by Jodi Taylor
Silence fell. I looked down the table at Russell, flanked by Aunt Julia and Tanya. I had Uncle Richard on one side and Andrew on the other. Francesca and Daniel occupied the neutral zone in the middle. I felt very alone.
Even as I looked, Russell caught my eye, stared expressionlessly for a moment, and then looked away. My stomach lurched.
‘Jenny, my dear. Try and eat a little.’ Uncle Richard pushed my plate forward, smiling gently. His expression said, ‘We’ll let them fight it out, shall we? Then we’ll put our heads together and do the sensible thing. You and I together.’
I remembered my last evening in his house, sitting at the kitchen table, cosy and warm while he waited for his milk to boil. Before all this started. I could have cried my eyes out. Cried for all the opportunities missed. Cried for everything that had gone wrong.
‘Leave her alone,’ said Russell, harshly.
For the third time, Aunt Julia said, ‘Jenny …
‘Yes, Aunt Julia? Are you enjoying your pâté? Mine is delicious.’
‘So, Jenny,’ said Daniel, weighing in again. In his own, but much more charming way, he was at least as single-minded as Francesca. It crossed my mind that she might have met her match. ‘I was wondering if you might like to contribute. You know, ideas, suggestions, a bit of research. And you’ll get a credit. From an idea by Jenny Checkland. That sort of thing.’
I wrenched my attention away from Russell and back to Daniel. I must have gaped at him, because he grinned and said, ‘Just nod if it’s easier.’
I did. I supposed this must be what real life is like. Down one minute, up the next. Never quite sure if it’s the best or the worst evening of your life.
‘Daniel, dear, you mustn’t forget that Jenny is recovering from a serious accident. She must regain her strength first. Perhaps after a few months careful rest in our home …’
Did no one ever listen to me?
‘That’s very kind of you, but this is my home. I’m staying here.’ I looked at Russell. ‘Unless you want me to go.’
He said, neutrally, ‘It’s your decision.’
‘That’s settled, then.’
Although, of course, it wasn’t.
‘Jenny, I’m sorry,’ said Daniel, ‘but we do have to get a move on.’
‘I’ll be fine,’ I said.
‘So we’ll make a start next week, if that’s all right with you?’
I nodded.
‘Have a think, jot down anything you think might be useful. Anything at all. You’d be amazed what’s useable.’
‘But what about me?’ demanded Francesca, returning again to the crux of the matter.
‘Well, my dear, it’s lovely that you’re so – enthusiastic. Perhaps – a lady in waiting…’ he said hopefully.
‘Or a courtesan?’ murmured an anonymous voice from the other end of the table.
‘Russell!’ snapped Aunt Julia.
‘What?’ he said in either genuine or well-feigned indignation.
‘Yes,’ I said, before anyone else could say anything. ‘Do I come to you, Daniel? Or will you come here?’
‘Come to me. All my notes are there. Shall I pick you up?’
‘No need,’ said Russell, curtly. ‘I’ll bring her over.’
‘Thank you, Russell. Then, when Thomas is better, I’ll ride over. If that’s all right with you, Daniel.’
‘It’s not all right at all,’ broke in Aunt Julia.
‘Nearly two minutes without emoting,’ said Russell, in what he probably imagined was a low voice. ‘Could that be some sort of record?’
If he was trying to deflect her, he was wasting his time. Where did he think Francesca got it from?
‘You can’t be serious, Jenny. Riding? After what happened? I don’t expect much from you, Russell, when it comes to your wife’s safety, but I can’t believe that animal hasn’t been destroyed. It’s clearly unsafe.’
He drank more wine and smiled dangerously.
‘Never going to happen, Julia.’
Her eyes narrowed. ‘You’re hardly in a position to dictate to anyone, are you?’
‘Really? Why is that?’
‘You know very well why not.’
‘No, I don’t, Julia. You’re just going to have to come right out and say it.’
Uncle Richard said suddenly, ‘Be quiet, Julia.’
Russell cast him a mocking look. ‘How wise.’ Only he could make it sound like an insult.
