Twelfth Night at Eyre Hall (18 page)

“Of course, but surely they should be
punished?”

“Perhaps it is better to keep them away
from her, in case they cause her further problems.”

“Poor child! She has been so patient with
me. I am sure she saved my life, Michael, when I was ill.”

“Nell must stay with you. It is the only
way to make sure she is never hurt, locked away, or needy again. ‘
Do to
others as you would have them do to you.’
If you look after Nell, someone
will be looking after Helen. Promise me whatever happens, you will never
abandon Nell.”

“Of course.”

“Promise me, Jane.”

“I promise I will never abandon Nell.”

“Good. Now about Jenny and Thomas. They
are willing to travel to Australia.”

“Australia? So far?” I put my arms
around him. “I would die if you were to go to Australia, Michael.”

“Why would I go to Australia?” he asked
as I cried on his shoulder. “What is the matter, Jane? Why are you so upset?”

“I cannot bear to think of you in
Australia. I missed you so much, Michael.”

“I missed you, too, but please don’t
cry, my love,” he whispered as he caressed my hair.

 “When they are in Australia, Nell will
be safe. If they stay in the area, you never know. They have the right to see
her, take her away, and sell her even.”

“How dreadful! Poor little Nell.”

“They will be part of an assisted
passage scheme. You could pay for the journey and, once there, they will be
allotted a piece of land to live on. There are many homeless English people
travelling to Australia willingly.”

“If Jenny agrees, I think it’s a good
idea.”

“She has signed the papers,” he said as
he handed them to me. “Their ship leaves for Australia in less than a week.”

“But will Nell not miss her mother?”

“I think not. She will be safer and
happier with you at Eyre Hall.”

He pulled me close to him. “Shall we
have some brandy?” I nodded and he moved to the cabinet and filled two glasses.

I sat on the carpet by the fireplace and
patted the rug for him to sit beside me. We sat drinking in silence. I fell against
his chest and closed my eyes as he wrapped his arms around me and traced my
face and neck with soft kisses. He lowered his head, searching for my lips and
I melted into his warmth. When I opened my eyes much later, the moon was
shining on my face.

“Michael, I don’t ever want to be
anywhere else except in your arms.”

He held me tighter and nuzzled my hair,
which he must have loosened as I was sleeping.

“How did you find Fred?”

“I needed a valet and the vicar, Mr.
Woods, recommended him. Why? Do you not approve of him?”

“I do not approve of any man who spends
all day near you. He will see you, hear you, serve you, and look at you, every
day.”

“Michael, I can’t believe you are
jealous of Fred.”

“I’m jealous of everyone who is near you
while I am away. I cannot help it. It drove me mad when I found out you were
marrying Mason. I had to leave. I would have killed him if I had stayed. I
almost killed him when I returned to Eyre Hall.”

“I made a mistake, Michael. I was afraid
to face the truth, and I didn’t consider your feelings. I paid a dear price for
my mistake. I lost you and our child. Have you forgiven me?”

“I forgave you a long time ago, but I
have not forgiven myself yet for leaving you the way I did, and now I am
terrified of losing you again.”

“Michael, there is no one else and there
will never be anyone else. I have given you my heart, my body, and my soul,
once more. On your terms this time.”

He turned me towards him, his lips more
impatient and his hands demanding.

“Michael, we can’t go upstairs now,
there are too many guests.”

“We can stay here. It is where we first
kissed.”

“Someone could come in.”

“It’s locked.”

“Will they hear us?”

“They are too busy eating, drinking, and
gossiping.”     

“Michael, I feel wicked, receiving
condolences and making love to you.”

“Then do not make love to me. Let me
make love to you. I do not feel wicked. I feel like the most fortunate man on
earth.”

   I sighed and yielded effortlessly to
his persistent words and caresses. His mouth silenced my cries as his chest pressed
my breasts and his hips pushed into mine. He rolled away too soon, apologising
for his weight and vigour, and I wanted to tell him to stay because I longed to
lie beneath the pressure of his lust until all my breath has been squeezed out
and I was dissolved inside his desire.

We lay limply entwined, listening to our
heartbeats and the crackling fire for a long time. At last Michael spoke.

