A Gilded Grave

by Shelley Freydont

  “To the servants’ door, I bet,” Elspeth groused.

  “Hush.” Deanna turned to Will so quickly that he barely managed to wipe the grin off his face.

  “You did that very well,” he said.

  “I’ve had the best training,” she said ruefully.

  Will smiled. “Yes. One look from your mama and even Satan would turn tail and run.”

  “So, what did you learn?”

  “I believe that’s my question.”

  “Is he dead yet?” Elspeth asked.

  “Swan? He’s at the hospital with a guard. He hasn’t regained consciousness but he’s still with us. At least when the guard checked in with me twenty minutes ago. But”—he held up a finger and turned to make sure the door was fully closed—“I think we can keep his condition to ourselves.”

  “Oh, yes,” Deanna said. “Just what Elspeth and I were thinking. If the note was a fake—”

  “What note?”

  “The suicide note that Elspeth found.”

  “Elspeth.” Will stuck out his hand.

  She reached into her pocket and, holding it by the edge, put the note on the table before him.

  “Why didn’t you tell me about this earlier?”

  “Well, I didn’t want everyone to overhear, did I? ’Cause if we keep it secret, then the person who tried to kill him will be listening for that bit of detail. And when they don’t hear it being talked about, they’ll get nervous and slip up. Then we’ll catch them.”

  “Where do you get these ideas?”

  “Well, wouldn’t they?”

  “They might. But don’t you go trying to press them into doing something desperate.” Will leaned over the note. “I suppose you two handled it while you were studying it for clues.”

  “Yes, but we were careful not to disturb any fingerprints.”

  That startled Will into a crack of laughter. “Is that what they do in those adventure stories you’re so fond of?”

  “Yes, and Mr. Sherlock Holmes, too,” Elspeth said. “He can tell all sorts—”

  “Yes, thank you. I’ve read Mr. Conan Doyle’s stories.”

  “Can you do all the things he does?”

  “Me personally? Probably not. Theoretically, the department could, if we had the money and time—and the inclination—which, alas, we do not. Now, tell me again exactly what happened.”

  Elspeth told him. And finished with, “Did you take the bottle of liquor?”

  “The rum? Yes, we did, and yes, initial tests show that it contains some kind of poison. The hospital is running more tests to see what kind. Hopefully your quick thinking saved his life.”

  “That’s nothing; everybody knows to stick your finger down a little one’s throat when he swallows something he shouldn’t.”

  “I’d hardly call Swan little.”

  “No, but I used more than one finger.”

  Will grimaced. “Poor man.”

  “It wasn’t too much fun for me, neither.”

  “No.”

  “Will he be okay?” Deanna asked.

  Will shrugged. “Too early to tell. However, I haven’t made anyone in the house aware of the incident. I’m sure the staff will gossip, and I’ll come to give a report to Manchester in the morning. Until then, mum’s the word.”

  “And what about Mr. Woodruff’s tonic?” Elspeth asked.

  Will looked startled. “What about it? Do you think he’s being poisoned, too?”

  Elspeth looked at Deanna and she took up the story.

  “He hasn’t been well since he returned home. At first everyone assumed it was seasickness, but it’s lingered. And then, two nights ago, he rushed into the house like a crazy man, Will—I mean Sergeant—”

  “Never mind. How was he acting crazy?”

  “He ran in, saying he had to get to the library, and his face, it was all contorted. Fortunately, Madeline was there. She helped him upstairs, and he went with her, completely docile. It was odd,” Deanna said. “Then Charles came in looking for him, and finally Lord David. It seems that Mr. Woodruff was running from both of them.

  “Later in the night there was a commotion, and Elspeth and I followed one of the servants to Mr. Woodruff’s bedroom. He was thrashing about and the bedcovers were on the floor. He was out of his head, fighting and ranting. They had to hold him down while Mrs. Woodruff mixed medicine into a glass. She forced him to drink it and he calmed down after that, but he hasn’t awoken since.”

