Silent as the Grave (9 page)

Eve wasn't sure if I was joking or serious, which was perhaps as well. ‘Do you honestly think Beaumont's murder might be connected to that old fairy tale?'

‘It seems unlikely, I agree. On the other hand it's a bit of a coincidence, don't you think?'

‘Coincidences do happen; they happen all the time.'

‘How much do you know about the so-called curse?'

‘Probably no more than you do.'

‘Well if we're talking coincidences don't you think that it's a bit too much of one for the same thing to happen twice? I mean the wife gallivanting conveniently off to the Continent with her lover; never to be seen or heard from again. And you can't deny it was a particularly opportune time for the young baronet to drown when his brother was up to his eyes in debt and needed the revenue from the estate.'

‘What you're implying is they never left Mulgrave Castle? They were all murdered here?'

‘I reckon you could have dragged that lake time after time and you'd never have found a trace of Sir Richard. I reckon you could have travelled the continent and not discovered a trace of Lady Elizabeth, Lady Amelia, or their lovers.'

‘That would lend credence to the other legend, the inherited insanity theory.'

‘It would, and I'm sure Tony and Harriet believe it, as does Lady Charlotte. I'm certain that's why they're so worried. Worried that Tony might have inherited the curse. Or even that young Charlie might have it.'

Eve looked appalled. She rejected the idea violently. ‘That's impossible. Charlie's a lovely lad. He's a caring, gentle boy. Not only that, but could you see Tony as a deranged killer?'

‘No, I couldn't,' I agreed. ‘But that's because we know them – you certainly know them well. Others might see it differently should something happen. That's why I must try and find out more about the curse and the family history before something does happen.'

‘I think talking to Charlotte's a good idea,' Eve said after some thought. ‘She doesn't say a lot but she doesn't miss much either, and what she doesn't know about Rowe family history isn't worth knowing. I'm off now,' – she got to her feet – ‘I want to get some breakfast then get on with those statements.'

‘I'll come down in a few minutes,' I said.

She limped across to the door. ‘How's the leg this morning?' I asked.

‘Tons better,' she told me. She turned by the door. ‘Nice body,' – she grinned. She was getting to be an expert at delivering unanswerable exit lines.

There was a large screen at one end of the dining hall which was opened out to conceal the breakfast buffet table. Quite why this had to be hidden from the gaze of those eating the meal I never fathomed out. There was nobody seated at the dining table when I walked into the room. This wasn't altogether surprising as it was only 7.15. I could hear voices from behind the screen, one of which I recognized as Eve's. I was about to join her when I heard my name mentioned. I paused. Then I recognized the other voice as Harriet's. ‘You were seen going into Adam's room last night and coming out again this morning. What more proof does anyone need?'

‘How come you're watching Adam's room so closely, sister dear? Waiting your chance, were you? Wanting to relive the past a little perhaps? Trying to get in there before the Black Widow gets to him? I wouldn't blame you for that; there wouldn't be much left after she'd finished with him. He'd be like all her other victims.'

‘Do you deny you slept with Adam last night?' Harriet sounded almost hysterical.

‘I deny nothing. I admit nothing. Why should I? Neither Adam nor I are married; unlike some people round here, in case you'd forgotten that little fact. If we want to sleep together that's our business and nobody else's.'

I thought it was high time I made my presence known. I ambled round the end of the screen. ‘Good morning, Harriet, hello again, Evie darling,' I greeted them, ‘did I hear my name being mentioned just now?'

‘Have you been there long?' Harriet demanded angrily. There were two spots of high colour on her cheeks.

‘A few minutes,' I admitted shamelessly. ‘I stopped to re-tie my shoelaces on the other side of the screen.'

Harriet turned on her heel and departed with her breakfast plate. I'd never quite understood exactly what the word ‘flounced' meant until that moment. It suited her action perfectly.

 I turned to look at Eve. She was also a little pinker in the face than nature had intended. ‘Hello, lover,' I said quietly.

‘Hah,' she laughed scornfully. ‘If you're going to tell lies at least make them marginally credible.'

‘Lies, what lies? I've no idea what you mean, sugar plum?'

‘Re-tying your shoelaces,' – she pointed to my shoes – ‘what laces?'

