‘There are deaths to be accounted for, Sir Harrington,’ said Bertram. ‘I gather from your wife’s reaction and yours that she did what she did to protect you. You are, as you say, a man of significance. A rising star in political circles, so I am told. And rising stars can afford no scandal.’
‘Hah!’ said Blake, ‘and this coming from a man related to Richard Stapleford, a blackguard if ever there was one.’
‘You said you did not know me,’ said Bertram.
‘One does not know persons of such a background. As for you, Miss Martins, I would have thought you had quite enough scandal in your own personal history without adding to it. I warn you both, any allegations you dare to make will be disproved utterly by the best lawyers in the country. You will both be ruined.’
‘You are very loyal to her, sir,’ I said. ‘But you cannot condone what she has done.’
Blake hesitated then, and I saw that although he now suspected, he did not know the full extent of his wife’s activities.
‘There was a young girl called Maisie in the cell with your wife and myself,’ I began, but at that moment we were all distracted by a shadow falling past the window.
‘Good God! Was that a body?’ said Bertram rushing to the window. And then the screaming outside began.
Final Correspondence
Sir Harrington Blake announced in the newspapers he decision to retire from public life to focus on his recent purchase of a railway line. In this the article salaciously added he would be joined by his natural son, who two weeks after his wife’s unfortunate accident he named as his heir.
Fitzroy sent me a brief note with a smudged foreign postmark. It read
All sorted then? F
P.S. I hear you look well in red.
Of course, I immediately burnt his note.
And, lastly, my mother wrote to say that despite ‘occurrences’ she remained engaged to her Bishop and would be married in the New Year. When, she added, she expected me to join her and little Joe, and live at the Bishop’s Palace.
To be continued …
P.S. Euphemia’s adventures continue in A Death by Arson, but in the meantime you can find out what happens to her later in 1912 in the short story ‘What the Dickens?’
A Death For A Cause
A Euphemia Martins Mystery
Published by Accent Press Ltd – 2015
ISBN 9781783757169
Copyright © Caroline Dunford 2015
The right of Caroline Dunford to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
The story contained within this book is a work of fiction. Names and characters are the product of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the publishers: Accent Press Ltd, Ty Cynon House, Navigation Park, Abercynon, CF45 4SN
Caroline Dunford
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