Jane Stanton folded her arms. ‘You’re prying too much, Mrs Peel. Robert warned me about you, and I thought he was making a fuss. But I can see what he meant by it now. Where are these letters? I want to see them!’
Augusta chose her words carefully. ‘They’re the property of John Gibson’s sister.’
‘Then I shall call on her and kindly request that she destroys them.’
‘May I ask why?’
‘Because there’s no use in revisiting these events again.’
‘There is if we can find out what happened to your brother. Aren’t you the least bit interested?’
‘Of course I’m interested! But I also know it’s a waste of time. You won’t find anything out. I’ve told you this already. And all you’re succeeding in doing is airing my family’s dirty laundry.’
‘You’re the first person I’ve discussed this with,’ said Augusta. She was tempted to add she had also discussed it with her canary but thought better of it. ‘Did you owe your brother money at the time of his disappearance, Mrs Stanton?’
‘I don’t have to answer that.’
Augusta reasoned that if she had repaid the money, she would have admitted it.
‘Alright then. Thank you for your time.’ She turned to leave and made her way to the staircase.
‘I want those letters!’ Mrs Stanton called after her.
‘Then I suggest you speak to Mrs Bradshaw about them.’
Chapter 30
‘There are letters about the money you owed Alexander?’ said Robert Stanton as he poured himself a large whisky.
‘Yes, apparently so.’ His wife sat on the sofa, her hands fidgeting in her lap. ‘Alexander moaned to his friend that I wasn’t paying him back.’
Typical of Alexander, Robert thought. He could never be relied on to keep his mouth shut. He took a large gulp of his drink and enjoyed the burn at the back of his throat. Then he topped up his glass and positioned himself in the centre of the room, facing Jane.
‘We need to get hold of those letters,’ she said.
‘Who’s got them?’
‘Alexander’s friend’s sister.’
‘Then get them from her tomorrow.’
‘But what if she doesn’t give them to me?’
‘Then I’ll have a word with her.’
‘In what way?’
‘Never mind. Just call on her tomorrow and ask for them. See where it gets you. What else is in the letters?’
‘I don’t know.’ She bit her lip and her eyes darted around the room. He knew she felt ashamed about the debt. She was horrified someone else had learned about it.
‘I didn’t think Alexander would discuss that sort of thing with someone else!’ she said. ‘What else did he tell him?’
‘I don’t know. He was your brother.’
‘But I borrowed that money for…’ She bit her lip again as she trailed off. He knew what she wanted to say. But was she brave enough?
‘I borrowed that money for both of us,’ she said. ‘It wasn’t just for me, was it?’
‘And what does that have to do with anything?’ He stared down at her.
‘The money was for both you and me. We both borrowed it, didn’t we?’
‘What are you trying to say, Jane?’
He knew she was trying to say she had borrowed the money for him. Despite his employment at the bank, his salary had never been quite enough for them.
‘You were the one who asked Alexander for the money,’ he said. ‘Not me.’ He drained his drink.
‘But you…’
‘What? Asked you to?’
Jane pursed her lips and gave a nod.
‘I don’t remember what I did.’ He marched back to the whisky decanter. ‘It was over ten years ago, Jane.’
Robert’s jaw clenched as he thought about Augusta Peel. Why had she ignored his request to stay away? Had he not made himself clear enough?
