That night Mr Dodd went to Black Pockrington and, having first collected Miss Deyntry's car from the old lime kiln, drove to Hexham to inform Mr Bullstrode that he and Dr Magrew were required next day at the Hall to certify the sworn statement of Lockhart's father that he was indeed responsible for Miss Flawse's pregnancy. He then returned the car to Divit Hall.
Lockhart and Mr Taglioni sat on in the kitchen while the Italian learnt his lines. Upstairs Mrs Flawse struggled with her own. She had made up her mind that nothing, not even the prospect of a fortune, was going to keep her lying there in wait for a similar end to that of her husband. Come hell or high water she was going to get loose from the bed and absent from the Hall, and not even the thought of being pursued by the Flawse pack would deter her from making her escape. Unable to express herself vocally because of the gag, she concentrated on the ropes that tied her to the iron bedstead. She pushed her hands down and pulled them back over and over again with a tenacity that was a measure of her fear.
And in Hexham Mr Bullstrode pertinaciously tried to persuade Dr Magrew to return with him to Flawse Hall the next morning. Dr Magrew was not easily induced. His last visit had had a quite remarkable adverse effect on him.
'Bullstrode,' he said, 'it does not come easily to me in my professional capacity to reveal the confidences of a man I have known so many years and who may and indeed probably is at this moment on his deathbed, but I have to tell you that old Edwin had harsh things to say about you when last I beard him.'
'Indeed,' said Mr Bullstrode, 'he was doubtless rambling in delirium. You cannot rely on the sayings of a senile old man.'
'True,' said Dr Magrew, 'but there was a certain precision about some of his comments that didn't suggest senility to me.'
'Such as?' said Mr Bullstrode. But Dr Magrew was not pre-
pared to say. I will not repeat slander,' he said, 'but I am not of a mind to go back to the Hall until Edwin is either dead or ready to apologize to you.'
Mr Bullstrode took a more philosophical and financially advantageous view of the matter. 'As his personal physician you know best,' he said, 'but for myself I do not intend to forgo my professional fee as his solicitor, and the estate is a large one and will take a good deal of winding up. Besides, the will is sufficiently ambiguous to provide fertile ground for litigation. Now if Lockhart has found his father I doubt very much if Mrs Flawse will not contest the issue and the pickings of such a lengthy court action would be considerable. It would be foolish after so many years amicable acquaintance with Edwin to fail him in his hour of need.'
'Be it on your own head,' said Dr Magrew. 'I will come with you but I warn you there are strange occurrences going on at the Hall and I care not for them.'
Chapter eighteen
He liked them even less when the following morning Mr Bullstrode stopped his car at the gated bridge and waited for Mr Dodd to come and unlock it. Even at this distance Mr Flawse's voice could be heard cursing the Almighty and blaming him for the state of the universe. As usual Mr Bullstrode's point of view was more pragmatic.
'I cannot say I agree with his sentiments,' he said, 'but if as you assert he has said some unkind words about me it would appear that I am at least in good company.'
He wasn't ten minutes later. Mr Taglioni's appearance did not inspire confidence. The taxidermist had been through too many inexplicable horrors to be at his best and while Lockhart had spent half the night seeing to it that his 'father' was word perfect in his new role, drink, fear and sleeplessness had done nothing to improve his looks. Mr Taglioni's clothes too had suffered. Provided by Lockhart from his grandfather's ward-
robe to replace the bloodstained garments the taxidermist had been wearing before, nothing fitted at all precisely. Mr Bullstrode looked at him with dismay and Dr Magrew with medical concern.
'He doesn't look a very fit man to me,' he whispered to the solicitor as they followed Lockhart into the study.
'I cannot express an opinion on his health,' said Mr Bullstrode, 'but the word fit does not apply to his apparel.'
'It doesn't apply to a man who is shortly to be flogged within an inch of his life,' said Dr Magrew. Mr Bullstrode stopped in his tracks.
'Good Lord,' he muttered, 'that stipulation had quite passed out of my mind.'
It had never entered Mr Taglioni's. All he wanted to do was to get out of this dreadful house with his life, reputation and money still intact.
'What are we waiting for?' he asked as Mr Bullstrode hesitated.
'Quite,' said Lockhart, 'let us get on with the business.' Mr Bullstrode swallowed. 'Would it not be more proper to have present your grandfather and his wife?' he inquired. 'After all the one drew the will and last testament up and the other would appear to be about to be deprived of those benefits she would otherwise have received under it.'
'My grandfather has stated that he does not feel up to leaving his bed,' said Lockhart and waited while Mr Flawse's voice made fresh inroads into, this time, Dr Magrew's professional reputation. 'I think I can safely say the same for my step-grandmother. She is at present indisposed and naturally my father's appearance here today, with all its consequences for her financially, might be said to chafe her more than a little.'
It was no more than the truth. A night spent rubbing the ropes that bound her hands up and down against the iron bedstead had indeed chafed her but she still persisted while down in the study Mr Taglioni repeated word for word what he had been taught. Mr Bullstrode wrote down his words and was in spite of himself impressed. Mr Taglioni stated that he had been employed as a casual labourer by the Waterworks at the time and being an Italian had naturally attracted the attention of Miss Flawse.
'I couldn't help it,' he protested, '1 am Italian and English ladies, you know how English ladies like…'
'Quite,' said Mr Bullstrode who knew what was coming and wasn't prepared to listen to it. 'And so you fell in love?' he continued to improve upon the singularly distressing tastes in the matter of foreigners displayed by the late Miss Clarissa
Flawse.
'Yes We fall in love. You could put it like that.' Muttering to himself that he wished to hell he couldn't Mr Bullstrode wrote this down. 'And then what?' 'What do you think? I stuff her.'
Mr Bullstrode wiped his bald head with a handkerchief while Dr Magrew's eyes blazed lividly at the Italian.
'You had sexual intercourse with Miss Flawse?' said Mr Bullstrode when he could bring himself to speak.
'Sexual intercourse? I don't know. We fuck. Right? First I fuck her. Then she fuck me. Then-'
'So help me God someone else is going to fuck you if you don't shut up,' shouted Dr Magrew. 'Now what I say wrong?' asked Mr Taglioni. 'You…' Lockhart intervened. 'I don't think we need go into any further details,' he said pacifically. Mr Bullstrode expressed his fervent agreement. 'And you are prepared to swear on oath that to the best of your knowledge you are the father of this man?'
he asked.
Mr Taglioni said he was. 'Then if you'll just sign here,' Mr Bullstrode went on and handed him the pen. Mr Taglioni signed. His signature was witnessed by Dr Magrew. 'And may one ask what your present occupation is?' Mr Bullstrode asked inadvisedly.
'You mean what I do?' said Mr Taglioni. Mr Bullstrode nodded. Mr Taglioni hesitated and then, after so many lies, decided to tell the truth. Before Dr Magrew could get at him Lockhart had hustled the Italian out of the room. Behind him Mr Bullstrode and Dr Magrew were left speechless.
'Did you ever hear the like?' said Dr Magew when at last his palpitations had abated somewhat. 'The bloody swine has the gall to stand there and…'