by Ashton, Hugh
“They would have to prove the meaning of what you have just implied by your words,” she retorted coolly.
“I am not sure what you feel my words implied,” I replied.
“Then a coroner’s jury would probably have the same problem with my words, Doctor John Watson,” she replied. “Do not accuse me of anything of which you are not certain. Surely your friend Mr. Sherlock Holmes would tell you that? I will leave you now. May I ask you,” and here she glanced down significantly at her swollen belly, and extending a hand in my direction, “to assist me to rise. Do not worry, John, I am not about to steal your hand.” I assisted her to her feet, and she reached inside her décolletage. “Let me out, please,” she requested. “Please look and ensure that no-one is around to observe me leaving your room. That would never do, would it, John? It might damage your reputation,” she said, mockingly. I took the key, which retained the warmth from her body, and unlocked the door. A quick glance was sufficient to reassure me that my visitor could depart unobserved.
“Until later, then,” she whispered to me as she slipped out. I was unsure as to her exact meaning, but I felt it boded ill for me.
I quickly wrapped my dressing-gown around me and made my way to the bathroom. Although the water was not hot as it had been, it still managed to revive my spirits somewhat and I was certainly in a more sanguine mood as I stepped from the tub and towelled myself.
-oOo-
Chapter 5:
The Cabinet of the Mace
ON returning to my bed-room, I discovered that the admirable Bouverie had removed my damp clothes and laid out a set of dry garments into which I changed, before penning the above report to Holmes.
By the time I had finished collecting my thoughts and putting them on paper, it was time for luncheon. The Earl and his daughter-in-law were waiting in the drawing-room as I entered.
“May I introduce my daughter-in-law, Elizabeth Hareby?” Lord Darlington said to me. “Elizabeth, this is Doctor John Watson, a friend from London, who will be staying with us for a few days.”
“Enchanted,” she replied, extending her hand, as if we had not met under somewhat more intimate circumstances an hour or so earlier. I was relieved to see that her dress appeared now to be of a somewhat more modest cut than that she had been wearing earlier, and put this down to the influence of the Earl.
“My father-in-law has been telling me what you did this morning for my husband,” she said to me, “and I am most grateful to you for this. He still appears to be a little indisposed, and will not be joining us. Shall we go in to luncheon?”
The meal was a simple affair, and the conversation was chiefly between Lady Hareby and myself on the subject of London society. Though I myself am not a habitué of these circles, my natural interests, as well as my association with Sherlock Holmes, had given me some acquaintance of the persons to whom she referred, though I confess that many of the details to which she alluded were outside my sphere of knowledge.
After luncheon I sealed my report into an envelope, and handed it to Bouverie with instructions that it was to be delivered immediately. There seemed little advantage to my keeping Holmes’ name a secret any longer, since it now appeared to be common knowledge, and I accordingly gave no instructions to Bouverie regarding his keeping the matter confidential.
In the afternoon, the Earl invited me to try my skill with the rod together with him in a small trout stream that ran near the copse in which I had discovered his son earlier. The rain that had soaked me earlier had now completely ceased, and I readily assented, for a number of reasons. In the first place, I had promised Holmes that I would provide companionship for the Earl, and his invitation to me was obviously made in all sincerity. Secondly, there was the chance that I would be able to discover more details regarding both the Earl’s son and daughter-in-law. And finally, at that time of my life I was a keen fisherman, and the prospect of an afternoon’s sport of this kind was a pleasant one.
Lord Darlington and I accordingly set out, suitably dressed and equipped. As we prepared ourselves for the coming battle of wits against the trout visible in the pools, he turned to me and spoke.
“Watson, you saw my son today. I realise that you have had little opportunity to study him or his behaviour, but do you have any opinions at this stage?”
I shook my head. “Few, I am afraid. My specialty is not in this area, so please do not take my word on the matter as final, but it seems to me that he would be better off in some kind of institution where he could receive care and treatment. This Hall is, after all, a rather isolated spot.”
I received no immediate answer to my proposal, and the Earl continued to sort through his collection of flies in search of a suitably tempting morsel for the fish. Having attached his chosen lure to the end of the line, he spoke to me again.
“I shall bear your words in mind. The same thought has occurred to me, naturally, but I am reluctant to deliver him into the hands of others. What do you make of my daughter-in-law?”
“I fail to grasp your meaning, sir.”
He snorted. “Come, man, I do not believe you are a fool. What do you think of her?”
“A young lady of considerable charm.” I was unwilling to be drawn out further.
“She is a fortune-hunter, Watson, to put it bluntly. Her family had no money at all, and she married my boy Edgar simply for his money, of that I am convinced. She is indeed possessed of considerable charm, as you say, and it was that charm that she employed to trap my boy. Since his accident, she has pretended to care for him, but in my opinion she is the cause of much of his misery. She baits him, I am convinced, knowing his extreme tender-heartedness, which verges on weakness of mind, and she deliberately seeks out and places in his way those objects that will provoke him. Small dead animals, such as mice, and the like.” The peer’s normally placid face was flushed and angry as he related these things to me.