“What happened to Mason?”

“I don’t know. When Fred went up to help
him dress the morning after Twelfth Night, he was dead in his bed. Dr. Carter
has certified natural causes on his death certificate, to avoid scandal, but he
thinks he was murdered.”

“Why does he think so?”

“As you know, he’s interested in
forensic medicine, well, he believes it was arsenic. He has been investigating.
He would like to speak to you. He must have arrived by now. Do you mind?”

“Of course not. Let us find him, shall
we?”

He took my face in his hands and then smoothed
my hair. “It is fortunate that Nell brought down your combs and hair cream.”

“Oh dear. Michael, do I look a mess?”

“You look beautiful, Jane,” he said
kissing me again, and fondling my hair with his fingers, “but I would not want
anyone else to see you looking so ravished.”

I looked at my reflection in the mirror.
I wanted to tell him I loved feeling ravished, but we would have time for that.
Instead, I smiled back at my flushed face and unruly hair, and then I tamed it
with my combs, cream, and hairpins.

***

I was indulging in idle conversation
with the guests when Mrs. Mason and Lieutenant Kirkpatrick walked in together. She
looked unusually rosy cheeked and at ease by his side, while he towered beside
her confidently. In spite of their age and social difference, they appeared to
belong together. I knew his devotion to Mrs. Mason was beyond doubt, but he was
high on my list of suspects. He was in love with the victim’s wife, so he had
the greatest motive. He had been away from Eyre Hall when the murder was
committed; nevertheless, he could have acted with an accomplice. I was
impatient to question him on the matter, and although I would have preferred to
do so alone, I knew Mrs. Mason would never allow it.

Mrs. Mason asked me to follow them into
the library and we sat by the fireplace sipping brandy and discussing London.

“I visited St. Thomas’s Hospital, Dr.
Carter. I was interested after our last conversation. An impressive building,
indeed.”

 “I do not miss London, but I do miss
St. Thomas’s. Did you stay in Southwark?”

“Yes, I stayed at the George Inn, and I
can’t imagine anyone getting any fresh air in the area, as Miss Nightingale
would propose.”

He nodded and our conversation diverged
to the quaint public houses, and lively Borough Market. Mrs. Mason surprised us
by telling us she had recently taken a walk around the area at night with the
respected writer Mr. Charles Dickens, whose novel,
Oliver Twist
, was set
in the area.

We were chatting amiably and on our
second brandy when Mrs. Mason addressed my major suspect. “Lieutenant Kirkpatrick,
Dr. Carter has a theory about Mr. Mason’s death which I’d like you to hear.”

I cleared my throat. “It is my belief
that Mr. Mason was murdered, and we are searching for this person or persons.”

The lieutenant smirked. “Mr. Mason is
dead and almost buried. I can see no point in searching for his murderer, if
indeed there is one.”

I decided to attack by surprise. “You
threatened Mr. Mason, am I right?” Mrs. Mason interrupted angrily, “Dr. Carter,
I already told you that Michael was not to be questioned as a suspect.”

However, the lieutenant looked more
amused than angry. “Dr. Carter, if I had wanted to kill Mr Mason, I would have
shot him face to face, and I gather that is not the way he died.”

“He was poisoned. The symptoms are
unequivocal. Arsenic.”

“You must know I was not here when he
died, Dr. Carter.”

“I am just trying to narrow down the
suspects by clearing as many names as possible.”

“I cannot imagine how someone who was
not present could be a suspect.”

 “You could have had an accomplice.”

Mrs. Mason shot me a furious look and an
uneasy silence ensued. I wondered if I had taken my line of questioning too
far, but I had to be sure that neither of them were involved in any way.

At last, Kirkpatrick spoke. “I will take
no offence from your words because of the high regard Mrs. Mason has of you,
and because you have saved her life. But I must ask you, what is your interest
in this matter, Dr. Carter?”

“Mrs. Mason could be in danger.”

 My words shook him out of his
complacency and he took her hand and addressed her with the familiarity they
were obviously accustomed to when they were alone. “How are you in danger,
Jane?”

The expression on his face satisfied me
that if he had had any hand in the murder, Mrs. Mason was not in danger.

