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where Sarah Carter was said to have taken occasional lodgings, but that turned out to be a respectable pair
of villas, the original building having burned down these fifteen years past.
Third time lucky proved a true saying for once. One of the names on the list of men who d been seen
at the House of Sulis rang a bell with Orlando, although he hadn t confessed the fact to Jonty this visit
was something he wanted to do on his own and then boast about afterwards. A small chill ran down his
spine at the thought of a piece of detecting he d done alone in their last case, but he ignored it.
He found the house in question easily, the address being listed in the more recent documents and at
risk of only being a few years out of date. Buckner had obviously kept an eye, as much as he could, on the
whereabouts of those involved in the unpleasantness at the House of Sulis and had made sure whoever was
to take on this case had as much information as he could provide.
A pleasant-looking housekeeper answered the door, a woman obviously out of the same mould as the
blessed Mrs. Ward. Orlando gave his name, asked for Dr. Keane, then was ushered into the hall to wait.
Dr Keane. The man had left Cranmer College, Oxford, in disgrace when the authorities found he d
been to London on occasions to frequent a house of ill repute. Orlando s old college had been a place of
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Lessons in Temptation
great moral rectitude (and quite possibly rampant hypocrisy) so the Dean had insisted on sending the man
packing.
It would have surprised Jonty to know that Orlando hadn t been among those who d been judgemental
of the disgraced fellow. Keane had been his first tutor, teaching him elements of physics which had opened
up new vistas in terms of applied mathematics. He d been kind to a boy who felt very lost in Oxford and
when he d been sent off in ignominy, Orlando had even uncharacteristically written him a letter, thanking
Keane for his thoughtfulness. The reply had been equally gracious, greatly touching the shy, young
undergraduate.
Coppersmith! I should say Dr. Coppersmith, I m sorry. Keane seemed to remember his old student
with real affection, if his face was anything to go by. He plied Orlando with tea and scones, asked about his
detecting (he too had seen the article in the Times which had given the two fellows of Bride s such
notoriety) and only then enquired why he was paying a call.
The Orlando of his first investigation, nearly two years previously, would have become almost
incoherent at this point, tripping over his tongue in an effort to find the right words. Now he not only had
understanding and maturity under his belt but the experience of being with Jonty Stewart for the last two
years. No one could be in the vicinity of that imp of fame and not be affected.
Dr. Keane, I won t mince words. I respect you enormously and wish to be entirely candid. Dr.
Stewart and I have been asked to investigate a death which took place twenty-five years ago, and we have
good reason to believe that you might be able to help us.
I will try my best, although twenty-five years is a long time and my memory isn t what it was.
Keane grinned, although he hadn t shown any evidence of a falling-off of his faculties. He was in his early
forties, Orlando guessed, yet seemed older, as if he d become shrunken into his chair and rather
prematurely wizened. He was handsome enough, even though his hair had thinned and the lines on his face
were noticeable.
The shuddering realisation that this is how he might have turned out if Jonty hadn t come to steal his
chair turned Orlando s stomach. He returned, disconcerted, to his notes. It happened at the House of Sulis,
the night the late Dr. Buckner returned and cleansed his temple.
Keane nodded. I was there, I shan t deny it now, though I may have done at the time. His eyes lost
focus, as if he were looking not at Orlando but back into the distant past. They found a girl there, dead, the
next day.
Sarah Carter, yes.
I had forgotten her name. But I never really knew her, even then. I would have been eighteen and
about to head up to Oxford myself. I was taken along by a set of friends, several of whom were much older
than me, to be given a sort of send-off. Condemned man eating a hearty meal, they called it. I am not
proud of what we did then we were young, full of needs and lacking the willpower to simply ignore them.
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Charlie Cochrane
We thought we were so daring and so clever. Keane shook his head. With the benefit of hindsight, I
know we were merely idiots, as I was again at Cranmer. He cast a glance around the room. I have a
happy enough life here, I have independent means. I lack, however, the opportunity to talk to those of an
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