“To what end?” I could not help but ask.
“I can only assume that she seeks to tip the balance of his mind permanently, so that he will be declared insane, and thereby unable to inherit. The estate is, naturally, entailed in the male line, but the succession of the title as well as the estate is dependent upon the inheritor being “of sound mind and body” as the old document prescribes. If Edgar were to be declared insane, the succession would pass to his heir, his eldest son.”
“And if there were no male heir?”
“Then the line would die out. I was an only child, as was my father before me. I have no close relations, and there is no-one to inherit. My opinion in this matter is that though the courts might possibly award the estate to my son’s widow upon my death, I feel the possibility is remote. As for the title, since it cannot pass through the female line, it would become extinct, or possibly dormant. Now, let us fish and attempt to forget these matters.”
He flicked his fly over a small pool and was almost instantly rewarded with a tug on the line. I helped him land the fish, which turned out to be a good one-pounder.
“A good start,” I remarked, and I in my turn was rewarded by a similar catch after a few minutes. An hour’s fishing brought one or two more fish each, the companionable silence between us being broken only by remarks relating to our angling activities.
At the end of this time, however, the Earl reverted to his previous topic of conversation. “I know that I can rely on your discretion here, so I am going to tell you that I am not sure, in any case, that the infant she is carrying is my grandson.”
I looked at him. “You mean...?”
He nodded sadly. “Throughout the last season that she spent in London her conduct was notorious. Although well-meaning friends attempted to keep the news from me, stories of her escapades reached even my ears. I find it difficult to tolerate the woman in my house, Watson, though I must do so for the sake of my son.” He looked up at the sky. “The clouds are moving in and it looks like rain. Let us return to the Hall. The fish will be a welcome treat at breakfast tomorrow.”<
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The dinner that evening was a sombre affair. Lord Hareby joined us, but appeared to have withdrawn into himself, and the meal was eaten in almost total silence. Elizabeth Hareby sat at one end of the table, with Lord Darlington at the other, and though the food was ample, and well-cooked, it failed to satisfy.
After the meal, Lord Hareby listlessly expressed his intention of retiring, and his wife informed us that she would accompany him upstairs. The couple took their leave of Lord Darlington and myself as we brought out the port, of which I alone partook, and cigars. After about twenty minutes of agreeable conversation on general matters, I asked to see the cabinet from which the jewellery and the Mace had disappeared. The Earl led me to the library, and pointed to a painting, drawing it to one side to reveal an iron cabinet in one corner of the room.
It was, however, the portrait that had covered the cabinet, now moved to one side, which arrested my attention. A rakish figure, clad in the height of the barbaric and opulent fashion of the days of Good Queen Bess, sneered down at us from his elevated position. The long face, framed in a dark beard, seemed to speak of the more unbridled passions of a former age, and cruelty, not unmixed with a certain generosity of spirit, was apparent in the countenance of the Tudor nobleman.
“That, I take it, is the third Earl?” I enquired.
“The same. It was he who took Mad Maggie and held her captive, and he who first heard of the true meaning and power of the Mace.” These words were spoken with the utmost gravity and sincerity, and it was clear to me that I was in the presence of a man who truly believed, no matter what protestations he might make, in the fantastical story of the legendary curse that had been laid upon his family.
I looked again at the portrait, and then at my host. Though at first sight there was little in the way of outward resemblance, my time with Holmes had taught me to examine often overlooked details, in particular, the shape of the ear, and I could distinguish a close resemblance between that of the subject of the portrait, where it had been particularly well delineated, and that of the present Earl.
“And the cabinet?” I enquired, when I had gazed my fill of the portrait, whose mocking face seemed to be a presentiment of doom.
For answer, Lord Darlington withdrew the key, which as he had said, was attached to his watch-chain, and applied himself to the lock. With a soft creaking sound, the door opened, revealing an iron box, fitted with shelves, and otherwise empty.
“Was the jewellery kept in cases?” I asked.
“No, it was wrapped in chamois leather to protect it from scratches, but there had never seemed to be any reason to keep it in boxes or cases. As I explained in London, it was not worn often, and was returned here as soon as the event occasioning its removal was over.”
“And the Mace?”
“That was on the top shelf, by itself, and it reposed on a cushion of red velvet. The cushion also was removed by the thief, as you can tell.”
I did not reply, but contented myself with examining the cabinet, which appeared to be of antique workmanship, with the fittings being of a somewhat primitive and rude construction, somewhat at odds with the modern Bramah lock. I remarked on this to the Earl.
“Yes, it does seem a little strange, perhaps, but the original lock, dating with the rest of the cabinet to the seventeenth century, had been unreliable for many years, and at last reached the point where it was unusable. The cabinet, as you can see, incorporates bars reaching into the mortar cementing together the stones of the walls, making it more trouble than it was worth to replace the cabinet in its entirety. I therefore arranged for the lock alone to be replaced.” He closed the cabinet door, but due to the irregularity of the hinges, the door failed to close properly, and it was necessary for him to lift the door on its hinges and deal it a smart tap in order to ensure its safe closure. A loud metallic ring accompanied the door’s falling into place. “That, Doctor, is the sound I heard on the night the Mace was stolen,” remarked the Earl.
