both.
‘It has been a long time since we have seen each other. Just before Easter, I believe?’
‘Yes ma’am.’
Aunt Camilla introduced Lydia to the young girl, adding that she was a servant at Bellefleur.
‘How does Sir Hector get on?’ Camilla added, with real concern. ‘Such a fine old gentleman!’
‘He’s been very poorly these past weeks,’ Kate responded, shaking her head sadly. ‘Not at all himself.’
‘Has he seen Doctor Humbleby?’
Kate replied that he had not.
‘Really, Mrs Chalfont should have insisted upon it.’
‘Mrs Chalfont?’ Lydia asked curiously.
‘Sir Hector’s housekeeper that is, miss,’ Kate enlightened the other girl.
‘Is Sir Hector as ill as that?’ Lydia began to probe gently, dangling her question in the hope of catching something worthy of her efforts.
‘I’ve never known ‘im to be so low, and that’s a fact.’
‘Perhaps,’ Lydia suggested, ‘all the trouble in Wickham Wood has overset his nerves.’
‘Could be, miss.’ Kate considered this explanation, which apparently found favor. ‘Now that you mention it, this spell come on just around the time that man was found dead in the woods.’
‘I think I should pay a visit to Bellefleur,’ Aunt Camilla said, as if she had read her niece’s mind. ‘I shall bring along some brandy and a receipt for a tonic which is said to do wonders for persons of advanced age.’
‘A splendid idea, Aunt.’ Lydia’s mind was returning to the problem with which she had been so consumed before her unexpected betrothal. ‘I would love to meet Sir Hector. Perhaps he needs the company of a young person to lift his spirits.’
‘Not likely you’ll be allowed to see him,’ Kate said sourly.
‘I beg your pardon?’ Even Camilla was startled at this piece of news.
‘Sorry, ma’am,’ Kate answered, looking somewhat shamefaced. ‘It’s just that Mrs Chalfont and Mr Tweedy—’
‘Mr Tweedy?’ Lydia asked, more mystified than ever.
‘That’s Sir Hector’s valet, miss.’
‘Oh.’
‘Sir Hector,’ Kate continued, ‘won’t allow nobody but Mr Tweedy and Mrs Chalfont to see him. I think he’s gone barmy, meself.’
‘Oh, do not say so!’ Camilla’s distress was genuine. ‘Such a dear, kind, Christian man.’
‘It’s as true as the Gospel, ma’am,’ the young maid insisted. ‘He just ain’t ‘imself.’
‘I think we must see for ourselves, dear aunt,’ Lydia insisted. ‘We will call at Bellefleur tomorrow, and see what we can learn.’
‘But if we are not permitted to see—’
‘Perhaps he will be better by then,’ Lydia said, refusing to be put off. Then she added to the servant, ‘There is no need to mention this to anyone, Kate. We will surprise Sir Hector. Who knows but what he may be persuaded to see us after all?’
* * * *
That evening John called to see them. Aunt Camilla, after expressing her best wishes to him, diplomatically withdrew. It was quite the thing for engaged couples to be permitted time alone together, and this particular couple could be most fatiguing. It was better for her nerves if she knew as little as possible of what transpired between them.
‘Have you written to your papa?’ John questioned Lydia as soon as her aunt left the room.
‘Yes indeed. But John, you have not heard the latest news!’
‘Are you engaged to someone else?’ He smiled a little crookedly at her.
‘Do not be a goose.’
She then related to him all that Kate had told them earlier in the day. He listened intently, but apparently did not reach the same conclusion.
‘I suspect,’ she declaimed, ‘that the old man is consumed by guilt. He murdered Mr Cole....’
John laughed, which Lydia found extremely irritating.
‘How did he do that?’ he asked her.
‘He overpowered him....’
John laughed even more loudly.
‘What do you find so amusing?’
‘The image of a man of ninety-five years or more “overpowering” a healthy fellow almost half his age!’
