Lord of Misrule

by Sally Wentworth

  ‘That’s my car!’ Verity exclaimed. ‘He must have got it going. But how did he?’ She looked at Paula. ‘Did you leave the keys in it?’

  But there was no time for recriminations. They expected Sebastian to block the gates, but he drove right past them and then turned the car in a sweeping half-circle.

  ‘What’s he doing?’ Paula cried. And then, with real fear in her voice. ‘Verity, he’s coming straight at us!’

  ‘He wants us to pull off the drive and crash. Don’t you see? It will be just another accident! Stop, Paula, this Land Rover is tougher than my car.’

  Paula jerked on the handbrake and they threw their arms round each other in terror, their eyes fixed on the windscreen as the other headlights came hurtling down the drive at them. But at what seemed the last moment the lights swerved off to the right and sped past.

  It was Paula who reacted first; she immediately began to drive again and went tearing up to the gates. ‘Quick, get out and open them.’

  But Verity was staring out of the rear window. ‘Oh, Paula, I think he’s crashed.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘The lights suddenly disappeared. I think Sebastian hit the corner of the bridge and went into the river.’

  ‘He couldn’t have! And even if he did it serves him damn well right. Come on, Verity, open the gates.’

  Verity obeyed her, jumping out and running to swing the big metal gates open, but her eyes probed the darkness, trying to see through the trees to the river. ‘Get in, get in!’ Paula called impatiently. Verity did so, and Paula drove through the gates and turned to the left, towards Melford. ‘We made it!’ Paula exulted. ‘Oh, lord, I was really scared back there.’

  She went on talking excitedly, but Verity sat silently beside her, and after they’d gone about half a mile Verity suddenly said urgently, ‘Paula, stop the Land Rover.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘I have to go back and make sure Sebastian didn’t crash. He might be hurt.’

  ‘But you can’t!’ Paula said in consternation. ‘We’re trying to get away from him. That’s what this is all about, isn’t it?’

  ‘I’m sorry, I have to. Stop, please.I

  Paula reluctantly drew into the side, but said firmly, ‘I’m not going to turn round and go back there, Verity; we had enough trouble getting away.’

  ‘No, it’s all right. I’ll go alone. Look, you go on to Melford. Go to that hotel near the station and book a room. You’ll be safe enough there.’

  ‘What about you?’

  ‘I’ll be OK. Don’t worry about me. I’ll just find out what happened and then I’ll get the first bus in.’ She saw Paula’s face and said on a sudden fierce note, ‘I have to go back and make sure, Paula. I can’t just drive away when he might be hurt.’ She jumped out of the car and watched to make sure Paula pulled away safely, then turned and began to run back down the road as fast as she could.

  It seemed an agonisingly long way. By the time Verity came to the river her heart was thudding and her panting breath forming little clouds of steam in the cold air. She paused on the edge of the steep bank, hardly daring to look down, but then gave a cry of dread as she saw that she was right: the car had crashed. It was lying at an angle, the front of it in the river, blocking the flow so that a wide pool had gathered around it. The water was making loud gurgling sounds as it sought to pass, as if angry that its peaceful progress should have been so violently interrupted. The night wasn’t so dark now, and Verity could see that the driver’s side was almost underwater, but the passenger door was open. Had he managed to get out—or had the door come open in the crash?

  There was only one way to find out. Verity took off her coat and plunged into the water, gasping as the icy cold hit her. She peered in the windows of the car, trying to see if Sebastian was inside, but it was too dark to be sure. Her teeth chattering violently, she waded round to the other side and pushed the door open wider. ‘Sebastian?’ There was no answer, and in an agony of fear she climbed into the car and groped around the driver’s seat. She searched frantically for him, calling his name, terrified that he might have already drowned. But her cold, numb hands found no body trapped in the seat or slumped on the floor. He must have got out, she thought on a great wave of relief that was so overwhelming it made her feel dizzy.

  Turning, Verity got hold of the door-frame and somehow managed to heave herself out, sliding down into the water as her foot slipped, and giving a yelp of pain as she caught her leg on a piece of broken glass. A sound startled her and she looked wildly round. ‘Who is it?’ It came again, unmistakably a human voice, giving a low moan. ‘Sebastian!’ She waded as fast as she could through the freezing water to where she could make out the darker shadow of a clump of reeds a few feet away. He was there! Almost hidden in the reeds, and up to his shoulders in the water.