“The murderer is almost certainly still
at Eyre Hall, and we do not know his, her, or their intentions.”

“Then we must discover their identity at
once. I cannot set sail until the matter has been settled.”

“I am sure I am in no danger, Michael. Dr.
Carter is just being cautious.”

“I cannot leave until I am sure you are
not in danger.” He turned to me. “Are you completely sure he was murdered?”

“Absolutely.”

“And are you convinced it was done with
arsenic?”

“Beyond any shadow of a doubt.”

“Then Dr. Carter, you are right; we must
get to the bottom of this and protect Mrs. Mason. I believe Simon has some
useful information on the events which occurred the night he died.”

“How did you come to be acquainted with
Simon’s information?”

“He came to see me in London because he
believed he had killed Mason, but he had not, according to you, Doctor.”

“How so?”

“Because Simon and Beth had been putting
drops of laudanum into his drinks since he arrived at Eyre Hall, and he thought
they had accidentally killed him with an overdose, but that is not how he died,
is it?”

“No, it is not. Laudanum will lead to a
long lingering death, as the addict or receiver of the overdose gradually sinks
into stupefaction. Mr. Mason died suddenly and painfully. It was undoubtedly the
work of arsenic. When arsenic is taken into the bloodstream, it causes
inflammation of the capillaries, a process that is particularly severe in
the alimentary tract. The inflammation of the throat and the oesophagus
creates difficulty in swallowing, which is followed by an enormous burning
pain in the stomach, as if they had swallowed hot iron.”

“How dreadful,” said Mrs. Mason.

“It leads to severe vomiting, diarrhoea,
and black urine.”

“Why did he not ask for help?” asked his
widow. “I myself went into his room on my way to my own room, and he was
breathing noisily, although I did notice a repulsive smell in the room.”

“He had probably vomited. The laudanum
may have suppressed his ability to call for help. It probably made his death
less painful, but his death from arsenic was inevitable, because he was
administered a large amount, and in any case, there is no antidote.”

Mrs. Mason moved around the room
nervously and Kirkpatrick watched her closely.

“Mr. Mason died of asphyxia,” I
continued. “It is my belief that gastric content entered the respiratory tract.
Under normal circumstances he would have coughed; however, people who have
drunk too much alcohol or taken laudanum may easily choke due to the aspiration
of vomit.”   

Mrs. Mason had put her fingers to her
temples and closed her eyes. “He retired soon after dinner complaining of
tiredness. Simon took his brandy up to his room.”

“It must have been in his dinner. The
first symptoms appeared in less than half an hour,” I said.

“If it wasn’t Beth or Simon that leaves
Daisy, Christy, and Cook. Fred did not serve dinner, and Leah and Jenny have no
direct contact with the food, although they did have access to the arsenic.”

Mrs. Mason was becoming increasingly
agitated. Kirkpatrick ignored my presence and put his arms around her. She buried
her face in his chest and stilled at once.

I interrupted their embrace, eager to
proceed with the investigation, which seemed to be bearing some fruits at last.
 

“We need a motive; perhaps you can help
us with that, Lieutenant. Why were Beth and Simon giving him laudanum?”

“Yes, I think I have some information.
Jane, let us sit down,” he said as he led her to the couch.

“Jane, you will be displeased with what
I must tell you. Simon has told me that Mr. Mason mistreated the female staff
at Eyre Hall. Jenny had been his willing mistress for some time, but he had
recently preferred the younger girls, especially Christy and Beth. Beth had
complied on previous occasions, but now that she and Simon are a couple, she
did not wish to continue, although he insisted. They, Simon and Beth, decided
to use laudanum so that he would fall asleep soon after the girls went to his
room.”

“The girls?”

“He required the presence of Beth and
Christy.”

Mrs. Mason was speechless. I was not
fond of Mr. Mason, but I would never have imagined that he participated in such
appalling behaviour, and in his own house. I wondered how such a corrupt
character could have such a remarkable niece. 

 “Did Leah know about these events?”

“It seems she did.”

“Michael, are you sure?” He nodded.

“Why did no one tell me? Of course, it
is my fault. I was so busy keeping out of his way that I did not realise he was
abusing my maids.”

