clever, you see, and being in the position he was in … well, it made him able to look out for himself. He’d do what was best for himself at the time … and I reckon he’d be the one to know what was best.”
“I was in the inn … The Sailor King. Mr. Lucas and I had something to eat there. The woman there seemed to think he was guilty.”
“That would be Sarah Marks. What does she know? The old gossip. Thinks just because she’s the wife of the landlord she knows everything. It’s all for a bit of gossip with her. She’d tear
anyone’s reputation to bits if it gave her something to talk about. I know her… and I know Simon. I’m ready to stake my life in his innocence.”
“Oh, Nanny, where do you think he is?”
“Well, there’s no knowing, is there? He got away all right. He’ll be biding his time.”
“You mean he’ll come back when he’s found some light to throw on the affair?”
“I think that could be.”
“Would he write to you … do you think?”
“He might. He’d know it would be safe enough with me. On the other hand, he wouldn’t want me to be involved. Isn’t there something in the law about that?”
“I believe it’s called being an accessory.”
“That would be it. Though
I warmed towards her. She was an ally. I had lured her to talk. And after that I was often in the nursery when the children were asleep, so that I could chat with Nanny Crockett.
My friendship with the twins was growing. Jennifer had marked me as hers and had assumed a proprietorial attitude towards me, which gave me a great deal of pleasure. I was treated to confidential details about her dolls. I learned of their foibles, of the good ones and the bad ones. There was Reggie the bear who would not take his medicine, and one-eyed Mabel she had lost an eye in some mysterious accident -who was afraid of the dark and had to be taken into Jennifer’s bed at night. I invented adventures for them to which both children listened entranced.
The time was passing too quickly and I was not looking forward to going away; but of course we should have to leave before long.
Felicity was getting restive, but she did feel that our being there was good for me. and for Lucas, and being the unselfish creature she was, she curbed her own wishes and rejoiced for us.
Even she could not guess how much good it did me to be near Simon’s home and especially to discover Nanny Crockett’s involvement. Felicity was just happy to see me with Lucas and my enjoyment of the nursery.
Then one day events took a dramatic turn.
The day began ordinarily enough.
At breakfast the talk was about the heavy rainfall during the night and it turned to old Mrs. Gregory, the mother of one of the farmers.
“I owe her a visit,” said Theresa.
“It’s nearly a month since I was there. She will be thinking I have deserted her.”
I gathered that Mrs. Gregory was bedridden and her great treat was to have a visitor who would chat with her. Theresa, with her knowledge of neighbourhood affairs, was especially welcome. She told me that she visited the old lady as regularly as she could, taking some little gift of cakes or sweets or a bottle of wine anything she felt might please her. But the great thing was to stay for an hour or so and chat.
“Then,” put in Carleton, ‘there’s that little matter of the Masons’ roof. If you get an opportunity, you might drop in and tell them that Tom Alien will be along this week. “
“I’ll go over in the trap this morning,” said Theresa.
It was a pleasant morning, blandly mild . not too hot, ideal for riding. Lucas seemed mpre light-hearted than usual, and we took the road towards Upbridge.
He looked at me and smiled.
“Your favourite ride,” he said.
“I believe old Snowdrop goes there automatically with out waiting for instructions. I think you have a morbid mind and are fascinated by that murder.”
“It’s a pleasant road,” I said.
That day I really did feel that I was making progress. We were a few miles from Upbridge and had decided we would turn back or we should be late for lunch. We could go on and have something at The Sailor King, but as we had not mentioned that we should not be back, we thought we had better return.
We were passing along a narrow winding road when we turned a bend and saw right ahead of us a shepherd with a flock of sheep blocking the road. We pulled up and watched and as we did so a rider came up behind us. It was a young woman of remarkable good looks. Her black riding hat was set jauntily on her red hair and her long green eyes, heavily black-lashed, regarded us with the amused look people usually wear when confronted by such an obstruction.
“The hazards of country life,” she said.
“Which we must accept,” replied Lucas.
“Have you come far?”
“From Trecorn Manor.”
“Oh … you must be Mr. Lorimer who was shipwrecked.”
The very same. And this is Miss Cranleigh who was shipwrecked at the same time. “
“How interesting! I’m Mirabel Perrivale.”
“How nice to meet you. Lady Perrivale.”
I was so overcome that I could only marvel. She was decidedly beautiful. I could imagine how impressed they must all have been when she came among them.
“Thank the sheep,” she said.
“Oh hello … they’re nearly off the road.”
We moved forward. At the end of the lane the road branched in two directions. She took the one to the left; we turned right.
“Good day,” we said and she had gone.
“What a beautiful woman,” I said.
“So she is Mirabel… the femme fatale.”
“And looks the part, you must admit.”
“I do. Indeed, I could do nothing else. How strange to meet her like that.”
“Not really. She lives close by.”
“And when you mentioned Trecorn she knew who you were.”
“Well, I’m as notorious in my way as she is in hers. The survival of a shipwreck is worthy of a little notice … it’s not like being concerned in a murder case, it’s true, but still it is something.”
When we reached Trecorn Manor one of the grooms came running out.
“There’s been an accident,” he said.
“Accident?” cried Lucas.
“Who?”
“It’s Mrs. Lorimer. The trap … they’ve just brought her back.”
It was a house of mourning.
Early that day Theresa had been full of life, now she was dead. We were all too stunned to take in this tragic truth.
Apparently she had paid her visit to Mrs. Gregory and delivered her gifts; she had chatted with her for an hour and then left. On her way to Mason’s farm she had taken the hilly path. It was a road she had taken many times and had not been considered dangerous. But there had been heavy rain and there was a sudden fall of earth from the hillside. It must have fallen right in front of the horse, which took fright and bolted, taking the trap down the slope into the valley below. And thus Theresa had been killed and Trecorn Manor had become a tragic household.
Felicity said to me: “I’m glad we’re here. Not that we can do anything to comfort Carleton. They were so happy together … so suited … and what on Earth will he do now?”
