Chapter 13

Adele felt supremely confident in her role as Mr Arthur and felt her grandfather would be very proud as she shook the General Manager by the hand as firmly as she could. He introduced himself as Mr James Ramsbottom and he had been waiting as Arthur entered the reception hall.

After the formal greeting Mr Ramsbottom made reference to Adeles Grandfather and uncle who he’d met and respected without realising that Adele was actually the granddaughter and daughter of the two significant former members and patrons. He knew that Arthur was a significant shareholder with the connections to remove him but he had his own backers amongst shareholders and was loyal to them.

They went through to the General Managers office that was large and spacious with a beautiful set of ornate furniture and wood panelled walls. Adele recalled this was an office originally established for her grandfather and noted that there were no portraits of him nor any evidence of his great work in establishing the Club.

It had a stale aroma of old gentlemen and cigars that lacked a woman’s touch and she suspected that Ramsbottom used it for private meetings rather than carrying out activities of a General Manager of one of the most prestigious clubs in London. It was as if her family had no connection at all.

It took a few exchanges before Adele took full control of the meeting as Mr Arthur and she explained the purpose of his visit requiring access to historical records that he knew were locked in a large metal safe in an annex room. Her father had told her as much information as he could from his sick bed in the week before he passed. His description was accurate.

Arthur demanded he be left alone in the annex room once the safe was opened and he worked his way through various documents on the shelves in the safe. She knew what she was looking for that was the original copy of the agreement made between 4 investors who provided the capital to purchase the property and set it up as a Gentleman’s Club. Her grandfather had provided 51% of the original investment and had it not been for the information she’d gathered from Robert and Aunt Roberta one of the names would have been a puzzle to her. There in black and white was the name William James Hudson of Bristol who had invested 20% of the initial share capital.

Arthur searched for more information trying to establish if William had sold his shares or even transferred them wondering who might have inherited them upon his tragic death. It required a more intensive search or alternatively a visit to the lawyers who had set up the Agreement. She wrote down the information that she needed and she knew of the lawyers who were still practising in the centre of London.

She decided that Ramsbottom was likely to report to his backers so decided not to say anything to him and feign that she was no more enlightened about the history of the Club than when she’d arrived. She thanked Ramsbottom and ambled back to the lounge area to find Robert taking the opportunity to casually look at pictures on display.

Robert almost jumped from his seat to meet her as she entered the lounge and quietly asked if Adele had any news to tell. Adele just smiled and said she would tell him later. He realised from her look that the information needed to be discussed in privacy and there were several members scattered around the lounge.

Adele decided the best place to talk was out in the open in Hyde Park and they signed out of the club taking care to ensure they behaved as two young gentleman would behave after a nice lunch in relaxed surroundings and indicating to the commissionaire that they were ready to find some female company and seeking his advice. Adele felt he would pass the information to Ramsbottom so when the carriage was out of sight of the Club Adele diverted the driver to Hyde Park.

Armed with the information that Aunt Roberta’s young suitor was an investor and shareholder Robert felt that they should raise the matter with Aunt Roberta over dinner and as if it was a problem Robert said he should continue to take the guise of Miss Roberta that pleased Aunt Roberta and loosened her tongue.

With all the excitement it limited the opportunity to linger at the tailors and the drapers to purchase better quality male garb for Robert as had been planned but neither was in the mood to dally or give the matter any priority and anyway Adele still had the preference to accompany Robert as Roberta to admire how he carried himself as a young woman.

Adele dropped Robert at Tavistock Square and returned to her apartment to freshen up and change allowing Robert plenty of time to take an afternoon bath and dress with guidance of Polly.

Aunt Roberta was delighted to have their company again at dinner and was highly impressed at the beauty of her niece when they met for sherry awaiting Arthurs arrival. Robert stomach felt so light with excitement to be presenting again as Roberta and in anticipation of Adele raising the subject of William being a shareholder in the Club and a friend of Arthurs grandfather.

When Arthur arrived he took the chance of kissing Roberts hand and telling him how beautiful he looked. Aunt Roberta smiled and it brought back wonderful memories of her time with William Hudson.

They chatted socially for a few minutes with Aunt Roberta interested in what they’d done in the afternoon and they mentioned only lunch at the Club and a walk in the Park followed by some shopping. It wasn’t easy to have gentle and polite conversation with Aunt Roberta but she was definitely more sociable and Adele was very charming and was fully accepted as Mr Arthur. Aunt Roberta discussed a little about Arthurs business and his opinions about property prices and the rapid expansion taking place in London. Robert felt a little excluded but Adele took care to seek his input or comments. He did his best but had little experience or knowledge on the subject. Aunt Roberta was warming to Arthur as she had done with Robert when presenting as her niece.

Dinner was served at a leisurely pace with plenty of opportunity for conversation and enjoying the fine French wine from Aunt Roberta’s cellar. It was a nice opportunity for her to share a bottle and pass on her expertise gained over many years of wine tasting to her two young guests. As her tongue loosened they established that she’d holidayed in Paris on several occasions with William and that they’d established a wine import company together that had been very profitable.

Part way through the second course of dinner that was a delicious plate of game pie and potatoes with fresh vegetables from the garden Arthur mentioned again about being a direct descendant of Judge Fleming and Aunt Roberta again mentioned that he had a granddaughter but she had no recollection of a grandson. Arthur tried to explain that he a cousin Adele who he understood had not survived a fever whilst quite young and he had been born shortly afterwards. Roberta looked on with a wry smile on her face but said nothing.

The game pie was a little too rich for Robert that showed on his face but he tried his best out of politeness. He focused on the fresh vegetables pushing the pie to the side of the plate. Arthur was very hungry and had no problem clearing the plate. Aunt Roberta watched on noting the difference in build between the two of them and fully understood that her niece was not used to rich food having been raised by her brother and his wife.

She observed Arthur openly and concluded that he seemed to have good pedigree coming from Upper Class society in Bristol. She knew that she had work to do with her niece if she was to be acceptable for marriage and she was at an age where she needed guidance and tutoring. She lacked a good education but she was bright and was already the image of herself at the same age. She would write to her brother offering to extend her stay to 6 months so she could be exposed to a better class of people using her contacts and her network of friends. She could not bare that Roberta suffer the same rejection from an Upper Class family that she had encountered those many years ago. Perhaps Arthur was to be her preferred option but there were many candidates in London with good prospects if that failed.

Adele realised that she was being assessed as Arthur by Aunt Roberta and felt that if she could pass this test then she needed not fear anybody. She smiled at Robert who had slipped so easily into the role of niece and was looking more feminine by the hour. She hoped to escort her to a London Theatre in the morrow and to let him enjoy the benefits of being a beautiful woman amongst some of London’s finest ladies to see if this was something he wanted to pursue.

Eventually the opportunity that Adele had been waiting for arose. She didn’t hesitate and took the chance noting the look of fear on Roberts face. She told Aunt Roberta that she’d had a meeting with the General Manager of the Gentleman’s Club in Oxford Street and that the original agreement of the key investors showed the name William James Hudson. Was this the suitor and close friend of Aunt Roberta in the portraits and pictures in the house who had deserted her to marry another in Bristol and if so was he a friend of Judge Fleming?

Aunt Roberta didn’t seem offended by Arthur’s directness and she smiled so was clear that they were one and the same person. Adele looked across at Robert who was ready to ask his own question whilst he had favour as Roberta. His question was straight to the point. ‘ What really happened to William Aunt Roberta?

Aunt Roberta looked down to her knees and then an expression of great sadness replaced the smile. ‘Aunt Roberta was he murdered because of his relationship with you?’