“Yes, I know, but that tonic is horrible. Never tasted anything like it.”
“I understand.” Miss Carter laughed. “Never liked tonics myself… Oh! Pippa’s here with Mr. Seymour. She told me to ask you if you’d like to go out with them if you’re feeling better.”
“What do they plan to do?”
“They plan on riding the horses to the stream beyond the meadow. I know you’d like that.” She looked at her pocket watch. “It’ll be four o’clock in twenty minutes. Time for them to have tea. You better drink your milk and tell them if you want to go along so that Pippa can tell Charles to get your horse ready too. They plan to go riding at half past four.” She smiled and left the room.
Hector was elated at the idea. He wanted to ride the horse that was gifted to him on his birthday two years earlier. He loved riding his horse, Lightning, in the fields and meadows around Fitzhugh Manor. His grandfather and father had been avid horsemen and so was his sister. The stables only had three horses remaining. Pippa and Richard would sometimes ride the horses when Richard visited Fitzhugh Manor.
He drank his milk, jumped out of bed, and ran to his mother’s room. He told her that he wanted to go riding with Pippa and Richard.
“Hector, you’ve only just recovered from fever,” Cora replied.
“I’m all right, Mother. You fuss too much. Please, Mother, I’m tired of being in the house all day,” said Hector showing his irritation.
Cora sighed and relented, but not before lecturing him on being careful because he was the heir to the estate when he came of age. She then told him to tell Miss Carter to get his riding clothes ready and to tell Pippa that he had permission to go riding with them.
Hector went and told Miss Carter to get his riding clothes ready. He was happy that he finally had his mother’s permission to get away and have some fun outside. Being the only heir was no fun for him. He was constantly being watched. He envied Pippa since she got to live in London in her own flat and did as she pleased. He was told that it was because she was older. Hector couldn’t wait until he was older and got out of the clutches of his mother and aunts. They did not understand a young boy like him.
He wished his father were alive. Hector barely had any memory of his father, but from what he was told his father was very stern, but also very kind and understanding. Pippa had a lot of loving memories of him. He also missed Harrow. Even though some bullies taunted him about his father being a turncoat, he still had a few friends his age and loved being around them.
Hector went downstairs to the living room and told Pippa and Richard that his mother had given him permission to ride with them. Pippa told him to change into his riding clothes and be ready by four-thirty, while she and Richard had tea together.
A few minutes after Hector left, Miss Carter came into the living room with a tray containing tea, fish paste sandwiches, and apples.
“It’s too hot in the living room, Miss Fitzhugh. The library is a lot cooler since I’ve opened the windows, so it would be nice to have tea in there.”
“I think Miss Carter’s suggestion is wonderful. Why don’t we do just that?” said Richard sarcastically.
Miss Carter looked at Richard and sort of snorted at him.
“Sure, Miss Carter. Richard loves looking at the collection of books we have in there. The library seems to be his favourite place in the manor.”
Miss Carter turned and walked away. “Just make sure that the books are not misplaced. I had to put Moby Dick back in its place.”
After Miss Carter walked away, Pippa turned to Richard. “I can’t understand why she doesn’t like you. Give her some time. Just like my aunts, she will also come to like you.”
“I suppose so. That old bird probably thinks I’m too old and not good enough for you.”
They both got up and walked out of the living room. Richard headed to the library, while Pippa went out of the manor and walked down the hill to the stables. She told Charles to get all three horses ready. Then she walked back up the hill and into the manor. Constables Jenkins and Barnaby greeted her at the front door. Pippa went to the library and saw Richard sitting on one of the armchairs, reading a book.
“Moby Dick? Didn’t you read it as a child, Richard?”
“No, but my father told me the story when I was young and I’ve always been fascinated by the story and about how the desire for vengeance can consume a person.”
“You better put it back properly since Miss Carter doesn’t like you misplacing the books. I didn’t know that you had started another book. I thought you were still reading The Count of Monte Cristo, which you started on Aunt Doris’ birthday.”
Before he could answer, the clock on the wall struck four and Pippa got flustered.
“Oh! We must hurry up and have tea. We leave when Hector comes down. Knowing Hector, we may be out riding for a long time and you may get hungry,” said Pippa, cutting an apple.
Richard got up and walked towards Pippa. She poured him a cup of tea and handed it to him. Richard held the saucer and it tilted, spilling tea on his shirt.
“Richard, what have you done? You will have to change your shirt or the stain will never come off,” said Pippa, sounding annoyed. She looked at her blouse and saw that some tea had also spilled on hers.
“Oh, how clumsy of me! I’m very sorry. Must be this heat.”
“Why don’t you change your shirt quickly? I’ll give it to one of the maids to wash or the stain won’t go away. I too must do the same with my blouse.”
“I don’t have another shirt. I’m afraid I may not be able to go horse riding with you.”
“I will ask Mother if she can give me one of Father’s shirts. She wouldn’t mind giving it to me if I asked.”