“It was not your fault, Jane. Leah
should have told you.”

“I will speak to Leah about it, but we
still do not know who administered the arsenic.”

“I have an idea,” said Kirkpatrick. “It
would seem that Christy and Daisy are very close and may have taken matters
further.”

“How close?” I asked

“Intimately close, according to Simon.”

At last, there was someone with a motive
and access to the poison. “We must speak to Christy and Daisy, at once.”

“Shall we do so together or
independently?” Mrs. Mason asked.

“I think it would be best to speak to
both of them together.”

She stood up again and rubbed her palms
down the length of her dress nervously. “What shall we do if they killed him?” she
asked me.

“Let us take things one at a time. First
we will speak to them.” We did indeed have a problem once we discovered the murderers.
What were we to do with them? The despicable Mr. Mason would not be missed, and
the scandal would not benefit anyone. If the girls had indeed poisoned him and
we took care of matters discreetly, it would be advantageous for all of us.
Mrs. Mason would avoid the gossip, and my position as a trustworthy employee
would be reinforced, which would be beneficial for my professional objectives
and for my personal interest in Miss Mason.    

Mrs. Mason’s words interrupted my
thoughts.

“I feel responsible. I should have
realised what was happening. I had no idea. It’s my fault.”

The lieutenant embraced her once again. “Jane,
you are not responsible for Mason’s sordid actions. Only he is responsible.”

“I should never have married him or
brought him here.”

“Mrs. Mason, it seems to me that you
were one of his victims, too,” I reminded her, and she suggested we should speak
to Christy and Daisy as soon as possible.”

The lieutenant excused himself saying he
needed to speak to his sister and informed Mrs. Mason that he would return the
following day.

***

The two girls were a sorry sight when
they were shown into the library. Mrs. Mason and I sat at her desk facing the
door as they approached us, whimpering miserably.

“Please, sit down,” said Mrs. Mason
gesturing to two chairs on the other side of the desk. “Don’t worry. This is
not a police investigation. Dr. Carter and I would like to ask you a few
questions about Mr. Mason. Please be as honest as you can.”

Daisy seemed more composed. She put her
arm around Christy, who was crying inconsolably by now, and they both sat down,
heads bent to the floor.

“Christy, tell us about Mr. Mason,” I
asked, but Christy’s shoulders heaved as her sobs gushed out uncontrollably, so
I turned to Daisy.

“Daisy, is there anything you would like
to tell us about Mr. Mason?”

Her face rose to mine, and I tried to
imagine what she would have looked like without the pock marks that scarred her
face. Her eyes were clear blue and her eyelashes and eyebrows were so blonde,
they were almost white, giving her an eerie appearance. Her blonde hair was
carefully tucked under her white maid’s cap, and her wiry fingers fidgeted
nervously with her soiled apron. I guessed she was not yet seventeen.

She turned to her mistress nervously. “Excuse
my filthy uniform, Mrs. Mason. I’ve been helping cook with the food since dawn,
and I ain’t had no time to change.”

I realised she probably spoke very
rarely to Mrs. Mason. I had never seen her upstairs during my visits. She was
no doubt confined to the kitchen due to her unattractive appearance and the
nature of her job.

“Please do not concern yourself with
that, Daisy. It is of no importance. I am sorry I have not been down to the
kitchen to see you lately, and I thank you for your hard work since your
arrival at Eyre Hall.”

“Thank you, madam.”

“Now, could you tell me the problems
Christy was having with Mr. Mason?” she asked, while Christy’s sobs grew
louder.

“I know it ain’t right to speak ill of
the dead, but he was an evil man. He did horrible things to Beth, Christy, and
Jenny. Jenny didn’t mind, she used to be a ladybird. Beth didn’t use to mind
either, but then she was Simon’s bird, so she didn’t want to do it no more, and
Christy, she hated it.”

“What things?” I asked. “You must tell
us.”

“He hit them, and tied them up, and knocked
them. The more they shouted the more he liked it.”

Mrs. Mason pressed her fingers to her
temples and squeezed her eyes closed.

“When did this happen?” I asked Daisy.

“Whenever Mrs. Mason weren’t here, and
sometimes when she was.”