‘Have you seen the master and mistress?’ he asked.
The man nodded solemnly. ‘Yes, Master Adam, sir. The master ordered the carriage to be brought around to the front some half an hour since, and he and the mistress went off with Miss Ernshaw.’
‘But where did they go?’ Adam was deeply puzzled. His parents’ manners were impeccable, and he could think of nothing that would make them leave a houseful of guests unattended for no good reason.
‘I am afraid I have no idea, sir. The master did not say.’ Bowing stiffly, the butler quietly walked away to resume his duties.
Adam stroked his chin thoughtfully. Something was amiss. His mind sought for some plausible explanation to the puzzle but try as he might, he could find none. Even if Amy had been taken ill, it was highly unlikely that both of his parents would have escorted her home on tonight of all nights. But then he had seen Amy earlier in the evening and she had looked radiant and the very picture of good health.
As he stood there pondering, his eyes lit on his wife, who was standing at the far end of the hallway with a sly little smile dancing about her lips. She was obviously very much the worse for drink and was looking decidedly dishevelled.
‘Do you know where my mother and father have gone?’ he asked her coldly.
She grinned and leaned towards him, causing some of her whisky to splash over the rim of her crystal glass, down the front of her dress and on to the fine Persian carpet beneath them.
‘Oh
yesh
, I know where they’ve gone all right.’ Her voice was full of spite and her words slurred. Not wishing to make a spectacle of themselves in front of their guests, Adam took her arm and none too gently led her into the library, closing the door firmly behind them.
‘Well?’ he demanded impatiently. ‘You say that you know where my parents and Amy have gone, so perhaps you would care to enlighten me.’
Enjoying his obvious concern she took another long slow swig of her drink before replying, ‘Gladly.’ She leaned towards him, sneering maliciously, ‘It appears that their little country bumpkin isn’t quite the angel they thought. She came to the party this evening wearing your precious sister’s locket. You must remember the one? They had it made for her especially for her eighteenth birthday.’
He stepped away from her and gripped the edge of the desk as her whisky-smelling breath fanned his face. But the look of distress only seemed to enrage her more and now she spat, ‘So come on then. How do you think the likes of her would have acquired that, eh? A common little ribbon-weaver’s trollop? I think the answer is as clear as day, don’t you? She must have stolen it! And now she will be getting her comeuppance – and not before time, that’s what I say.’
As his chin sank to his chest she smiled with satisfaction. But then slowly he raised his head, and the look he gave her seemed to have a sobering effect on her, for never in her life had she seen such hatred, raw and burning.
‘You’d like it if she was a thief, wouldn’t you?’ he said through gritted teeth. ‘For you seem to have developed the same jealousy for Amy that you did for Jessica – though neither of them ever did you an injustice. But I’ll tell you now: if that girl has my sister’s locket I will stake my life that there is a reasonable explantion for it, for I will not believe that she is a thief.’
‘Oh
yes
, I thought you would defend the little whore,’ she retaliated. ‘Don’t think I don’t know what has been going on. She’s your mistress, isn’t she? That’s why you have moved into the bed in the dressing room and why you won’t allow me to come to the house in London any more with you, isn’t it?
Isn’t it?
’ she screamed.
‘Don’t be so ridiculous, woman,’ Adam stormed, with his fists clenched tightly at the sides of him. ‘Amy is a mere girl and has never been anything to me other than a very talented designer. You have a mind like a cesspit because I tell you now, she is more of a lady than you will
ever
be, no matter where her roots are. And as for moving from your bed because of her … I’ll tell you now, I need no other woman as an excuse to move from your bed. If you must know, I moved out of our room because I can no longer stand anything about you. Not your looks, your nature, nor even the smell of you. So how do you like
that
? There was a time when I worshipped the very ground you walked on, Eugenie. But you soon put paid to that, with your tantrums and your airs and graces. Why, even tonight you have made a complete spectacle of yourself. I almost sank into a pit of despair with your treatment, and you would have ruined me had I not put a stop to your frivolous spending.’
She stepped back from him as if he had slapped her in the face, for she had never seen him so angry.
