HONOR MISPLACED

Arthur Browne

Chapter Ten

   They drove the short distance to the very upscale neighborhood of Mayfair. As they pulled over to the curb to park a large staff car pulled up right behind them. Charlie couldn’t decide if their timing was good or bad. If they had been a few minutes later, Lord Crowley would have had time to take off his coat and perhaps get himself a drink. On the other hand, the General was likely to appreciate promptness.

Charlie and Billy climbed out and waited while the General’s driver got out of the staff car and opened the door in the rear for his illustrious passenger. The General unfolded himself from the back seat to stand in his full glory in front of his townhouse. Charlie wasn’t sure which of the two was more impressive at first glance. Both were larger than average, and covered in ornamental flourishes. The white marble facade of the house, in the rapidly fading light of late afternoon, was certainly eye-catching, but then again so were the many ribbons and medals of a lifetime’s military service that bedecked the General himself.

Charlie introduced himself and Billy, and had a brief moment of worry about whether or not a lowly Inspector should shake hands with a Baron, but the General eased the moment by reaching out with his own hand first. “Pleasure to meet you, Inspector Baker, Inspector Dawes.” He shook hands with Billy as well. Then he surprised Charlie further by introducing his driver. “Meet Sergeant Krishnan Nair. Been with me since my days in India. From the Travancore province in Kerala. Fine soldiers, don’t you know.”

Charlie wasn’t sure why the General’s immediate likeability should surprise him. He was Kat’s father after all. He couldn’t keep himself from saying, “I am sorry for your latest loss, Sir Crowley. Your daughter was a fine young woman. I had the pleasure of meeting her yesterday.”

A cloud passed over the older gentleman’s face. “Yes, well, thank you. I haven’t been home since I heard the news. No telling how her mother is handling the situation. I called, of course, to break the news. And I sent young Harrison home to be with her. He’s our youngest boy. Lost a leg in North Africa, but he has been attached to the General Staff as an adjutant. Still pulls his weight.”

It was getting too dark to see now, and the General motioned them all towards the flight of steps that led up to the covered  porch of the fine old townhouse. The door above them opened, and in the last of the fading light Charlie saw a man using a cane to limp outside to meet them. He was careful to let no light from the house light the entryway. Charlie had just set his right foot on the bottom step when a shot rang out from somewhere behind him.

Without thinking he threw himself at the General who was walking beside him. Unfortunately, or perhaps not, the General’s driver, who was walking behind the General, also threw himself on his charge. The General found himself sprawled upon the steps with two men coming down rather hard on top of him. He knew they were only trying to protect him. He could feel them sheltering him with their bodies. But he did slam his chin rather painfully into one of the steps, and he felt as if a rib or two might have just snapped.

Charlie heard Billy dive for the porch, and the General’s other son, with the training of a frontline soldier, threw himself down too. In the distance he heard a car pulling rapidly away. Both he and the General’s driver put their heads up to try to get a look at it, but in the darkness their was little to see. Charlie thought the car was black, but he couldn’t make out any details other than the thin blackout slits of the brake lights as the car slowed to take a corner.

Krishnan Nair, ever loyal and a warrior born and bred, picked himself up and asked the General if he should give chase in the staff car. Charlie was also rising and considering going after the mysterious vehicles when they all heard the voice from the porch. “Bloody hell, I’ve been shot again.” Both the policeman and the driver gave up thoughts of not only the chase, but of the important personage that they had just knocked to the ground and thrown themselves on top of as well. They hurried up the steps, nearly knocking Billy out of they way.

The General’s son was in the process of sitting up. “Right through my arm. I do believe the bone might be broken,” he told them in a very unflustered tone.

The General joined them on the porch. He was holding his ribcage, but in the darkness none of the other men noticed. “Can you move, Harrison?” The General asked. “We should all get inside in case that blighter takes another crack at us.”

“Yes, Sir,” replied his son. “I can hold my arm steady with my other hand, but I wont be able to use my walking stick. You’ll have to  help me inside.”

With the General leading the way and three men to help, it wasn’t difficult to help the young man into the house, but they did cause him some pain trying to do it in the dark. As soon as they were inside the door, the General shut it, and then swept aside a thick curtain hanging in the foyer to keep light from spilling out and aiding the Germans in their bombing. Charlie could now see the General’s son. He was dressed in the uniform of a Captain of the Coldstream Guards. His left sleeve was covered in blood and the bullet hole was visible in the material about half way between elbow and shoulder.

