Deadly Inheritance (17 page)

‘It is unbecoming of someone with pretensions to being a gentleman to press his attentions on unwilling females.’

‘Ho! What makes you think all the so-called gentlemen at Mountstanton behave themselves?’ Mr Snell’s tone was full of innuendo and an abhorrent slyness.

The Colonel looked steadily at him for a long minute, then turned away as the storekeeper came out carrying a small, battered travelling case and tucked it in beside the picnic basket on the trap.

The Colonel thanked the man, helped Maggie up onto the seat beside Ursula, then climbed up and took back the reins. He gave a small salute to the storekeeper and drove off down the street.

‘Miss Grandison, may I introduce Maggie Hodgkiss, a member of the Mountstanton staff. Maggie, Miss Grandison has arrived from America with the Countess’s sister, Miss Seldon.’

Ursula smiled at the girl, but she seemed too distressed to take in the introduction.

‘How is your mother, Maggie?’ continued the Colonel. ‘I hope, since you have returned to us, that she is better.’

The girl held herself very straight. ‘Thank you, sir, she is much recovered.’ Then she gave a small gulp and said in a completely different tone, ‘Oh, sir, is it true what Mr Snell told me about Polly? Is she truly dead?’

‘I am afraid that, yes, it is true.’

She gave a cry. ‘How did it happen, sir?’

‘What exactly did Mr Snell say to you, Maggie?’

The girl clutched her hands together. ‘He …’ she gave another gulp. ‘He said I was not to expect to find my friend, Polly, at Mountstanton because she had suffered a … a grievous outrage … and was dead.’ She ended on a sharp cry and brought her hands up to her mouth. ‘What did he mean, sir? How did Polly die?’

The Colonel glanced at Ursula.

She took one of the girl’s hands in hers. ‘I’m so sorry, Maggie. She seems to have fallen down that steep hill from the wood into the river. I … well, I found her.’

Two astonished brown eyes looked into Ursula’s. ‘
You
, miss?’

Ursula nodded. ‘It is very sad. I think, though, to call it “a grievous outrage” is a little strange.’

‘Do you know Mr Snell well, Maggie?’ asked the Colonel.

She shook her head violently. ‘Polly and I were with Miss Ranner one afternoon and he called, so she introduced us.’ She gave a slight shudder. ‘As Polly and I walked back to the house, we both said that he was a queer fellow all right.’ Her hand clutched at Ursula’s and she swallowed hard. ‘Mr Snell was there when I arrived on the Salisbury coach. He grabbed me after I’d asked Mr Partridge if he’d look after my case and said what I told you. He came straight out with it. I was that shocked I didn’t realise at first he had hold of my wrist. I mean, Polly dead! I can’t hardly believe it.’

The rain was now falling in earnest.

‘Get the rug out of the picnic case, Miss Grandison; it can shelter you and Maggie,’ the Colonel ordered.

Ursula reached for the basket. She pulled the rug over both her and Maggie’s heads. ‘I’m sorry, Colonel, it’s not large enough to include you.’

He gave her a quick grin. ‘My men would have thought me unworthy of respect if I succumbed to being wrapped up against a light shower of rain.’ He flicked the reins to encourage greater speed from the horse. ‘I’m not going to suggest we shelter under the trees, this is going to get much worse and we’re not far from home now.’

Despite the rug, Ursula began to feel the rain seeping through her clothes. She smiled at the servant girl. ‘I hope you’re not feeling too cold, Maggie?’

The maid gave her a nervous smile. ‘It’s much better than walking through the woods, miss, and it’s very kind of you and Colonel Charles to give me a lift.’

‘Tell me, Maggie,’ said the Colonel, ‘Who was Polly’s young man?’

The brown eyes opened wide. ‘What do you mean, sir?’

‘Come on, Maggie,’ he said gently. ‘You’re not going to tell me a girl as attractive as Polly didn’t have a young man to tell her how beautiful she was? Or that she didn’t confide in you her feelings for him.’

Another nervous smile from Maggie. ‘Well, Colonel Charles, you never knew with Polly. One moment she’d be saying John had sworn he loved her and the next that there was someone else but she couldn’t tell me his name. Loves a bit of a mystery, does Polly. I mean … she did. Oh, sir, I can’t believe she’ll not be there when we get back.’

‘Did she not give you any idea who the mystery man might be? Drop you a hint, get you guessing at all?’

‘Is it important, sir?’

He glanced at her. ‘It could be, Maggie. It could be very important.’

