‘Miss Doughty, I am sorry to intrude upon you unannounced, but I have some very serious questions to ask,’ he began, removing his hat and passing a hand across his forehead.

‘I will endeavour to help you in any way I can,’ said Frances, offering him a seat at her little parlour table.

He sat but looked uncomfortable and distracted. ‘Have you or any of your agents been making secret enquiries about me or my son?’

Frances took a deep breath. ‘I will be open with you, Dr Goodwin. Initially I interviewed you with the object of learning more about Mr Antrobus, since I am acting on behalf of Mrs Antrobus, but subsequently, as you know, I examined the allegations made by Mr Eckley that your son is teaching signs to the pupils of his school. For the purpose of that enquiry I engaged one of my associates to keep a watch on your son’s movements, and he did observe him having a conversation with some of the pupils of the school.’ Goodwin frowned with displeasure but was silent. Frances continued: ‘My associate was, however, entirely satisfied that it was merely a conversation and your son was not conducting classes in sign language, in which, you will be pleased to hear, the boys already appeared to be most adept. I was therefore able to report to Mr Eckley that I could find no evidence of any classes taking place, and there the matter was closed.’

‘I can scarcely credit what you are telling me,’ he said with evident disgust. ‘A young woman involved in such underhand affairs! If I had a daughter who acted as you do I would feel ashamed!’ Frances said nothing. ‘And do you still work for Eckley?’

‘I do not.’

‘I want the truth! It has recently come to my notice that in the last few days someone has been going about Bayswater asking questions about me, and all the old unpleasant rumours that I thought had been forgotten long ago are being talked about openly again. Fortunately I have friends who know me to be an honest man and have warned me about it. Has Eckley employed you to spread these terrible slanders?’

‘I know that my profession is distasteful to you, but I too am interested in the truth. I would never act in such a way.’

‘But do you know who is responsible?’

Frances hesitated.

‘You do, don’t you!’ he cried, clenching both hands into fists. ‘You must tell me!’

‘I do not know for a fact, but one may always suspect, as I am sure you do yourself,’ she replied cautiously. Just because Mr Eckley had asked her to undertake the task did not necessarily mean that following her refusal he had approached another agent, although it did look very probable, but to point the finger at him without better evidence would, in Goodwin’s current mood, be inadvisable.

‘Oh, I suspect, I certainly suspect!’ he cried, with bitter energy.

‘I ought to mention,’ added Frances, ‘that I have just discovered some letters sent to the Chronicle in 1877 but which fortunately were never published, one of which was from Mr Dromgoole, consisting largely of a personal attack on your character. The material was highly defamatory but clearly the work of a very disturbed brain. I have not shown it or even mentioned it to anyone, of course, but it is very possible that Mr Dromgoole wrote to other periodicals with the same allegations and discussed them with his friends. However, I have also found that Mr Dromgoole suffered a complete collapse in his health and is currently being cared for in a private establishment. I went to see him, and he hardly even knows himself. Not only is he in no position to act against you, but his circumstances mean that any proceedings launched by another on the basis of his statements would be bound to fail.’

‘I had thought that would be his ultimate fate,’ said Goodwin. ‘I never met the man, but his letters told me all I needed to know. But I do not suspect Dromgoole, it is that charlatan Eckley, I am sure of it. It is he, is it not, who sent his spies all over London to ask about me and my son?’ To Frances’ relief he did not pause for an answer and went on, ‘That scoundrel is bent on ruining me – it is not enough that he harms the education of those unfortunate children, dooming them to a life of silence in his misguided efforts to make them speak and takes away the one good means they have of learning – he descends to the very lowest kind of attack. I have asked him to participate in a public academic debate, but he will never agree to it; he knows he would not succeed; no, instead he tries to crush my ideas by crushing me!’ He slammed his fist into his palm, leaving Frances in no doubt as to the correct sign language for ‘crush’.

‘I assume that with the pending legal action it is not advisable for the two of you to meet privately, but perhaps you might arrange a meeting in the presence of your solicitors to clear the air?’ she suggested.

‘Pistols at dawn might be more effective!’ he grunted.

‘I hope that was not a serious proposal?’ said Frances, with understandable alarm.

‘No, of course not!’ he gasped, clutching his forehead again. ‘And you promise me that you have had nothing to do with this? All I have learned is that the enquiries were made by a man. Is he one of your agents?’

‘I do not employ any men. And since I have given you my promise once, I really do not see why you find it necessary to ask me for it again.’

‘Very well,’ he said, breathing more easily. ‘I have heard from all quarters that you are honest and trustworthy and I accept your assurance that this is the work of another. I don’t suppose you know of any other detectives working in Bayswater?’

‘The only detective I know by name is Mr Pollacky of Paddington Green,’ said Frances, recalling the immortalising of that shining star of the detective world in Patience. ‘I have not met the gentleman but I know he is very highly thought of. But I cannot think that a man of his reputation would stoop to work of this nature.’ Frances secretly hoped that Goodwin would not ask her to discover the name of her rival detective as this might take her into some very murky areas and create an enemy who would make her own work very hard in future. ‘In any case, it is not counter to the law to simply ask questions.’

‘No, of course not, and whoever he is, he has his bread to earn like anyone else and may not have the luxury of choosing his clients. It is the fountainhead of the campaign against me that I seek, the man who pays for my persecution, and I suppose even if I found his underling he would not give up the name of his employer.’

‘If you are so certain that it is Mr Eckley I must once again suggest that you consult with your solicitor,’ Frances advised. ‘A simple letter may be all that is necessary.’

Goodwin took his leave, shaking his head very unhappily.

Frances, although she had resolved the enquiry concerning Isaac’s supposed classes, decided that the school should remain the subject of occasional observation for a few more days in case Mr Eckley undertook any threatening action against Dr Goodwin, and she sent a note to Tom.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

My dear Miss Doughty!’ announced Chas, arriving next morning with Barstie to make his report, displaying all the panache of a Micawber, only rather more pecunious, ‘We have the honour to present our conclusions!’

The two partners made the most of the simple comforts offered by Frances’ parlour, and Sarah went to get tea.

‘We have employed every resource at our disposal, alerted all our agents, sent our spies hither and thither and consulted our informants.’

Barstie said nothing, but he looked at Chas as if to say that the vast army of minions being conjured up was actually a great deal less numerous than implied.

Chas and Barstie had often hinted that there was a wealth of unpublished information circulating in the business world, known only to those gentlemen who took the trouble to be kept informed. There were clubs where, during murmured conversations misted in clouds of cigar smoke and lubricated with brandy, business could be done, agreements made and reputations destroyed. Documents were never signed in such places. The legal force of ink on paper could not be denied, but a verbal agreement between gentlemen was a matter of honour, a currency more valuable than gold, which once lost was far harder to regain.