“It is too far to walk to the bathroom on the other side of the manor,” Richard said. “Let me remove the shirt here and give it to you. I’d better close the library door before your aunts see me without my shirt. I can sit by the window reading the book and finish my tea while you change your blouse and get me another shirt. You can be back here at four-thirty, in time to go horse riding as planned.”
Pippa agreed, walked out of the library, and closed the door. A few seconds later, Richard partially opened the door and handed his shirt to Pippa.
“See you at four-thirty, my dear,” she said, taking his shirt. She walked away while he closed the door.
— — —
Richard sat on the window sill drinking tea and eating the sandwiches and the apple that Pippa had cut for him. He continued reading Moby Dick when, all of a sudden, he heard someone speak.
“Hello there, Mr. Seymour. Everything all right?”
“Yes, Constable Barnaby. The library is very warm due to this nasty heatwave. Just need to be near the window to get some relief.” He then told Barnaby how he accidently spilled his tea and that Pippa had gone to get him another shirt and to also change her blouse.
“Yes, those stains are hard to get out if not tended to immediately. You don’t want those two old birds seeing you without your shirt though, especially Mrs. Endecott. That woman is…”
“Oh look, there’s Charles. Looks like he’s heading to the kitchen; hope he has our horses ready.”
Richard saw Charles looking at them. He waved at Charles, who waved back.
“Well, I will let you get on with your book,” said Barnaby. “I’m sure Miss Fitzhugh will not take long to get ready.”
Richard grimaced. “You know how women are. They always take their time.”
Just then the clock in the library started chiming.
“Is it four-thirty already? Pippa should be here… Oh, she’s knocking on the door
. Blimey! Time really flies when you’re reading or talking.”
Constable Barnaby nodded and walked away towards the side of the building.
— — —
Pippa knocked on the library door just as the clock began to chime, but there was no response.
“Richard, it’s Pippa. I have a shirt for you. It is four-thirty and we have to get going.” She knocked again.
“Coming, darling. Just talking to Constable Barnaby from the window. He just left.”
Pippa heard the sound of something hitting the ground. “Richard, are you all right?” Then she heard the sound of something breaking.
“Yes, darling, it’s just this confounded teacup. I accidently dropped it again and it broke.”
“You better clean up the mess. You know, Miss Carter will have something to say about it.”
Richard opened the door, stuck out his hand, and took the shirt. He closed the door and came out when he was dressed. Pippa went in and looked at the broken teacup on the tray, next to the other refreshments.
“No mess, darling, the cup was empty. I put the broken bits on the tea tray. Now… I have an idea that will cheer up Hector. Why don’t we go to the caves while we’re at the stream? I have the torch from the library desk in my pocket.”
Pippa nodded and looked at the clock. “We better leave. It’s getting late. Where’s Hector?”
They both walked out of the library and saw Hector coming down the stairs.
“Hector, don’t dawdle,” Pippa said. “It’s past four-thirty.”
Hector shrugged his shoulders. “Miss Carter delayed in bringing my riding clothes. She had an errand to run.”
“Richard, the shirt that I just gave you is drenched with sweat.”
“It’s hot in the library. I even sat on the window sill to cool off and it didn’t help.”
“So much for Miss Carter saying that the library is cooler due to the windows being open. The riding will cool you off… Come on, you two,” said Pippa, impatiently. Richard looked at Hector and rolled his eyes.
They walked out of the front door, past Constable Jenkins, and down the hill towards the stables. When they reached the stables, they found the three horses were already saddled, but there was no sign of Charles.
“I saw him walking towards the kitchen a while back. I waved at him while talking to Constable Barnaby.”
“He must’ve been summoned for an errand. We can take the horses out ourselves,” said Pippa.
Chapter 12: An Afternoon Canter
Dermot was having his tea when the phone rang. He picked up the receiver and listened.
“Dermot, there’s been another incident at Fitzhugh Manor,” said Inspector Enderby.
“Another murder?”
“No, probably an attempted murder. This time it is the boy.”
“Hector???”
“Yes, his saddle strap was cut. It came off when they were racing and Hector fell off the horse. Fortunately, he fell on some dried grass and he’s not badly hurt.”
“The poor chap. I’ll get there right away,” Dermot said.
Dermot changed and drove to Fitzhugh Manor as fast as he could. When he arrived, he saw a police car and an ambulance. He parked his car and got out. Inspector Enderby was waiting for him outside. He showed Dermot the saddle strap and he examined it. Inspector Enderby told him that he had already interviewed Richard Seymour, who had just left to catch the train back to London, and also Charles. Pippa was too distraught to talk and Hector was still being examined by Dr. Fielding. Dermot said that he would interview Pippa and Hector.
“Yes, they seem to like you. Maybe it is because you’re young,” said Inspector Enderby. Dermot smiled.
Inspector Enderby got into the car and drove off, taking the saddle to the police station. Dermot looked at his watch and decided to finish interviewing everyone before it got too late. He went into the manor and found Lilian Endecott sitting by herself in the main hall, looking sad.