  “And you think Mrs. Woodruff might be poisoning her husband?”

  “No. But—”

  “We saw it in a magazine,” Elspeth blurted out. “The one that Daisy was reading when she was killed. You showed him that cover, didn’t you, miss?”

  Deanna nodded.

  “Well, it was a man in the book, but the maid saw it; she was standing in the doorway and she saw the whole thing. And Daisy must have seen it, too, and that’s why she got killed.”

  “Elspeth, that’s just a story.” Will looked over to Deanna.

  “As crazy as it sounds, Will, it makes a certain kind of sense.”

  Will nodded. Deanna could tell he was tired and had no patience for their story. But she also knew he was listening and would think about it later.

  “And Claire was killed,” Deanna voice cracked, “because she talked to us.”

  “Okay, supposing just for the sake of argument that Daisy did see something and Claire knew about it. Why try to kill Swan?”

  “To keep him from talking,” Elspeth said, exasperation heavy in her voice.

  “Maybe Swan also saw something he shouldn’t have. Or maybe he knows who killed the maids. He warned us to leave.” Deanna shuddered at her thought. “He said something evil was going on in this house. And I think he’s right.”

  “So do I,” Will said. “And I wish the two of you would remove to somewhere else.”

  “I can’t until Mama comes home”—or Aunt Harriet arrives—“and besides, you need someone on the scene.”

  Will stood so fast that his hat, which had been balancing on the edge of the table, fell to the floor. “Dee! How can I get you to understand?”

  “I do understand. This is not a game. I’m aware of that. Two young women have been murdered, and Swan may make the third victim. We’re all scared. You think Elspeth and I are silly girls who read too many dime novels, but who else do you have in the house as your spies?”

  Will didn’t answer. A muscle jumped in his jaw. “Dee,” he began more quietly, “Joe would kill me, and so would your mother and father, if anything happened to you. Bob would haunt me from the grave. He expected Joe and me to take care of you and Adelaide.”

  “Oh!”

  “Dee? Why are you looking like that? Are you ill?”

  “No. You said Bob would haunt you from the grave.”

  “Yes, and he’d find a way, too.” Will looked abashed. “Sorry, Deanna, I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  “I’m not upset. It’s given me an idea.”

  “Deanna, what are you thinking?”

  “‘Haunt you from the grave.’ Maybe we can use the voices of the dead to flush out their murderer.”

  “What are you concocting?”

  “We’ll hold a séance. Let the dead speak for themselves.”

  Joe took the overnight steamer back to Newport. His father had decided to return for the weekend and offered to take Joe on his yacht the next day, but now that Joe felt confident that the business end of the matter was being handled, he was impatient to return home. He didn’t like Dee staying in that house with God knew what all. A partner who was an embezzler and a betrayer, and a shady plantation owner who might or might not hold a huge amount of R and W money but was making no move to sign any contracts.

  There was something off about the man, Joe thought. Or
was his father right, that the real reason he didn’t like David Manchester was because he was getting much too familiar with Dee?

  Joe didn’t join in the card games or drinks in the first-class parlors; he just went straight to bed and slept like a log. He awoke in time to dress, shave, and be standing at the gangplank when the ferry docked.

  He went straight to the warehouse, where he found Orrin and Will Hennessey drinking coffee and eating a hearty breakfast.

  Orrin jumped up when Joe opened the door. “We thought you’d be coming in on the ferry.”

  “And you didn’t come to meet me?”

  Orrin grinned. “Wait until you hear this.”

  “Good news?” Joe looked the question at Will.

  “Yes and no,” Will said.

  Orrin poured Joe a mug of coffee and set it on the table. Joe pulled up a stool.

  “Good for Orrin, not so good for someone else.”

  “You’d better start with whatever happened while I was gone.” Joe said, his mug cradled in both hands.

  So Will started with how he’d been called to Seacrest the night before, how Elspeth had saved Swan’s life and found the suicide note and the poison.