She closed her eyes for a moment, as though that would help her to remember. ‘Before I left she was very mysterious, more than ever I knew her.’ There was a brief hesitation. ‘Polly did say, though, that I’d be fair amazed when I heard what she had to tell – and that I could find myself curtseying to her. Only, she said it in such a way, I knew it was a joke. I mean, we used to say every now and then that a prince might appear and carry us off and that we’d live in splendour, like what you do at Mountstanton, sir, if you don’t mind my saying it. We didn’t mean anything by it, not really.’

He gave her a reassuring smile. ‘Why shouldn’t you dream, Maggie? Life’s hard enough; without our dreams we’d find it insupportable.’

Did the Colonel have them? Ursula wondered. He’d left the army, what was he intending to do now? Was it anything connected with Mountstanton? Is that why he was so concerned about its staff? Or was it that he considered them part of his family and felt a duty towards them?

The horse increased its speed as the shelter of the stables drew near.

On arrival in the yard, a groom dashed out to hold the horse. The Colonel jumped down and helped Maggie descend.

‘Thank you, sir,’ she said and reached for her case. But he’d already got hold of it. ‘I can take it now, sir, thank you,’ she gasped as he swung it down.

The Colonel, though, instructed a stable lad to take the case up to the women’s corridor. Then he retrieved the crutches and helped Ursula and the dog down. Maggie ran into the house as a footman came out with an umbrella. The Colonel took it and held it over Ursula’s head. ‘I hope you aren’t too wet, he said as she limped towards the house.

Ursula laughed. ‘I should tell you about the number of times I was soaked to the skin in the Sierra Nevada. No one held an umbrella for me then.’

‘I look forward to hearing your Californian exploits.’

It seemed that the rapport established between them had returned. Then Ursula realised how much it had come to mean and told herself to be careful.

The Colonel left her at the back door and returned to the stables, no doubt to see that the horse was properly looked after.

Passing the kitchen area, Ursula looked in and complimented the Chef on the excellent picnic. When she reached her room, she found Sarah had brought up a big jug of hot water and had lit her fire.

‘Colonel Stanhope requested it, miss,’ she said, dipping a little curtsey. ‘He said you and Maggie were wet through.

Removing the damp clothes and washing herself down with the hot water was instantly reviving. Ursula wrapped herself in the big towel Sarah had draped by the fire, now crackling nicely and bringing welcome warmth, then sat to dry her hair. Finally dressed in a muslin gown and with her hair arranged into what she hoped was an elegant chignon, Ursula realised it was time for tea. The family would be gathering in the drawing room. In the nursery, Mrs Comfort would be having her afternoon refreshments. Perhaps Mrs Parsons, the housekeeper, would also take the opportunity of a break from her duties and this might be the time to engage her in conversation.

Ursula made her slow, careful way downstairs.

In the hall the duty footman assured her the housekeeper was likely to welcome a visit at this time and gave directions for her office. Ursula passed through the green baize door into the servants’ area and eventually found a door with ‘Housekeeper’ painted on it. The upper half was glass but Mrs Parson’s privacy was guarded by a curtain hanging on the inside.

Just as Ursula was about to knock, she heard someone sobbing and turned to leave. A small gap in the curtain showed Mrs Parsons with an arm round a bitterly crying Maggie Hodgkiss.

Ursula made her way to the drawing room. Inside were the Earl and the Countess, the Dowager Countess and the Colonel. No Harry, no Belle, and no Mr Warburton. Tea had been served.

The Colonel was relating how he had found Maggie Hodgkiss in the uncomfortable company of Mr Snell.

‘Quite apart from upsetting Maggie, the man seems to be making vague accusations about Polly’s liaisons,’ he was saying as Ursula entered.

‘Liaisons?’ repeated the Dowager Countess. ‘Really, Charles, I wish you would leave your coarse army language behind when you are at home.’

There was a sudden rush of red and white fur as Honey ran towards Ursula and sat hopefully before her.

‘Ah, Miss Grandison,’ said the Dowager graciously. ‘I see you have formed a warm friendship with my dear Honey. It is most kind of you to exercise her.’

Unseen by his mother, the Colonel gave Ursula a wink and said smoothly, ‘Since Miss Grandison’s unfortunate accident, I, too, have been responsible for exercising your animal, Mama.’ He came forward and helped Ursula to sit in a comfortable chair, placing the crutches beside her.

This attention was met with tightened mouth and a look of disapproval from the Dowager.

