by Jack Murray
The topic was moving dangerously close to the Cavendish sisters. Recognizing this, Kit gently steered it in another direction. This topic was for another time, hopefully never.
-
Miller took off his coat, gave it a shake and deposited it in the cloakroom located beside the kitchen. Returning to the kitchen he saw Elsie busy making a simple evening meal for the household. Creeping up beside her, he tapped her on one should and dipped around the other to try the broth cooking on the stove.
‘Mr Miller you’re the devil incarnate.’ cried Elsie but without malice.
‘Very nice Elsie. You’d make a wonderful wife. What do you say you leave this place and run away with me.’
‘You’re just after a cook. Now if it was me body you were after…’
Miller viewed the ample frame of Elsie and grinned, ‘You’re all woman Elsie, and no mistake.’
‘Too much woman for you, young man,’ laughed Elsie. ‘What do you want?’
‘I’ve just been to the Edmunds cottage,’ he told Elsie.
‘Oh really, why did you go there?’
‘I wanted to ask them some questions about his Lord Cavendish’s death, turns out they didn’t know he’d passed away.’
‘Why would they know?’ asked Elsie, genuinely surprised. ‘None of us went to tell them, the shock, I suppose.’
‘Well, there were tracks leading from the Hall up to the cottage. Fresh tracks. I thought someone must have either visited them or one of the family came here.’ Miller could not be sure, but he sensed hesitation in Elsie’s response.
‘Not sure what you mean Mr Miller.’
‘Look if we’re to be married my darling, you’d better start calling me Harry.’
Elsie laughed uproariously at the little Londoner’s cheek. ‘God love you Harry. You’d cheer an old woman up.’
‘Less of the old, young lady,’ smiled Miller. It was apparent Elsie was hiding something, but it was doubtful whether the direct approach would reveal much so Miller dropped the subject and left Elsie to her work.
Godfrey and Agnes were both in the kitchen by this time. Miller took each one aside, separately, to understand their whereabouts over the last day. Each corroborated the stories of all the staff. From their interviews, Miller found it difficult to see how they could have done anything to poison Cavendish without killing everyone in the household or being seen by another person in the kitchen. Neither held much love for the Cavendish family probably out of loyalty to Lady Emily but also because of their perceived ill treatment by the staff at Cavendish Hall.
Following the interview, Miller returned to his room. As he made his way along the corridor he saw Curtis in his room staring into distance. He knocked on the door and Curtis looked up. His eyes showed how much he was still in shock from the events of the day. They seemed absent of life or purpose.
Miller went into the room. It was larger than the other rooms downstairs but sparsely furnished: a double bed, a wardrobe, drawers, a desk and an armchair. A lifetime of service, thought Miller, and this is what it amounts to. There were some pictures on the wall including one of a young woman. It made Miller wonder if Curtis had once had a sweetheart. At any other time, it might have been amusing and prompted Miller to joke with Curtis. Not now. Instead Miller asked Curtis if he needed anything.
‘Nothing, thank you.’ He motioned for Miller to sit down. In his position, Miller guessed, it was difficult to have anyone with whom he could talk. It looked like he wanted to talk to someone.
‘My condolences again, Mr Curtis,’ said Miller.
‘Thank you, Mr Miller. It’s very difficult at this moment to take in. Have you made any progress in your inquiries?’
Miller updated him on the various interviews but revealed nothing material. He mentioned the meeting with Edmunds and asked if Edmunds had been to the Hall. Curtis shook his head absently then asked Miller, ‘Did you meet Jane?’
‘Yes, I did meet a young girl, very briefly. Their daughter I presume?’
‘Probably,’ said Curtis vaguely.
‘Probably? Why would there be any doubt it is their daughter, or do you mean it might be someone else?’
Curtis looked at Miller with some remorse. ‘Forgive me. Please forget I said that. I have no doubt Jane is their daughter. I’m sure you met Jane, she’s quite striking now.’
Miller accepted the answer and decided against probing further on the subject of her parentage. It was a surprise to him, however, there could be any hint of doubt. Physically, she seemed to be the image of her parents. Changing tack, he asked, ‘Jane didn’t appear to have much love for Lord Cavendish.’
