TITLE: The Case Of The Stolen Letter
AUTHOR: Talepiece
RATING: 12 cert.
PAIRING: Vastra/Jenny
SERIES: The Casebook Of Madame Vastra
CONTINUITY: This is the second story in the third volume of Vastra and Jenny stories.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own them, I just borrow them every now and then.
CREDITS: This story is based on Wilkie Collin's The Lawyer's Story Of The Stolen Letter from the After Dark collection.
NOTE: I've had broadband woes this month (it seems to be my year for that sort of thing) so I'm still catching up with emails, etc. Apologies if you've contacted me via the TP site recently, it may take me a while to clear the backlog. Many thanks, as always, for the lovely reviews on FFnet.
POSTED: September 2014
When the impending marriage of Mr Frank Gatliffe and Miss Adelaide Wilcox was threatened by the existence of an incriminating letter, Madame Vastra and Jenny Flint found themselves undertaking a rather different form of investigation.
Jennifer Strax Vastra-Flint.
London, 1948.
Jenny Flint moved around the home that she shared with her colleague and companion Madame Vastra with the slow, determined air of a woman set upon cleaning house to her own exacting standards. They had returned from their weeks at the coast largely renewed and entirely ready to take up their work once more. Only to find that London was oddly quiet or at least its criminal elements appeared to be so.
The one case that Jenny was most interested in exploring - the long series of dreadful attacks that had plagued the capital for some time - was being kept very close to the chest of certain members of the Metropolitan Police and the Civil Service. Even Vastra's wide reach and keen intellect had been unable to talk them into a position to investigate.
Instead, Vastra had retired to her lab and Jenny had hoped to visit with her cousin Lucy. Only to be informed in a surprisingly curt fashion that Miss Flint was not at home to visitors. Jenny had been greatly worried by it but Vastra had made the more rational suggestion that perhaps the couple were busy at the moment on other matters. Jenny had accepted that explanation but she wasn't happy with it and she wasn't too sure that she believed it either.
So with nothing else to occupy her time and mind, Jenny had determined to clean their home from top to bottom. Discounting the aforementioned lab, of course, since that was Vastra's own domain and out of the lengthy reach of Jenny's duster. That very duster was seeking out the smallest crevices and the narrowest openings that might - should they be so foolish - harbour Jenny Flint's worst enemy: dirt.
The console table in the hallway was saved from this fierce attack when the doorbell rang. Jenny was close by and the sudden interruption to her concentration had her offering a few choice words to no-one in particular before she straightened her cap and apron and answered the door.
Beyond stood the tall figure of Mr Frank Gatliffe, his hands twisted together in agitation, his face pale with worry. The young man's expression shifted to one of relief for a moment before his eyes darkened once more and he began to speak immediately.
"Miss Flint, how relieved I am to find you at home!"
"Mr Gatliffe, Sir," Jenny said, stepping back from the door to invite him in, "Why, whatever's wrong? Not Miss Adelaide, I hope?"
"I'm afraid so," he said but stopped when he saw Jenny's reaction, "Oh, goodness me, no, no, Miss Flint, Miss Wilcox is quite well, indeed she has made a most remarkable recovery from her recent ill-health."
"Well, I'm very glad to hear it, Sir. But what on Earth is the matter?"
"Something terrible, truly awful and I really must beg you and Madame Vastra to come to our aid. There's not a moment to lose, I assure you."
Jenny calmed him down as best she could, finally settling him into one of the comfortable chairs by the fire. He refused all offer of the balm of tea, continually insisting that the matter must be dealt with this very moment.
Jenny left the room to draw Vastra from her labours only to find the imposing figure entering the hallway from the little door beyond the stairs. Jenny indicated that she should don her veil and gloves before hitching a thumb towards the sitting room and mouthing, "Frank Gatliffe, in a state."
The tilt of Vastra's head was enough to communicate both her curiosity and her concern but Jenny could only shrug and turn back for the sitting room. Mr Gatliffe rose politely as they entered, offering them a stiff little bow and again speaking immediately.
"Madame Vastra! I beg you to hear what I have to say and act upon it this instant."
"Mr Gatliffe," Vastra said in a firm tone, "pray, be seated and calm yourself. There is nothing to be gained from flying into a panic."
Gatliffe's eyes flared to anger but her did as Vastra commanded and fell into his seat with a deep sigh of discontent.
"Now," Vastra continued, "what is wrong and how may Miss Flint and I be of assistance? Calmly," she added, a hand raised to emphasise her point, "and succinctly, Mr Gatliffe, if you will. From the beginning."
To his credit, the young man took a moment to compose himself before he spoke and when he did so, his tone was a little calmer.
"Madame, as you may know, Miss Wilcox has done me the great honour of consenting to be my wife."
"We did indeed," Vastra said.
"And were most happy to hear it," Jenny added.
"It was not easy, I must say, for my father had grave reservations but Miss Wilcox's charm, allied to her own late father's exemplary military record, won the old man around."
