03 - Murder at Sedgwick Court Read online

  ‘I say,’ whispered Cedric to Rose. ‘He’s a bit much, isn’t he?’ Why does the chap insist on being so theatrical? I mean to say, his clothes are bad enough, but this?’

  ‘But he is rather good at it, isn’t he,’ Rose replied, ‘putting on a show, I mean? And it has made everyone forget about Vera’s spiteful remark about kidnapping. I really can’t imagine why she said what she did. I suppose she was deliberately trying to be hurtful.’

  While they had been talking, Lavinia had insisted that she have a go at looking at her diamond earring through the jeweller’s loupe. The count, eager to oblige, stood just behind her and showed her how to hold the loupe between her index finger and thumb and to place it half an inch or so from her eye.

  ‘You keep the loupe steady by resting it against your cheek … yes … just like that. Now, hold your diamond just a little above your line of vision, so that you can look into it … Yes, hold it here.’ He took her hand gently, ‘Just a little distance from the loupe … exactly so, yes. Now, tell me, is it in focus?’

  There proceeded a number of excited exclamations from Lavinia as she regarded the diamonds in her earring.

  ‘Oh, I can’t see any blemishes, can you? They look absolutely wonderful, don’t they? Do take a look, Max.’

  ‘Remarkable,’ agreed the count, courteously.

  ‘Oh, but what about Emmeline’s necklace?’ asked Lavinia, admiring it rather grudgingly from where she was standing. ‘I say, it does look rather grand.’

  ‘Oh, yes, do let me have a go,’ answered Emmeline with enthusiasm. ‘Of course it’s not a patch on the Montacute diamond necklace, is it, Jemima?’

  Her companion nodded, but said nothing. To Rose Jemima suddenly appeared rather anxious, having emerged from her contemplations.

  ‘Now, you must show me how to do it, Max,’ Emmeline said. ‘Just as you showed Lavinia.’

  ‘Emmeline …’

  ‘Yes? What is it, Jemima?’ The heiress looked annoyed as if she thought Jemima was determined to spoil her fun.

  ‘Well, I don’t know whether it’s wise to – ’

  ‘Oh, no harm is going to come to it,’ snapped Emmeline. ‘I do wish you wouldn’t fuss so. Now, Max, what do I do?’

  ‘I should like to see your necklace very much,’ said Count Fernand, ‘but if you think …’ His sentence trailed off.

  It was obvious to everyone present that the count felt rather uncomfortable at being instrumental in the disagreement between the two girls. Rose wondered whether he regretted bringing out his loupe.

  ‘Well, I wouldn’t mind having a look too,’ said Felix rallying. ‘I’ve always wanted to look at diamonds as a jeweller would. You’ll need to tell me what to look for though. No need to worry, Jemima,’ he looked at her tenderly. ‘We’ll be careful with the necklace, I promise.’

  ‘Yes, rather,’ agreed Cedric, moving forward and there were similar murmurings uttered by the rest of the party, who followed his lead, with the exception of Vera, who remained silent and abashed in the corner, and Jemima who still looked anxious despite the various words of reassurance.

  The others gathered around Count Fernand and waited impatiently for Emmeline to undo her necklace, which did indeed consist of a very splendid array of diamonds, which glittered invitingly in the chandelier light. It was not lost on them that Jemima made no move to help her with the task.

  At last the necklace was unfastened and Emmeline was positioned with the loupe so that she could examine the diamonds. The others then took it in turns to have a look at the necklace, which was passed from one to another. They were not, as Emmeline said, the Montacute Diamonds, but they generated as much interest among the party as if they had been. Jemima alone watched the proceedings like a hawk.

  The necklace had come full circle and now it was the turn of the count to examine them. Slowly, the loupe to his eye, he passed the jewels between his fingers, his dark head bent over them as he turned them this way and that to catch the light. After a few moments of deliberation he returned them to the heiress.

  ‘Well?’ demanded Emmeline. ‘How do you find them?’

  There was a slight pause before the count replied: ‘They are exquisite, truly exquisite.’

  ‘There’s been ever such a to-do in the drawing room,’ Charlie, the footman, said to Eliza in the servants’ hall as he passed her on her way to help Lavinia undress.