I'd forgotten I was wearing slip-ons. ‘Oh, yes. I was so interested in what you were saying to Harriet it slipped my mind. Whilst we're on the subject of lying, what was it again?'

‘Ah, well, that was different,' Eve said, uncomfortably.

‘Yes of course it was, dear heart,' I agreed, straight faced.

‘One more snide endearment and you'll be wearing that porridge instead of eating it.'

‘That,' I told her sternly, ‘is no way to speak to your lover, the man whose bed you have only just left.' I had moved the porridge bowl out of her reach; a wise precaution. I was still far from comfortable though, as Eve had picked up the long handled fork used for spearing sausages and was eyeing me with a slightly manic expression. ‘I think I'll go sit down now,' I said.

I turned to leave, only to find Eve blocking my path, the fork held dangerously close to my throat. ‘Don't let me down,' she whispered fiercely.

The fork hovered close to my tonsils. ‘Of course I won't,' I reassured her, adding as I moved the fork to one side, ‘Honey-bunch.'

Fortunately, the wound to my backside was only a superficial one, but the tines on that fork were pretty sharp. I reached the table. Harriet was seated at the far end. I set my bowl down next to Eve's place and smiled sweetly at Harriet. ‘Evie, darling,' I called out, ‘don't struggle with your coffee, sweetheart, I'll get it for you when I bring mine.'

Eve appeared from behind the screen. ‘Thank you, Adam dearest,' she smiled at me and sat down alongside me.

As silences go what followed was one of the longest and most awkward I'd experienced in some while. At times I had to keep fierce control to avoid giving the game away by laughing. I was determined not to break my promise to Eve though. I was also more than a little annoyed. Eventually, I could stand it no longer. ‘How's Charlie this morning?' I asked Harriet.

‘Much better, thanks,' she replied. ‘Boys of that age are pretty resilient, don't you think?'

‘I wouldn't know,' I reminded her. ‘I'm not a family man.'

‘No, of course not, I'm sorry, I hope I didn't, I mean you weren't thinking I said that, er …' the sentence tailed off.

I let her stew over that one.

‘Did you sleep all right,' Harriet tried again. ‘Was the bed comfortable enough?'

The concerned hostess routine had me checking a thousand unsuitable replies. ‘Well enough thank you; when I eventually got to sleep. I was a lot later than I normally am but,' – I turned to Eve and gave her a sickly smile – ‘that was Evie's doing.'

‘That's right, go ahead and put all the blame on me,' Eve said with mock anger. ‘You weren't involved I suppose? The next thing is you'll claim you weren't even on the bed with me.'

That was my worst moment. The sheer audacity of the remark, and the fact that it was true in a way, had me gripping my lip between my teeth to avoid laughing aloud.

‘I'm not sure I want to hear another word,' Harriet said in disgust. ‘Particularly during breakfast.'

I finished my porridge and put my spoon down. In an instant, Eve was hovering at my side, her injury apparently forgotten. She reached and took the bowl. ‘Now how about a nice plate of bacon and eggs, darling,' she asked solicitously, ‘after all you had such a tiring time yesterday and you must keep your strength up.'

That did it; Harriet rose to her feet and stalked from the room leaving her breakfast half-finished. The earlier flounce had been replaced by a strut.

I looked at Eve. Now the curtain had come down on our little piece of play-acting reaction had set in. ‘Are you OK, Evie?' I asked her.

She shook her head, fighting back tears, of anger I guessed. ‘What right has she to interfere? Why should she assume that I would sleep with a man I've only known twenty-four hours? What sort of a slut does my own sister take me for?'

‘Perhaps she's concerned for you. It's natural for an older sister to worry.'

‘Adam, she isn't concerned about me. I'm not a child anymore. I don't sleep around. It's not Harriet and you know it. It's that blasted Jardine harpy that's behind this. She saw you and wanted you to add to her collection. She's jealous because I, er, I mean we spent so much time together and she's put Harriet up to all this. Harriet's never the same when that slapper's about.'

‘Evie,' I said, ‘forget about it. I'll make damned sure it won't happen again. Nobody's going to upset you like this, I won't allow it.'

