Sweet Poison by David Roberts

unlovable, had loved so fiercely and had in turn been loved by two people at least. ‘As far as you know, Jeffries,’ he said at last, ‘did the General have any family – brothers or sisters? There were no children, I believe.’
    ‘No, my lord, no children. It was their one great sadness. I think there is a cousin in Edinburgh the General sees . . . saw every now and again but no close relations.’
    ‘I see. Well, you have been most helpful and I am very sorry for you, losing such a good master. You must feel free to stay at Mersham as long as you wish. I am afraid there will almost certainly have to be an inquest before the body can be buried. Do you think you could find out the name and address of the General’s cousin or his solicitor – oh, and also his doctor’s address? We will need to consult . . . did you say he was called Dr Cradel?’
    ‘Yes, sir. But why does there have to be an inquest?’
    Jeffries sounded almost insulted, as if his care of the old man had been called into question.
    ‘Oh,’ said Edward vaguely, ‘it is usual when death comes rather suddenly, you know.’ Then he added, wanting to prepare the man for what might come, ‘It is possible that the General might have taken the wrong medicine. I must not say anything which might mislead you. I am, as you know, not a medical man, but the General . . . well, he had some sort of fit and it might just have been his illness but . . . well, it was quite violent.’
    ‘I see, my lord,’ said Jeffries but he obviously did not.
    Edward patted the man on the back in sympathy and at that moment the Duke burst into the room. ‘Oh, there you are, Ned. I have been looking for you.’ He eyed Jeffries suspiciously.
    ‘This is Jeffries, General Craig’s man, you know.’
    ‘Ah,’ said the Duke, distractedly, dismissing Jeffries from his mind.
    ‘Will that be all, my lord?’ the little man said, seeing that the Duke wanted to talk to his brother alone.
    ‘Yes, thank you, Jeffries. I will talk to you again tomorrow and I expect the police may want to talk to you. Nothing to be alarmed about,’ he added, seeing his face fall. ‘They will just want to confirm what you have already told me, I expect.’
    Jeffries disappeared and the Duke broke into excited talk. ‘I spoke to Philips – got him out of bed, in fact. He’s coming round now. He’s picking up one of his inspectors on the way. I told him who else was at the castle and he saw at once how important it is to keep the whole thing quiet. He says we are not to touch the body and I said you had locked up the dining-room. I think we can get all this out of the way without the papers reporting anything other than that General Craig was taken ill at dinner and died. By the way, I also rang old Dr Best and he is coming too.’
    ‘Jeffries – the man I have just been talking to, the General’s valet – says that the General has been very unwell recently. I don’t think you noticed, Gerald, but he has a pill box clasped in his right hand. I think he must have been taking some sort of pill when he died.’
    ‘You mean you don’t think it was poison?’ said the Duke, his face clearing.
    ‘I don’t know what to think,’ Edward replied slowly. ‘Let’s see what the doctor says. That may be him now. Look, Gerald, why don’t I join the others in the drawing-room and tell them what is happening while you take the doctor in to see the body, though make sure he doesn’t move it before the police arrive. Here’s the key to the dining-room.’
    Bates came in and said: ‘Dr Best is here, your Grace.’
    Dr Best was in his seventieth year, silver-haired and slightly stooped but by no means senile. He looked at the Duke with bright black eyes, like a robin’s, and there was something birdlike in the way he walked. As Bates helped the doctor off with his coat, the Duke again apologized for getting him out of bed. ‘Don’t apologize, your Grace. What else could you do? The General’s dead,