The Man In Silk Chains {Historical Mystery/ #2 in Blake Series)

Chapter 14: Feigned Obedience

“Mrs Blake,” He stood up with a walking stick in his hand, bowing from his waist before greeting her with a smile. “I do apologise for such short notice.”

“It’s fine.” Katherine quickly replied, nervously darting her eyes to the table. It had a box which he had brought with him and Katherine did not stop eyeing it until he opened it. As she saw there was snuff in the box, she made eye contact with his cat green eyes. 

“How do you know Will?”

He asked for her permission to sit down before answering. “I am proud to know your husband. He was the finest Cambridge had to offer and I had assumed he would always become a judge. How I was wrong! He set up his own business and after that, it was hard to trace him.”

He did not indicate any hatred towards him, but Katherine took that with a pinch of salt. “He was a young lad. I remember seeing him with his musket pointed in the air and Lester’s stallion at his side. Don’t tell him I told you, lovely Mrs Blake, but he couldn’t ride it if he tried.” It was inconceivable but as the man continued his tale, ending on William falling on his backside, she bubbled over with laughter.

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Early the next day, Katherine sought sanctuary with nature. The River Thames had been the place of William’s first proposal, on the day he had freed her from slavery, and it seemed the right place to look for guidance now. The lack of people was unusual and would soon change. For now, Katherine stared hard at the river as she tried to think.

Yesterday, Mr Spence had told her he was a family friend of the Blake’s. He was indeed the ‘deceased father’ of Aaron Watson Junior. Katherine was unsure of whether to be sick or run out crying. He had proved it with the wedding papers he carried around from his marriage. This was the man who had created Aaron Watson Junior, Katherine’s master, but sat pleasantly in her husband’s library. 

He didn’t recognise her, it seemed. The two Watson’s lived on the other sides of the world and barely saw each other. Katherine had seen this man once in her life, but the sadistic twinkle in his eye had vanished, making him unrecognisable. 

Similarly to Watson, he had stamina and strength radiating from him. He sat up straight, even though Katherine could clearly see he was aged.  He was willow like his son but his greying brown hair and green eyes were too different.  He had smelt of strong cigars, a smell she strongly disliked, but he did not smoke in front of her. 

His company had been nice. Being alone with her thoughts made them swirl around madly, those few hours of bliss had been relaxing. She didn’t feel naïve because he had kindly, effortlessly, talked about his past with William. 

It was a shooting accident. When William was at university, he was seen on the Blake family hunting grounds in Kent. It was traditional for the family to retire there after the season, or their small Hertfordshire residence, so Mr Spence had taken no notice of it. However, when he had gotten down to greet the lad, he had been shot.

Katherine had apologised then and shook as he described his wounds. He had refused to show her the bullet wounds in his stomach and thigh. But, he had explained the plagued nights and muscle pains he had. It came with age, he said. He told her of the restrictions it had brought.

He had come down to London to see his family, passing through Kent. The wounds were so serious he had to stay in his residence in Kent, taking the next boat to Georgia was the reasonable option. Mr Spence had then explained the actions of his will had been put in place. Everyone thought he was dead. Katherine saw the tear slip when he said that, but she remained silent. 

It would be shameful to return from the dead. He had been depressed and alone, his relationship to his wife in disarray and his sons thought he had died. Edward Watson was an abolitionist in New York and Mr Spence loved him too much to disown him, if he was dead then he had no son. Recognising Edward Watson from her mother’s tale made her smile, but Katherine had revealed nothing.