She looked at me in surprise. ‘I mean it,' I said. ‘Leave it to me. The subject won't come up again, I promise you.'

She smiled, a little complacently I thought. It puzzled me slightly, but then again, like I said in the first place, I'm no ladies' man.

‘How about that bacon and eggs?' I suggested. ‘Neither of us had much to eat yesterday.'

‘That would be nice,' Eve agreed.

‘You did say I had to keep my strength up,' I reminded her.

Tony and Charlie walked in at that point, pre-empting a response from Eve that I'm reasonably certain would have been in Anglo-Saxon.

Tony briefed me on the gist of his conversation with DC Pratt whilst I was eating my breakfast. Immediately I had finished I left the dining hall in search of Harriet. On my way upstairs I paused to have a word with Sammy and Becky, who were accompanying their grandmother towards the dining hall.

I ran Harriet to earth as she was leaving the twins' room. ‘Harriet,' I told her, ‘I want a word with you in private.'

I think she knew by my tone of voice that I was angry. I made her sit down in one of the armchairs next to my bedroom window. ‘I hope you realize how upsetting all this bickering and back-biting is to both Eve and me? I don't know what's behind it but it must stop, and stop now. I want to help you and Tony sort this mess out but I can't and won't unless the atmosphere round here changes.'

She looked at me for a long time. ‘Adam, just answer me one question, will you?'

‘If I can, of course I will.'

‘Did you sleep with my sister last night?'

‘No, of course I bloody well didn't.' I was suddenly angry, as angry as Eve had been earlier, ‘What on earth are you thinking about, Harriet? Eve and I have only known each other a day and a half. What sort of a tart do you think she is?'

‘Yes, but I know you. I know how you can charm women.'

‘Harriet, you're talking absolute garbage. I've been on my own since Georgina died. And that means exactly that. I haven't slept with a woman since Georgina died, nor was I unfaithful to her when she was alive. I once shared a bed with a goat in Ethiopia but we both behaved ourselves. So where the notion about me and women comes from I've no idea.'

‘That's not what I've heard. According to rumour you were one of the hottest catches on the New York scene when you lived there.'

I stared at her in astonishment. ‘Where the hell did you get that from? I only went to a few parties during all the time I worked in New York and that was for Georgina's benefit. Come on, Harriet, out with it, who's been spreading malicious gossip?'

‘I don't believe it,' Harriet said slowly. ‘What reason would Polly have to lie?'

‘Oh, so it was Polly Jardine who was behind this, was it? Harriet, pardon me for saying so but you're an idiot, a bloody stupid naïve idiot.'

‘Adam, I don't care what you say, Eve's my sister and a guest in my house. I have to protect her.'

‘Eve is very capable of protecting herself.'

‘But that's just it, she isn't. Let me explain. Eve's not good with men. I've tried to introduce her to lots of nice men, but they turned her off or she turned them off. The only time she did fall in love the man was a complete bastard. Eve got beaten black and blue by him. In the end,' – Harriet gulped – ‘she almost killed him. She was tried for attempted murder and spent over a year in jail before her appeal reversed the conviction. She was lucky they believed her account of the incident, that he was attacking her and ruled that it was self-defence. Now do you understand why Eve is as she is; why I feel I must protect her?'

‘Yes,' I conceded, ‘I understand that, but you must also understand something, Harriet. Eve is a decent young woman. I am not some sex-starved stud. To suggest we leapt into the sack after twenty-four hours; do you realize how insulting that is to both of us?'

‘But she was seen going into your room last night and leaving it this morning. Then at breakfast, neither of you denied it.'

‘That's right, she did come into my room last night. If you or whoever's been spying on us had hung around they'd have seen her leave again. And if your sentinel had been more awake this morning, they'd have seen Eve come into my room ten minutes before she left. As for breakfast, of course we didn't deny it. Neither, if you think about it did we admit it. That was because we both thought it so absurd and insulting we decided to take the piss out of you. And you richly deserved it.' I looked at Harriet, I could see she was still torn with doubt. ‘Now, I suggest you get your act together and do a bit of apologizing otherwise I'm out of here the minute the roads are clear. Either that or I go to Tony with the whole story.'