  ‘Sebastian? Are you all right?’ But his only answer was another low moan.

  Putting her arms under his, Verity pulled him through the reeds and then, struggling and gasping, her feet constantly slipping from under her on the muddy slope, she somehow managed to drag him up the bank. Taking a deep, panting breath, Verity tilted his head back and placed her mouth over his, petrified that he might be dying, and trying to put life back into his body. But it was only a few moments before he groaned and opened his eyes. ‘Verity?’

  ‘Yes, I’m here. You’re all right. Don’t worry.’

  He coughed. ‘The car—the brakes.’ He tried to sit up, but then fell back again, his body shaking with cold.

  Remembering her coat, Verity ran back over the bridge to find it, stumbling, her boots full of water. When she got back Sebastian was struggling to get to his feet, but was completely disorientated and had slipped part way down the bank. ‘Oh, no!’ She pulled him back and wrapped her coal round him as he fell to his knees, his legs too numbed by cold to carry him. ‘Stay here. Don’t try to move. I’m going to get help, I won’t be long.’

  ‘Verity.’ He tried to catch hold of her arm.

  With a little sob, she put her hands on either side of his face and gave him a fierce kiss, passionate but brief, then turned and ran for the house.

  She had seen the flash of a torch near the garage and called out, ‘Maggie! Maggie!’, but her teeth were chattering so much that the sound came out as a thin, uneven wail.

  There was fear in Maggie’s voice as she called sharply, ‘Who’s there? Verity? Is that you?’ She ran forward, a coat pulled over her nightdress. ‘What on earth’s happening? There’s no one in the house. Do you know where Sebastian is?’

  ‘Yes. He—he’s had an accident. But he’s all right.

  He’s by the river. We must‘ But Maggie had gone, running across the grass to find her son.

  Verity hesitated, then ran into the house and called for an ambulance before grabbing up the whisky decanter and some travelling rugs from the chest in the hall. Her head swimming with the cold from her wet clothes and from running so much, she tore back to Sebastian and Maggie, but had hardly thrust the whisky into Maggie’s hands when a pair of headlights pierced the deep grey of the sky as a car turned into the drive.

  ‘That will be the police!’ Maggie exclaimed. ‘I rang them earlier. Go and stop them. Bring them here,’

  With a groaning gasp. Verity somehow staggered on to the driveway and held up her hands, unable to find the strength to even look up and see if they were going to stop. The headlights reached her, grew stronger, and finally came to a dazzling halt a few yards away. A policeman got out and she pointed feebly over at the others, then dropped to her knees in the road, too exhausted to move.

  When the ambulance came it was almost a toss-up who they took away, but Verity insisted on slaying behind while Maggie went with Sebastian. Although he hadn’t wanted to go either; she had heard him arguing that he was all right, but did it in so weak a voice that no one took any notice of him. Another police car came with a policewoman in it who helped Verity up to her room and into a hot shower. She stood ther
e under the water for a long time, thinking that she would never feel warm again, but the shivers slowly died away and she came out lo towel herself dry and put on some of the clothes lhat she’d left behind.

  The police were waiting for her in the sitting-room when she came down, wanting to know what had happened.

  ‘It—it was an accident,’ she lied. ‘Sebastian—Mr Kent was driving home when he skidded into the river.’

  The policeman gave her an old-fashioned look. ‘At thai hour in the morning? I think I should tell you.

  Miss Mitchell, that there was a phone call while you were upstairs. From a Mrs Layton.’

  ‘Maggie?’ Verity got nervously to her feet. ‘ls it Sebastian? Is he—is he…?’

  ‘No, the call was from a Mrs Paula Layton. She was evidently very worried because you hadn’t followed her to Melford. She had quite an interesting story to tell us about some suspicious accidents that have been happening here.’ He eyed Verity keenly as the last vestige of returning colour drained from her face. ‘Would you have anything to add to what she’s told us?’

  The policewoman came in with a hot milk drink laced with brandy for her. Verity took it awkwardly and sat down. ‘No,’ she answered in a voice they could hardly hear, i have nothing to add.’

