Виктория Холт - The Captive

I could see that she would need but little prompting to overcome her qualms of conscience, and I continued to prompt her.

“Yes, of course,” I said.

“And I dare say everyone was discussing it all at one time.”

“My goodness yes. That’s a fact.” , “You were saying you’d seen a thing or two.”

“Oh … I don’t know. It was just that I noticed one or two things … so it didn’t surprise me at all when she turned to Tristan. People said it was on the rebound … and poor things they comforted each other. Well, you know what people say …”

She was frowning slightly. She was, I think, trying to remember how much she had said.

“Her ladyship and me … we used to have some fun together. She’d tell me everything … two girls together, that’s what we were like and then of course she’s changed since Cosmo’s death. You wouldn’t believe how it’s aged her. It’s a long time since I’ve had a chat like this. Well… I’d better take a look at her. Catnaps, that’s what she takes. Then she’ll wake up suddenly and want to know what’s going on.”

She rose and went to the door. I was hoping that Lady Perrivale would not have woken up, for the conversation with Maria had been very interesting and illuminating. I had always been aware that servants knew as much as anyone did of the family’s secrets perhaps even more.

I heard a peevish voice: “Maria … what’s happened? Wasn’t someone coming?”

“Yes, you wanted to have a chat with the governess. She’s been waiting here for you to wake up.”

“I am awake.”

“Now you are. Well, here she is. Miss Cranleigh …”

Lady Perrivale smiled at me.

“Bring a chair, Maria, so that she can sit down.”

The chair was brought.

“Close to me,” said Lady Perrivale, and Maria complied.

We talked for a while but I could see that her mind wandered. She was not nearly as lucid as she had been on

the night of the party, and was not sure which of the governesses I was; and then suddenly she remembered I was the successful one.

She talked about the house and told me what a state it had been in when she came and how she had repaired it and given it a new lease of life.

After a short while I saw her head nodding and she fell into a doze.

Quietly I rose and looked for Maria.

She said: “It’s not one of her good days. She had a bad night. I’ll bet she was wandering about in the dark … looking for something which isn’t there.”

“Well, I must go now, and I did enjoy talking to you.”

“I hope I didn’t say too much. Got carried away by having someone to talk to for a bit. You must come again. I’ve always enjoyed a bit of a gossip.”

“I will,” I promised.

I went back to my room. It had not been a wasted afternoon.

A message from Lucas was sent to the house.

He was back and wanted to see me as soon as possible. I could not wait for the meeting and soon after I received the message was in the parlour at The Sailor King with him.

“Well,” he said.

“I’ve made some discoveries. I think Miss Kate must be romancing.”

“Oh, I’m glad of that. I should have hated to think Lady Perrivale had murdered her first husband.”

“It seems that this Thomas Parry was a sailor.”

“That’s the one.”

“He married a Mabel Tallon. She was a chorus girl.”

“Lady Perrivale, a chorus girl!”

“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.”