‘Probably not. It’s her age. I can’t think of why she should be antagonistic to his him. She seems to get on well enough with the ladies, though.’
‘Does she work in the estate?’
‘Yes, she’s the stable girl. She looks after the family horses, spends all day with them. We’re all convinced she prefers horses to people.’
‘You don’t see her much then?’
‘No, not much. She’s tended to avoid contact with the Hall lately. When she was younger she was here a lot, with Lady Esther and Lady Mary and master Henry. She was included in their schooling.’ His voice appeared to choke with emotion, which Miller put down to recent events. Regaining control, Curtis added, ‘I wonder what she’ll do.’
‘How do you mean?’ asked Miller.
‘What will we all do Mr Miller? What will we all do?’ His voice tailed off.
Further questions seemed pointless to Miller and he offered an apology for interrupting him. Rising he nodded towards the photograph of the young lady on the wall. ‘She’s a beautiful girl. Who is she?’
Curtis looked at the picture on the wall. It showed an attractive, fair-haired woman probably no older than thirty. He was silent for a moment then looked up at Miller and said, ‘It’s a picture of my wife. Christine.’
-
The afternoon turned into evening and then night. The snowdrifts gave off a purple glow glistening against the darkness of the trees. The silence was all consuming and Kit was happy to have some time outside in the cold air. It seemed to Kit the chill had lost a little of its bite. Perhaps the roads would be more passable tomorrow
As he walked with Sam around the grounds, he felt a few drops of rain drumming gently on his hat. The arrival of rain caused Sam to whimper. ‘Fair-weather dog,’ admonished Kit. He picked the little terrier up and walked back to the Hall. As he did so, he saw a solitary figure emerging from the Edmunds cottage. A strand of hair emerged from underneath the hat. Kit guessed this was the daughter Miller had mentioned. The girl moved quickly through the snow, clearly headed in the direction of the stables away from the cottage and where Kit was stood. He watched her for a few moments then continued inside to the warmth of the house.
Kit found Bright sitting opposite the Cavendish sisters in the drawing room. A fire danced in the hearth bringing warmth and light to the room. In any other circumstances the situation would have looked positively romantic but on this evening the low light matched the mood of the household.
‘I hope I’m not interrupting you,’ said Kit as he and Sam entered.
Mary looked up and smiled, ‘No, don’t worry. We’ve been boring Richard about our childhood here.’ This comment was met with a denial by Bright.
Esther looked miserable. She seemed particularly affected by Cavendish’s death or, perhaps, her nature was more sensitive than Mary’s, thought Kit. She looked up at Kit and said, ‘I’m so sorry. All of this has ruined Christmas for you both.’
Bright responded very quickly, ‘Please Esther this is nobody’s fault, least of all yours.’ Kit agreed and said so. Sensing her desolation, Sam immediately made a beeline for her and hopped up on her knee. This seemed to revive both girls and they focused their attention on the little dog.
Kit turned to Bright and remarked, ‘I’ve noticed I’m invisible to young women and children when Sam appears.’ This
made Bright smile. Mary looked at him and nodded slowly to confirm this.
There was silence for a few moments and then Mary looked at Kit and asked how the interviews were progressing. This was a welcome distraction and Kit was happy to fill in everyone on what he and Miller had found out.
‘Harry and I have mostly established everyone’s movements over the last day, but some questions clearly remain unanswered. As to motive, assuming we are dealing with,’ he hesitated a moment, then continued, ‘…murder, we do not have anything that seems plausible.’
‘The telephone is working again,’ said Mary.
‘Good, I want to make some calls tomorrow to London, if I may,’ said Kit. Both girls nodded. Then he added, ‘It seems less cold tonight. With luck the roads will be passable tomorrow, so I suspect the Police will finally be able to visit.’
Mary took Esther’s hand. ‘It also means they’ll take our grandfather away.’
‘Yes,’ said Bright. ‘I imagine they shall want to conduct a post mortem soon. We should know more about what we’re dealing with when they’ve finished.’
