The Mermaid in the Basement

by Gilbert, Morris

  “I will not deceive you. It will be enough, I’m afraid. Unless you can discover something else, your brother will be convicted.”

  “I’ve been thinking about this, Sir Leo. It seems to me that there are several possibilities. The murderer could have come from the aristocracy. The woman was acquainted with several people from that world. She could have been murdered by one of the cast. I understand there’s a great deal of jealousy among those people. From what little I’ve heard, more than one of them had a great dislike for her. And the third possibility is that someone from the underworld killed her—perhaps hired by someone else.”

  “You seem to have thought this out very carefully.”

  “I must find the woman my brother spent the night with. She’s a prostitute, and I made one attempt.”

  “Indeed? Would you tell me about that?” Sir Leo listened as she spoke and noted that her cheeks were flushed.

  “I made a great mistake, Sir Leo. That is not my world. If the actor I mentioned, Dylan Tremayne, had not come along, I fear I would have come to great harm.”

  “Then it seems to me you need that man at least as much as you need a barrister.”

  “You think I need Mr. Tremayne?”

  “That, evidently, is his world. You say he knew who accosted you?”

  “Yes, he called him by his name.”

  “He must be a man of some force.”

  “He’s a religious fanatic.”

  Leo suddenly smiled. “So were Martin Luther and Oliver Cromwell and John the Baptist, Viscountess. Give me a good religious fanatic every time! They always mean business, and they’ll do what they set out to do or die trying.”

  “Will you take my brother’s case?”

  “I will take it, but I must warn you ahead: the odds are against us.”

  “Very well.What are your terms?”

  She listened as he spoke of his fee, and then when he had finished, he added, “As your barrister, I must say we need to employ this man Tremayne even if he is a religious fanatic.” He smiled as he said it.

  “You’re amused, but it’s not a matter of humour to me.”

  “I beg your pardon, Viscountess, but I think you’re going to have to come down to the real world.”

  “What do you mean, Sir Leo? I’m always in the real world. I’m a scientist.”

  “Seven Dials is part of the world, and it’s a part that you haven’t touched yet. For that, we need Dylan Tremayne.”

  “Very well. I’ll ask him if he will help.”

  “Do you think he will?”

  “Oh, I’m sure he will,” she said, and her lips turned too tight. “He told me that God spoke to him and told him that he was to help me. That’s the sort of man I’m having to use for help.”

  “He’s also a good man in a dark alley at Seven Dials. I think you’ll have to modify your pride a bit, Lady Trent.”

  “Very well. I will talk to him. Thank you very much, Sir Leo.”

  “I’ll go see your brother today. Time is very short.”

  Serafina left the room, and as she went, she was thinking, I’ll have to go to the theatre and speak with Tremayne . . . and ask him for his help. The thought infuriated her, but Serafina Trent was a woman of great force and determination. If it meant losing part of her dignity and letting a mere actor into her life, then so be it!

  SEVEN

  For a moment Serafina paused, standing uncertainly at the door of her parents’ bedroom. She had steeled herself but dreaded the necessity of talking to her mother concerning Clive, for her mother was not one who could take hard things easily. Ever since Clive had been arrested, Alberta had been in a state of total disarray. It had taken all of the efforts of her two daughters and the maids—as well as the support of Septimus—to keep her from collapsing completely. Dr.Maddox’s strong sedative had helped somewhat.

  Taking a deep breath, Serafina knocked on the door. Hearing a faint response, she entered the room and found her mother sitting in a chair beside the window. She was wearing a blue dressing gown and a pair of leather house slippers. “How are you, Mother?” Serafina drew closer and stooped so that she could examine her mother’s face.

  “Daughter, what are we going to do?” There was such desperate anxiety in her mother’s voice, and a tremor that she could not control, that Serafina felt almost helpless. She knew that during the early days of her marriage, her mother had been a strong woman. She’d had to struggle and work diligently to support Septimus during those difficult times.

  “Could I get you some tea, Mother?”

  “No—no! I don’t want anything. I just can’t believe this is happening to us. Poor Clive! We must do something!”

