Seven Dials by Anne Perry Page A

Garrick, living in Torrington Square. Tilda and Martin are very close, being orphans since the ages of six and eight, respectively.”
    “Yes?” Emily’s eyes were wide.
    “Martin has not been seen for four days now, and according to Garrick’s butler, is no longer in the house, but he would not tell Tilda where Martin has gone, nor why.”
    “A missing valet?” There was no inflection in Emily’s voice to betray her emotions.
    “A missing brother,” Charlotte corrected. “More significant than his mere absence is the fact that it was over the time of Tilda’s birthday, which he has never previously forgotten. If he had lost his position, and thus his lodging, even if the circumstances were embarrassing or disgraceful, surely he would have found a way to convey to her his whereabouts?”
    “What do you suspect?” Emily frowned. “Have the Garricks reported him missing?”
    “I don’t know,” Charlotte said impatiently. “I can hardly go to the nearest police station and ask them. But if they had, then why did they not tell Tilda so, just in case she knew where he was?”
    “It would seem the intelligent thing to do,” Emily agreed. “But people are not always as clever as you would suppose. The most surprising people lack ordinary sense. What other possibilities are there?” She held up her fingers. “He was dismissed for dishonesty? He ran off with a woman, one of the maids from another household? He ran off with someone’s daughter, or worse, someone’s wife? Or a prostitute?” She started on the other hand. “He is in debt and has to hide from his debtors? Or worst of all, he met with an accident, or was attacked on purpose, and is dead somewhere but has not been identified?”
    Charlotte had already thought of most of those answers, especially the last. “Yes, I know,” she said quietly. “I would like to find out which of them is the truth, for Tilda’s sake… and Gracie’s. I think she quarreled with Inspector Tellman over it because he said it wasn’t a case, so he couldn’t look into it.”
    “Inspector? Oh… yes.” Emily’s expression quickened with interest. “How is that romance going? Will she relent and marry him, do you think? What will you do without her? Look for a good maid already trained, or start again with another child? You can’t! Can you?”
    “I don’t know whether she will or not,” Charlotte said ruefully. “I rather think so… I hope so, because he is so much in love with her, and he is beginning to realize it slowly, and with great reluctance. And I have no idea what I shall do without her. I don’t even want to think of it. I have had more changes than I wish to already.”
    Emily’s sympathy was instant and genuine. “I know,” she said softly. “I’m so sorry. It was much more fun in the old days, when we helped Thomas with his cases-our cases-wasn’t it?”
    Charlotte bit her lip, half to hide a smile, half so the sharpness of it would recall her to the present. “I need to find out all I can about Stephen Garrick,” she said firmly. “Sufficient so I can either discover indirectly what happened to Martin Garvie or, if necessary, just ask him.”
    “I’ll help you,” Emily said without hesitation. “What do you know about the Garricks?”
    “Nothing, except where they live, and even that only approximately.”
    Emily rose to her feet. “Then we need to begin by enquiring.” She looked Charlotte up and down with more or less approval. “You are ready to go calling, except you will need a better hat. I’ll get you one of mine. I’ll be ready in fifteen minutes…” She reconsidered. “Or perhaps half an hour.”
    They set off actually almost an hour later in Emily’s carriage, first to call upon a friend close enough so they could be fairly open in asking questions.
    “No, he’s not married,” Mrs. Edsel said rather seriously. She was a pleasant, rather ordinary-looking woman, distinguished only by a lively expression and an