  ‘Well, I can’t say I’m surprised,’ replied Eliza, ‘not with Miss Montacute carrying on the way she is with Dr Harrison. Who’d have believed it? Poor Miss Brewster. Anyone can see she’s that upset by it all. Disgraceful I call it. But look here, Charlie Barker, you watch your tongue. Don’t you go around gossiping or you’ll have Mr Torridge to answer to, so you will.’

  It was only later when Eliza sat with Mrs Farrier in the housekeeper’s little sitting room, indulging in a last cup of tea before retiring to bed, that she confessed: ‘I’m that worried, Mrs Farrier. Something’s brewing, so it is. It can’t go on like this. Something’s going to have to give. And what that’ll be I’m sure I don’t know. Who’d have thought Dr Harrison would’ve behaved like a love sick young puppy at his age, and with Miss Brewster here too. I feel for that young woman, really I do. She’s taking it awful hard, even if she’s pretending she’s not.’

  ‘Ay,’ said Mrs Farrier. ‘It can only lead to trouble one way or t’other.’

  The two women sipped their tea in companionable silence and gave a collective sigh. But as each sat there contemplating the worst, it never occurred to either one of them just how awful the worst might be.

  At the same time that the housekeeper and the lady’s maid were having their discussion in Mrs Farrier’s sitting room, a similar conversation was being held upstairs behind closed doors in one of the guest bedrooms.

  ‘I wish that dreadful woman had never mentioned kidnapping,’ Emmeline half mumbled, taking her necklace off and placing it carefully in her jewel box.

  ‘Yes. It’s made me realise how very foolish we’ve been. Oh, we shouldn’t have come here, really we shouldn’t. Whatever were we thinking?’ Jemima stood by the door, wringing her hands. ‘I’m frightened, oh, I tell you I’m frightened. We should never have done it!’

  ‘I’m sure nothing’s going to happen,’ said Emmeline. Despite her reassuring words, she sounded anxious. ‘We’ve just allowed ourselves to be frightened by that awful woman. All the same, he’ll be returning from abroad any day now. He mustn’t find out what we’ve done. There’ll be all hell to pay if he does.’

  ‘You’re right. He mustn’t find us here. Listen,’ Jemima grabbed Emmeline’s hands and forced the girl to sit down beside her on the bed. ‘I know what we’ll do. We’ll tell Lavinia some tale about being called away on some family business or remembering another engagement, or some such thing, and we’ll go back home.’

  ‘But I must speak to Theo first, before we do anything. I suppose you won’t want me to tell him the truth? Oh, I wish you’d let me, I do really. There’s a possibility he’ll still love me when he knows the truth, don’t you think so?’

  ‘I can’t answer that, but you can’t tell him the truth, not while we’re still here. Promise me you won’t. Promise.’ Jemima held Emmeline’s hands so tightly that the girl winced, but Jemima did not let go until Emmeline had nodded.

  ‘It’s not safe,’ continued Jemima, speaking with a degree of urgency. ‘I’m not saying you can’t ever tell him the truth, of course I’m not. You’ll just have to wait, that’s all. There’s nothing to stop you writing to him when we’re away. He does seem very taken with you. But you must be careful. Really, must you make it so very obvious to everyone how in love you are? Vera Brewster strikes me as an unstable sort of a woman. A dangerous woman to cross, I’d have said.’

  Emmeline looked so crestfallen, that Jemima sighed and patted the girl’s hand.

  ‘Have it your own way,’ Jemima said. ‘I suppose there’s no harm in waiting a day or two before we leave, but no lo
nger mind you. I can’t get the feeling out of my head that it’s dangerous for us to be here at Sedgwick. I thought we’d be safe here, but I think I was wrong.’

  Chapter Eight

  The following morning, when Rose came down to breakfast, she was surprised to be greeted by a scene of sorts, this time between Lavinia and Jemima, who appeared to be engaged in some form of a dispute in the hall. Both women were glaring at each other and Lavinia’s voice was quite shrill with indignation. Jemima was regarding her with obvious irritation.

  ‘I’ve told you already, Jemima,’ Lavinia was saying in an annoyed tone of voice, ‘Emmeline’s gone out riding with Cedric. Really, I don’t know why you have to go on about it so. Why shouldn’t she go out riding without you? Must you follow her around everywhere like a shadow?’