  Serafina leaned forward and put her hand on her mother’s shoulder. “It’s going to be all right,Mother. You’ll see.”

  “How can it be all right? Those policemen, they believe that Clive is guilty.” She turned her eyes upward, and Serafina was shocked to see the sheer terror mirrored there. “You don’t think he did that awful thing, do you?”

  “Of course not,” Serafina said firmly. “We’re going to get through this all right, but it’s going to take some strong action.”

  Alberta Newton looked up, and tears suddenly filled her eyes and ran down her cheeks. She snatched a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped them away. She blew her nose and asked, “What do you mean strong action?”

  “The first thing we have to do is get Clive reassigned to better quarters.”

  “Better quarters?”

  Serafina was tempted to tell her mother what Dylan had told her about the terrible cell her brother was in, but decided not to mention the actor. She modified the situation by saying, “Clive is being held in very squalid quarters. For some reason they put him in a cell with no comforts at all. Our first job,” she said firmly, “is to get him out of that place and into a better one.”

  “But—how can we do that?”

  “We’re going to have to get someone with influence to go to the jail and have him put in a more comfortable cell.”

  “But we don’t know anybody with that kind of influence.”

  “Oh yes, we do, Mother. You know Mrs.Winters.”

  “Mrs.Winters?” The name seemed to mean nothing to Alberta, but then she nodded. “Why—yes, of course. Her husband was one of the policemen.”

  “He’s more than a policeman, Mother. He’s the superintendent at Scotland Yard. He has great influence. They would listen to him.”

  “Then why don’t you go to him and talk to him? Ask him to help us.”

  “I don’t know his wife, but you do. You’ve gone to several teas and meetings with her, haven’t you?”

  “Oh yes, certainly. I don’t know her that well, but she seems to be a very fine lady. Do you think she would help us?”

  “Not personally, but she could persuade her husband to do something.” Serafina smiled. “And I think she would if you would ask her.”

  “Oh, Serafina, I couldn’t do that!”

  “Why not?”

  “I just couldn’t face her. I’m so ashamed!”

  Serafina hesitated, but she saw that it was hopeless. Her mother was totally unfit to face a crisis like this. I’ll have to go see Mrs.Winters myself. “Very well,Mother. You stay here and try to get some rest. I’ll go see Mrs. Winters to see if she can get her husband to help us.”

  Alberta reached out and seized Serafina’s hand. She clung to it desperately, and it took some time before Serafina was able to get her to relax. “You do need to eat something. I’ll go ask Nessa to send you up something very good.”

  “I don’t believe I could eat anything.”

  “Yes, you could,” Serafina said firmly. “You’ve got to keep your strength up.”

  She knew that she had to leave, but her mother was clinging to her. Disengaging her hand, she left the room and went down to the kitchen.

  “Nessa, I want you to fix Mother up something very good to eat—something special.”

&nbs
p; “Why, ’course I will! I’ll fix some of that special lamb that she likes so much.We’ve got some fresh.”

  “And fix her a nice dessert. Send it up by Daisy, and I’ll give Daisy instructions to make sure she eats it.”

  “Will there be a full table for meals today?”

  “I’m not sure, Nessa. I suppose you can just prepare whatever is easiest.”

  “Indeed, I won’t do that.”Nessa hesitated, then said, “We have trouble here, Lady Trent, but life must go on. The good God won’t forsake us!”

  “Yes, it must,” Serafina said. She knew that Nessa was a faithful Christian, and though she herself did not share her beliefs, she knew the woman had a deep affection for her family. She smiled and gave Nessa a quick pat on the shoulder. “I do appreciate your concern.”

  She left the kitchen and went at once into the nursery. David did not sleep there anymore, but he kept all of his games and collections there. He was sitting on the floor with blocks, building some sort of structure. “What are you making, Son?”

  “I’m making a castle. You see? This is the wall.”

  “Oh, that’s very good. Do you suppose I could help?”

  Eagerly,David cried, “Yes,Mum, I’ll be inside the castle, and you’ll be the enemy trying to break through.”