  “Stood there as bold as brass and told me she thought the man was innocent and someone, possibly the real murderer, had poisoned him and tried to make it look like suicide. I tell you, Joe, those two women are formidable.”

  “I suppose the other woman you’re talking about is Deanna.”

  “Who else? She’ll never be happy as somebody’s society wife.”

  Joe passed a hand over his eyes. “So is Swan dead?”

  “Not yet. They pumped his stomach at the hospital, though I have to say, Elspeth did a pretty good job of emptying it before we got to him.”

  All three men grimaced.

  “I’m not letting anyone see him. Lord David was already at the station this morning making inquiries. I had them fob him off—not hard to do, because nobody much likes a rich guy demanding things when two women of their class have been murdered. Everyone at the station is now betting that one of the cottagers did it.”

  “And what do you think?” Joe asked, though he was afraid he already knew the answer.

  “I’m afraid they’re right.”

  “Ha!” said Orrin, who’d been silent so far. “So which one of the cottagers did it?”

  “That, my lad, is the question.”

  “So, what we need is to trap them.”

  “You considering becoming a policeman?”

  Orrin’s face suffused with red. “No, sir. I just thought—”

  Will punched him lightly on the arm. “I’m just kidding you. You’re absolutely right. Do either of you have any ideas?”

  Orrin shook his head.

  “No,” Joe said slowly.

  “Well, don’t worry, my boys, because Deanna does. I’m meeting her at Bonheur later this morning. She told me to say you may come if you’re back.”

  “Why Bonheur?”

  “Deanna will be there consulting with your grandmother.”

  Joe closed his eyes. “Oh Lord.”

  Deanna slept well into the morning. She and Elspeth had stayed up after Will left, proposing and discarding various plans for smoking out the killer. They had agreed to play dumb with the others about whether Swan was alive or dead, and promised to say nothing of the suicide note. Elspeth was still asleep in the dressing room with the door between them open. But as soon as Deanna pushed back the covers, Elspeth padded into the room, holding up one side of the nightgown she’d borrowed from Deanna.

  “Just give me a few minutes, though I don’t know how I’m going to get to my room without people talking and asking questions.”

  “You’re not going anywhere. We’ll ask one of the other maids to fetch all of your clothes and move them here.”

  “That’s going to cause a stink belowstairs. They’ll think I’m acting above my station.”

  “Well, too bad. We aren’t going to be here much longer. And you’re not going back to that room while we’re here. You can tell them I’m afraid to be alone.” Deanna rang for the chambermaid.

  When she appeared a few minutes later with a coffee tray, Deanna gave her request. The girl looked a little reluctant.

  “I will truly appreciate it.”

  A flicker of understanding glinted in the maid’s eye. She would be amply rewarded. “Yes, ma’am.” The maid bobbed a curtsey and started to leave.

  “Be thorough. Don’t leave anything behind.”

  “No’m.”

  “And what will you be wearing today?” Elspeth asked. “Is the grenadine walking dress or the flowered muslin better for plotting and planning?”

  “The yellow gauze; it’s lighter and cooler, and don’t bother with the half corset.”

  “The yellow it is.” Elspeth fisted both hands at her hips. “With the half corset.”

  Deanna stuck out her tongue at Elspeth’s retreating back.

  By the time Deanna had finished dressing and Elspeth had twisted her hair into a soft knot at the top of her head, the maid returned with Elspeth’s belongings.

  Deanna dropped the rest of her pin money into the girl’s hand. The maid’s eyes lit up. “Anything else, miss?”

  “No, that will be all.”

  “Thank you, miss.” She curtseyed and backed out the door.

  As soon as she was gone, Deanna turned to Elspeth. “I wonder if everyone is at breakfast?”

  “It’s late enough. Why?”

  “See if you can find an empty bottle in the dressing room.”

  “How big?”

  Deanna held her fingers three inches apart.

  “What are you up to, miss? Mr. Hennessey said not to do anything until we saw him again.”

