggest to a few of your more articulate friends that there are issues in their private lives they would prefer no servant were pressured to speak of?" Pitt asked.

Voisey stood still for several seconds, a wry slow smile curving his lips. "Why, Pitt! You have quite a flair for blackmail yourself! How very interesting. I confess, I never suspected it of you."

"You have to have some idea of what the crime is before you can become successful at solving it," Pitt said drily.

Voisey pushed his hands into his pockets. "Now that much is obvious about Wetron," he remarked. "I wonder why I never realized it about you? I accept the criticism."

Pitt knew what he was doing. The comparison with Wetron was meant to hurt. "Because Wetron is head of the Inner Circle," he replied levelly. "You likened him to your-

self."

The barb went home perfectly. He saw it in Voisey's face.

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