'But you think it might have been connected with this mysterious lover?'
'We don't know that either; these are all shots in the dark. Once we learn exactly how she died, we'll know better what questions to ask. I presume you met her maid, Virginia Brown?'
Lord Hoddersham nodded. 'The one that did run away. Yes, certainly.'
'What was your impression of her?'
'Pleasant, polite, and appeared devoted to her mistress. Although since she abandoned her, I suppose perhaps she wasn't.'
'What about her character?'
'Intelligent, well-spoken. I assumed a gentle background.'
'Physically attractive?'
'Yes, a pretty girl.'
'Were you surprised that she left so suddenly?'
His Lordship considered for a moment. 'Yes and no. It was absolutely assumed that she'd come with us, but I suppose she might have felt herself usurped to some extent. They'd been together for four or five years, the two girls, and suddenly there was me. And then the Duchess as good as sacked her, which knowing she was almost in my employ, I thought was an infernal cheek. I should like to have been a fly on the wall during that little exchange.'
'I'm told that Miss Brown lost her temper and stormed out.'
'From the interview? Yes she did. She could be a bit touchy apparently, if her amour propre was threatened, although not in front of me. But she didn't leave the house in a paddy, because Genny saw her shortly after we got back from the ceremony and she was perfectly calm then.'
'She saw her? I didn't know that. Do you know when it was?'
'I suppose about twelve-thirty or so, when she went to freshen up.'
'Did Lady Genny say much about that?'
'Only what I've told you. We were quite unaware that she later left. I presume from your questions that you haven't spoken to her?'
'No, we're hoping to. They were certainly close at one time, and she might be able to tell us if her mistress had had a falling out with anyone, or if anyone had offered her harm. I'm also curious, of course, about the circumstances of her leaving.'
'So you do think Genny was killed?'
Felix stood up. 'We must both wait and see, My Lord. I think I've troubled you enough for one day, but if I need to check a detail, may I telephone you?'
'Yes, of course. We'll be house-hunting until the end of the month, but then plan to go to Menton for the summer. Is that all right?'
'Well that's some way off yet. Let's see how we get on. Just one more thing; I'd like the Sergeant to take your finger prints, if you don't mind, just for elimination purposes.'
The Marquis himself conducted them to the front door. 'I didn't love her, Inspector, but I'd grown fond of her, and it sickens me to think of her life ending like that. She was just a gentle, rather ordinary young woman; not the sort to excite strong passions. If she was killed, I cannot imagine by whom or why.'
They made their way south again, their diminutive vehicle toiling up the numerous hills with sturdy enthusiasm.
'Another of Miss Brown's admirers,' said Felix. 'He became quite pink when I mentioned her.'
'Might have felt awkward in front of his missus,' said Rattigan, changing down yet again. 'He could have done it, just about. He admitted himself to a few minutes unaccounted-for, and according to Merriman it could have been as much as a half-hour.'
'It would have been tight. He'd have had to find her first, unless they'd arranged to meet, and also cross the hall unseen, as Merriman pointed out.'
'He wouldn't have worried about that unless he'd planned it in advance. Bit of a bantamweight to have carried her any distance, I suppose.'
'And he'd hardly have known where the attic was unless she took him there.'
'That's the trouble, isn't it — unless she took him there? It rules no-one out.'
'But why on earth would she? It's all very odd.'
Chapter 6
The following day dawned clear but breezy. The Welm continued in flood, but the great park, clothed in the myriad greens of spring, began to appear as its long-ago designer must have intended.
Perhaps it was his conversation with Cobb, but finding himself in no mood for obsequity, Felix had Rattigan park at the foot of the portico and sent his men about their business via the front door. Making his way along Godwinstowe's interminable frontage, he looked briefly up at the roof of the central attic, where among a framework of new timbers the tiny figure of Joe Maidment, waved cheerily down at him. Felix saluted in response and coming around the end of the south wing passed beneath an arched clock-tower into Godwinstowe's impressive stable-yard. Here, one and two storey buildings entirely surrounded a stone-flagged area, about forty yards on a side, their architecture echoing that of the house.