  Paula had booked them into a two-bedroomed suite at the hotel. The police dropped Verity off in Melford at about nine in the morning, after trying to persuade and threaten her into making a statement which she steadfastly refused to give. She had spoken to Paula on the phone earlier, though, and wasn’t surprised to find her friend fasi asleep in bed when she peeped into her room. Verity stripped off her clothes and climbed into bed, too worn out to search for a nightdress. But she had gone past physical exhaustion and lay awake for a long time.

  It was over now, she knew that. Whatever the outcome there would be no future for her with Sebastian. She wondered if there would be a trial and Sebastian would be sent to prison now that Paula had told the police everything. She felt terribly sad. She had hoped to keep the whole thing hushed up, and probably would have succeeded if Sebastian hadn’t come after them in her car. Which was still stuck in the river and would probably be a write-off, she realised. Thinking of the car made her remember what Sebastian had said when he’d come round. Something about the brakes. She frowned, puzzled that he should say that, but her brain was too numb and tired and she at last fell asleep.

  ‘Verity, wake up.’

  Paula was shaking her shoulder, but it was some moments before Verity reluctantly came awake. ‘What is it?’ She sat up and looked around, momentarily bewildered by her surroundings and the fact that she was quite naked. But then reality came flooding back and she looked at Paula in alarm.

  ‘The police are here again,’ Paula told her. ‘And they’ve brought Sebastian with them.’

  ‘What?’ Verity stared at her unbelievingly.

  ‘It seems they have something to tell us, but Sebastian is insisting that you be there.’

  ‘OK, m—I’ll get dressed. Arc you all right?’

  ‘Yes. I wonder why they brought Sebastian here. I nearly died when I opened the door and saw him.’

  Paula went on talking nervously while Verity dressed, pulling on trousers and a sweater and brushing her hair into a gleaming halo around her head. She glanced into the mirror and was startled by the pale tautness of her face and the dark shadows around her eyes. Her hand went out to her make-up bag, but Paula, her voice impatient, said, ‘Oh, don’t bother with that; I want to find out why they’re here. I’m sure they have something unpleasant to tell us.’

  ‘All right. I’m ready, then.’

  Paula walked ahead of her into the sitting-room of the suite. It was a small room and the three people already there seemed to fill it. The police inspector whom Verity had seen last night was sitting in an armchair, his face weary, and a policewoman, a different one this time, was sitting on an upright chair near the door. The inspector politely got to his feet as they came in, but Verity’s eyes went straight to the window where Sebastian was standing, looking out. He turned slowly and Verity shrivelled up at the cold bitterness in his eyes when they met hers.

  She stood still in the doorway, frozen by his anger, until the policeman said, ‘Perhaps you would care to sit down, Miss Mitchell?’

  ‘N-no, thanks. I’ll stand.’

  Paula sat down on the edge of the other armchair, her fingers picking nervously at the arms, her eyes darting every other moment at Sebastian. But Verity turned so that her back was towards him, so that she didn’t have to look into his eyes.

  The inspector, taking control naturally, said to Paula, ‘We have conducted enquiries into the complaint you made, Mrs Layton, and I have to tell you that an arrest has now been made.’ At this Paula and Verity glanced quickly at each other, but neither of them could look at Sebastian. ‘However,’ the policeman went on, ‘when I interviewed Mr Kent, here, at the hospital, he had an entirely different version of the story to tell me, and it was acting on his information that the arrest was made.’

  Paula looked at him in bewilderment. ‘I’m sorry, I don’t understand. Are you saying that you’ve arrested someone else, not Sebastian?’

  ‘Yes, Mrs Layton, that’s exactly what I’m saying.’

  For a moment Verity couldn’t believe it, couldn’t take it in. She stared at the inspector, then swung round to Sebastian, a great light of hope and happiness filling her face. He looked at her sardonically, then pointedly turned his head away.

  Shattered, it was a few moments before she heard the inspector as he went on, ‘It seems that Mr Kent also suspected that what had happened to you hadn’t been accidental, but he had a good idea who was responsible, so acting on his information we interviewed this person, and we have now obtained a full confession.’