  Serafina sat down rather awkwardly beside David on the floor, and for the next half hour, she was fascinated by the quick and imaginative mind of this son of hers. Always she was careful to watch for signs that she dreaded, signs that he had some of his father’s ways—but so far she was grateful that she found none of that. There’s more of me in him than there is of Charles! Finally she said, “Would you like to go riding on Patches?”

  Instantly, David jumped up, his eyes flashing, “Yes, Mum! Will you ride with me?”

  “Yes, I’ll get my little mare, and we’ll ride together.”

  The ride had been a delight for Serafina. The time she spent with her son was always a pleasure, and she resolved to devote more of her time to him. David sat on the pony like a veteran, and Serafina guided her small mare beside him. The grounds were extensive, with riding paths carefully laid out, and finally they drew up at the trout stream. David said,“Mum, can I let Patches drink?”

  “Of course you can.We’ll water both of them. Can you get down by yourself?”

  “Oh,Mum, you know I can!” David slipped off the pony and held to his reins. He led the pony forward, and Serafina did the same with her mare. The two horses lowered their heads and made slurping noises as they drank. As they did, she kept a close watch on David, wondering how much he knew about the tragedy that had overtaken their family. She finally said, “You’re a very good rider, David.”

  David suddenly turned to face her. His dark blue eyes were troubled, she saw with concern, and he chewed on his lower lip. He was pondering some question, and she knew he would come out with it soon.

  “Mum, was my father a good rider?”

  The question caught Serafina off guard, for David almost never asked about his father. He had asked rather often some time ago, but it seemed that he had put away all thoughts of his father. She said quickly, “Oh yes, he was a very good rider. He liked to ride to the hounds.”

  David asked several more questions about his father’s horsemanship, then he reached up and stroked the pony’s nose. Suddenly he looked down and whispered, “Did—did he like me, Mum?”

  Serafina at once went to David, still holding the reins, and put her arm around the boy’s shoulder.His body was tense as a wire, and she said quickly, “Why, of course he did, David.”

  David looked up, and there was a desperate expression of hope in his eyes. She could not read him, and it troubled her. She had put all of her hopes in this young son of hers, and always there was the danger that some of his father might appear—especially as he grew older. She saw in his face nothing but innocence and a desire for a father whom she knew he could not have. Quickly, she said, “I’ve got to go to town today, Son, but how about this—I’ll tell Danny to take you out to collect butterflies. Would you like that?”

  “Oh yes,Mum, I like Danny, and will you read me some of that book with the funny title that Dora gave you—The Mermaid in the Basement?”

  “No, but I’ll get you a new book and read it to you.”

  “But I like that one,Mum! I want to know how someone got a mermaid in the basement. Do you think they kept her in a big bathtub?”

  “It’s just a silly romance, David. Now let’s go back to the house.”

  The two rode back to the stable, and David insisted on staying with Danny, who unsaddled the horses and listened as the boy chattered.

  “You two have a good time.” Serafina smiled, then she went to the house. As she entered and moved down the foyer, she suddenly stopped, turned, and fixed her eyes on a large picture centered on the wall. It was a portrait of Viscount Charles Trent, her late husband. Serafina studied the handsome features, but even as she watched, a chill seemed to take her, and she gave a spastic motion of despair. She shut her eyes, swayed slightly, and whispered in a voice torn by torment, “Leave me alone, Charles!”

  “Wot’s that you say, ma’am?”

  Serafina turned abruptly to see Rachel, the housekeeper, watching her. She said quickly, “Oh, just talking to myself. I’ll be going to town, Rachel. You watch out for David when he comes to the house.”

  “Yes, my lady.”

  As Serafina hurried down the hall and turned up the steps, Rachel turned to the tweeny, Ellie, who appeared with a pail and mop in her hands. “Ain’t it a shame, Ellie? Lady Trent misses ’im so much! She can’t even look at his picture without crying.”

  “That’s true, ain’t it? She must really been in love with ’im, wasn’t she?”

