When Mrs Cuff entered her dimly lit room,she rubbed her hands together and tried to put on a smile; Edward could seethat it was all in an attempt to make him feel at ease, although he feltanything but at ease. ‘Don’t tell Mr Risler, but I shall certainly belighting a small fire tonight,’ she said with a quiet laugh.
Edward smiled. ‘What is it youwanted to see me about, Mrs Cuff?’ he asked, willing her to get on withwhatever she had to say.
‘Take a seat. I just wanted to seehow you were getting on…since Mary left.’
‘Not very well,’ Edward answered flatly ashe sat opposite her in the gloomy room.
‘It must be very hard for you. Andfor her sister.’
Edward nodded. ‘It’sunbearable. We’ve looked everywhere for her. At great expense, poorEdie’s even had Mary’s picture copied and sent it to all the major shippingports to ask them to search their passenger records. She’s contactedcarriage companies, charabanc companies. The local police have all butclosed their case because of that wretched letter from Scotland.’
‘You never did believe that she was inScotland, did you?’
Edward shook his head vehemently. ‘Never. I know you did, but—’
Mrs Cuff interjected. ‘Well, that was whyI wanted to speak to you.’
Edward looked puzzled but remained silent.
‘I did believe the letter,yes. I hoped the letter was genuine—desperately, in fact.’ She took a pause and stared at Edward, as if unsure of whether toproceed. ‘It reminded me all too much of Florence McDougall.’
‘Who’s she?’
‘A young lady who worked here just beforeyou started. Lovely girl, she was.’
‘What happened to her?’ Edward asked, justas a ferocious gust of wind rattled the window, making them both jump.
‘She disappeared.’
‘Oh,’ Edward said flatly. ‘Was sheever found?’
Mrs Cuff nodded. ‘Unfortunately,yes. She turned up a few days later. They found her dead in thelake here.’
‘That’s awful,’ Edward said lookingshocked. From what Mrs Cuff had said earlier, he didn’t like the sound ofwhere this conversation was going.
‘It was awful. The poor girl…’ hervoice trailed off, as if she were unable to vocalise the past. She shuddered. ‘The coroner ruled it as suicide and the unfortunate episode passed. Timemoved on as it always does, taking with it any uncertainties about thesituation.’
‘What kind of uncertainties?’
‘Nothing specific. It was only whenMary disappeared that it set me wondering. You see, Mary looked a lotlike Florence, which I thought was just a coincidence, but then it got methinking back to Mary’s interview: she didn’t have one. Edith wasinterviewed and found suitable for the job, then Lady Rothborne stepped in andoffered it to Mary instead. I mean no offence to Mary, but she didn’treally have the right experience to be a housemaid, unlike Edith. Then,when she disappeared I remembered Florence…so, I was relieved when Mary hadwritten a letter to say she was well and in Scotland.’
‘You sound as though you’ve had a changeof heart,’ Edward said.
‘I have. I didn’t know if I shouldtell you or not…but, after Florence…’
‘Please, Mrs Cuff—you have to tell me.’
Mrs Cuff sighed, accepting that she wasabout to start a chain of events over which she would have littlecontrol. She lowered her voice to the point that Edward had to leanforward to hear what she was saying. ‘I overheard something yesterdaythat made me sick to my stomach. I couldn’t quite believe it and spentall of last night tossing and turning, unable to shake it from my mind. It’s too unbelievable.’
‘What did you hear?’ Edwardimplored.
Mrs Cuff took a moment and he could seethat her hands were trembling slightly. ‘I heard Mr Risler saying thatthe plan had worked. He said that he had posted Mary’s letter fromScotland to her parents to make it look as though she was there.’
Edward gasped. ‘So she was never inScotland?’
Mrs Cuff shook her head solemnly.
Countless questions and thoughts spedthrough Edward’s mind. His firm belief that Mary would never have runaway to Scotland without him was right. Risler had posted theletter. But why? Who was he working with? ‘Who was MrRisler talking to?’
‘Lady Rothborne.’
‘What? I don’t understand,’ Edwardsaid loudly. ‘Why would Lady Rothborne and Mr Risler want to lock Maryaway?’
‘Edward, be quiet,’ Mrs Cuff urged.
‘Sorry. I don’t understand.’
Mrs Cuff leaned closer. ‘Did youknow that Mary was pregnant?’
‘Pregnant? Are you sure?’
‘Absolutely. I’ve seen her with myown two eyes.’
‘But… that’s not a reason to lock someoneup! I’m going to marry her. She’s not the first unwed girl for thatto happen to…’
‘I don’t think that what’s happened isthrough moral condemnation.’
‘Pardon?’ Edward was truly lost.
‘I think that she’s being used as asurrogate. Her baby will then be given to Lord and Lady Rothborne.’
‘But that’s not right,’ Edwardprotested. ‘Mary would never agree to that!’
‘That’s why I’ve told you. I fearthat poor Florence was being used in the same way and that didn’t end well forthe poor girl.’
Edward failed to comprehend all that hehad just heard. He wanted to scream and cry and shout, but most of all,he wanted to find Mary. ‘Do you know where they’re keeping her?’
Mrs Cuff shook her head. ‘Somewhereon the estate. There can’t be too many places.’
Edward leapt up, jettisoning his chairbackwards.
‘Wait, Edward,’ Mrs Cuff called, just ashe reached the door. ‘Listen to me, when you find her you both need togo—you need to leave Blackfriars forever. Maybe even leave Winchelsea fora while; I don’t think either of you are safe here.’
Edward nodded. It suited him to getaway anyway. He would find Mary, go back to her house to pack, thenonwards to his house. The vicar of Winchelsea might still have themarriage licence that he had asked for upon his return from Scotland. They could marry quickly, then head off somewhere together as man andwife. As he went to leave the room, Edward turned back to Mrs Cuff. ‘Thank you.’
She smiled and watched as he darted alongthe corridor. Her smile faded as a deep dread and foreboding washed overher. She listened to his heavy footsteps travelling down the corridor tothe Butler’s Room, where she knew Edward would find Mr Risler. Mrs Cuffstood up, closed the door and slumped backwards with
