Death of a Lady (The Inspector Felix Mysteries Book 1)

by R. A. Bentley

  Miss Fripp shook her head. 'Thank you, sir, but I don't mind; memories are all I've got. You heard about Lady Genny fainting?'

  'Yes, I did. What about the wedding breakfast? Were you there?'

  'In and out, sir. I was fetching from the kitchen, and taking back the dirties.'

  'Did you wait at table?'

  'No, sir.'

  'And what about during the dancing?'

  'I helped with the drinks.'

  'I should think you'd have been glad of a stiff one yourself by then.'

  'I don't get much chance for that, sir. Christmas, sometimes.'

  Felix smiled sympathetically. 'I don't suppose you happened to notice your foreign gentleman again?'

  'No, sir. I think I'd remember if he'd been there. I can't say for certain he was foreign, sir.'

  'No, that's all right. Did you notice Lady Genny dancing with anyone surprising or unusual?'

  'Oh no, sir; I needed to keep my wits on what I was doing. But if there'd been anyone like that, the whole room would have remarked on it.'

  'Yes, I suppose they would. What about the bride-bothering. Where were you then?'

  'Still on the drinks, sir, until Mr Legg – that was the old head butler – told me to go and sit down. We didn't know anything was wrong until quite late.'

  'And finally, can you think of anyone who didn't like Lady Genny or who ever complained about her?

  Miss Fripp smiled sadly. 'No, no-one, sir. She was a lovely girl and everybody loved her. Was she killed, sir? Murdered, I mean.'

  'We don't know, Miss Fripp, but we're going to find out.'

  'Poor woman,' said Felix when she'd gone. 'She sounds depressed. I suppose this business has brought it all back.'

  'She's probably not the only one,' said Rattigan. 'Weddings and funerals do that at the best of times. What about this foreign chap? You were hoping Lady Genny might have fainted because she saw someone, presumably?'

  'Well it was just a thought. Interesting that he left early, whoever it was.'

  'Caught short?'

  'Yes, I suppose so. Or a reporter, perhaps, chasing a deadline. Let's have the valet in.'

  'Do sit down, Mr Merriman. Smoke? How is His Grace now?'

  The Duke's elderly manservant accepted without demur the proffered cigarette, suggesting that he felt himself above the butler's prohibition. 'He's all right, sir, thank you. He's having a little nap.'

  'Mr Merriman, am I right in thinking there's little to be gained by my interviewing him? I shouldn't want to distress him to no good purpose.'

  Mr Merriman shook his head sadly. 'I doubt there would be, sir, to be honest. He understands what you say to him well enough, but he can't seem to keep hold of it for more than a minute or two. His mind just wanders off. He's been worse since they found Lady Genny, sir — much worse.'

  'So he does understand about that?'

  'Oh yes, sir, I'm sure he does, underneath. But he forgets that he does, if you take my meaning. It's tragic really.'

  'Hard for you.'

  'Yes it is, but we soldier on. We've been together a long time, sir.'

  'How long would that be, exactly?'

  'Nearly fifty years, sir — from November eighty-three.'

  'Before he was married?'

  'Oh yes, sir. We were a couple of young bucks together. It was such fun. We used to get into no end of scrapes.'

  'I can imagine. I understand that he and the Duchess keep their own courts, as it were. Do they see much of each other?'

  Mr Merriman briefly shook his head. 'No, sir.'

  It was clear that the man wasn't going to expand on that, so Felix moved on. 'Well now, in the absence of the Duke we're hoping you can fill the gap and give us your reminiscences about the night of the wedding. Were you with him for much of the time?'

  'Yes, sir, a good deal of it, or within call. I was doing little errands you know, passing messages and so on. Or just attending on him.'

  'Can you give me some idea of what he did, after he returned from the church?'

  'There were photographs, sir, inside and out, and he was greeting guests and chatting to them, right up until they took their places at table. He gave his speech, of course, and very good it was too, and after the meal he moved among them again, particularly, of course, the Marquis and his family. Then when the bride-bothering began he entertained the Groom and best man in the gentlemen's smoking room, as was traditional.'

  'Were you there, in the smoking room?'

  'Yes, sir.'

