William Monk 06 - Cain His Brother

of life, sharing his experiences and beliefs. And then must have come the disillusion as one of them slowly became bitter, vicious, and began step by tragic step to destroy himself. He had burned out all that was good, all the gentleness and the aspiration towards virtue, until at last he had cut himself off completely and given way to a kind of despair. Surely such a man as Caleb Stone had become could only result from despair?
    No wonder Milo Ravensbrook stood in his wife’s sickroom and refused to believe one son could have murdered the other. He was facing the loss of all those he loved, except Genevieve and her children, who, through Angus, were his last blood left.
    He turned slowly and looked at Enid, then pale-faced, stiff-backed, he walked out, unable to bring himself to speak.
    By midday the doctor had been and gone, offering little more than sympathy. Hester was about to leave for Limehouse, when she almost ran into Monk in the hallway of Ravensbrook House. She stopped abruptly, the instant after he also had seen her.
    “What are you doing here?” he demanded, but his face was full of relief.
    In spite of all her intentions, she felt a surge of pleasure inside her. She refused to explain or excuse it to herself.
    “Lady Ravensbrook is ill. I am caring for her,” she replied.
    There was a flicker of black humor in him, almost a kind of perverse satisfaction. “You got tired of Limehouse rather quickly, didn’t you? What about Callandra? Is she there all by herself now that you and Lady Ravensbrook have left?”
    “I’m on my way there,” she said tartly, anger welling up inside her.
    “Very intelligent,” Monk said sarcastically. “Then you can bring the typhoid back here with you, to add to whatever Lady Ravensbrook already has. I hadn’t thought you so stupid! Does Lord Ravensbrook know? Perhaps he doesn’t realize, but I would have thought better of you.”
    “It is typhoid she has,” she replied, looking him straight in the eyes. “It is a risk one runs, nursing fever patients. But as you also pointed out, Callandra has very little other help, except a few local women who are willing but have no experience. The only other one there is Kristian. They have to get some rest, so I imagine they are taking turns.They need someone else to help for a while, even if only so they can leave to buy more supplies.”
    His face was pale and he looked considerably shaken, as if what she had said distressed him.
    “Is she going to recover?” he asked after a moment.
    “I hope so. She’ll be very tired, of course, but Kristian will do all he can to—”
    “Not Callandra, you fool,” he cut across her. “Lady Ravensbrook. You said she has typhoid.”
    “Yes. You seem very slow to grasp the point, but that is why I am here looking after her.”
    “So why are you leaving her then?” He jerked his head towards the front door, where she had been going. “Is she well enough to be left alone?”
    “For heaven’s sake, she’s not alone,” she snapped furiously. “Genevieve Stonefield is here while I am gone. We are taking turns to do all we can. Do you think I would walk out and leave a patient? I am used to you being gratuitously offensive, but even you know better than that.”
    “Genevieve?” He was surprised.
    “That is what I said. Presumably she is your client? Have you proceeded any further? You seemed to have had no success at all when I last saw you.”
    “I have considerably more information,” he answered.
    “In other words, no,” she interpreted.
    “Do you really think you have time and talent enough to spare to do your own work and mine too?” he asked with a lift of sarcasm. “You rate yourself higher than the evidence supports.”
    “If you want Genevieve,” she retorted, “you will have to wait. She cannot leave Lady Ravensbrook until I return.” And with that she brushed past him and strode towards the front door, yanking it open and leaving it swinging behind her for the footman to close.
    “I came to see Lord Ravensbrook,” Monk said between his teeth. “You monumentally stupid woman!”
    *  *  *
    Nevertheless on the evening of the day after, tired as she was, Hester went to Monk’s rooms in Fitzroy Street to give him the general information she had learned about Angus and Caleb Stonefield from her time in Ravensbrook House. It was not a great deal, but it might help. She was not concerned so much for him as for Genevieve.
    It was a wintry night and she