“Might have been … before she acquired her airs and graces. But listen … isn’t her father down here?”
“Yes, Major Durrell. Mirabel Durrell doesn’t sound much like Mabel Tallon.”
“A Mabel might call herself Mirabel.”
“Yes, but it is the surname which is important.”
“She could have changed that.”
“But there is her father.”
“Listen. There is a child. I looked that up. She was Katharine.”
“Kate! Well, that could be.”
“It’s a fairly common name.”
“But it’s the only thing that might fit.”
“And you want to hitch on to that?”
“No, I don’t. I think Kate imagined the whole thing. She’s lonely really. I know by the way she so quickly became friendly with me.
There’s something pathetic about her. She wants a father. That’s why she has adopted this sailor. “
“You would have thought she would have looked for someone more worthy.”
“She had to take what there was. He was there in the grave … unknown and don’t forget she had seen him in the marketplace.”
“Had she, do you think? Or did she imagine that?”
“I think she must have, because he was there and he was seeking information about his wife and child.”
“We have proved that he had one and she happened to be named Katharine.”
“Well, there are other diminutives for the name… Cathy, for instance.”
“Yes, that’s so. But I suppose Kate is the more usual. But that alone is too flimsy to hitch on to. And Mirabel’s father gives a touch of respectability. Major Durrell. She could hardly have involved him. No.
Let’s close the books on that one and look for another strand to unravel. “
“I must tell you that I have made a little discovery while you’ve been away. I’ve spoken to Lady Perrivale’s maid Maria … that is, the Dowager Lady Perrivale.”
“Ah. And what has she revealed?”
“Not a great deal that I didn’t know already. But she was very garrulous.”
“Just what we need.”
“She remembered Simon’s being brought to the house and the fuss and consternation because no one could figure out how he came to exist.
With some it would seem obvious that there had been a misdemeanour on the part of the master of the house . but not Sir Edward. He was not the type to indulge in that sort of thing. He was God-fearing, a pillar of the church, eager that high principles be upheld. “
“By others, but perhaps he was a little more lenient where he himself was concerned. Some people are like that.”
“Yes, of course. But not Sir Edward. And this misdemeanour must have occurred before his marriage.”
“Well, they do now and then.”
“To people like Sir Edward?”
“Maybe. But he came to repentance after it happened because he brought the boy into his house … but do you think there could have been some other reason why Simon was brought to the house?”
“Perhaps that is one of the things we have to find out.”
“He might have been sorry for the child left alone with that aunt.”
“Do you think the mother might have been some poor relation?”
“What was to prevent his saying so? As far as I can see, he just brought the child into the house and let people draw their own conclusions. No, it just doesn’t make sense. It must have been a lapse. Even the most virtuous have been known to stumble.”
“But he was so insistent on morality.”
“Repentant sinners are often like that.”
“I can’t believe it of him. There is something behind it.”
“Listen to me, Rosetta … you’re chasing shadows. You’re believing something because you want to. You’re dabbling in dangerous waters. Just suppose you are right. Just suppose there is a murderer in that house and suppose he-or she -discovered you are meddling? I don’t like the idea. If this person murdered once, why shouldn’t he-or she do it again?”
“So you believe there is a murderer in the house?”
“I did not say so. I think the police version is the most likely one, and Simon the most plausible suspect. Running away seems to make it fit.”
“I don’t accept it.”
“I know you don’t … because you don’t want to. You knew the man we were with all that time. That was different. We were all fighting for our lives. He was heroic and resourceful. We both owe our lives to him, but that does not mean that in different circumstances he might not be a murderer.”
“Oh, Lucas, you can’t believe that!”
“I did not know him as well as you did,” he said ruefully.
“You were with him all the time. He dragged you out of the sea. He was most concerned for you.”
“I know. But people are complex. When his passions of jealousy were aroused he could have been a different person.”
“You won’t help me because you don’t believe in him.”
“I will help you, Rosetta, because I believe in you.”
“I don’t know what that means, Lucas.”
“It means that I’ll help you all I can, but I think you have set yourself a hopeless task and one which could be dangerous.”
“If you think it could be dangerous you must believe in Simon’s innocence. Otherwise the people in that house would have nothing to hide.”
“Yes, that may be so. But I do want you to be careful. In your enthusiasm you might betray your thirst for knowledge and just suppose you were right… then it could be dangerous. Please be careful, Rosetta.”
“I will. By the way, something came out of my talk with Maria.
Apparently while Mirabel was engaged to Cosmo she was having some sort of flirtation with Tristan. “
“Oh?”
“Well, according to Maria it was Tristan Mirabel preferred all along.”
“That’s interesting.”
“I thought it might be a motive.”
“She could have transferred her hand to the brother without murder.”
“And lose the title and everything that went with it?”
“I am sure that would have been important to her, but would she have murdered for it?”
“They might have … Tristan and she between them. There was something to gain.”
“Well, it’s the best you’ve come up with so far. But I wouldn’t rely too much on servants’ gossip. By the way, I may be going back to London in a few days’ time.”
“Oh … so soon after … Shall you be away long?”
“I’m not sure. As a matter of fact, I’m going to have an operation.
I’ve been thinking about it for some time. “
“You didn’t mention it.”
“Oh, I didn’t want to bother you with such a thing.”
“How can you say that! You know I am enormously concerned. Tell me about it.”
“It’s this fellow in London. Something very new, of course. It may work … it may not. He’s quite frank about that.”
“Lucas! And you just mention it casually like this!”
“I don’t feel exactly casual about it. I saw this man when I went up on my sleuthing operation concerning the drunken sailor. I killed two birds with one stone, you might say.”
“And you’ve only just told me!”
“I thought I’d better explain my absence. You might have been expecting some messages.
“Come at once. Murderer discovered” or something like that. “
“Don’t be flippant, please, Lucas.”
“All right. The fact is my leg is in pretty bad shape. It’s getting worse. Well, this extremely clever bone man has introduced certain methods. He can’t give me a new leg, alas, but he may be able to do something. If it’s successful … I’d always walk with a limp … but it could be an improvement. And the fact is, I’m ready to take a chance.”
“Lucas, is it dangerous?”
He hesitated just a second too long.