Helen sat by the fireplace. She was looking particularly lovely in a rose chiffon dress trimmed with heavy lace. Her blonde hair was piled elaborately on her head, an ivory comb inserted on one side. She had some delicate embroidery in her hand and stitched with the air of someone who had mentally retired to some other place.

As soon as Ursula was settled, the little spaniel looked ready to jump up on her lap, but the Dowager said, ‘Honey,’ in a sharp voice and the dog retreated to the shadow of her mistress’s black silk skirt.

‘China or Indian tea, Miss Grandison?’ asked the Colonel.

‘No need to do that, Charles, the footman will be back soon,’ instructed the Dowager.

‘I am well able to pour a cup of tea, Mama,’ said the Colonel in a pleasant tone and raised a questioning eyebrow at Ursula.

‘China, please, Colonel Stanhope.’

A moment later she was supplied with the fragrant tea and a cucumber sandwich. ‘I see ready money was available,’ she murmured to the Colonel.

He grinned delightedly. ‘A devotee of Mr Wilde!’ he said, returning to his chair, situated some distance from both his mother and his sister-in-law.

The Dowager turned impatiently to her elder son. ‘So, Richard, who is this Snell fellow? Do I know him?’

The Earl was standing by the window, surveying the garden. To Ursula he looked even more bored than usual.

‘Snell, Mama? He’s been here a few years. Moved into that little cottage at the end of Hinton Parva, the one that stands on its own.’

‘It matters not to me which cottage he inhabits, I want to know what sort of man dares make such personal remarks about us.’

‘Hugh Snell moved to Mountstanton when he retired from his position as secretary to the Dean of Wells, Mama,’ said the Colonel as his brother failed to provide any further information. ‘I believe he was persuaded to retire early.’ His tone was matter-of-fact.

The Dowager pounced. ‘You mean there is something unsatisfactory about the man? He committed some malfeasance?’

‘I mean the Dean finally found his presence insupportable.’

‘Do you think Snell will insist on giving evidence at the inquest?’ the Earl suddenly asked.

A footman entered bearing a tray of fresh tea.

‘Evidence?’ Helen looked up, her delicate eyebrows curved in surprise. ‘At the inquest? Surely Snell is just a gossipmonger, he can’t have seen anything, no matter what he says. Richard,’ she added, as though some memory had just come back to her, ‘Isn’t he the man who made such a fuss about some repairwork he felt necessary on his cottage? I remember him accosting you in Hinton Parva in a most unpleasant way. Wouldn’t accept that the work could only be done at his expense.’

There was an awkward silence for a moment as the tray was placed on a table, then the Dowager said, ‘Thank you, James, we can serve ourselves.’

‘Yes, my lady.’ The footman exited smoothly from the room.

‘Really, Helen,’ said the Dowager, ‘How could you be so indiscreet?’

Helen gave a little shrug. ‘Don’t you claim that the servants always know everything? Why do you try to hide things from them?’

Ursula wondered how difficult Helen found it to have her mother-in-law behaving as though she still ruled Mountstanton. ‘Has an inquest been arranged?’ She asked.

The Earl seemed to come to life. ‘That ba—,’ he broke off. ‘Sorry, Mama. That bumped-up strutting turkey cock, Squire – as he insists on being addressed – Adenbrook, how Papa allowed him to be appointed Chairman of the Magistrates I will never know; anyway, he has arm-locked the coroner into announcing that a public inquest will be held the day after tomorrow.’ Veins stood out on his forehead and a tic flickered in his left eyelid. ‘Just when I thought that we’d sorted the whole matter out.’

‘Perhaps, Richard,’ said the Colonel quietly, ‘if you hadn’t insisted on taking the hunt over Adenbrook’s land after his protest, the man would be more amenable.’

A silence fell in the room, broken only by the crackle of the fire. Helen added a new thread to her needle; the Colonel poured himself another cup of tea. The Dowager took a deep breath and said, ‘Richard, I approve of your sentiments but there is no point in getting agitated about the matter. The law has to take its course.’

‘Law be …’ He walked across the room, then returned and took control of himself. For the first time he acknowledged Ursula’s presence. ‘I am afraid, Miss Grandison, that not only will you be required to give evidence regarding the finding of the body, but a policeman will call tomorrow to take a statement. I told that damn coroner it was inappropriate that you, Mrs Comfort and Mrs Parsons should be expected to attend Hinton Parva police station, which is what Adenbrook insisted would be correct. How the man survives as a magistrate I cannot conceive.’