Feeling immediately at home, Felix paused for a while to enjoy the enclosed warmth and the comforting ambience of things equine. There was no-one about, and having peered with general approval into the tack and feed rooms and run a practised eye over the contents of the estate office, he continued through an arch in the opposing wall. There he found a number of well-fenced paddocks, in the first of which grazed a dozen or so horses. Leaning on a gate watching them was a powerful-looking man in tweed suit and gaiters, sporting a magnificent, snowy beard.
Rather than join him immediately, Felix stopped a few yards short and with one foot on the fence-rail did some horse-watching of his own. Only after a few minutes did he allow their eyes to meet. 'Mr Partridge, by any chance?'
Augustus Partridge, the Duke's agent, acknowledged with a nod that this was so. 'Nice day, sir,' he said, coming leisurely to join him. 'Better'n yesterday at any rate.'
'We'll be getting some showers very likely,' rejoined Felix, and returned his attention to the grazing animals. After another well-judged pause, he casually indicated a pretty filly in the middle distance 'That's a nice little lady.'
With what was discernable of his features registering gratified surprise, Mr Partridge followed his gaze, as if seeing her anew through the eyes of this apparently knowledgeable stranger.
'Best of the bunch, sir, as you'll have noticed. Not long broke and gentle as you please. She'd make a nice mount for a girl moving up from ponies I reckon.'
'Yes she would. I bet my little sister would like her.'
Mr Partridge acknowledged this remark with another nod. 'We might be able to come to terms, sir,' he said, after a while. 'That's if you're interested. I'd have to see His Lordship, of course.'
Felix was not surprised at the offer. There was, he thought an air of quiet prosperity, about the place that was not apparent in the house. He shook his head regretfully. 'I'm here on less pleasant business, I'm afraid. I'm Detective Inspector Felix of Scotland Yard.'
Mr Partridge jerked back and looked him up and down. 'Oh, ha! Sorry, sir. You caught me there, good and proper! You've come about poor Lady Genny, of course.'
'Yes, I have. Did you have much to do with her?'
Mr Partridge returned to contemplating the paddock. 'Yes sir,' he said, after a while. 'I think I can say that I did. It were me as taught 'em to ride, she and her brothers. Not that she needed much teaching. That girl, sir, might have been born on a horse, she were that natural. Best seat I ever saw, man or woman. She used to ride astride, you know, even then. Her mother didn't care for it, but I told her that were a load of nonsense as far as I were concerned.' He sighed and shook his head. 'And now she be gone, God rest her. It's a terrible thing, sir, to find her like that after all these years. It fairly breaks your heart.'
Perceiving the old man to be genuinely upset, Felix expressed his sympathy. 'Our problem, as you will realise, is to decide if a crime has been committed, and if so, by whom. She seems to have had no enemies that we can discover, but that's not enough, of course, to rule out foul play. Our idea now is to get a better picture of her – the sort of person she was, who she kept company with, and so on – and see if that will give us any clues. I've come to you because of her love of horses. Can you describe her fo
r me, as she seemed to you? How did she behave when she was her natural self, so to speak?'
Mr Partridge was again silent. He was, it seemed, a man not to be hurried. 'Quiet,' he said finally. 'She were quiet; not one of them gabby women. Quiet and gentle and maybe a little bit shy. That's not to say she were what I calls a drawing-room girl — far from it. She'd be out across the estate in all weathers, and she'd take a jump, sir, that a lot of men would baulk at. She could do anything with a horse because they trusted her and she sat right. That's what I could never get through Lord Andrew's head, that you have ter sit right. Not that he cares so much for riding these days; he's more for the motor cars. Lord George is all right, but he'll never be as good as his sister. She was one on her own, was Genny.
Is that what you called her, Genny?
Mr Partridge looked a little abashed. 'Well yes, just between ourselves you know. She were only about the age of Lady George's youngest when she come to me, and it seemed natural-like. I got to be very fond of her, sir, and I think she were of me. Well, I know she were. She never stood on her dignity, did Her Ladyship, not like some.'
'What about gentleman friends? Were men attracted to her?'