‘H … how
dare
you speak to me like this,’ she sputtered indignantly. ‘Why, if I were to tell my father how you were treating me, he would—’
‘Stop right there,’ he growled. ‘For that is
exactly
what I wish you would do. Please – go and tell your father. Although I doubt he would want to hear. Looking back, I am sure he must have been glad to be rid of you, just as I would be.’
Her mouth gaped, giving her the look of a simpleton as she stared back at him incredulously.
‘What do you mean?’ A note of fear had crept into her voice but his heart had finally hardened against her.
‘I mean just this. I have had a bellyful of your spoiled, unpleasant, jealous nature. I cannot believe that I
ever
loved you – or indeed ever saw anything in you that was worthy of love. You have done your best over the years to make me bankrupt and miserable. Nothing was ever good enough for you, not even when I bought you the house of your choice in London, which was way beyond my means – as well you knew. Even that was not good enough for you, was it? You then went on a spending spree, filling it with every single stick of furniture that took your fancy until in the end I was forced to sell the whole lot at a loss. But it is done now. I shall instruct the coachman to take you to your father’s house, and on Boxing Day I will have all your belongings packed up and sent on to you. You will, never,
ever
darken my door again. And if you do, I should tell you that I shall not be responsible for the consequences.’
Realising that she had gone too far, she held her hand out to him pleadingly, but he slapped it away in disgust.
‘Our marriage is over, Eugenie.’ His voice was colder than the snow that lay on the ground outside. ‘My lawyer will be contacting you in due course at your father’s address.’
‘No, Adam …
please
. You can’t do this to me.’
It was his turn to sneer now as he turned away from her and headed towards the door. ‘I think you will find that I
can
– and will. My only regret now is that I did not do it long ago.’
As he turned to look back at her florid face just one last time he could see nothing at all of the girl he had once fallen in love with.
‘Goodbye,’ he said quietly. ‘I cannot say that it has been a pleasure to know you. It seems to me now that your only attribute was the fact that you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth, the only daughter of a titled family. But unfortunately it did not serve to make you a better person. On the contrary, perhaps that is why you lack one single ounce of love or compassion, because you were spoiled shamelessly. At this moment I can feel nothing but pity for you, for I see a long lonely life stretching before you. Unless, of course, you are fortunate enough to snare another man who is as big a fool as I was – but that I very much doubt.’
She began to weep noisily but her tears could no longer reach him and he stepped into the hallway, closing the door between them, praying as he did so that he would never have to look upon her face again for as long as he lived. He stood for some seconds with his head bowed gripping tight to the ornate brass door handle as her muffled sobs reached him through the heavy oak door.
It was there that the butler found him some minutes later. He had been serving the guests with glasses of sparkling champagne from a silver tray that was balanced expertly on one hand, but noting the young master’s obvious distress he approached him tentatively.
‘Is there anything I can get for you, sir?’ he asked respectfully.
As Adam raised his head the torment in his eyes was terrible to behold.
‘No, Mason, there is nothing you can get for me – unless you can give me a clear conscience,’ he answered, and then before the confused eyes of the other man he pulled himself heavily from the door and marched out into the snow, without a word of explanation.
Once outside, he picked his way round to the rear of the house and slipped into the stable-block. The smell of hay and horseflesh met him, and the horses whinnied a greeting as he passed. But tonight, instead of stopping to stroke them as he normally did, he stumbled by them all, even Pepperpot his beloved mount, and made his way to a hay bale, on to which he collapsed before placing his head in his hands. Everything was such a mess and he could not envisage life ever returning to normal again. The sound of movement from above went unnoticed by him until Seth appeared on a rickety staircase that led up to his living quarters above. His braces were dangling about his knees and he held aloft an oil lamp as he shouted into the gloom, ‘Hello, who’s there?’
‘It … it’s me, Seth.’
Hearing his master’s voice, the man snapped his braces into place and climbed down the rest of the stairs to join him.
‘Master Adam – why, whatever are you doin’ out here? An’ why did the master an’ mistress go harin’ off earlier on? We got a message that they wanted the carriage made ready straight away, an’ Bobby drove ’em off somewhere.’