Following a few minutes more of conversation, the sisters rose and retired to their room. As much as Kit longed to console them, he realized they needed one another at this moment. The last thing he wanted to do was to intrude on their private grief. Bright seemed to read his thoughts and said, ‘Nothing we can do at this point.’
‘I know,’ agreed Kit.
Kit decided to turn in also. As he left the room he met Strangerson who was just coming in to the drawing room, ‘Thought I’d have a little glass of cheerfulness. Definitely needed. It’s been a rough day.’
Kit heartily agreed.
Chapter 21
27th December 1919: Cavendish Hall
The next morning Kit pulled his bedroom curtains back to reveal a silvery grey sky and sheets of rain falling steadily onto the ground. It pleased Kit to see this. Rain meant that the snow would clear, and they could make progress on what killed Lord Cavendish. It meant also he would be taken away, for the last time from Cavendish Hall. This would be a symbolic break with the past for Esther and Mary.
Unquestionably it would be emotional, he felt sad for the two girls as they faced a life without both their father and their grandfather. He did not doubt they were strong individuals who would cope in these circumstances. However, there was no question of the bond existing between the sisters and their grandfather. They would miss him greatly.
Many questions remained unanswered and one more person remained to be seen, Reverend Simmons. It would be better to see him first thing in the morning, if only to give him fair warning about the possibility of the Police needing to interview him. Also, it would be good to see the clergyman again anyway, to get away from the sad atmosphere in the Hall.
Kit was the first to arrive for breakfast. Curtis seemed to have regained control after the turmoil of yesterday. However, Kit could feel, not just see, the void behind his eyes. It was important for Lady Emily to clarify her plans for the future of the staff soon, and Kit made a mental note to approach Esther and Mary about this.
After a rapid breakfast, Kit retrieved his overcoat and hat. Sam appeared looking very bright. ‘Walk?’ asked Kit. Sam readily assented, and Kit put his lead on, feeling a little guilty. His little dog disliked the rain intensely and he would be a little put out at having been taken for a fool.
They made their way through the rain to Reverend Simmons. The snow was becoming a brown grey slush and began to soak through Kit’s boots. Sam, as Kit surmised, had not realized it was raining, was making his feelings clear. A remorseful Kit picked him up and carried him to the Rectory.
Reverend Simmons was delighted to see Kit. The delight turned to sadness in an instant when Kit revealed his sad commission. They both sat down in the drawing room of the Rectory.
‘I’m sorry we couldn’t come down yesterday to inform you. In truth, I became wrapped up in some elements related to his passing and I forgot. The girls were probably too distraught to think of asking someone to come down and inform you.’
‘Think nothing of it, Kit. I understand completely. But may I ask one thing?’ said Simmons looking at Kit, ‘Are you implying the circumstances of his death are suspicious due to its suddenness or is it something else? ‘
Kit replied, ‘Both, but I can’t talk about the latter. I think it’s best left to the Police to decide how to handle.’
Simmons nodded his head, ‘So it will be a Police matter then?’
‘Yes, it must be so.’
‘Of course. The poor girls, how are they bearing up?’
‘Esther has really taken it hard. Mary also, but I sense she is stronger in controlling her emotions.’
This caused Simmons to smile and he nodded his head and smiled, ‘I wouldn’t disagree with you there.’
A faraway look entered the eyes of Simmons and Kit guessed the news was beginning to sink in. Not wanting to impose too much, Kit limited his questions with Simmons and took his leave after a short visit. They parted with Simmons thanking Kit for coming specially to relay the sad news.
Stepping out of the Rectory, Kit was relieved to see the rain had stopped and sunshine was threatening to break through the heavy cloud above. It was still icy, so he put his hat on and walked with Sam back towards the Hall. The air was damp, and Kit decided to make his way back to the Hall as quickly as possible. However, a familiar feeling in his leg forced him to slow his pace.