‘It
‘It has been a long time since we have seen each other. Just before Easter, I believe?’
‘Yes ma’am.’
Aunt Camilla introduced Lydia to the young girl, adding that she was a servant at Bellefleur.
‘How does Sir Hector get on?’ Camilla added, with real concern. ‘Such a fine old gentleman!’
‘He’s been very poorly these past weeks,’ Kate responded, shaking her head sadly. ‘Not at all himself.’
‘Has he seen Doctor Humbleby?’
Kate replied that he had not.
‘Really, Mrs Chalfont should have insisted upon it.’
‘Mrs Chalfont?’ Lydia asked curiously.
‘Sir Hector’s housekeeper that is, miss,’ Kate enlightened the other girl.
‘Is Sir Hector as ill as that?’ Lydia began to probe gently, dangling her question in the hope of catching something worthy of her efforts.
‘I’ve never known ‘im to be so low, and that’s a fact.’
‘Perhaps,’ Lydia suggested, ‘all the trouble in Wickham Wood has overset his nerves.’
‘Could be, miss.’ Kate considered this explanation, which apparently found favor. ‘Now that you mention it, this spell come on just around the time that man was found dead in the woods.’
‘I think I should pay a visit to Bellefleur,’ Aunt Camilla said, as if she had read her niece’s mind. ‘I shall bring along some brandy and a receipt for a tonic which is said to do wonders for persons of advanced age.’
‘A splendid idea, Aunt.’ Lydia’s mind was returning to the problem with which she had been so consumed before her unexpected betrothal. ‘I would love to meet Sir Hector. Perhaps he needs the company of a young person to lift his spirits.’
‘Not likely you’ll be allowed to see him,’ Kate said sourly.
‘I beg your pardon?’ Even Camilla was startled at this piece of news.
‘Sorry, ma’am,’ Kate answered, looking somewhat shamefaced. ‘It’s just that Mrs Chalfont and Mr Tweedy—’
‘Mr Tweedy?’ Lydia asked, more mystified than ever.
‘That’s Sir Hector’s valet, miss.’
‘Oh.’
‘Sir Hector,’ Kate continued, ‘won’t allow nobody but Mr Tweedy and Mrs Chalfont to see him. I think he’s gone barmy, meself.’
‘Oh, do not say so!’ Camilla’s distress was genuine. ‘Such a dear, kind, Christian man.’
‘It’s as true as the Gospel, ma’am,’ the young maid insisted. ‘He just ain’t ‘imself.’
‘I think we must see for ourselves, dear aunt,’ Lydia insisted. ‘We will call at Bellefleur tomorrow, and see what we can learn.’
‘But if we are not permitted to see—’
‘Perhaps he will be better by then,’ Lydia said, refusing to be put off. Then she added to the servant, ‘There is no need to mention this to anyone, Kate. We will surprise Sir Hector. Who knows but what he may be persuaded to see us after all?’
* * * *
That evening John called to see them. Aunt Camilla, after expressing her best wishes to him, diplomatically withdrew. It was quite the thing for engaged couples to be permitted time alone together, and this particular couple could be most fatiguing. It was better for her nerves if she knew as little as possible of what transpired between them.
‘Have you written to your papa?’ John questioned Lydia as soon as her aunt left the room.
‘Yes indeed. But John, you have not heard the latest news!’
‘Are you engaged to someone else?’ He smiled a little crookedly at her.
‘Do not be a goose.’
She then related to him all that Kate had told them earlier in the day. He listened intently, but apparently did not reach the same conclusion.
‘I suspect,’ she declaimed, ‘that the old man is consumed by guilt. He murdered Mr Cole....’
John laughed, which Lydia found extremely irritating.
‘How did he do that?’ he asked her.
‘He overpowered him....’
John laughed even more loudly.
‘What do you find so amusing?’
‘The image of a man of ninety-five years or more “overpowering” a healthy fellow almost half his age!’
‘It
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