"You are to be married soon, are you not?"
"We are Madame, in but two weeks. I trust you will both be present?"
"We'd love to," Jenny said, "But if things are going so well, what's got you in such a flap, Sir?"
Mr Gatliffe's face fell into melancholy once more, his hands finding each other to twist themselves into tight knots.
"Something quite dreadful has happened, ladies, something that threatens the happiness of both myself and Miss Wilcox and something that I am here to beg you to set right in whatever manner you see fit. I really cannot imagine that there is anyone else in London - nay, the world, ladies - who could set our future back on course."
He was working himself into a panic again and Jenny felt Vastra's impatience through the heavy lace of her veil. She stepped closer to his chair and spoke in a gentle tone.
"Easy now, Sir, eh? Perhaps it'd be best if Madame asked you some questions and you just answered them."
Gatliffe nodded, gathering himself once more and reddening in embarrassment as he realised quite how wild he must sound. Without another word, he indicated that he was ready to begin the interview anew.
"Very well," Vastra began, "May I surmise that some party - or parties - learning of your impending wedding thanks to the recent announcement has made it known to you that they are cognisant of some piece of information of which they ought not to be?"
Gatliffe blinked at Vastra for a moment, "Why, Madame, you really are most remarkable."
Not really, thought Jenny, who could have worked that much out for herself. Still, that little parlour trick had impressed Gatliffe enough to settle him still further and now he appeared quite calm and ready to respond in a considered manner.
"And whatever this piece of information is," Jenny said, "it might give Mr Archibald Gatliffe cause to rethink his attitude towards his son's marriage?"
"He'd withdraw his consent forthwith, of that I have no doubt. And I know," Gatliffe looked up at Jenny, "that you think we should go ahead even without his blessing but I really would prefer to do so with it."
"That is most understandable," Vastra said, knowing that family support was a rather delicate subject for her lover and not wishing the topic to be dwelt upon. Instead, she asked, "And the nature of this information?"
"A letter. One written in the late Colonel Wilcox's own hand."
"Genuine?" Jenny said, thinking of Mr Draper's great talent.
"Oh yes, of that Miss Wilcox is quite certain."
"How so, Mr Gatliffe?"
"Well, Madame, because she had opportunity to examine this letter and confirm its validity."
This fact appeared to excite his ire once more and Jenny placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, attempting to calm him yet again.
"Someone approached her directly?" she said, "Not through you or a third party?"
"This very morning - not two hours ago - the scoundrel had the audacity to walk up to Miss Wilcox as she returned to Mrs Dayton's house from a visit to Doctor Holmes. Just walked right up to her and told her that he had been watching for a chance that they might speak privately."
"Miss Wilcox wasn't hurt?" Jenny said.
"No, thank the Lord."
"And he showed her the original?"
"He did, allowing her to read it but not, of course, to retain it. He also handed over this," Gatliffe reached into his pocket and pulled out another letter, "directed to me."
"And then?" Jenny prompted.
"Why, Miss Wilcox said that he bowed and walked away as if off for a morning stroll!"
Jenny took the proffered letter and carried it to Vastra, remaining by her side so that she could read it over her lover's shoulder. Vastra read the directions before opening the already-broken seal and unfolding the paper. It read:
"To Francis Gatliffe, Esq., Sir, I have an extremely curious autograph letter to sell for the sum of one five hundred-pound note. The young lady to whom you are to be married will inform you of the nature of the letter and the genuineness of the autograph. If you refuse to deal, I shall send a copy to the local paper. I shall also wait on your highly-respected father with the original curiosity. You shall find me care of The Golden Cross. Your very obedient servant, Alfred Davager."
"And this Davager," Jenny said, "who is he?"
"The late Colonel's clerk and a terrible cad by all accounts."
"Though also a clever one," Vastra said.
"Clever! He should be horsewhipped within an inch of his life. I should have done it too but for Adelaide making me promise to come to you immediately."
"Miss Wilcox is most wise."
"Wiser than I, you mean?" Gatliffe said with a flash of bitter humour.
"Wiser than most, Sir. Now," Vastra considered the letter for a moment more, "what is it that this 'autograph letter' exposes?"
"Ah," here Gatliffe hesitated, his hands turning upon themselves for a different reason.
"Don't you worry, Sir," Jenny encouraged him, "whatever's said in this house remains private."
"On that, you have our word," Vastra added.
Gatliffe gave them a wane smile and said, "This letter stands as irrefutable proof of the poor judgement of the late Colonel Wilcox."
"Any one of us could be accused of poor judgement at some point in our lives, Mr Gatliffe," Vastra said, "Pray, be a little more specific."
"As to that, it will require that I explain a little about the past history of Miss Wilcox's father."
"Right you are then, Sir," Jenny said.
"Very well," again Gatliffe paused, collected his thoughts and then said, "Quite early in our acquaintance, Miss Wilcox was speaking so prettily of her father that I was encouraged to enquire, amongst other things, as to the occasion of his passing.
