The Wages of Sin (A Matthew Rowsley Mystery)
The Wages of Sin introduces Matthew Rowsley, a 19th-century estate agent to the feckless young Lord Croft. Croft and his abusive mother are not the focus of this story, though; the staff of the estate is. Rowsley is a conscientious, well-educated man who takes his responsibilities seriously. When a young housemaid, Maggie, suspected to be “in the family way,” goes missing, Rowsley organizes a search for her. After her worn-out mother reveals Maggie has run away to meet the baby’s father, Rowsley still assumes responsibility for her, giving money to those who gave her sanctuary in Wolverhampton.
Chapters are interspersed with another first-person narrative from a female with an experience similar to Maggie’s, a young servant blamed for the actions of her employer. One of the most unsympathetic characters in the book, the rector Mr. Pounceman, takes the view that women are both the weaker sex and responsible for tempting virtuous men. As a reader, I was delighted when Pounceman came down with mumps. The book has multiple storylines—Lord Croft and his footman go missing, his mother physically abuses the household staff—but the most compelling one is the courtship of Rowsley and Mrs. Faulkner, the housekeeper. Cutler deftly navigates the varying levels of servants and staff and the delicacy in those relationships. I’m glad this promises to be the first in a series.