‘It’s a long story, Seth,’ Adam choked out, and when he offered no further explanation, Seth shuffled from foot to foot uncomfortably. There was a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach but seeing that the master was in no mood to expand on his explantion he said quietly, ‘Well, I’ll get away back up to me missus then, sir. Should I be able to get you anythin’, just give me a shout, eh?’
‘Can you give me a clear conscience, Seth?’
Adam raised his head to look into the man’s perplexed face and then laughed softly. A cold bitter laugh that made the hairs on Seth’s arms stand to attention. ‘No, I thought not – so get away to your family and thank the Lord that you have them.’
Seth hovered for a moment, staring into the man’s strained face before turning slowly and making his way back upstairs. Something was afoot this evening and he had an awful premonition that whatever it was, it was going to have repercussions on all of them.
With her old heart pounding, Molly stood for some time with her arm tightly about Amy’s shoulders. Then, after taking a deep breath and composing herself as best she could, she nodded towards the old horse-hair sofa and told Mr and Mrs Forrester, ‘You’d better sit yerselves down.’
For a second, it appeared that Mr Forrester was not going to follow her wishes, but then he flicked aside the tails of his coat and sat down next to his wife, his eyes still firmly fixed on Molly.
She herself gently pressed Amy from her before settling into her rocking chair, and Toby instantly took Amy’s hand protectively.
Molly had always feared that this day would come, and now that it had she did not quite know where to start.
A terrible silence settled on the room for some moments broken by Samuel when he said quietly, ‘There is something amiss here.’
He had come prepared to be angry, but strangely now that he was here his anger had faded at the sight of the old woman who obviously adored Amy more than life itself. The dwelling he was in was humble to say the very least, and yet he could not help but be impressed, for everywhere he looked was as neat and tidy as a new pin. It was also very comfortable, with touches of Amy’s impeccable taste evident in the drape of the curtains and the finishing touches about the room. And try as he might, he could not imagine Molly being a thief. She might be working-class but she had an air of quiet dignity and honesty about her. In fact, he realised with a little shock that in many ways she reminded him of his late mother, who had begun her life in a cottage no better than this one.
‘Perhaps if we are honest with each other we may be able to get to the bottom of this,’ he said quietly. ‘And seeing as it was I that barged into your home, perhaps I should be the one to start?’
Molly nodded numbly and after glancing at his wife’s tear-stained face, Mr Forrester sighed and began, ‘Many years ago, when my children were young, my wife and I sent our son to a private school as soon as he was old enough. Naturally, we wanted the very best education for both of our children so Jessica was tutored at home by a governess. When she reached her teens we employed a private tutor for her. His name was Robert Chamberlain and he came highly recommended. He was a very personable young man in his early twenties when I first employed him, and I was more than satisfied with my daughter’s progress under his tuition. Robert was an orphan, but as time went on, he became almost like one of our family.’
Samuel paused to glance at his wife, and when she nodded he gulped deep in his throat and continued, ‘He stayed in my employ for some years and Jessica grew to be extremely fond of him. Perhaps a little too fond, but my wife and I did not see what was staring us straight in the face; she was falling in love with him.’
He stopped again as the memories came flooding back, then pulling himself together with an effort he went on, ‘One evening, Jessica came to me in my study. At that time she was nearly nineteen years old and had turned into a beautiful young woman, in looks as well as in nature. I confess she was the apple of my eye and I had high hopes of a good marriage for her. But that night she dashed all my hopes to the ground when she told me that she was in love with Robert and asked for my permission for them to be married.’
By now Josephine was sobbing softly and he turned to her and gently squeezed her arm. ‘What I did next was unforgivable, for in my ignorance I told her that I would rather see her dead than married to a humble tutor. She pleaded with me to change my mind, but her request had come as such a shock that I refused to be moved. In my rage I told her that I intended to banish Robert from the house the very next day and I forbade her from ever seeing him again. I also told her that if she disobeyed me, then she must go too.’ He visibly shuddered as pictures of that terrible long-ago night flashed in front of his eyes.