  ‘How could you be so irresponsible? She’s no good on a horse at all. She’ll hurt herself, she’s bound to fall off!’

  ‘Nonsense! She’ll be perfectly safe with Cedric. He’ll have put her on one of our steady horses, I expect. Merrylegs or Moonstone. And anyway, why should you worry? I was only reading in some newspaper or other how well Emmeline rode to hounds. If she can manage riding miles at a time and jumping dozens of stiles and fences, then I’m sure she’ll manage quite well riding one of our hacks around the estate. And besides,’ Lavinia stood up tall and glared at Jemima, ‘I won’t be spoken to like that, not in my own house and certainly not by the likes of you.’

  What would have happened next was anyone’s guess, but fortunately Rose was relieved of the necessity to intervene by the arrival of Manning who, even to her untrained eye, looked somewhat flustered. As was usual, Torridge tottered in his wake looking suitably composed.

  ‘What is it, Manning? What is it now?’ snapped Lavinia, still in an ill humour.

  ‘It’s Miss Montacute, m’lady. It appears she’s taken something of a tumble from her horse. Miss Denning’s had a look at her and says as she thinks it’s no more than a few cuts and bruises, but the young lady is quite shaken up, she’s …’

  He faltered to a stop as Jemima hurried out of the hall to see to her mistress.

  Before Lavinia herself had an opportunity to say anything, Cedric, in full riding dress, came striding into the hall.

  ‘A word if you please, Lavinia, in the library,’ her brother said coldly, at the same time glaring at his sister, so that it was more a command than a request.

  Rose had never known the earl look or sound so angry. With a twinge of regret she noticed that he hardly acknowledged her presence, so intent was he on his purpose. Lavinia meanwhile looked about to open her mouth and protest. On reflection she obviously thought better of it, for she followed Cedric reluctantly into the library, where the door was shut firmly behind her. Rose was left standing in the great black and white tiled hall, with only the dull and austere portraits of the Sedgwicks’ ancestors for company.

  ‘Whatever were you thinking, Lavinia, asking me to take Emmeline out riding?’ demanded Cedric, as soon as the door was closed behind them. ‘You told me she loved riding. I’d be surprised if she’s ever ridden more than a few times in her life.’

  ‘Nonsense!’ protested Lavinia. ‘I read something in an article about her riding to hounds and keeping up with the pack. One can hardly do that if one can’t ride, can one? Although I daresay some of the details may have been embellished by the newspaper reporter.’

  ‘I’d say they were! Greatly exaggerated more like. Thankfully Cryer had the good sense to saddle up Moonstone and not Captain. Really, Lavinia, I doubt if Emmeline had ever done much more than trot. You should have seen the look on her face when I suggested that we go for a bit of a gallop. Thankfully we hadn’t quite got into a canter before she fell off.’

  ‘Well, no real harm’s been done then, has it? A few cuts and bruises, that’s all, isn’t it?’

  ‘Lavinia –’, Cedric began, before his sister interrupted him.

  ‘You needn’t go on and on about it, or look at me like that, Ceddie. I’m sure I’ve learnt my lesson and all that. I just thought it would be a frightfully good thing if I could tear Emmeline away from Theo for a little while, that’s all. How was I to know that the silly girl would fall off?’

  ‘You may be able to persuade others that your intentions were honourable, but it doesn’t wash with me, Lavinia. I know you too well. No, I think your plan had more to do with keeping Rose and me apart than Theo and Emmeline.’

  The conversation between the siblings had been so short that Rose was still in the hall when Lavinia came out of the library.

  ‘Really, Rose, people will make such a fuss about things, won’t they? First Jemima, and then Cedric. Why, I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve fallen off a horse. You just get straight back on and don’t make a song and dance about it.’

  With that, Lavinia hurried off into the breakfast room. Rose held back from following her and decided instead to go into the library where she found Cedric poring over an old atlas.

  ‘Sorry about all that,’ Cedric said looking up and smiling. ‘I suppose no real harm’s been done, no thanks to Lavinia. But I shudder to think what could have happened if Emmeline had been riding Captain instead of Moonstone. I do wish Lavinia hadn’t invited those people here.’

  ‘So do I.’

