Fair and Tender Ladies Read Online Free PDF

knock, wiping her hands on an old rag, eyes lively under her cap, her gown plain but clean. The woman had to be close to fifty, but she didn’t seem to have aged since he’d first met her five years before.
    â€˜Mr Sedgwick,’ she said, her mouth breaking into a wide smile. ‘I don’t often see you these days. How are those bairns of yours?’
    â€˜Doing grand. James is near the top of his class at the charity school.’ He laughed. ‘Give him another year and he’ll be writing better than me. Isabell’s charging round, trying to get into everything. My Lizzie swears that trying to keep up will be the death of her.’
    â€˜You’ve got a good lass there, right enough. Just make sure you hold on to her.’
    â€˜Don’t you worry, I’m going to.’
    She eyed him speculatively. ‘What brings you here, any road? Must be work, you’re not one for idle chitter-chatter.’
    â€˜Do you have Jem Carter stopping here?’
    â€˜I do; Mr Nottingham sent him down yesterday. A very nice lad, good country manners.’ She clicked her tongue then looked at him suspiciously. ‘Why, what’s he saying, I didn’t charge him fair?’
    â€˜Nothing like that.’ He paused for a moment. ‘We found him during the night. Someone killed him.’
    â€˜Killed him?’ She echoed the words in disbelief, her hand rising to cover her mouth, all the colour suddenly vanishing from her face. ‘Oh, my Lord. But …?’
    â€˜We don’t know yet.’ He answered the question she hadn’t asked. ‘That’s why I’m here, to see what you can tell us.’
    She nodded, a helpless look in her eyes, biting her lip.
    â€˜Did he tell you why he’d come here?’
    â€˜His sister, you mean? Yes. It’s so sad, is that.’ She glanced at the deputy. ‘Do you think …?’
    He let her question lie and continued. ‘What time did he go out last night?’
    She remembered slowly. ‘It must have been close to seven. Her next door was shouting for her youngest and she always does that then. Mr Carter said he was going out to see if he could spy the lass.’
    â€˜Did he say where?’
    She shook her head. ‘I doubt he’d know where to start in Leeds, Mr Sedgwick. He didn’t know the place at all. Just walk around and hope to spot her, I suppose.’ She thought of something and lifted her head. ‘His pack’s still in his room. I saw it when I was cleaning this morning. Do you want to take a look at it?’
    â€˜Yes, please.’ He followed her into the house and up the stairs. There wasn’t a speck of dirt to be seen anywhere. ‘Didn’t you notice he hadn’t come back last night?’
    â€˜I thought he must have gone out early this morning,’ she answered.
    The room smelt of sweat and sour breath, and the window stood wide to draw in a little air. She’d made up the bed, the sheet tucked carefully over a pallet of packed straw. She pointed into the corner at a leather satchel.
    â€˜There it is. You’d better take it, I suppose. Happen his family will want it.’
    It weighed next to nothing in his hands. He lifted the flap and pushed a hand inside, feeling a shirt and a pair of soft woollen hose. No papers, and no man would be fool enough to leave his coins there. He hoisted it on his shoulder.
    â€˜Was there anything else he said? Anything at all?’
    â€˜No.’ She pursed her mouth, scraping at her memory, then shook her head. ‘No, nothing. He was quiet. A lovely, polite lad.’ Her voice trailed away, then she said. ‘You find whoever did it, Mr Sedgwick. He deserves that.’
    â€˜We’ll do our best. You know that.’
    At Megson’s Court he found Rob still knocking on doors and learning precious little for his time. A few allowed that they might have heard something in the middle of the night