  ‘But who?’ Paula demanded in bewildered distress. ‘Who could possibly hate me so much that they would try and kill my baby?’

  The inspector stood up, followed like an automaton by the policewoman. ‘As to that, Mrs Layton, I think it would be better if Mr Kent told you himself. I’m merely here at his request to assure you that he was in no way responsible for the incidents.’ He held out his hand to her and Paula automatically shook it. ‘Goodbye, Mrs Layton, Miss Mitchell.’ He ran a hand over his face. ‘I’m going home to get some sleep.’ He glanced at Sebastian. ‘You’re sure you wouldn’t like the WPC here to stay?’ And he indicated the waiting policewoman. -

  Sebastian shook his head and they left, leaving the room suddenly alive with tension. Paula got to her feet and turned to Sebastian, her eyes wide with apprehension. ‘What have you got to tell me? What is all this?’

  Ignoring Verity, Sebastian went over to Paula and put his hand on her arm in a comforting gesture, a look of angry concern on his face. ‘I’m sorry, Paula. I’d hoped to save you this, but now I have no choice but to tell you.’ He paused, as if reluctant to begin,then said heavily, ‘I don’t suppose Simon ever told you why he quarrelled with his father?’ Paula shook her head, her eyes fixed on his face. ‘Well, I’m afraid it was because of a girl. Her name was Maxine Chivers.’

  ‘Chivers? You mean she was related to the Chiverses who work at the house?’

  Sebastian nodded, but Verity was already way ahead of Paula and felt no surprise when Sebastian said, ‘Yes. She’s their daughter. She’s the girl Verity met when she was with me in Mel ford a few weeks ago.’ He paused, but when Paula didn’t say anything, just gazed at him in growing alarm, he went on quickly, ‘Simon came home from university one summer and— well, I’m afraid he fell for the girl’s rather tod obvious attractions. He was at a susceptible age and she set out to seduce him. And succeeded. My mother and stepfather had gone for a cruise that year and were away most of the summer, and I was away on business quite a lot, too, so there was no one really to stop what was going on until it was too late.’

  ‘How do you mean, “too late”?’ Paula sat down in the chair and spoke in a suddenly toneless
voice.

  ‘Maxine got pregnant,’ Sebastian said bluntly, adding, ‘I’m quite sure that that was what she intended all along. She was older than Simon, and, if her reputation in the area was true, far more experienced. She knew that Simon was his father’s heir and she saw the opportunity to have a part of that.’

  ‘You’re not saying that Simon married her?’ Paula said in an appalled voice.

  ‘No.’ Sebastian hastened to reassure her. ‘Luckily the shock of finding out that she was pregnant and her demands that he marry her at once without waiting for his father to come home jolted him out of the infatuation and Simon came to me. I sorted things out,’ he explained briefly.

  Paula looked very pale. Verity went over to her and knelt down beside her chair. ‘Are you OK? You don’t have to listen to any more of this now if you don’t want to, you know.’

  ‘No, I have to know it all. Go on, Sebastian, tell me what happened. Why has this girl attacked me?’

  ‘The child was definitely Simon’s, I’m afraid. I checked on that first of all,’ Sebastian told her. ‘Simon’s father had to be told, of course, and there was one hell of a row. Simon was sent to business school in America, and Maxine, when she realised that she’d lost out on him marrying her, agreed to have the child adopted—for a large sum of money, of course.’ His voice was dry, sardonic, and Verity knew now why he had treated the girl with such contempt when they had met her in the park that day.

  ‘She left the area,’ Sebastian went on. ‘That was part of the deal, but we felt obliged to keep on the Chiverses; it was hardly their fault, although they blamed Simon. And Maxine evidently still felt that she’d been cheated, that she should have been the mistress at Layton House and her child the heir. When the police interviewed her, they found that she was into drugs, which heightened her feelings of vindictiveness. Unfortunately your arrival here coincided with a visit she made to her parents, and when she learned that you were pregnant all her spite turned against you.’ Sebastian paused, shrugged his shoulders. ‘I wouldn’t like to even guess what went on in her mind, but the police believe that part of it was that she wanted to be revenged on me for sending Simon away. They think she got the idea for the attacks on you after I’d accidentally knocked Verity off the bridge.’