  ‘Of course, it’s her home as much as it is mine, but it makes everything so dashed awkward. If only Harrison wouldn’t make it so damned obvious how infatuated he is with Emmeline. One can hardly blame Vera for making ructions. It’s jolly rotten for her. I’ve a good mind to have a word with him.’

  It was on the tip of Rose’s tongue to say that matters had only been made worse by Lavinia’s antics of the evening before, but she thought better of it. Instead she asked Cedric what he was doing with the atlas, which was spread out before him on a carved oak, octagonal library table.

  ‘Trying to find the country where our Count Fernand hails from,’ he said, studying a page. ‘I say, Rose, did you happen to catch the name of the place? I’m dashed if I can remember what he said, although that’s not surprising since the man was mumbling at the time. I wonder if it was deliberate. But one doesn’t want to admit to one’s guests that one wasn’t listening.’

  ‘No, I’m afraid I can’t recall. I’m not even sure that he told me … Cedric, I don’t like him very much, do you?’

  ‘Not a jot. There’s something damn odd about him.’ Cedric shrugged and closed the book with a bang. ‘It wouldn’t surprise me if he’d bought his title from some god forsaken country or wasn’t a count at all. I mean, all that swishing of his cloak and scarlet waistcoat business. It’s a bit much, isn’t it? I don’t mind telling you that I’ve been awfully anxious about him ever since he began paying his attentions to Lavinia. At first I thought it was Emmeline he had his eye on, but of course that was before Harrison threw his hat into the ring.’

  He linked Rose’s arm through his and they made their way out of the library.

  ‘I don’t think he is who he pretends to be, either,’ said Rose.

  ‘No,’ agreed Cedric. ‘I don’t trust the fellow at all. I don’t trust him one little bit.’

  The words were no sooner out of Cedric’s mouth when, strolling into the hall, they walked straight into the count himself, who appeared to be loitering there with no apparent intent. Cedric immediately went a bright shade of red, but if Count Fernand had overheard their conversation he gave no sign of it and smiled at them affably.

  Rose looked at the count anew, contemplating Cedric’s suspicions. It was only then that the rather bizarre notion occurred to her that Count Fernand might not be the only impostor at Sedgwick Court.

  After breakfast, Cedric advised Rose that he had a meeting arranged with his estate manager, who was such a capable and competent sort of fellow that it shouldn’t take long at all. After that he would be all hers and would join her for a stroll in the grounds as there were still one or two items of interest that he had to show her, and no doubt would
have done already, had they not been disturbed by the unexpected arrival of Lavinia and her guests.

  The morning promised to be a fine one for a walk, providing one was wrapped up well before venturing out. The lure of the gardens and park seemed to Rose too tempting to wait for Cedric. Besides, she had a sudden desire to leave the guests and their various associated complexities and complications behind. Exploring the grounds alone and taking in the beauty that was Sedgwick Court seemed a suitable means of whiling away the time before Cedric joined her.

  Rose had just decided on this course of action when she was joined in the hall by Vera who, on discovering Rose’s intentions, asked if she might accompany her on her walk. At a loss as to how she might politely refuse, Rose reluctantly acquiesced, while severely admonishing herself for having remained in the hall dithering. The truth was she did not relish Vera’s company. She thought the woman was either likely to be quiet, nervy and on edge, or else give full vent to her feelings towards Lavinia’s guests. Neither scenario was particularly appealing.

  The door of the breakfast room opened again and this time Theo Harrison came out looking none too pleased, in Rose’s opinion, to find Vera standing there. If Vera was aware of his displeasure, she did not show it. ‘

  ‘Theo, won’t you join us?’ cried Vera. ‘Rose and I are going for a walk in the gardens. It’s such a delightfully crisp morning, don’t you think so? Such a shame to waste it by being inside.’

  ‘Not now, Vera,’ replied Theo, in a tone that was hardly friendly. Indeed he barely looked at her.

  To Rose it was obvious that the doctor had not forgiven his fiancée for her behaviour of the night before. Vera, however, appeared oblivious to this, for she kept pressing for him to join them.

  ‘For goodness sake, Vera. I have some medical matters to attend to, some writing up of notes and so forth. I have not got time for this.’

  With that he was gone, mounting the stairs two at a time, leaving Vera to look after him somewhat dejectedly.