Uncle Richard put down his wine glass and said, with quiet dignity, ‘I don’t think it would be wise for you to argue with us, Russell. Not after the events of yesterday. Jenny will come quietly home with us tonight and we’ll help her consider her future.’
‘Her future? That would be funny, Richard, coming from anyone but you. I think we both know what sort of a future is in store for Jenny. It’s up to her, of course, but if she wishes to remain here, then she will.’ He smiled sardonically. ‘With me.’
‘You!’
And here was Aunt Julia again. She’d once told someone that one of her ancestors came over with the Conqueror. Considering the riff-raff he brought with him, my own theory was that she was descended from a camp follower or a black-marketeer, but you certainly had to have a pedigree of over a thousand years to put that amount of scorn and contempt into just one single-syllable word. Eat your heart out, Lady Bracknell.
‘You –’ Having made this promising beginning, she fell silent, apparently overcome by her emotions.
‘What about me?’ said Russell, suddenly not smiling at all. ‘Go on, Julia. Say it. What about me?’
The lid came off.
‘You evil, unspeakable man. You married my niece against our wishes and having secured her money, you’ve spent the last months engineering a series of suspicious accidents. Don’t try to deny you’ve been violent to her. There are no words to describe your depravity, Russell Checkland, or your cruelty or your –’
‘Well, as usual, you seem to have found plenty. Do you know, I can’t remember a time when you weren’t talking, Julia. Anyway, you’re wrong.’
‘Do you deny –?’
‘Of course I deny it. You’re spitting your poison at completely the wrong person.’
Uncle Richard tried again. ‘Julia, I forbid you …’
‘Oh really, Russell? Well, if not you, then whom?’
Silence.
He sat back in his chair, holding his wine glass. ‘Do you really want me to answer that? Here? Now?’
‘Yes, yes I do.’
She leaned forward in her seat, red-faced and furious. The rest of us watched in – fascination is not the right word. It was like an oncoming car crash. You know it’s going to be bad, but you just can’t look away.
Russell sat up and said, ‘I am sorry, Jenny. I really am. But things can’t go on like this. You’re going to be badly hurt and I’m going to end up in prison. I hope you can understand.’
‘I do understand. Do whatever you think is best. I’m standing right behind you.’
He smiled sadly. ‘No, don’t do that. You can stand alongside me. Or back to back with me. You can even stand on top of me, if you like, but you are never to stand behind me, Jenny. Is that clear?’
I nodded, suddenly unable to speak.
‘Jenny, my dear, what are you saying?’
I turned to Uncle Richard, suddenly too tired and sad to speak. Maybe it wasn’t too late … I groped for his hand but he pulled it away.
Aunt Julia leaned forward. ‘What’s going on here? What are you saying, Jenny? Are you saying – it’s not Russell?’
‘Of course it’s not Russell, Aunt Julia. It never was Russell. He’s an idiot of course …’
‘Thanks, wife.’
‘And he’s been digging his own grave as fast as he can … go, but no, it’s not Russell. Apart from yesterday afternoon. Russell, I am so not speaking to you about that. You gave me the worst afternoon of … my life.’
‘I’m sorry, Jenny. I couldn’t think of any othe
r way.’
‘I know. Never do that again.’
‘No. Once was enough.’
Surprisingly, Daniel Palmer spoke. ‘Francesca, please get your things together.’
She gaped at him.
‘We’re leaving now and you’re coming home with me.’
Russell nodded at him. ‘Thank you, Daniel. You should get her away as quickly as possible.’
‘Get her away?’ said Francesca. ‘I’m not going anywhere. Why would I? Stop it, Daniel, you’re frightening me.’
‘Francesca, you have a choice to make. Jenny isn’t the only one deciding her future tonight. I’ve offered you the protection of marriage, but if you don’t come with me now, I may not be able to help you.’
‘Why?’ she said to him, bewildered. ‘Why must I go?’
‘Well, Russell, you haven’t answered my question. If not you, then whom?’
‘Julia, I won’t tell you again. Be silent.’
‘Daniel? What’s happening?’
And just when things were wound up to screaming point, someone knocked at the door.
