“And what’s that got to do with Mary?”
“Say Mary had some bad illness or had found she was due to have a child. Perhaps that might make her take her own life.”
He looked at her for a long moment. Then he said, “I wonder if Kerridge was ever given a proper pathology report.”
“They would not keep such a report from him!”
“Oh, yes, they would. To the high and mighty contacted by Hedley, it would seem an embarrassing case of accidental death. I must see him. Because of this latest development, he might be able to find out more.”
♦
Kerridge looked up impatiently when Harry entered the study. “I hope you have something useful to tell me.”
“I’m afraid it’s speculation. Did you see the fall post-mortem report?”
“No, it was sent to my superiors.”
“Is there any chance of you getting to see it now?”
“I can try. What were you hoping to find?”
“Perhaps, just perhaps, Mary Gore-Desmond was pregnant and took her own life. The maid, Colette, knew who was responsible and tried a bit of blackmail.”
“Captain Cathcart, I know you are trying to help, but I could do with some hard facts.”
“I notice that none of our rooms has been searched.”
“I tried to get a search-warrant but was assured it was not necessary.”
♦
Rose waited in the hall until she saw Dr. Perriman descending the staircase. She hailed him.
“Lady Rose,” he said, “I trust you have recovered from your shock.”
“I hope so. How is Miss Bryce-Cuddlestone?”
“I hope I was able to reassure her.”
“What is the matter with her?”
“I cannot discuss my patient with anyone.”
“Oh, of course. Tell me, Dr. Perriman, would your predecessor really have signed that death warrant?”
“No, I cannot believe he would. Dr. Jenner was a very intelligent man. Although only a country doctor, he was in touch with some of the finest medical minds in the country. He did a great deal of research on his own.”
“Into what?”
“There are some medical conditions not fit for a lady’s ears.”
“I am not squeamish!”
The doctor smiled. “But I am and there are certain subjects that I will not discuss with a young lady. Now, if you’ll excuse me…”
Rose watched him leave and then went back up to Margaret’s room. Margaret was looking much better and even had a little colour in her cheeks.
“How are you?” asked Rose. “What did the doctor say?”
“It turned out to be nothing more than a little ferninine complaint. Oh, I gather that we only need to be here for two more days. The police are going to question us all over again and at length and then we are free to go.”
“Shouldn’t your parents be here?”
“I told them not to come as I shall be returning home very shortly. A word of advice, Lady Rose. Do not go around poking your nose into things that don’t concern you. If someone really did try to kill you, then they will try again.”
Rose felt a stab of fear but she said gamely, “I really don’t think anyone would dare to try anything with a castle full of police officers.”
“If you say so. Now, run along. You weary me.”
♦
Rose returned to her own room to find her mother waiting for her. “Have you heard?” said Lady Polly. “We shall soon be allowed to leave.”
“So I understand.”
“But I have some good news for you, my dear. I have been talking to Mrs. Jerry Trumpington. She says she is amenable to taking you out to India next year.”
“I do not want to go to India.”
“Now, don’t be a silly billy, my dear. We cannot possibly launch you on another London season. India is just the place for you. All those officers! Your father will contact the Viceroy, and Mrs. Trumpington will be on hand at all times to make sure you don’t make some misalliance with a fortune-hunter.”
“I am not going to go, and that’s that.”
Lady Polly’s normally pleasant round face hardened. “You will do as you are told. You are going to India and that’s an end of it. And have a word with that so-called maid of yours. She was out walking in the grounds with Captain’s Cathcart’s manservant. As you should know, servants are not allowed followers.”
Rose paced up and down in a fury of frustration when her mother had left. The thought of being shipped out to India to be put on some foreign marriage market was abhorrent to her. And yet, what could she do?
She impatiently rang the bell for Daisy.
There was no reply, so she summoned a footman and told him to fetch her maid.
Daisy arrived, looking flustered. “Tm sorry,” she said, taking off her hat. “I didn’t think you’d be wanting me.”
“My mother tells me you were seen walking in the grounds with Becket.”
“I didn’t think you’d mind.”
Rose slumped down into a chair. “I am supposed to mind. Servants are not allowed followers or indeed any life of their own. Just like me.”
“Something bad’s happened. What is it?”
“My mother informs me that I am to go to India with Lady Trumpington next year.”
“With that horrible old cow!”
“Yes, Daisy. What am I to do?”
“Maybe we could do what you thought of. Become business women.”
“I am underage. They would simply come and fetch me, and if I persisted in staying, they would get some tame doctor to get me committed to an insane asylum.”
“You parents would never do that!”
“They might. A girl of my class working for her living would qualify as insanity in their minds. Oh, that reminds me. Margaret summoned Dr. Perriman. I asked if his predecessor would really have signed Mary Gore-Desmond’s death certificate. He said that old Dr. Jenner did a lot of research but when I asked on what subject, he said it was not suitable for my ears. What could it be?”
“Sexual problems, I suppose,” said Daisy. “Like gonorrhoea and syphilis.”
“How do you know such things?”
“A chorus girl down the East End has to know such things. Sometime we got some of the mashers from up west, trying their luck, particularly with the young ones like me.”
“Why was that? I mean, why the young ones?”
“They’d be hoping to find a virgin, like.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Well, they say that if a man with one of them diseases sleeps with a virgin, he’ll be cured. It happened to one of the girls, Ellie.”
“And what happened?”
“I don’t know what happened to him, the rat, but Ellie got syphilis.”
“Is there no cure?”
“I think you’re supposed to take mercury, but Ellie couldn’t afford doctor’s bills.”
“How awful. You didn’t ever…I mean, you haven’t…”
Daisy gave a cheeky grin. “Not yet. I’ve got fourteen brothers and sisters, but like the song says, we was poor but we was honest.”
“Don’t you miss your family?”
“Not much. Da drinks something awful and is always out of work. I seem to have worked at one thing or another since I was out of the cradle. Never mind me. What about India?”
“I’ll think of something,” said Rose desperately.
♦
Kerridge was taking a break from interviews by walking with Harry in the grounds. Somehow he felt comfortable in the company of the captain, subconsciously sensing a misfit like himself.
“What makes you think the servants are not involved?” asked Harry.
“Because I think Lord Hedley knows something he’s not telling us. I think he’s guilty about something. His voice is becoming hoarse and he doesn’t look well. When I first met him, he looked like our king on a good day.
“You see, the way I look at it is this. You people, you society people, lead very empty lives. Everything is given over to pleasure, and you slave at it. You don’t like the up-and-coming rich from the middle classes, so you invent silly things to keep them at bay. I was served a nice bit of fish last night. “Where’s the fish knife?” I asked. That butler Curzon looks down his nose at me and says, “We do not allow fish knives here.” So I’m supposed to eat my fish with a fork in one hand and a bit of bread in the other.