  “I’m just going to tell Mrs. Woodruff that I’ll be out this morning, and on my way out I’m going to just pop in for a minute to check on Mr. Woodruff.”

  Elspeth’s eye bulged. “Not without me, you’re not.”

  “Of course not. Now you find a small bottle and meet me outside Mr. Woodruff’s bedroom in five minutes.” And she went out to visit her hostess.

  Mrs. Woodruff was lying on the divan in her room, looking harried and tired. Deanna just meant to stay long enough to reassure her, but as she got up to leave, Mrs. Woodruff grasped her wrist.

  “What is it, ma’am?”

  “Nothing, nothing. You’re a good girl. A friend to Cassie.”

  “True blue,” Deanna said.

  “Run along. Have fun.”

  Deanna smiled, but Mrs. Woodruff had closed her eyes. Deanna tiptoed away.

  Elspeth must have been watching from the door, because as soon as Deanna left Mrs. Woodruff’s room, she came hurrying down the hall to meet her.

  “Did you find something?”

  Elspeth nodded and looked down to where she was clutching her skirt. “In my hand,” she whispered.

  “Give it here.”

  “I’m coming, too.”

  “Yes, but you’re going to guard the door while I pour.”

  They moved quietly down the hall, stopped outside the bedroom door, and looked both ways down the hall.

  Deanna knocked softly. Waited to see if Mr. Woodruff’s man would open the door. When nothing happened, she slowly turned the knob and opened the door just wide enough to look inside. The room was empty except for Mr. Woodruff, who lay motionless on the bed.

  On the side table was a pitcher of water, two small glasses, and the bottle of medicine. She stepped inside, Elspeth pushed in after her.

  “Give me the vial and stay here to make sure nobody’s coming.”

  Elspeth handed over the tiny bottle, then she closed the door until it was barely open, and peered out.

  Deanna quickly crossed to
the bed. Still no movement or sound from Mr. Woodruff. She uncapped the vial and laid it on the table while she unstopped the medicine bottle.

  Then she carefully poured a small amount of the medicine in the vial. When the bottle was returned to the table and the vial was in her skirt pocket, she took a minute to look at the recumbent man.

  It was shocking. The normally robust, fun-loving man looked like he was already gone, his face almost as white as the bedclothes. Deanna didn’t hold out much hope of a good outcome.

  She sighed and joined Elspeth at the door. Fortunately, the hallway was empty, and they hurried back to Deanna’s room. Just as they reached the door, a maid came out of the opposite room.

  “Good morning, miss. Let me get the door for you.”

  “Go-good morning,” Deanna stuttered, and waited impatiently for the maid to put down her bundle and open the bedroom door.

  As soon as they were inside, they both let out huge breaths.

  “I can’t believe we did it,” Elspeth said.

  “Nor I, or that my hands managed to pour the liquid without spilling a jot. They were shaking like anything.”

  “You know, if we had been a minute later, we might have run right into that maid as we came out of Mr. Woodruff’s door.”

  “I know,” Deanna said quietly. And she knew Elspeth was thinking the same thing. Is that what had happened to Daisy? Just a chance encounter that had led to murder?

  “Now what?” Elspeth asked, breaking the spell.

  “Now you’re going down to the kitchen for something to eat, I’m going to join the others for breakfast, and then we’re going to Gran Gwen’s to confer with Will about catching a killer.”

  Chapter

  26

  “You slept late,” Cassie said, waving a piece of toast at Deanna as she stepped into the breakfast room. “Maddie and I are dying to hear what happened last night. Maddie’s so worried about Swan. Lord David left earlier to visit the police station, but he hasn’t returned. No one told them last night that Swan had taken sick.”

  Madeline looked like she hadn’t slept well, and Deanna felt a momentary pang at their thoughtlessness. But only for a moment.

  Deanna took a plate and studied the contents of the chafing dishes. She took her time; chose a piece of ham, some eggs, and braised tomatoes; passed on the kippers; and took her place at the table.