Everyone looked at everyone else. Russell nodded to Kevin who went off to persuade the front door to open. I heard voices and footsteps approaching.
Christopher walked in.
I hadn’t seen him properly for years. I’d caught brief glimpses of him occasionally. Not at his bookshop, obviously. He probably wasn’t sure where it was. He strutted into the room. A little man making a big entrance.
My first reaction was fear. I don’t know why. I wasn’t a child any more. What could he do to me in my own home? Yes, he was a bully, but he was a coward too. Both Russell and Andrew loathed him. I was perfectly safe, yet I was still afraid.
Still, it wasn’t as if the evening could get much worse …
Under the table, Andrew took my hand and squeezed hard. I couldn’t look at him. I couldn’t look at anyone.
Russell made no move to greet him. The silence went on and on.
‘Now then, my boy,’ said Uncle Richard, eventually. ‘What are you doing here? Hmm?’
Christopher didn’t bother replying. His gaze fell on Uncle Richard and then switched to me. I felt suddenly cold.
Russell stood up, abruptly.
Uncle Richard said hurriedly, ‘Now, let’s find you a chair, shall we? You can sit here, with me and Jenny.’
‘No, he can’t,’ said Russell. ‘I don’t want the little runt here at all, but if he is going to stay then I’ll have him up near me, where I can make sure he’s not stealing the silver or groping the staff. Watch yourself, Kevin.’
It was a good effort. For one moment I really did think the three of them would storm from the room, the house, my life, everything. However, wishes seldom come true.
He sat, rather heavily, between Aunt Julia and Russell, drank her wine, and held up her glass for more. He was ignored.
Still channelling kindly old uncle as fast as he could go, Uncle Richard stood up.’
‘Well, I can see you’re tired, Jenny. Perhaps it was a little ambitious of you to plan such a large party so soon after your accident. We’ll leave you in peace now. Daniel, I know you won’t stay too long. We don’t want to tire her out.’
He was ignored, too.
Russell played idly with his knife.
Kevin stood behind Christopher.
Mrs Crisp stood behind me.
Sharon stood by the door.
You could have heard a mouse sneeze.
‘Francesca, this is the last time I shall say this. The last time I’ll be able to look out for you. Look at me. You must leave with me. Now.’
She tried to pull her hands away but he held them in a firm grasp.
‘Stop. Stop. Look at me.’
She stopped struggling, looked at him, looked away, and then looked back as if she was seeing him for the first time. She looked around the table. You could practically hear the wheels turning. The silence lengthened. She opened her mouth to speak. We all held our breath.
Christopher lunged for Russell’s glass and knocked the bottle over, sending the contents streaming down the table.
Everyone grabbed their glasses and plates. Mrs Crisp and Sharon mopped and dabbed. As always, there seemed far more on the table than there could possibly be in one bottle.
Eventually order was restored. We all sat back down again.
I lifted my glass to my lips.
It was wine. Not water. Wine. Everything crashed into place – it had been them all along.
Like the echo of a nightmare, Mrs Crisp reached over my shoulder and took the glass.
I looked at Russell. He wasn’t looking at me.
‘Seriously?’ he said. ‘I can’t believe you thought that would work a second time.’
Uncle Richard looked puzzled for a moment. Then his face cleared. ‘I’m sorry, Jenny. I seem to have handed you Andrew’s wine by mistake.’
‘Nice try,’ said Andrew.
‘And there you have your answer, Julia.’
‘I don’t understand,’ she faltered.
‘Yes, you do.’
‘Are you saying …?’
‘Yes, I am.’
‘This is ridiculous,’ said Uncle Richard, angrily. ‘I’ve simply muddled the glasses. Believe me, it’s easily done when you get to my age.’
‘Oh, spare us,’ said Russell. ‘You’re not simple, kindly Uncle Richard at all. You never have been. You’re the nastiest piece of work I’ve met in a long time. I strongly suspect your family are all very afraid of you. How else could you persuade them to do what they’ve done?’
‘I think,’ he said, heavily, ‘that too much has already been said tonight. We’ll talk tomorrow when heads are cooler.’