“I can readily understand how such a sound would awaken you,” I replied.
We left the library, with its gallery of long-dead faces lining the walls, and Lord Darlington bade me a good night outside the room he was currently using as a bed-room, which as he had told Holmes and myself, was next to the library. With his hand on the heavy oak door, he said, with the utmost sincerity, “I cannot impress upon you strongly enough that it is vital that the Mace be recovered as soon as possible. My line, which has endured for centuries, will otherwise come to an end. Doctor Watson, these may seem like the ravings of an old man, but I urge you to regard my words as seriously as I do myself.”
I could give no specific answer to this declaration, and had to content myself with wishing him a good night, and taking myself upstairs to my own bed-room.
-oOo-
Chapter 6:
From the second report of John H. Watson to Sherlock Holmes
“I have discovered an interest I share with the Earl – that of fly-fishing. I know that you despise the occupation, but I have found that for me it provides a period of calm in my life during which I may reflect on various matters. It would appear it serves the same purpose in Lord Darlington’s existence. While we were fishing he unburdened himself to me on the subject of the future disposition of the estate (entailed, as one might expect), in the event of his son’s incapacity rendering him unfit to inherit. He also made his views clear on Lady Hareby, whom he described in less than flattering terms.
[Here I omit some clinical observations I made regarding the condition of Lord Hareby, which are of little interest other than to a fellow medical practitioner] “...My conversation with the Earl while we were pursuing our angling has persuaded me that danger is in the air, and we may expect trouble from the quarter of Lady Hareby. As to her unfortunate husband, I am more and more convinced that his condition is not irreversible, and would respond to treatment were he to be removed to a suitable establishment. The foremost specialist in cases of this kind is Sir Giles Merryton, who is still teaching at Bart’s, as I understand. In the event that you have the time to do so (unlikely, I agree), you may wish to consult him on the matter, quoting my earlier report, and the details I have given above. Maybe he could bring pressure to bear on the Earl regarding this subject, when the latter next visits Town.
“It is now eleven o’clock at night. I spent the latter part of the evening chatting pleasantly with Lord Darlington, regarding general matters, Lord and Lady Hareby having taken themselves to bed shortly after dinner.
“Lord Darlington and I also examined the cabinet from which the jewellery and Mace had been abstracted. In my view, the cabinet, though old and primitive in construction, appears secure enough, and it would be necessary for a key to be employed were it to be opened. Since the key is always close to Lord Darlington, and he assures me that it is the only one in existence, I am, quite frankly, at a loss to know how the items were removed from the cabinet.
“In public, despite Lord Darlington’s report, and despite my earlier impressions, Lady Hareby seems a most attentive and dutiful wife in most respects, though I still entertain some serious doubts in this regard which I do not propose to put down on paper. I will now place this report in an envelope and give it to Bouverie first thing in the morning, and instruct him to send it to you post-haste.
“I should inform you that I am now certain of the identity of the thief who purloined the jewellery and the Mace from the cabinet. Please disregard my earlier request to consult Sir Giles, and come at once. I sense tragedy in the air, and pray to God that we will not be too late to prevent it.”
-oOo-
Chapter 7: Lady Hareby & Dr. Watson
ONCE again, the above text of my account for Sherlock Holmes was incomplete, and not within the strict bounds of truth. I had undergone another uncomfortable experience, of an intimate nature, concerning which I saw no need to report to him in detail.
I had completed the report as above, other than the last paragraph, placed it in the
drawer of my dressing-table, and changed into my night attire before locking the door to my room, shutting the window against the night air, and climbing into the luxurious canopied bed. It had been a long and demanding day, and I was soon in a dreamless sleep. The bed was comfortable, and the quiet of the surrounding countryside was a refreshing change after the ceaseless London bustle.
I was awakened in what I assumed to be the small hours of the morning by what I took to be a sound in my room, but it was hard for me to be certain of this, since rain had started to fall heavily, and the noise of the water tumbling down the roof into the gutters, and the rustle of the water on the leaves of ivy and other creeping plants that covered the walls of the Hall masked other sounds. I listened carefully, and heard what I took to be a board creaking as the wind dropped momentarily, and the noise of the rain ceased. I had just persuaded myself that this was my fancy, or at any rate, was a perfectly natural phenomenon, being unaccustomed as I was to the sounds peculiar to this old house at night, when the creaking sound was repeated, at regular intervals.
I sat up in bed, and fumbled for the box of matches that I knew was on the nightstand beside the bed in order to light the candle there, when I felt my arm gripped by a hand. Stifling the cry that rose unbidden to my lips, I cast about with my other hand, and discovered that the arm of the hand that had taken hold of me was bare of any clothing, and was soft and smooth. At that point, I knew the identity of my visitor, even before she spoke.
“Surprised to see me, John?” she asked me in low tones. “Or rather, perhaps I should say, since you can see little in this light, surprised to feel me?”
