Where Seagulls Soar by Janet Woods

a tall hat on his head, picked up his cane
and sauntered into the other office. ‘I’m going out, Mr Geevers.’
    ‘Will you be long, Mr Adams?’
    ‘I shouldn’t be at all surprised. Look after things while I’m away.’
    ‘Certainly, Mr Adams. Don’t I always?’
    Outside, the air was still and slightly oppressive, and the whiff of cat’s piss rose sharp and feral from every corner. Rubbish and horse dung embraced in fevered heat in the gutters while
clouds of flies danced in busy attendance.
    Seth strode out, his long legs carrying him over the ground at a fast pace.
    He reached the home of his client, leaving his hat and cane with the servant when he was announced. Waved to a seat, Seth accepted the proffered brandy. The pair savoured their drinks for a few
moments, then Seth said, ‘I’ve made some progress. The girl is living in Portland with her son.’
    ‘She’s gone to earth back to where she came from, then.’
    ‘Has she? I didn’t realize she was from those parts. What exactly did you want with her?’
    ‘I want her background investigated. Who her parents were, the details of her first marriage—’
    ‘First marriage?’
    ‘To Tobias Darsham. He drowned a couple of weeks after they were wed, and left her the Darsham and Morcant Shipping Company. It was several months before the body turned up and he was
buried in Southampton. I heard that she put everything in Alexander Morcant’s name, then married him. Now
he
’s dead.’
    ‘You think she killed him? She’d have had nothing to gain by doing that.’
    ‘Of course she wouldn’t, which is why it needs investigating. Something very odd went on there.’
    ‘Such as?’
    ‘The two husbands were friends long before Joanna arrived on the scene. Alexander Morcant was Tobias Darsham’s heir. But when Darsham died and his will was read, everything was left
to the widow. Not long after, everything was transferred to Alexander’s name and she shipped herself off to Australia. Alexander went after her. They came back as a family, the girl with
their son at her breast. They’d been married on board ship. Alexander died not long after they got home.’
    ‘Was there anything suspicious about his death?’
    ‘Not according to the doctor. He said it was a straight out case of peritonitis brought about by a burst appendix. I’ve got no reason to disbelieve him. Joanna Morcant was visibly
upset when Alex died.
    ‘One scenario presents itself immediately. She may have conspired with her second husband to kill the first. Did any money go missing?’
    ‘I understand that the widow withdrew a large amount of money from the company account before she transferred it into Alexander’s name. The transaction was quite legal, since she was
the sole owner of the company at the time, and was entitled to draw down a director’s salary and expenses. Odd, though, that she couldn’t afford to pay for his funeral. I settled the
account.’
    Seth’s grey eyes settled on Lord Durrington. ‘Why would you do that?’
    Durrington shrugged. ‘Alexander Morcant was my son, though he refused to acknowledge me as his blood.’
    Seth began to like Alexander Morcant. ‘I see. And your motive in this case?’
    ‘It’s too late to beget myself a legitimate heir now, but that girl is the mother of my grandson. I want to have legal guardianship of the boy and raise him as my own. If I have to
discredit his mother to do it, I will.’
    Seth only just stopped his lip from curling. ‘Have you asked Joanna Morcant if you can have legal guardianship?’
    ‘I intend to. But I need something to tip the scales in my favour.’ Rising to his feet, the old man clapped Seth on the shoulder. ‘I’m relying on you, lad. Your brother
recommended you.’
    The affair was beginning to stink like a foxhole. ‘Which one of my two half-brothers do I have to thank for this? Surely not the earl himself, since we’ve not spoken in
years.’
    ‘Barnard.’
    ‘Ah,