But it was the empty right leg of the trousers that caught Charlie’s eye next. Charlie knew the man had been wounded in North Africa fighting with his regiment, but Charlie was surprised he didn’t have an artificial leg. The Captain noticed Charlie’s attention on his missing limb and said, “The fake leg starts to itch the wound after hobbling about all day. Still hurts a bit. I find it is easy enough to get around on a walking stick when I’m off duty.” He gave a brave smile. “Of course I wasn’t expecting to get shoot on my own damned doorstep.”

They helped him on past the curtain and they followed as the General led the way into a large hallway and turned through a wide double door on the right. They entered a grand room with a large marble fireplace and floors that were also of white marble but covered with several dark red rugs that looked to be quite old. Charlie was reluctant to set the man on the expensive looking sofa, but the General insisted. “I need something to cut away the sleeve,” Charlie said, and Sergeant Nair produced a wicked knife with a long, double blade from somewhere.

A woman clad in a silk housecoat swept into the room. She took one look at the bloody arm and took immediate charge of the situation. “Edward, ring for an ambulance,” she said firmly to the General. Sergeant, fetch the first aid kit. You, young man, be careful with that knife, but you will need to cut the sleeve higher up his arm. Harrison, it doesn’t look too bad at all, but we will have to get it cleaned up to get a better look.” She turned to Billy last of all. “There is a bottle of Scotch on the table over there, if you would be so kind.”

Charlie finished cutting the sleeve and at last had a chance to look more closely at the woman. She was tall and slender and entirely elegant even dressed for bed. He realized with a shock that other than her mane of hair being silver, she was almost the spitting image of Kat. He felt any words choke off in his throat. Billy returned with the bottle and she pulled a handkerchief from her pocket, pulled the stopper from the bottle and poured some of the contents onto the clean piece of cloth. She then proceeded to begin lightly cleaning away the blood. She turned once more to Charlie. “There are glasses on the sideboard. I think Harrison could do with a small drink, and I know damn well I could.” Her eyes were so much like Kat’s that Charlie almost couldn’t look away, but her tone of voice brooked no denial, and he hastened to obey.

The Sergeant returned with a medical kit and she worked on her son’s arm with a calm, easy skill. She chatted to her son to keep his mind occupied. “Not too bad at all. It is broken, but it is a clean break and the bullet passed through. I think you hurt yourself worse than this when you fell off your horse when you were ten. You tried to blame it on that sweet mare. What was her name? But I knew you’d tried to force her to jump the fence though you’d been told never to do that. How many times did I have to patch you and your brothers up when you were a little too rambunctious? Always getting yourselves into something. Even Kat…” she suddenly stopped talking and Charlie saw her lips set in anguish. Two of these children she spoke so fondly of were now dead, and she was administering to a third. And all in such a short time. Charlie felt himself deeply moved by this magnificent woman.

In a short time she had the wound cleaned, had put some sort of medicine on it, and tied it in a neat bandage. As she finished with the knot she stood, turned, and face Charlie. “Well, you must be Inspector Baker. I was expecting someone older for some reason.” But she offered him her hand and a smile as if to show she meant no disrespect.

“Yes, Lady Crowley. And this is Inspector Dawes. We apologize for the intrusion.” Charlie wanted to apologize about so much more, but he didn’t even know where to begin.

It was Sir Crowley that answered him. “Nonsense. We wish to help in any way we can. And thank you for your quick action outside. Very well done.”

His wife shot him a look and he quickly explained what had happened. Lady Crowley added her thanks to both him and the Sergeant.

“I had rather expected your house to better guarded, Sir,” Charlie couldn’t help mentioning. “What with your position on the General Staff and the unfortunate occurrences and all.”

Sir Crowley glanced at his wife. He seemed reluctant to say anything. His son saved him the trouble. “Mother wont allow it. Says she wont have soldiers with rifles standing about the place as though this were a barracks. She thinks Sergeant Nair is quite capable of keeping us all safe.” He turned to Lady Crowley and ventured to offer a suggestion. “Perhaps in light of all that has happened, you might reconsider.”

Lady Crowley could not very well argue the point.