  'Who else was there, in addition to the Duke and Viscount Rempstock?'

  'His best man, Mr Sidney Lomas, sir, and Lords George and Andrew.'

  'And Major Mortimer?'

  'No, sir. Lady Mortimer was ill in hospital. He attended the service then went straight on there. He did come back later, but I'm not sure when.'

  'And did they all remain in the smoking room, until eleven o'clock?'

  'No, not at all, sir. The Duke mostly did, but other gentlemen would come and go.'

  'Did that include Lord Rempstock? Leaving and returning, I mean?'

  'I believe he may have at one point, sir, for the usual reason, you know. I don't recall when. Then towards eleven o'clock we made our way severally back to the ballroom. Some of the gentleman wanted to dance, of course.'

  'When would that have been?'

  'I should say from about ten-thirty, sir.'

  'What about the Groom?'

  'He was the last to leave, sir. He joined us shortly afterwards.'

  'And when would that have been?'

  'A little after eleven.'

  'Why did Lord Rempstock remain on his own in the smoking room?'

  'It seems he had agreed to wait for Lady Genevieve there. They would then have arrived in the ballroom together.'

  'For how long was he alone, do you suppose?'

  'Perhaps half an hour. I should say, sir, that it would have been difficult for him the leave the room unseen during that time, if that's what you are wondering. The ground floor smoking room is a little way down the north gallery, and to get anywhere in the main house, it would have been necessary to pass through the hall, which was seldom completely unoccupied.'

  'Point taken, Mr Merriman. What did you think had happened to Lady Genny at the time?'

  'In the continuing absence of a body, I thought – we all thought – that she must have run away. It seemed the only explanation, sir.'

  'Yes, that seems to have been the general view. You know, it occurs to me to wonder with whom people thought she'd absconded — a lover, for instance. Were names named, do you know?'

  Mr Merriman smiled and shook his head, 'No-one who knew Lady Genevieve, sir, would believe she had a lover. If she was in love with any living thing, it was her horse.'

  'Not even with Lord Rempstock?'

  'No sir, I don't believe she was. I'm a bachelor, but my life has not been without romantic attachments and I think I know a woman in love when I see one. It was, I consider, a marriage of convenience.'

  'How did Lord Rempstock react to Lady Genny's disappearance?'

  'He seemed bemused, then angry, then distraught, as we all were. I wouldn't wish to suggest, sir, that he wasn't fond of her, or she of him. He was deeply upset.'

  'Did you help in the search?'

  'I helped to coordinate it, sir, on behalf of His Grace and Their Lordships. That is, until the arrival of the police.'

  Felix glanced at his papers. 'Which was at about two-thirty.'

  'Yes, sir.'

  'Thank you, Mr Merriman, you've been most helpful. I had best let you get back to the Duke.'

  'I wish I shared his insight into women,' chuckled Rattigan, 'how useful it would be!'

  Felix looked at his watch. 'Perhaps when we're his age, all will be clear. Still, he means well, and his recollections are probably accurate. With all that coming and going, we probably can't rule out anyone who was in the smoking room; not without a good deal of cross-questioning anyway. I suggest
we have Miss Yates in and call it a day. They must surely have finished with the trunk by now and John will want to develop his plates.'

  If the lady's face accurately reflects her character, thought Felix, we are probably not going to get on.

  'Good morning, Miss Yates. Thank you so much for coming to see me. Won't you sit down? I understand the servants are not permitted to smoke in the house, but I promise not to tell, if you'd like one.'

  Miss Yates eyed the proffered cigarette case with distaste. 'No sir, we're not. And I don't want one, thank you. I don't care for them.'

  'Very sensible, stunts your growth. Now then, your full name is Hannah Lucy Yates, and you came here in eighteen ninety-eight, aged fourteen. Is that correct?'

  'Yes, sir.'

  'What were your duties at that tender age?'

  'I was a tweeny, sir.'

  'And now you're Her Grace's personal maid?'

  'Yes, sir.'

  'So you've moved up in both senses of the word. That's very impressive.'

  'I hope I've given satisfaction, sir.'