  As Givins helped Serafina out of the carriage, she murmured, “I probably won’t be too long, Givins.”

  “Yes, Viscountess. I’ll be right ’ere waiting.”

  Serafina turned and studied the imposing house. It was a huge structure, made of pale stone in the classic Georgian style. The enormous front doors were flanked by long narrow windows, and areas framed by wrought iron rails abounded. The balconies were bright with boxes of potted plants, and the grounds looked more like a public park than a private residence.

  As she stepped up to the door, Serafina summoned what knowledge she had of the Winters family—which was, indeed, not much. She had heard that Winters had been only a lowly inspector in Scotland Yard until he married Jewel Fremont, the daughter of an immensely wealthy rail road magnate. Mrs.Winters had become, so Serafina had heard, a moving force in society, and it was her influence and tremendous drive—as well as perhaps some money spent—that had paved the way for her husband’s rapid rise to superintendent. She had also heard rather unsubstantial rumours that the marriage of the two was not always serene. She rapped with the heavy brass knocker, and a tall, dignified butler opened the door at once. He smiled and said, “Good afternoon, ma’am.”

  “I am the Viscountess Serafina Trent calling on Mrs.Winters.”

  “Oh, come in,Viscountess.”He opened the door wider and, stepping aside, motioned her in. “If you’d care to wait, Lady Trent, I’ll see if Mrs. Winters is at home.”

  Serafina could not restrain a smile at the form of the butler’s address. He certainly knows that she is home; otherwise, he would have said so. What he really means is that he’ll see if his mistress wants to see me. But she had learnt long ago to ignore the pretensions of society. “Thank you very much.”

  As she waited for the butler to return, she studied the foyer, which glittered in the sunlight that filtered through the tall windows. She noted also the variety of fabrics: satins, laces, and velvets. She took in the sweeping stairs, the chandeliers, and the dark portraits framed in gilt with acanthus leaves and curlicues.

  The butler returned very quickly and bowed.“Lady Trent, would you come this way, please? Mrs.Winters is in the parlor.”

  “Thank you.” She followed the but
ler down the hall, and when he stepped aside, she entered one of the most magnificent rooms she had ever seen. The design featured cool green colours, which were brightened by sunlight at this time of day. A large fireplace of polished marble gleamed directly across from her, and the paintings on the walls were seascapes and Dutch pastoral scenes. Long green velvet curtains were splayed out on the floor and swagged with braided sashes. Her eyes went at once to the woman who had risen to greet her. “I apologise for calling without an appointment, Mrs.Winters.”

  “Why, that’s quite all right, Viscountess.”

  Jewel Winters was a remarkably striking woman of average height, with hair so fair it seemed almost luminous as it caught the light.Her skin, too, was unusually pale. She was dressed in an extremely elegant muslin gown of lilac and blues on white. Serafina noted that her smooth, rounded features also included a Greek nose.

  “Please be seated. I will have the maid bring tea.”

  “Thank you, Mrs.Winters.”

  As the two women sat down and the maid brought the tea, Serafina was aware that Mrs.Winters was watching her with a cautious air mingled with curiosity.Her sharp, piercing eyes met Serafina’s. Aloud Serifina said, “I’m embarrassed at the nature of my errand, Mrs.Winters.”

  “I take it your visit has something to do with the unfortunate matter of your brother.”

  “Yes, you’ve, of course, heard about that.”

  “My husband talks over his cases with me.May I offer you my deepest sympathy, my dear viscountess, and I intend to call upon your mother.”

  “That would be so kind of you.”

  “How is she taking it?”

  “Not very well, I’m afraid. None of us are.”

  “Naturally, you would be distressed. Families must draw closer together when tragedy strikes.”

  “It is a tragedy indeed, but I’ve called on a matter that’s very important to us.”

  “And that is what, Viscountess?”

  “My brother has been placed in a cell that is extremely uncomfortable. Indeed, that’s not the word for it. It’s miserable.”

  “I suppose most prison cells are,”Mrs.Winters said. She was waiting and turned her head slightly to one side. “What exactly do you have in mind?”