Mr Partridge shook his head. 'Ah, now that I can't say, sir. She weren't what you'd call a beauty, not like Lady George – she'd break your heart, that one – but she were comely and tall, with a nice figure. I thought she'd have married sooner, to be honest, but she never seemed interested. Or if she were, she never told me about it.'
'Woman friends?'
'I suppose she had, but they never come ridin' with her, apart from her maid, Ginny Brown. Sometimes Andrew would join 'em, or the Major. The Major's a keen horseman and keeps a stable of his own, though he's not really up to it nowadays.'
'Her maid rode? That's unusual, isn't it?'
'I suppose it is. But they were more like pals, really. Ginny were a fair horsewoman as well. Pretty girl, very ladylike. It were lovely to see 'em racin' each other across the park.'
'Did they ever go further afield?'
Partridge gave this some consideration. 'Yes, around the lanes, you know, and into the village to the shops. And sometimes they'd ride over to the Manor together – Godwinstowe Manor, that is – to see her aunt. She were a nice lady but an invalid.
'That's Lady Mortimer, the Major's wife?'
'Yes, sir, dead now. It's about five miles away as the crow flies but it's part of the estate. It stretched that far and further in those days, but it's all sold off now, in between. It's a nice ride, I reckon, with enough hedges and fences to make it interestin'. Better'n the hunt to my mind, where you have to go where the fox takes you. Do you hunt, sir?'
'No, I don't care for it.'
Partridge registered his approval. 'No more do I, sir — spoils a good ride. Upsets the tenants too. Not that we've got any now.'
'None at all?'
'No sir, only our home farm, although that's got its own manager, Jim Ridout. I don't involve myself with that.'
'What about Lord Hoddersham? Surely he went riding with her?'
Partridge shook his head. 'Never so much as clapped eyes on him until the wedding, and then only goin' by in the landau. I didn't get to see 'em wed.'
'That's a little surprising, isn't it, that he never rode with her? Do you think they got on all right?
'I suppose they must have, sir, since she married him. But we never talked about much 'cept horses, you see. We likes to think we knows 'em, sir, and hopes to get on with 'em, after a fashion, but they're not like us, are they? Not when it comes down to it.'
'I'm beginning to find that out,' confided Felix. 'But would you necessarily be aware of the people she went riding with? Is there a stableman or groom from that time, that I could talk to?'
Mr Partridge sadly shook his head. 'All gone now, sir, except me. I were Head Groom in those days and it were me that looked after the family, so I'd have mostly known who Her Ladyship were out with. It's how I started here, you see, working up from a lad. It were only comparatively recently the Duke saw fit to make me his agent. Now, of course, there ain't much for me to do, so if you were asking for the stableman now, I reckon you'd be lookin' at him. We've two good men and a boy, and we manages quite nicely.'
Felix took a chance. 'Manage to make this a promising little stud I fancy. I wondered how the place was supported.'
Mr Partridge simultaneously shook his head, sucked his teeth and glanced meaningfully towards the house. 'We don't use that word here, sir. But as Lord George says, he's eventually goin' to run out of pictures. We've some nice stock now and it's comin' along very well.'
'Mum's the word, Mr Partridge,' chuckled Felix. 'I rather wish I could join you. Tell me, what is Lady George like? She's the next person I have to see.'
'Oh, she's a smasher, sir. You've a treat in store there. As a matter of fact here she comes now.' He pointed at the hillside where a black-clad woman on a fine-looking grey could be seen cantering towards them. 'If you go back to the yard now, sir, I reckon you'll just catch her.'
Heralded by a clatter of hooves, Lady George emerged from the shadow of the clock-tower to gaze with interest upon the tall stranger. Her mount, a big stallion, seemed a little skittish, and offering gentle reassurance, Felix took hold of the bridle.
'And who is this fine, handsome man charming my horse?' demanded Her Ladyship.
'Detective Inspector Felix at your service, My Lady,' smiled Felix, adding a little bow for good measure.
Lady George cocked her head in amusement. 'At my service is it? Sure you'd make a passable stable-hand if nothing else.' So saying, she lifted the hem of her habit and dropped lightly to the ground.