  'I'm sure you have. Now, what we're trying to discover, of course, is exactly what happened on the night, and indeed the day, of Lady Genny's wedding. We're interviewing everyone who was here then, hoping to build up as complete a picture as we can. Were you already Her Grace's personal maid at the time?'

  'Yes, sir, I was.'

  'That must have kept you pretty busy. Did you have anything to do with Lady Genny at all, on that day?'

  'Yes I did sir. I helped to get her dressed, and I attended her at the church.' 'What about her own maid? Miss Brown, was it not? Wasn't she able to do that?'

  'Her Grace told me to take over Miss Brown's duties, sir.'

  'Why was that?'

  'That's hardly my place to say, sir. I was told to put myself at Lady Genevieve's disposal and I did so.'

  'Don't you know what happened to Miss Brown?'

  'I didn't say I didn't know, sir. I said it wasn't my place to comment on it.'

  'Miss Yates, the reason I'm asking you is because Miss Brown left Her Grace's employ just hours before the wedding. Were you involved in that incident at all?'

  'I'm not sure what you mean, sir.'

  'Well, did you, for example, suggest to the Duchess that Miss Brown was not doing her job properly, or couldn't be trusted to do so? There must have been some reason for her leaving, especially on such a day.'

  'Miss Brown gave notice. It was her choice to leave.'

  'But you did complain about her?'

  Miss Yates looked suddenly defiant. 'Yes, sir, I did. And I think you know that I did, because I told Chief Inspector Cobb so.'

  'I should have preferred to hear it from you, Miss Yates. What was the nature of your complaint?'

  'I had frequently to complain. It was not the first time. She was impossible. She was impossible that day. I felt I had no choice.'

  'And what did she do, or not do, on that occasion?'

  'She encouraged Lady Genevieve to go riding, on her wedding morning!'

  'I see. Was that forbidden? It doesn't seem a very heinous crime.'

  'No, not forbidden, but she came back hot and — ' Miss Yates paused, and two little spots of colour appeared on her cheeks. 'She came back barely two hours before the ceremony, sir. It made things very difficult.'

  'But could Miss Brown have stopped her from doing that? Surely she was there to carry out her mistress's orders, not to govern what Lady Genny should or should not do?'

  'Miss Brown stood at the window and waved as Lady Genevieve rode by. She seemed to find it amusing. She constantly encouraged her in foolishness. She was a bad influence. Her Ladyship was easily led and she took advantage.'

  'Were they close, then? Were they friends, so to say, as well as mistress and maid?'

  'In her eyes they were. She had ideas above her station. She styled herself Lady Genevieve's companion. She wasn't a companion, she was employed as a maid, yet she expected other people to do her work.'

  'So what happened, after you complained?'

  'The Duchess required Miss Brown to come and see her.'

  'Were you there?'

  'Yes, I was.'

  'Will you tell me what was said?'

  'It's no secret. Her Grace said that Miss Brown would not be following Lady Genevieve to Hoddersham as she wasn't suitable. Miss Brown represented that she should be allowed to do so. When Her Grace refused, Miss Brown said that in that case she was handing in her notice forthwith.'

  'Is that all? Did she say nothing else?'

  'There was a heated exchange, sir. I was ashamed that Miss Brown should address the Duchess as she did. The Duchess said that if that was her attitude, she could not in all conscience provide her with a character and that she should pack up and leave with immediate effect.'

  'And did she?'

  'I don't know, sir. No-one saw her again until the carrier in the village picked her up that afternoon.'

  'And did Lady Genny see Miss Brown again, after your complaint?'

  'Not to my knowledge, sir.'

  'Was she told? What did she make of it?'

  'She was upset, quite needlessly, and on her wedding day too. Her Grace had personally to help me get her ready.'

  'But if you hadn't complained about Miss Brown, she'd have had no cause to be upset, would she? Did Lady Genny reproach you for what you had done?'

  'It was for her own good!'

  'But did she?'

  'Yes, sir.'

  'Rather a shame for you, wasn't it, as things turned out? It sounds as though you didn't like Miss Brown. Is that the case?'

  'No, I didn't. No-one did. She was rude, arrogant and standoffish. She seemed to consider herself above the rest of us. I was glad to see her go, if I'm honest.'

