“Such a silly thing to do! Playing about the roof of the castle.”
“I was not playing. I was lured up there by some murderer.”
The marchioness shook her head. “The trouble with you young gels is that you will read cheap romances.”
“But it happened!”
“Now, you don’t really know what you are saying. There is no reason for you to burden the police with silly stories. That awful Kerridge person is on his way.”
“I will tell him exactly what happened,” said Rose firmly.
“This house party was a mistake,” said Lady Hedley, half to herself. “But he thought it would be amusing.”
“Lady Hedley,” ventured Rose, “could you not possibly prevail on your husband to do something for his villagers? Their living conditions are dreadful.”
The marchioness looked at Rose as if she had just dropped in from another planet. “God puts us in our appointed stations, my dear. God put the villagers there. I heard you were intelligent. You appear very silly.”
And with that parting remark, Lady Hedley left the room.
Rose’s next visitors were Maisie Chatterton and Lady Sarah Trenton. Lady Sarah said she was very sensitive and had felt a
“Lord Hedley is saying that it is nothing but a theries of accidents. You were playing on the woof and fell off, Colette twipped and fell in, and Mary took too much arthenic,” lisped Maisie.
“Are the police here?”
“Yes,” said Sarah, “asking questions and questions.”
“I thought they would have been to interview me,” said Rose.
“That local inspector from Creinton, he wanted to,” said Sarah, “but Hedley told him you weren’t fit.”
“I am not a child!” said Rose. “What is all this nonsense about me playing on the roof?”
“Well, you do do such odd things,” said Maisie. “Some of us think you are thweet on Captain Cathcart and you fell in so that he could wescue you.”
“What balderdash! Please leave me. My head is beginning to ache.”
When they had gone, Rose said, “No more visitors, Daisy, unless it is the police.”
¦
Superintendent Kerridge arrived from London that evening and asked to see Harry after he had endured Lord Hedley’s tales of how innocent eveiything was.
This time, the detective superintendent had commandeered the marquess’s study.
Kerridge had received a report from Posh Cyril about Harry’s skill in solving the problems of the aristocracy.
“Sit down, Mr. Fix-It,” he said grimly. “Begin at the beginning and go on to the end.”
Harry talked steadily for half an hour, leaving nothing out. When he had finished, Kerridge said, “So you aren’t trying to help Lord Hedley hush this up?”
“I can’t,” said Harry. “There is a dangerous murderer loose in this castle. If he is not caught soon, there will be another murder.”
The door burst open and Lord Hedley strode in. “This is disgraceful!” he spluttered. “There’s a reporter and photographer from the
“Not anyone in Scotland Yard, I can assure you.”
“You can’t keep anything like this hushed up,” said Harry. “You’d better give them a statement.”
“Damned if I will.”
“They’ll talk to the villagers.”
“Anyone who speaks to the press will find himself without a roof over his head.”
“And that would make a good story,” said Harry wearily. “‘Wicked Aristocrat in Castle of Death Punishes Innocent Villagers’.”
“I am not talking to the gutter press, and that’s that!”
The marquess stormed out.
“To get back to business,” said Kerridge. “I have men dragging the moat.”
“For the maid’s suitcase?”
“Yes, I think it was probably thrown in after her. The preliminary examination seems to indicate she did not die from drowning but from a severe blow to the head. To speed things up this time, I have a squad of detectives interviewing the guests and the staff.”
“I think a policeman should be put on guard outside Lady Rose’s door. I don’t think our murderer will try anything with all of you in the castle, but I would like to be sure.”
Kerridge turned to Inspector Judd. “See to that, Judd.” He turned back to Harry. “I am told Lady Rose is too ill to be questioned.”
“I think you will find, on the contrary, that she is anxious to see you. There is a rumour circulating that she was so enamoured of me that she threw herself in the moat so that I would rescue her.”
“Only a cloth-head would believe that!”
“Oh, you’ll find plenty of those.”
Kerridge got to his feet. “I’ll see Lady Rose now.”
¦
In Rose’s bedroom, Kerridge pulled up a chair next to the bed and sat down. “I must say, you look remarkably well, considering your ordeal,” said Kerridge. Harry, who had insisted on accompanying him, sat on the other side of the bed.
Rose told her story and ended by saying, “I know you must think I am stupid not to have told anyone. I thought it might turn out to be one of the servants.”
“Have you any impression of the person who pushed you?” asked the superintendent. “Height?”
“No, it all happened so quickly. I was lucky. If I hadn’t been pushed so violently, I might not have dropped clear of the castle walls, and if Captain Cathcart hadn’t arrived to rescue me, I would have drowned.” She held up her small white hands. “Useless,” she said bitterly. “Utterly useless. I can’t swim. I can’t do anything. I am weary of dressing and undressing. That is all I am expected to do. Spend hours at the dressing-table preparing for the next lavish meal.”
“Now, my lady,” said Kerridge. “You have been very brave. It must be difficult for you.”
“I always feel as if I am outside of them all, surveying some elaborate play and I do not know my lines,” said Rose.
“I think Lady Rose really needs more rest,” said Harry anxiously. “I think she is suffering from delayed shock.”
“Sounded to me like a burst of intelligence,” said Kerridge. “men I think…”
“Yes, yes,” said Harry impatiently. “Long live the revolution. But Lady Rose really needs to recover.”
“You come with me,” said Kerridge to Daisy. “Won’t,” said Daisy. “I’m not leaving her!”
“There’s a policeman on duty outside the door,” said Harry. “It’s all right, Daisy. The superintendent won’t keep you long.”
¦
Kerridge led Daisy into the study. He began to ask questions but then just sat back and listened, enthralled, as Daisy told him everything that had happened since she had arrived at the castle with Rose – the hauntings, the ouija board, Margaret’s affair with Lord Hedley, her belief that Colette knew something, the journey to see Quinn – all the little bits and pieces neither Rose nor Harry had told the superintendent.
When she had finished, he said, “What amazes me, Miss Levine, is that there is no atmosphere of fear in the castle. No one, apart from yourself, Lady Rose, and Captain Cathcart, seems in the least concerned.”
“You’re right,” said Daisy. “Lady Sarah will faint given the opportunity, but it’s all an act.”
“But
“Because they really think it will turn out to be a series of accidents. Because violent things only happen to the lower orders. The murderer must be feeling uneasy.”
“I hope so. Take good care of your mistress. She’s a brave girl.”
¦