"It appears that he suffered a great distress of mind due to a secret that Miss Wilcox and her late mother had determined to keep even after his death. It seems that the great mistake of the Colonel's life was buying out of the army to take up the wine trade. He had little head for business and the venture was doomed from the start, though helped on its way by his clerk, who was suspected of cheating him."
"One Alfred Davager?"
"Yes, Madame, one and the same."
"And the specifics of the letter?" Jenny said.
"The Colonel's affairs became more and more entangled; he faced bankruptcy and - as he saw it - dishonour. Debtors appeared from all sides and the terrible situation quite drove his wits from him."
"And he signed a letter in a manner that wasn't his to sign," Jenny said in a kindly tone.
"Yes," Gatliffe looked crestfallen, as if he spoke of his own father, "His principle creditor refused to wait until the Colonel had sold enough of his assets to repay the sum in full and so he signed a bill in the name of another gentleman."
"And this gentleman?"
"A staunch friend of the Colonel's and a good man too, I should say. As soon as the bill was presented, he honoured the debt and returned the bill to Colonel Wilcox. As I understand it, the evidence was thrown into the fire and destroyed."
"So this letter represents the late Colonel Wilcox's heartfelt thanks to his friend, does it not?"
"It does, Madame. The Colonel wrote swearing to repay both the kindness and the debt in full - as, indeed, Mrs and Miss Wilcox did most creditably - and offering his abject apologies for his behaviour."
"But the letter wasn't sent; our Mr Davager filched it instead," Jenny said.
"Yes."
"And now he presents it at a time guaranteed to extract the most from its existence," Vastra added.
"He's certainly sharp," Jenny said, "Now, Sir, are you quite sure that there's only one copy of this letter about?"
"Miss Wilcox believes so and I have no reason to doubt her."
"And are you willing to pay?" Vastra asked.
"If it is necessary, I most certainly will. There is no chance of my father's continued agreement to our match should this information be made public. Besides," tears came to Gatliffe's eyes, "Miss Wilcox says that, should it do so, she would rather die than allow me to marry her."
"That will certainly not be necessary," Vastra said.
"Easy now, Sir," Jenny said, patting the young man's back as he calmed himself visibly, "There you are. Now, what is it exactly that you want us to do? Broker the deal with Davager or get the letter off him by some other means?"
Gatliffe blinked up at her, confused by the question.
"I believe that Miss Flint means to ascertain how closely you would wish to guard not just Miss Wilcox's reputation but also your money."
"Hang the money!" Gatliffe said, then appeared contrite, "Ah, sorry about that but I don't care a jot for the money, I want this business dealt with once and for all. I want Miss Wilcox to be safe and free of all concerns in this matter."
"Very well. My dear?" Vastra looked up to Jenny, her head tilted in silent deference.
Jenny took a moment to consider the situation and then smiled, "How about this, Sir, since you're willing to pay out. Let us do our best to get this letter off Davager by our own means and if we can, you pay us the five hundred pounds. If we can't, then we'll broker the deal and pay the five hundred to Davager himself. In exchange for the letter and his guarantees, of course."
Vastra smiled though the heavy lace of her veil and nodded once in agreement before saying to Gatliffe, "You would find this arrangement acceptable?"
"I would," he said excitedly, "Most acceptable, indeed. Do you really think you can bring this matter to a close without the whole sorry business being exposed, Miss Flint?"
"Oh, yes, Sir, I reckon so."
Gatliffe bounced up from his chair and only stopped himself from embracing Jenny by the full force of his good breeding. Instead, he pumped her hand with such gusto that Vastra worried for the appendage. Gatliffe turned his attention to her and took her hand with equal enthusiasm.
"Now, Mr Gatliffe," Vastra said, withdrawing her hand with a sharp tug, "return to your fiance and comfort the dear girl. Do not so much as set eyes upon Davager and remain quiet on this matter. Miss Flint and I will send word when necessary."
"And don't you worry, there's not a letter in the word that will keep you two from being wed," Jenny added.
With that, they shepherded the young man out of the door, sending him on his way to Mrs Dayton's boarding house and his fiance. As Jenny closed the door, Vastra lifted her veil and studied her companion.
"What?"
"It is not like you to take risks with our pay, my dear."
Jenny rolled her eyes, "He's a good sort and heaven knows, Miss Wilcox has been through enough already. That poor gal."
"Indeed," Vastra paused as they returned to the sitting room, "Your plan?"
"I was hoping you had one," Jenny teased.
Vastra smiled, "And I you."
"Well, in that case, I'd say I'll find Archie and you can write to old Davager and arrange a meeting. Not here, though, but where?"
"I was wondering if perhaps Colonel Adams might oblige?"
"Reckon he might and it'd seem right; another old Colonel and all that."
"Then I will visit with the Colonel and Miss Adams and you can hunt out our young friend."