  'Thank you, Miss Yates; it's always good to be honest. What did you do for the rest of the day? Did you go to the church?'

  'Yes, I attended Her Grace and Lady Genevieve.'

  'Oh yes, you said. That must have been a heavy responsibility, to attend both ladies at once.'

  'Yes it was. Lady Genevieve was nervous and overwrought, and in the church porch she all but fell down. I had to administer smelling salts.'

  'I see. Did she, in fact, faint?'

  'Yes, sir. I believe she may have done, for a moment. The Duke and Mr Pearson prevented her from falling and sat her down. After a few minutes she was able to go on.'

  'And to what do you ascribe this fainting fit, Miss Yates?

  'Wedding nerves are not uncommon in a bride, sir.'

  'So I'm told. And afterwards, when she returned from the church as Lady Rempstock, how did she seem to you then?'

  'Happy. Happy and smiling, as she continued to be throughout the day.'

  'Did she dance, at the reception?'

  'Certainly she did.'

  'Did she dance with other men?'

  'Yes, of course.'

  'Would you be able to give me a list of them?'

  'Perhaps a few. I paid little attention to the dancing.'

  'Thank you, Miss Yates. You might care to put that in hand for me. And then came the bride-bothering. Tell me, how is it arranged?'

  'The chief bridesmaid organises it. She gathers together some other young ladies and the bride is told she has the count of a hundred in which to hide. The others then follow and attempt to catch her.'

  'And if they catch her, the groom has to pay a forfeit. Is that correct?'

  'Yes, sir.'

  'But she wasn't caught. In fact, she never returned. Have you any suggestion as to what happened next?'

  Quite suddenly, Miss Yates stood up. 'No, sir, I have not. If you'll excuse me, sir, I should like to go now.'

  Felix stood and opened the door for her. 'That's quite all right, Miss Yates. Thank you for helping us.'

  There was a little squeak outside, and they heard Sergeant Nash say, 'Sorry, miss, my fault. Are you all right?'

  'Well that's a nasty piece of goods,' said Rattigan. 'M
akes you warm towards witch-drowning.'

  What was all that about?' asked Nash, coming in. 'She was crying.'

  'I find it a comfort to know that under that sour and sanctimonious exterior beats a human heart,' said Felix. 'I wonder what she's hiding?'

  'It's a comfort to me to find anyone hiding anything,' grumbled Rattigan. 'It hasn't been a very productive morning, has it?'

  'To the extent that it has,' mused Felix, 'it seems to centre on Miss Brown's mysterious departure. More work to be done there, I think. How's the alchemy going?'

  'All finished, sir. Paul is just packing up.'

  'Right! Let's find a nice, homely boozer and sink a few pints. Then I'm going to grill a detective superintendent.' He tapped the paper in front of him. 'I rather wonder, you know, if this is his entire report. It's a bit thin to my mind.'

  Pausing beneath the scaffolding at the tradesman's entrance, Felix stared, bemused, at his sergeants' choice of transport. 'And what, pray, do you call this — a fag packet?'

  'We've had all the jokes thank you, sir,' said Nash, tartly. 'It was all they had, and it's a long walk.'

  'She's an Austin Seven, sir,' said Yardley.

  'So I perceive. A pal of my mother has one. She, however, is rather smaller than your average copper.'

  'She's all right once you're tucked in, sir. She handled the floods very capably and we've had her up to forty-five, downhill.'

  'Not with me in it, you won't,' said Rattigan, peering into the back. 'And where am I supposed to go? You'd scarcely get a child in there.'

  'We might have to starve you a bit, Teddy,' admitted Nash. 'But that's no bad thing.'

  'Cheeky young whelp!'

  'You can sit in the front and I'll drive, said Felix resignedly. 'Come on.'

  'It'd be a bit tricky for me in the back,' said Nash. 'What with all my photography equipment.'

  'And what about my equipment?' complained Yardley.

  Felix sighed. 'Isn't there a boot? No, I suppose not. Rattigan take his camera and tripod. You can nurse the rest between you.'

  'You first then, Paul,' grumbled Nash. 'You're the littlest.'

  Yardley attempted to fold his substantial frame into the back of the car. 'I don't think it can be done, frankly. Maybe we could make two trips.'