‘No, we won’t,’ said Russell. ‘Because, after tonight, no one from your family is ever going to be welcome here again. That includes you, Francesca. You should have gone with Daniel. You’re in it now, as deeply as they are.
‘We’ll go to the police,’ said Aunt Julia.
‘All right. Will you ring them or shall I?’
Christopher’s glance flicked to me.
Defiant, I stared back. But only because Andrew and Russell were close to hand.
Russell smiled, mirthlessly. ‘You won’t go to the police. Will you, Richard?’
Uncle Richard sat down. His lined face looked careworn and sad. An overworked family man wrestling with difficult problems.
‘I can see that nothing will be resolved until you’ve had your say, Russell. Perhaps you’d like to tell us what you think. Get it off your chest. I shall be interested to hear what you’re offering in the way of proof.’
‘Oh, that’s easy. The wire that Christopher stretched across the path to bring down Jenny’s horse. We’ve got it stashed in our barn. My extremely intelligent wife brought it back with her. I bet Christopher’s fingerprints are all over it.’
I bet they weren’t. Or if they had been, they weren’t after I’d been handling it, but never mind.
‘And that glass you just passed Jenny, now safely in Mrs Crisp’s possession, will almost certainly contain the same substance you used before. Probably a stronger dose this time. And that will have your fingerprints all over it.’
‘This is ridiculous. Jenny has become confused. There is no difference between her glass and mine.’
‘Richard, we’re not idiots. Jenny has been drinking water all evening. As soon as you swapped glasses – courtesy of the fuckwit here – we all knew. Did you think that after yesterday, everyone would simply assume it was me and look no further? You’ve really lost your head, haven’t you?’
‘Jenny, these are just the accusations of a desperate man. He tried yesterday and failed. He’s tried again tonight, been discovered and is now busy blaming everyone else as fast he can.’
‘No, he didn’t,’ I said.
Russell sighed. ‘There was nothing wrong with the tea yesterday, Richard. I drank it myself in the kitchen afterwards. Mrs Crisp and I put th
at little scene together to panic you and Julia. It worked, didn’t it? Suddenly, you realised you weren’t the only ones out to do Jenny harm. And if she died before you got her back, well, you’d really be screwed then, wouldn’t you?’
Aunt Julia had regained her calm. ‘Really, this is preposterous. Have the courage to accept the truth, Russell. Stand back. Let Jenny come home in peace and we’ll say no more about it.’
‘No, we fucking won’t, Julia.’ He slammed the table in rage. Crockery jumped and rattled. ‘We’re going to say a lot about it.’
My God, he was angry. I’d never seen him like this. He was very white around the mouth, his hair stood on end, and his eyes glittered.
Tanya said something and he subsided. ‘Jenny, I didn’t mean to frighten you. I’ve just been so worried you would believe them.’ He smiled. ‘I should have known you’d worked it out.’
‘I did. Most of it, anyway. I just don’t know why. What did I do to make them want to kill me?’
‘You didn’t do anything, love. And they didn’t want to kill you. That was the last thing they wanted. That’s why they were so frightened over what Christopher did. I bet he got a right bollocking for that. If you died, then as your husband, I’d get everything, which wouldn’t suit them at all. The whole point was to have you suffer a number of suspicious but minor accidents that would implicate me. Right from the beginning, I’ve been the one they were after. And my property, of course,’ he finished bitterly.
He continued. ‘With me out of the picture, Jenny, you’d go back to live with them. I would – or wouldn’t – be in prison. I expect, having planted very public suspicions in everyone’s minds, they’d offer to cover things up if I went quietly. If I left you the house and land. You’d go back to live with them. For your own good, of course. And then – and I have no evidence of this, it’s just a suspicion, but in a few years, Jenny, you’d have been found one morning with an empty bottle of pills by your bedside and a little note saying you couldn’t go on.’
My mind flew back to that day. The day Thomas turned up. They’d so nearly got away with it all those years ago. But Thomas had come.
I turned to Uncle Richard.
‘It would seem you’re not as clever as you thought you were.’
‘You –ʼ His mouth worked with fury. ‘Who are you to talk about clever?’