As he walked towards the Hall he passed a middle-aged lady and a young girl coming from the direction of the Hall. Both looked at him and he returned their look. Raising his hat, he addressed the older lady, ‘Good morning. Would I be right in thinking that you are Mrs Edmunds?’
‘Yes,’ came the reply.
Kit remembered Miller’s description of the Edmunds family as a charming mixture of hostility and taciturnity. He doubted if they would be interested in a conversation about the inclement weather, so he confined himself to saying, ‘My name is Aston, I’m staying with the family. I hope you’ll accept my condolences for the loss of Lord Cavendish.’
Sam clearly took a shine to Jane and was muzzling her shin. A smile burst onto the lips of the young girl and she knelt down to stroke the shameless little terrier. ‘This is Sam,’ added Kit.
‘We’ve met,’ said Jane, not looking at Kit. ‘Aren’t you a beautiful boy.’ Her voice was very different from her mother’s. It would not have been out of place at a debutante’s ball. Then Kit remembered something about her having been educated with the girls at the Hall.
Mrs Edmunds tapped Jane, ‘Come along.’ She nodded to Kit and said, ‘Good day sir.’
Kit tipped his hat again and they parted company. It was difficult to reconcile Miller’s description of the antagonistic young girl and the person he had just met. In any company she would be considered a beauty. She was tall, slender with wide set green eyes and high cheekbones. Only her clothes betrayed her humble origins because the gaze that met Kit suggested nobility.
Ever the man for the ladies, the meeting with a pretty girl seemed to perk Sam up and he trotted along happily to the Hall without demanding a lift. This did not pass unnoticed by Kit who rebuked his little friend for such barefaced attempts at wooing impressionable young girls. Sam merely barked a carefree riposte.
The morning walk to the village had taken its toll and Kit was relieved to be back at the Hall. His leg hurt, and he needed to rest. At the door he met Strangerson on his way out for a walk. ‘Making a break for it,’ said Strangerson with a smile, ‘Don’t tell the law, guv.’
‘Your secret’s save with me. Where are you off to?’
‘A walk into town, I think. Don’t worry I’ll be back to face justice.’
They parted company and Kit led Sam downstairs to see Miller. He knocked on the door and Miller invited him inside. Sam hoped up onto the bed and settled on Miller’s knee. This was staggering, and Miller looked at Kit for an explanation.
‘I think
he’s in love.’
‘With the sisters?’ laughed Miller, ‘Well, we finally have something in common then mate.’
‘Actually, I think his new favourite is the Edmunds girl.’
‘Really, where did you see them?’
Kit related his encounter with the two ladies. Both acknowledged the young girl was beautiful. Miller then updated Kit on his conversation with Curtis.
‘You don’t think Jane is Robert’s daughter?’
‘It’s an interesting thought, I’m not sure though it would constitute a motive unless they think provision has been made in Lord Cavendish’s will for her. Then it could become a reason to kill. At this point we don’t know enough about the will never mind accusing Robert Cavendish of fathering a child by one of the estate workers.’
‘What is the plan today, sir?’
‘Wait for the Police. They need to take over this case, if it is a case, of course. I will stay involved, though, but in the background.’
‘Anything you want me to do?’ asked Miller.
‘Dig a bit more into the tracks in the snow. If the staff is telling the truth, then could it have been someone from the Hall, going to the cottage? There are also tracks from the Hall to the stables. Those might be from Esther and Mary, so I’ll check on those. To be honest, it’s all conjecture at the moment. None of this may be relevant but it’s a loose end and until it makes sense, it’ll drive me crazy,’ laughed Kit.
Kit went upstairs after his meeting with Miller. He heard the sound of the sisters in the library. They were talking animatedly but in low voices. It also seemed to Kit that they were talking to someone on the telephone because a burst of chat from them would be followed by a few moments of silence.
Miss Buchan came out of the dining room at this moment. They looked at one another and Kit was uncomfortably aware how his presence by the door gave the appearance of his eavesdropping on the girls. However, Miss Buchan either did not notice or was too tactful to suggest, by her look, this is what he was doing. She seemed to have recovered from yesterday and this was confirmed by Kit’s inquiry into how she was.
