Cabinets were full to bursting with ornaments and odd pieces that were the bane of the existence of whomever was dusting. It was a house full of clutter even as the household staff did their best to shuffle things around in case someone were to call.
“I have called for the carriage, Miss Tilly,” her family’s butler said. Croft held a pile of newspapers in his arms, which he’d no doubt retrieved from her father’s sitting room.
“Excellent. Thank you, Croft.”
Many of their staff had come and gone, but not him. Croft had been with her family for as long as she had. Tilly had always seen him as a large calming presence in their chaotic household.
When she was little, he used to find her outside in the gardens with a book, and he would sit and read to her. He was excellent with voices.
“Mrs. Broom has made a fresh batch of almond biscuits, Miss Tilly.”
“Ooh, thank you. I shall visit the kitchens before I leave the house.” She’d known this man most of her life and knew when he wanted to say something, but wasn’t sure he should, so she added, “Is something bothering you, Croft?”
His face was always calm, but there were telltale signs of agitation if you knew where to look. Like the small twitch on the right side of his mouth.
“I saw my brother yesterday, Miss Tilly.”
“Did you? Well, that’s nice. How are he and Mrs. Croft?”
“Very well, thank you. It’s very kind of you to ask. They are in London for a brief visit before returning to Winchester.”
She waited, knowing something else was coming.
“My sister-in-law’s brother worked in the position of butler for the gentleman’s lodging house that was located where The Iris Club is now, Miss Tilly. I explained to her and my brother that you had started The Iris Club, you see.”
Unlike some of the other staff, Croft thought the club an excellent idea.
“Did he really?” She watched him closely now. After that conversation with Ruby, and what she and Lord Talbot had found, any information she could gain would help form a better picture of what went on in that room beneath. “What did he say about the place?”
The corner of his mouth twitched again.
“Speak freely, Croft. We do not have secrets, you and I.”
This man had carried her about the place when she’d been ill, and right alongside her parents, poured tonics down her throat, and mopped her brow. They did not stand on ceremony.
“He did not hold the position for long because of the sinister deeds he felt took place there, Miss Tilly.”
“Sinister deeds?” The hair on the back of Tilly’s neck rose.
“He did not see the things happening outright, you understand, but he mentioned two instances where men had to receive medical care for damage to their bodies.”
“What kind of damage, Croft?”
“Burns and knife wounds,” he replied, then added, “There was an odd scent, plus loud moans which he also likened to chants.”
“How odd.” Tilly’s heart was thudding harder now.
“Then there were the women,” Croft said, his mouth turning down at the corners now.
“What women?”
“His employer said they’d left for other positions, but my sister-in-law’s brother wasn’t so sure that was the case. In fact, he thought they’d simply disappeared. He was worried enough to speak with someone at Scotland Yard on the matter, but he was not interviewed again and was unsure any further action was taken.”
“How many women?” Tilly asked.
“Three, he believed.”
Three women.Tilly thought it likely Fern was one of those three, which brought Ruby to mind. She’d not seen her again since that day.