Such was her natural authority that Felix was surprised to find her scarcely up to his shoulder. Unpinning her veil she revealed herself to be, as Sir Neville had intimated, exquisite; a little jewel of a woman with the blackest of hair and startlingly blue eyes, and ever susceptible to female pulchritude he was instantly half in love with her.
'I was teasing you,' she smiled, 'apart from the handsome bit. Partridge told me about you on the way in. Will you have some tea? We'll use the estate office; it'll save me changing first. Go with Harry now, my treasure.' A boy had silently appeared, and she watched critically as he led the horse away before ushering Felix into the bright, cluttered room. A stove glowed in one corner and commanding him to sit, she began, to his surprise, to fill the kettle herself.
'Is she very terrible,' she asked. 'To look at, I mean? George is so upset. He'd convinced himself, you know, that she'd run away, and that one day she'd come back. People do sometimes, don't they? It's as though he's lost her twice.'
'Did you know her?' asked Felix.
'I only met her once, at the wedding. She seemed very charming. We weren't married then, of course.'
'I didn't know you were at the wedding. Is that where you met His Lordship?'
She shook her head. 'It was he who invited me. We'd not long met, in Ireland. He was after buying a horse but found it sold and got me instead. Rather a poor exchange really.'
'I'd hardly say that,' protested Felix gallantly.
'Well, it was a nice horse.'
Anticipating the joke, he finishing it with her, and they laughed.
She looked him speculatively up and down. 'You'll do, I think. George is afraid the Duchess will drive you away, but you seem bold enough!'
'I'll take that as a compliment. Why should she want to drive me away?'
'She's decided it was an accident, so there's nothing for you to investigate. George says she's being quite stubborn about it. I suppose you've heard we don't get on?'
'Sir Neville hinted at it.'
'Then you'll know why. She's all right with the children. Have you seen her at all?'
'Not yet.'
'Something to look forward to then.' She came and sat opposite him, leaning her crossed arms on the table. 'Was it murder, Mr Felix?'
'It's really too early to say, My Lady. We'll know mo
re soon, I hope.'
'Would you tell me — if you knew?'
'No, My Lady. Not at this stage.'
Lady George looked pleased. 'You're very professional, Inspector. I like that. However, since I'm not a policeman I can tell you that George thinks it was.'
'Did he give a reason?'
'It just seemed impossible — that it was an accident. He's not accusing anyone.'
Felix nodded. 'You do realise, I hope, that even if we decide it was murder, it doesn't necessarily mean we'll know who was involved, or be able to apprehend them? There were over two hundred people in the house that night.'
'Of course. And it was a long time ago.'
She rose as the kettle boiled, and he watched with growing admiration as she moved unselfconsciously about, warming the pot and opening a fresh packet of tea; a beautiful chatelaine-in-waiting, doing a servant's work. His Lordship – damn his eyes – had chosen well.
'It's almost insupportably sad, isn't it?' she said. 'That she should die so young. I suppose you're hardened to it — untimely death, I mean.'
'If I were, it would be time to stop. My Lady, were you, by any chance, a bride-botherer?'
She smiled. 'I was! It was rather expected of one, you know. I wasn't keen, as I desperately wanted to be with George, and there I was peering under beds and running down endless corridors with a bunch of giggling girls. I don't always like women very much, I'm afraid. Not packs of them anyway.'
'How many of you were there? Can you remember?'
'I should say eight or nine.'
'And did you search together, or separately?'
'Mostly the former. We took it fairly seriously to start with but then got bored and just drifted about. I wish now we'd tried harder.'
'Did you see her?'
'We did — twice. Well, not me personally; I only saw her once. The first time, someone spotted her behind us and we all turned round but she'd gone, and later we saw her coming out of a room on the second floor. I think we might have caught her then, but Sidney Lomax, Lovell's best man, suddenly appeared and began fooling about and we lost her. I often think, if we'd caught her, she'd have been safe, and none of this would have happened. He did it on purpose, of course.'
Death of a Lady (The Inspector Felix Mysteries Book 1) Page 8