“How’s Hector?” he asked her.
“He’s in his room. Dr. Fielding is with him. It was rank stupidity of Cora to allow Hector to ride the horse when he was not well.”
Dermot heard footsteps and saw Dr. Fielding coming down the staircase.
“How is he?” asked Lilian.
“The fall has shaken him quite a bit. His arm is sprained and he has a slight concussion since he hit his head on the ground, but he’ll be fine in a couple of days.”
“That’s good news. How are Pippa and Mrs. Fitzhugh?” asked Dermot.
“They’re both upset and in the drawing room,” said Dr. Fielding.
“Can I talk to Pippa?”
“Yes, but be careful what you say. She feels guilty about the accident since it was her idea to go horse riding,” said Dr. Fielding.
Dermot went to the drawing room and saw Pippa and Cora staring at the floor, looking worried. He told them that Dr. Fielding had assured him Hector would be all right and he saw them breathe a sigh of relief. He then proceeded to ask Pippa to tell him what had happened.
Pippa composed herself and sat up straight. “Yes, of course.” She cleared her throat and told Dermot about making plans with Richard to ride the horses to the stream and about Hector wanting to come along. She went to the stables to inform Charles about getting the horses ready. Dermot interrupted to ask her what time she returned from the stables.
“It was just before four. When I entered the library, I heard the clock chime and I told Richard to hurry up and have his tea. Richard was so engrossed in reading Moby Dick, that he didn’t notice the time. I was surprised that he was reading it because the last time he was reading The Count of Monte Cristo, which he had begun on the day of the birthday party.”
Dermot nodded as he made a note in his notebook. Pippa told him about Richard accidently spilling tea and that he decided to stay in the library while she took his shirt and got him a clean one. After she had changed her blouse, she got a shirt for Richard from Cora and went to the laundry room, but didn’t find Abigail. So, she went to the kitchen and found Alice and gave her the blouse and shirt to wash.
“So Abigail was supposed to be doing the laundry at that time?”
“Yes. Don’t know where she could’ve gone,” said Pippa.
Just then, Abigail entered the room with tea and biscuits.
“Ahh, Abigail, you’re just in time,” Dermot said. “How come you were not in the laundry room between four and four-thirty?”
“Miss Carter told me to give Constable Jenkins a glass of lemonade… Am I in trouble, Detective?”
“No, just asking where you were.”
Abigail nodded, placed the tray on the table in front of them, and turned to leave. Pippa continued and told Dermot about knocking on the library door and the clock chiming at four-thirty. Abigail suddenly stopped and looked at them.
“Anything the matter?” asked Cora.
“Um, no, Mrs. Fitzhugh.”
“Then go about your duties, Abigail,” said Cora firmly. Abigail walked away, while Cora muttered “Silly girl” under her breath. Pippa went on to tell Dermot about hearing Richard accidently dropping the teacup.
“So, you heard two noises?”
“Yes, Richard told me the teacup fell on the floor and when he was picking it up he dropped it again and it broke. He was just being clumsy again. He then opened the door quickly and took the shirt from me. When he finally came out, the shirt he was wearing was drenched with sweat.”
“Must be the heat in the library,” said Dermot.
“Yes. Hector came downstairs and we
went to the stables. Charles wasn’t there, but the horses were ready to be taken out. Richard told me he saw Charles leave the stables and go into the kitchen. So we took the horses and rode into the meadow towards the stream…”
Pippa reached for her teacup and drank from it. She put it down gently, composed herself, and continued.
“… After we crossed the meadow, Richard suggested that we race towards the stream to see who would reach the caves first. I wasn’t keen because the terrain is very unstable and rocky. However, Hector said that nothing would happen and it was just a short distance. Hector loved the idea and so I reluctantly agreed, thinking it would buck him up.
“We began racing and Richard winked at me as if to suggest that I should let Hector reach the end first. He’s very fond of Hector, but I suppose due to his recent illness and the murders, Hector seemed despondent. So I let him gain speed and ride ahead. Suddenly, the saddle came off and Hector’s leg got caught in the reins. Hector’s head hit the ground and the horse dragged him for a few feet. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
“I raced towards him, got off the horse, and held Hector in my arms. He was motionless, but I could see that he was breathing. Richard rode over and told me to go fetch help. I felt Hector squeeze my hand, wanting me to stay with him. I told Richard to ride back and get help. He was hesitant, but being the understanding man that he is, he went back and brought help.” Pippa started crying. “I should never have agreed to that race.”
“It’s not your fault,” Dermot said. “The strap of the saddle was cut. When Hector rode the horse fast, the saddle came off and he fell off the horse. It is just providential that he didn’t fall onto the rocks.”
“You mean to say that it was deliberately cut?” asked Cora.
“Yes, that’s what we suspect. I examined the strap and it looks like it was cut with a knife.”
Cora and Pippa gasped at the new revelation.
A Bloody Hot Summer Page 10