Charlotte House Affair 01 - My Particular Friend

this?’
    ‘No, I have no desire so to do. But I would know of your brother’s intentions.’
    ‘It was Mr Clarke who led George astray. His plan was to release a copy of the map, but altered to suggest a different route. It would be shown to just a few individuals under the pretence of a theft. It would allow Mr Clarke and George enough time to buy and sell enough property that when the real map was made public … well they might escape ruin.’
    ‘I completely underestimated Mr Clarke’s inventiveness. Yes it was a brilliant move. Those speculators who acted on information from a stolen map could hardly then cry foul. But still, how did you come to know of the plan?’
    And now I saw shame on Mr Haversham’s face. ‘My brother thought I would … he thought I might know someone …’
    ‘Ah, he thought you might either know someone who would “steal” the map or … or did he also ask you to do this for him?’
    ‘Oh God help him, he did. I have always resented and revered my brother for the man he was, and to see him reduced to this … I pleaded with him not to turn his back on those principles that had governed his life, but he only felt anger that I would not help him, after all the times he had rescued me.’
    ‘And so you did steal the map, only you stole the original and what … you sold it?’
    ‘No!’ and again he said this too loudly before continuing more softly. ‘I could not sell it. I could not profit from it. I did it to keep my brother from temptation, to keep him worthy of the love of …’
    And at this he cried, without guile or concern for propriety. And finally I saw a look of compassion on my friend’s face. When finally Mr Haversham collected himself, she said, ‘You have done well for your brother. Your timing may have been ill advised, but I suppose ’twere well it were done quickly.’ #
    ‘You will not speak a word of this?’ he asked.
    ‘You have my word, sir,’ Charlotte said, and Mrs Fitzhugh and I also agreed to silence.
    ‘Thank you, thank you. Then I will leave you and return to my wicked ways.’
    ‘Oh Mr Haversham, I think those days are behind you,’ I said.
    ‘Yes, you are meant for better things, like aiding your brother,’ Mrs Fitzhugh said. ‘From what I understand, he will need every assistance.’
    He then left us and we three friends gratefully took our seats again, now aided by the port we had denied ourselves after dinner.
    ‘How long have you known the solution to this matter?’ I asked Charlotte and then felt stupid. ‘Oh of course, since you had Kenneth throw out the trash.’
    ‘Well certainly that is how I knew how the theft was effected, but it was not until I realized that Mr George Haversham wore glasses that I felt confident enough to directly accuse Mr Edward.’
    ‘How does that matter?’ Mrs Fitzhugh asked.
    ‘Must I explain this? Very well, you both found baffling the fact that the map was found still in the strongbox when in fact that explained almost all, whereas my chief puzzlement was Mr Haversham stating that map remained in the office after the brother had left. He should have seen that he held the copy, but once I knew of his nearsightedness and his vanity, it all became clear. In retrospect, I should have suspected this after Mr Edward complained of his weak eyes, as it may be a shared family trait.’
    ‘I still don’t … oh, he did not wish to wear his glasses before Miss Streetham and thus could not tell that he held the copy and not the original,’ I said. ‘You might say you observed that he could not see.’
    ‘Oh, nicely put Jane. Nicely put.’

The Affair of the Code Duello
    Y our Mr Wallace is here, Jane,’ Charlotte observed from the window overlooking the street. I did not even look up from my journal at her words, having learned it was best not to respond to her …
    ‘And he is accompanied by a lovely young woman.’
    At this I stood up and would have rushed to her side, only I heard through the open drawing-room door the knocker on the front door and then the steady tread of Robert walking to open it.
    I looked to Charlotte, who merely shrugged and offered no explanation of it, and then to Mrs Fitzhugh, who smiled mischievously at me. My friends came to my side and we heard Mr Wallace’s voice in conversation with Robert. After a few moments, Robert came to stand outside the drawing-room doo r and announced, ‘Mr Wallace has arrived, Miss House,’ and he offered the salver that held Mr