Behind The Horseman (The Underwood Mysteries Book 3) by Suzanne Downes Page A
Authors: Suzanne Downes
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with impatience. Being a reticent creature himself, he did not entirely understand the desire to have one’s features captured for posterity, and he viewed Gratten’s notion that a picture of himself was a suitable gift for his long-suffering wife, egotistical to say the least. However, the idea that Gratten would be the unwitting guardian of Verity for several hours of each day, thus freeing himself and Toby for the investigation, was not one to be lightly dismissed. It did cross his mind to wonder if Verity ought to be alone with a man in her present condition, but he quickly swept the thought away. Convention had never bound him very strongly, and certainly not when he had a goal in view.
“Verity would be delighted. She has been complaining of boredom for weeks now. This would be the perfect antidote. Call this afternoon at the vicarage and we will make the necessary arrangements.”
The gentlemen parted in perfect amity, both pleased with the outcome of their discussion, and neither very concerned about how Verity might react to their plotting.
*
CHAPTER SIX
(“Magni Nominis Umbra” – An unworthy descendant of an illustrious family)
The Constable of Hanbury was quite the best sitter Verity had ever had – though it had to be admitted she did not have a particularly large number of sitters against whom she could compare him, having always been extremely reserved in singing her own praises.
As for Gratten, he was so determined the likeness be a good one, he remained frozen in his pose until Verity gave him leave to stir, and when she was working on parts of the canvas which did not require his complete immobility, he was more than delighted to discuss art and artists, and her husband, the one topic of which neither seemed to tire, Gratten being, in his own way, quite as ardent an admirer as Verity. Underwood would have been mortified had he heard even a snippet of the fulsome praise which was heaped upon him.
Meanwhile Underwood’s relief at being able to leave Verity not only safe, but also happily engrossed, was considerable. He and Toby wasted no time at all in setting about solving their own little mystery. Toby was invaluable because he moved easily between two distinct worlds. He was, by now, well known to all the friends and acquaintances of the Underwoods’, but due to his past life as a pugilist, he also frequented all the surrounding inns, taverns, gaming hells, cock-pits and mills. He was fond of the Underwoods, after all they had been his salvation when he had no job and no roof over his head, but sometimes a man has to relax in his own way.
Unsurprisingly he frequently came across Rogers in these less than salubrious places. Try as he might, he could find no evidence that the young man was their culprit, but perhaps more tellingly, he could find nothing which proved his innocence either. No one to whom he spoke had a good word to say for the boy. Other gamesters suspected him of cheating, men with whom he drank found him offensive in his cups. Prostitutes said he was less than generous and decidedly strange and cruel in his requirements.
Underwood was more than happy to let Toby take care of this side of Hanbury life, but he would have done it himself if it had been required. He never stood in judgement upon those who were forced by circumstances to live in a way which was distasteful to himself. He only despised those who lacked morality from choice.
Whilst Toby dredged the dregs, he concentrated his efforts on the so-called cream of society. The story, however, was not so very different here. Rogers seemed to make a token effort to hide his true colours from his peers, but he had a habit of allowing the façade to slip when he was drunk, or angry, or under the influence of opium – which appeared to be quite frequently.
In the end Underwood came to pretty much the same conclusion as Toby. Rogers was more than capable of
“Verity would be delighted. She has been complaining of boredom for weeks now. This would be the perfect antidote. Call this afternoon at the vicarage and we will make the necessary arrangements.”
The gentlemen parted in perfect amity, both pleased with the outcome of their discussion, and neither very concerned about how Verity might react to their plotting.
*
CHAPTER SIX
(“Magni Nominis Umbra” – An unworthy descendant of an illustrious family)
The Constable of Hanbury was quite the best sitter Verity had ever had – though it had to be admitted she did not have a particularly large number of sitters against whom she could compare him, having always been extremely reserved in singing her own praises.
As for Gratten, he was so determined the likeness be a good one, he remained frozen in his pose until Verity gave him leave to stir, and when she was working on parts of the canvas which did not require his complete immobility, he was more than delighted to discuss art and artists, and her husband, the one topic of which neither seemed to tire, Gratten being, in his own way, quite as ardent an admirer as Verity. Underwood would have been mortified had he heard even a snippet of the fulsome praise which was heaped upon him.
Meanwhile Underwood’s relief at being able to leave Verity not only safe, but also happily engrossed, was considerable. He and Toby wasted no time at all in setting about solving their own little mystery. Toby was invaluable because he moved easily between two distinct worlds. He was, by now, well known to all the friends and acquaintances of the Underwoods’, but due to his past life as a pugilist, he also frequented all the surrounding inns, taverns, gaming hells, cock-pits and mills. He was fond of the Underwoods, after all they had been his salvation when he had no job and no roof over his head, but sometimes a man has to relax in his own way.
Unsurprisingly he frequently came across Rogers in these less than salubrious places. Try as he might, he could find no evidence that the young man was their culprit, but perhaps more tellingly, he could find nothing which proved his innocence either. No one to whom he spoke had a good word to say for the boy. Other gamesters suspected him of cheating, men with whom he drank found him offensive in his cups. Prostitutes said he was less than generous and decidedly strange and cruel in his requirements.
Underwood was more than happy to let Toby take care of this side of Hanbury life, but he would have done it himself if it had been required. He never stood in judgement upon those who were forced by circumstances to live in a way which was distasteful to himself. He only despised those who lacked morality from choice.
Whilst Toby dredged the dregs, he concentrated his efforts on the so-called cream of society. The story, however, was not so very different here. Rogers seemed to make a token effort to hide his true colours from his peers, but he had a habit of allowing the façade to slip when he was drunk, or angry, or under the influence of opium – which appeared to be quite frequently.
In the end Underwood came to pretty much the same conclusion as Toby. Rogers was more than capable of
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