‘Relax, my dear Miss Granville.’ There was a trace of some European accent in her velvet voice. ‘You have had a
‘But I have so much I want to ask you,’ I appealed. ‘The late Damian Cavandish told me that you were the greatest psychic on the Continent.’
My claim drew laughter from the Dowager Countess. ‘What a delight you are, child,’ she said, and clasped her hands over her heart.
‘It’s true,’ I insisted. ‘He said that you were to be my tutor.’
The Dowager Countess Cavandish suppressed her delight. ‘Would that please you?’
‘It would be a dream come true, but—’ I looked at Nanny Beat.
‘Your servant would remain in your service, of course.’ The countess addressed our unspoken fear. ‘You would both have to move to Neith Manor, the Cavandish estate in Dumfries, of course. My nephew has persuaded me against returning to Europe, and has offered me our Dumfries residence to attend to the education of his daughter, Miss Susan Cavandish. In gratitude for your service, Lord Cavandish wishes to offer you the same education as his own daughter, who is only a year younger than yourself.’
Another child my own age to associate with! I could hardly contain my delight. When I further considered the Dowager Countess’ credentials, I could not believe fortune would favour me so. ‘Papa will never agree.’
‘Miss Granville, our meeting is no coincidence,’ the lady told me. ‘Rest your troubled mind, child…leave the convincing to me.’
As I suspected, Father would not accept Lord Cavandish’s gift, even at the risk of offending the earl. Besides being an expert in psychic learning, the Dowager Countess Cavandish knew Greek, Latin, French, Italian and even a little Hebrew. She was knowledgeable in mathematics, history, natural sciences and geography and she was very cultured when it came to the social graces such as dancing and music, both vocal and instrumental. Not to mention that she was a damn fine shot, although the Dowager Countess Cavandish preferred to hunt game than fox. Under different circumstances my father would have paid handsomely for such a private tutor for his daughter, but he was a stubborn man.
Once I had returned home to Suffolk, however, the Dowager Countess Cavandish and the Earl of Derby visited our manor to appeal my father’s decision. As fate would have it, Constable Forester arrived that same day to report to my father the findings of his investigation. As Father’s guests had been intimately involved with the incident, it seemed fitting that they remain present to hear the constable’s brief.
‘It is the opinion of our undertaker that all the wounds suffered by Dr Rosen were so angled as to have been self-inflicted,’ Forester said. ‘Dr Rosen’s personal physician confirmed that the old man was indeed dying. As the surgery tower is guarded and alternative access is impossible, we are satisfied with the Honourable Miss Granville’s account of the facts. We find suicide is the probable cause of death in this instance. The case is now closed, and I shall take up no more of your time. I bid you all a good day.’ The constable retreated to the door.
‘One moment, Constable Forester.’ The Dowager Countess Cavandish stood up to pursue the conversation, causing the gentlemen in her company to also rise to their feet. ‘What is being done to investigate the
The constable drew a deep breath; he’d obviously hoped to avoid that topic. ‘In order to exhume a body I must first have the family’s permission. I do not feel it proper to add to the grief of these families by explaining that we suspect their child was indecently abused and murdered! The doctor can do no more harm, so I think it better that this case is closed.’
All at once, there was knocking coming from everywhere: the walls, furniture, windows and floor. An invisible angry mob had stormed the room and their protest was deafening. The twin doors to the sitting room burst open wide and I stood motionless in the hall. The hammering stopped dead.
‘You tell them!’ I demanded of the constable, storming into the room to argue against his decision. ‘You tell those lords and ladies that they abandoned their problem children to an existence of torment!’ I was bordering on the hysterical. I couldn’t control the angry words spouting from my mouth. ‘You tell them how their children were raped and murdered by that disgusting pervert! Their deaths were never questioned, only welcomed by all involved.’
My father didn’t care what I’d been through; he wasn’t going to tolerate such vulgar talk from his daughter. ‘That’s quite enough!’ He grabbed my shoulder, only to receive an electric shock upon contact, which cast him clear across the room.
‘What the…?’ Constable Forester backed away from me as I turned my wrathful gaze back to him.
‘Miss Granville, you are being used,’ Lady Cavandish intervened. ‘Serving as a psychic channel can be most beneficial to others, but it is hardly a worthwhile practice if the service proves to be to your own detriment. You have done all you can for these children—’
‘No, the truth will be buried!’ I protested.
‘If the constable does not see fit to investigate, then you and I shall write an article to every major publication in the country, advising them of the whole affair.’ The countess glanced at the constable to note whether he was concerned at the threat. ‘But I shall only assist these children if they first agree to vacate your presence and leave you in peace. They may pester me, if they so wish,’ she concluded with a smile, which I eventually returned.
Waves of energy began to disperse from my body, one for every child, and these could only have been seen by the naked eye as wee bursts of air that left my hair and clothes billowing. As the last of the entities departed my form I felt substantially weakened. My knees went from beneath me and I collapsed to the floor.
Lord Cavandish, having assisted my father back to his feet, quickly came forward to scoop my body up and place it on the lounge. I hadn’t blacked out, but I allowed my eyelids to droop so that the adults would not think me conscious enough to overhear their discussion.
‘So,’ Lady Cavandish queried Forester, ‘what are your intentions, constable? Are you going to pursue this matter, or shall I?’
‘Perhaps suicide was a rather hasty diagnosis, judging from what I have just witnessed,’ Forester retorted. Lord Cavandish did not take kindly to the constable’s inference.
‘Are you implying that this extraordinary young woman was responsible for Dr Rosen’s death?’ The lord approached the constable to obtain an answer.
‘All things considered, I must concede the possibility,’ Forester affirmed.
