I chose an afternoon. Perhaps she would be resting, but it was a quiet time of the day and I wanted as few people to know of our meeting as possible. She might refuse to see me but if she did I might get a chance to talk to her and if she were in a mellow mood perhaps I could make some progress. I might hint at Charles’s motives. So much would depend on how I found her.
I felt great trepidation as I rang the bell and I was ushered in by a parlourmaid. Mrs. Aldringham, I was told, was in her room. The maid would see if she were sleeping or if she could receive me.
After a few moments I was taken to Julia’s bedroom. She was sitting on a chair by the window and she smiled when she saw me.
“Do come in, Lenore.”
“I hope you are not resting.”
She shook her head. “I was going to lie down … but it doesn’t matter.”
She was in a peignoir of her favourite violet which matched the colour in her cheeks. She may have been drinking but she was by no means drunk.
I saw the inevitable decanter and a used glass on the table near her bed.
“I’m glad you came,” she said. “I wanted to talk to you. I have been so worried about you … and Drake.”
“Julia, there is nothing to be worried about. Drake and I are good friends … that’s all.”
She shook her head. “He thinks a lot of you, I know.”
“He’s married to you, Julia. If only you …”
“Yes,” she said, “what?”
My eyes had strayed to the decanter.
“I know what you mean,” she cried. “Stop drinking. I try. I do … for a time and then I have to go back to it. I can’t help it. I just have to.”
“If only you could. …”
“Do you think that would make any difference?”
“I think it would make all the difference.”
“How can it when he is in love with you?”
“You’re his wife, Julia. That’s important.”
“No. It was always you … even when we were children it was you he liked.”
“But he married you. It was what you wanted. You ought to be happy. If you would only try … stop drinking … do all you could to help him in his career instead of. .
She began to cry. “I know. It was a terrible thing I did. He will never forgive me. You won’t either.”
“I do understand your distress, Julia, but if you would only be reasonable … try to understand him… . He’s ambitious. He could go far. Everyone seems to think so … and all this is spoiling his chances.”
“Charles says I should divorce him.”
”If you did that you would lose him.”
“I know.”
“Surely that’s the last thing you want.”
She hesitated. “I don’t know. Sometimes I get angry and it all seems different. I hate him then. I want to hurt him … as I’ve been hurt. Charles says I should be happier if I did.”
“It’s for you to decide what you want… not Charles.”
“Charles has always influenced me. I’ve admired Charles. Philip was so gentle. But Charles was the man of the world. He married Helen. They are not even good friends but he doesn’t care in the least. He’s quite happy with the arrangement. He is blatantly unfaithful to her and yet he seems to enjoy life. I wish I were like Charles … not caring.”
”You wouldn’t want to be like that.”
“Oh, I should. I couldn’t care then whether Drake loved me or not … I’d be like Charles. I’d take lovers. He doesn’t care in the least. He’s having a love affair with that Italian woman now.”
“Do you mean Madalenna de’ Pucci?”
“Yes, that’s her. He sees a great deal of her. She’s always in and out of this house. And she’s in his rooms. I believe he has given her a key so that she can come in when she pleases.”
“Really … but it’s your house.”
“It’s Charles’s home when he’s living here. Oh, he’s deeply involved with her. Charles is so sophisticated. He’d never get hurt like this. I wish I were like him.”
“You must not let him influence you, Julia. Your life is in your own hands.”
“Sometimes I think Charles is right. Then sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I think I don’t care. I just want to hurt Drake as he has hurt me … and then at others it all seems different.”
I said: “You would ruin his career and your life at the same time.”
“I know … I know. I say I mustn’t and then I say I will. I’m wretched so everyone else shall be too.”
“Oh, Julia, I wish you’d drink less and be like you used to be.”
“It’s so comforting. You’re miserable and then you feel you don’t care … and after you feel quite merry and that nothing matters. But sometimes you feel so wretched you could end it all… not only for yourself but for everyone else.”
“Julia, it’s not too late… .”
“Isn’t it?” she asked eagerly. “Isn’t it?”
“Really, Julia, it isn’t.”
”I’ll talk to Charles tonight. I’ll tell him I’m going to try. I’ll be a good wife to Drake. I’ll help him. That’s what I always wanted to do. Yes, I’ll tell Charles tonight. I’ll tell him I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to be different. I’m not going to drink … so much. I’ll wean myself from it. You can’t do it quickly … not when you’re as involved as I am with it. Yes, I shall talk to him tonight.”
“Always remember, Julia, I want to be your friend.”
“Oh, I know. I know, Lenore.” She was near to tears. “I’m going to be different. I’m going to tell Charles tonight that I won’t do what he suggests. I’m going to try and be a better wife to Drake. I’m going to make him love me. …”
I rose to go. I went to her and kissed her. I said: “Don’t get up. I’ll let myself out.”
As I came into the street I told myself that the meeting had not been in vain.
But by the next morning Julia was dead.
The days which followed are like a grotesque nightmare in my memory. I kept telling myself that I must wake up and find that I was dreaming.
The cause of Julia’s death was established. She was found in Charles’s sitting room. He had had his own little suite of rooms in the house since the fire; they comprised a bedroom, a dressing room and a sitting room, and although they were part of the main house and were situated at the end of the first floor corridor, there was a back staircase which led only to them. Because of this they were especially private. Julia had given them to Charles so that he could feel a little apart until he was able to make arrangements as to where he would live.
The valet—who had saved him at the time of the fire—had told Julia that Charles had said he would be home round about seven o’clock.
Julia had gone to his sitting room as she wished to talk to him without delay. There she intended to wait for him. She must have seen the decanter and found it irresistible. Julia’s passion for drink had killed her. Her death had been instantaneous. When Charles had come in, he had found her dead. It seemed that she had drunk poisoned sherry which must have been meant for Charles.
When I heard the news I was overcome with shock. I had to get away from everyone to think clearly what this could mean. Someone had tried to poison Charles and Julia had died instead.
Grand’mere came to talk to me alone.
“My dear child,” she said, “what does all this mean?”
“They meant to kill Charles,” I whispered. “They did not mean to kill Julia.”
“Why should anyone want to kill Charles?”
“He must have had many enemies. He is not a good man. He is wicked…mischievous… . He likes to make trouble.”
Grand’mere was looking at me intently. “Tell me everything, Lenore,” she begged. “Don’t keep me in the dark.”
So I told her how he had pursued me, how he had had me followed to Parsons Road, how he had tried to persuade Julia to divorce Drake and cite me as the reason.