swollen eyes. She was surrounded by crumpled handkerchiefs and her hair hung in damp strands round her tear-stained face. She had slept, however, and still seemed slightly dazed, but at least she was not sobbing and spoke coherently.
I talked to her for a long time, dropping questions in randomly so that it would not appear like an interrogation. At the end I knew little more. She could tell me only that Brother Caspar had never mentioned having any enemies and had seemed no more depressed when she last saw him than at any other time. As for strangers …
‘Well,’ she said, uncertainly, ‘I did see a strange woman, rather fashionably dressed in a vulgar sort of way. I don’t think it was anything to do with Caspar.
He
saw her and asked me if I knew who she was but I didn’t recognize her. Anyway, I didn’t see her face properly though she seemed quite young.’
‘When was this?’
‘About a fortnight ago.’
‘I suppose it could have been someone coming to see one of the servants.’
‘That’s what I thought, but – she looked troubled.’
‘Has it anything to do with what happened at the Unicorn? You went back for your reticule and when you returned I thought you’d had a shock.’
‘I had – but I can’t tell you at present. It will all come outeventually but I really can’t cope with any more today.’
‘Then let’s leave it for now. Here’s that Goldsmith you lent to Brother Caspar; I thought you’d like to have it back. It was lying on his table.’
She clutched it to her bosom like some precious relic and shed a few tears. When she was quieter I revealed my plan for taking her back with us to Fairfield.
She was transformed. ‘Oh yes, that would be so lovely! Are you sure I’d be welcome?’
‘Of course you would! Sophie would be glad to have a companion of her own age.’ I thought this slight exaggeration was permissible in the circumstances. ‘I have yet to ask my brother,’ I continued, ‘but if Sophie and I wanted to invite Napoleon Bonaparte for a stay he’d be quite agreeable. We must ask your father too, of course, but I’m sure he’ll consent.’
‘Oh yes, and the others will be glad to get rid of me.’
‘I think you may need a change of scene. This house is rather gloomy for someone in low spirits.’
‘It isn’t the house, it’s the people.’
‘I think I know what you mean. Have courage, this is the very worst. At least you’ll find a pleasanter atmosphere at Fairfield.’
‘I know I shall, if you can put up with me.’
‘You must not have such a low opinion of yourself. Sophie and I only want you to be our friend and my brother is the kindest man in the world.’
She began crying again.
CHAPTER TWELVE
The atmosphere in the house at dinner was unpleasantly tense; with a corpse in the laundry and an inquest pending, it could scarcely be anything else. Amelia Denby and Louisa Thorpe seemed to have made up their quarrel and appeared particularly – indeed, nauseatingly – affectionate and gushing. It was ‘dearest Louisa’ and ‘kindest Amelia’.
George was unusually quiet and gloomy. I had not expected him to be so affected by the tragedy but I soon discovered that his silence and melancholy rose from quite another reason. Elinor was not present, which did not surprise me, and Rowland was also missing but Frank Lawrence had turned up and was trying to improve the air of dejection that engulfed the table.
‘A good ride or a walk in the fresh air is the best thing in the world for raising the spirits,’ he declared. ‘I went as far as Ashdale and back and had something to eat at the Unicorn at about one. I saw Rowland in the town; I think he had the same idea. After all, there was nothing we could do to help.’
‘
Some
people made themselves useful by all accounts,’ said Louisa Thorpe vindictively, looking in my direction.‘Miss Tyler has been helping Colonel Hartley search the hermit’s cell. What else she helped him with I don’t
I talked to her for a long time, dropping questions in randomly so that it would not appear like an interrogation. At the end I knew little more. She could tell me only that Brother Caspar had never mentioned having any enemies and had seemed no more depressed when she last saw him than at any other time. As for strangers …
‘Well,’ she said, uncertainly, ‘I did see a strange woman, rather fashionably dressed in a vulgar sort of way. I don’t think it was anything to do with Caspar.
He
saw her and asked me if I knew who she was but I didn’t recognize her. Anyway, I didn’t see her face properly though she seemed quite young.’
‘When was this?’
‘About a fortnight ago.’
‘I suppose it could have been someone coming to see one of the servants.’
‘That’s what I thought, but – she looked troubled.’
‘Has it anything to do with what happened at the Unicorn? You went back for your reticule and when you returned I thought you’d had a shock.’
‘I had – but I can’t tell you at present. It will all come outeventually but I really can’t cope with any more today.’
‘Then let’s leave it for now. Here’s that Goldsmith you lent to Brother Caspar; I thought you’d like to have it back. It was lying on his table.’
She clutched it to her bosom like some precious relic and shed a few tears. When she was quieter I revealed my plan for taking her back with us to Fairfield.
She was transformed. ‘Oh yes, that would be so lovely! Are you sure I’d be welcome?’
‘Of course you would! Sophie would be glad to have a companion of her own age.’ I thought this slight exaggeration was permissible in the circumstances. ‘I have yet to ask my brother,’ I continued, ‘but if Sophie and I wanted to invite Napoleon Bonaparte for a stay he’d be quite agreeable. We must ask your father too, of course, but I’m sure he’ll consent.’
‘Oh yes, and the others will be glad to get rid of me.’
‘I think you may need a change of scene. This house is rather gloomy for someone in low spirits.’
‘It isn’t the house, it’s the people.’
‘I think I know what you mean. Have courage, this is the very worst. At least you’ll find a pleasanter atmosphere at Fairfield.’
‘I know I shall, if you can put up with me.’
‘You must not have such a low opinion of yourself. Sophie and I only want you to be our friend and my brother is the kindest man in the world.’
She began crying again.
CHAPTER TWELVE
The atmosphere in the house at dinner was unpleasantly tense; with a corpse in the laundry and an inquest pending, it could scarcely be anything else. Amelia Denby and Louisa Thorpe seemed to have made up their quarrel and appeared particularly – indeed, nauseatingly – affectionate and gushing. It was ‘dearest Louisa’ and ‘kindest Amelia’.
George was unusually quiet and gloomy. I had not expected him to be so affected by the tragedy but I soon discovered that his silence and melancholy rose from quite another reason. Elinor was not present, which did not surprise me, and Rowland was also missing but Frank Lawrence had turned up and was trying to improve the air of dejection that engulfed the table.
‘A good ride or a walk in the fresh air is the best thing in the world for raising the spirits,’ he declared. ‘I went as far as Ashdale and back and had something to eat at the Unicorn at about one. I saw Rowland in the town; I think he had the same idea. After all, there was nothing we could do to help.’
‘
Some
people made themselves useful by all accounts,’ said Louisa Thorpe vindictively, looking in my direction.‘Miss Tyler has been helping Colonel Hartley search the hermit’s cell. What else she helped him with I don’t
Similar Books
