Death of a Schoolgirl: The Jane Eyre Chronicles

by Joanna Campbell Slan

  “Staff rises at five thirty,” said Miss Miller. “Emma, our maid of all work, rings the bell for the Senior girls at six. Ten minutes later, she knocks on their door. Since the previous German teacher Fräulein Hertzog left us a month ago, we have had no adult in that dormitory. As a consequence, Mrs. Thurston devised a plan. Each Senior has a partner, who is responsible for seeing that her partner is dressed and ready for breakfast. The head girl oversees two partners.”

  “And the age of these girls?” Mr. Douglas asked.

  “Adela is the youngest Senior at ten,” Miss Miller said, and quickly explained how Mrs. Thurston thought she might be a bad influence on children her own age. Lucy shook her head in disgust, but Miss Miller continued with, “The rest are age thirteen and older. Many of the girls will stay with us until they make their debut at age sixteen. Selina was the eldest, just sixteen. The idea of partners has worked rather well.”

  “What happens if the partner proves incorrigible? A sluggard?” Lucy asked.

  “Then they both are punished.” Miss Miller spoke softly. The rest of us shook our heads in disgust. We could well imagine the difficulty for a child with a recalcitrant partner.

  Could that have been a motive for murder? I wondered, but I discounted the idea. How could one schoolgirl kill another? The very thought sent a shiver up my spine.

  “I admit that the problem lay chiefly with Selina,” Miss Miller hurried to explain. “She is—was—difficult and did not take well to instruction. The girl was a beauty, had always been, and I believe her father especially was so captivated by her looks that he could not bring himself to discipline her.”

  “Would an intruder have had access to the Senior dormitory?” Mr. Douglas wondered. “That scenario—while unlikely—cannot be completely discounted.”

  “Yes.” Miss Miller nodded. “It is possible an intruder climbed in through the window. There is a large horse chestnut tree with a branch that abuts the dormitory window.”

  “Did Waverly see any signs of forced entry?” Mr. Douglas asked.

  “He did not, but he did recommend that, besides adding the chaperone, Mrs. Thurston ought to cut down the offending horse chestnut branch immediately.”

  “And her response?” asked Mr. Douglas.

  I thought I knew what it would be. I could not imagine Mrs. Thurston accepting direction from anyone, even a Runner from Bow Street.

  “She said she would take up the matter with Lady Kingsley. Such decisions about the grounds are beyond Mrs. Thurston’s purview, to be honest.”

  Miss Miller colored and looked away. “I must also tell you that Selina liked to sneak out at night. I caught her at it once. I know Miss Jones did, too. Selina was like that. Challenging. Strong willed. Her parents live in Brighton. They are not well-to-do, so they sent her here while they saved up for her debut this spring. Selina was unhappy about the situation, as she expected finer lodgings and a grand staff and told us so at every opportunity. As a consequence, she liked to misbehave. We were quite unsuccessful in taming her.”

  “Let us get back to your review of the morning’s schedule,” said Mr. Douglas.

  “The girls wash and dress to come downstairs. Prayers are at six thirty. Breakfast is served around seven. But at six twenty, Selina had not moved. Her partner railed at her, rewarding her with a few small shoves to the shoulder. The other girls ignored this. The morning seemed unexceptional, as Selina often refused to get up in a timely manner. Finally, Selina’s partner grew angry. The two had gotten into a brief scuffle a few days ago. There was even some hair pulling. Despite the tussle they had, Selina had succeeded in making her partner late, and both girls were charged with memorizing extra Scripture verses. This morning, Selina’s partner lost all patience. She decided to drag Selina out of bed. Of course, that is when she discovered Selina was dead.”

  I could only imagine the scene and how shocked the girls were. Especially the girl who grabbed Selina only to discover she was cold and stiff.

  Mr. Douglas’s face was thoughtful when he asked, “What is the name of Selina’s partner?”

  Miss Miller cut her eyes at me. “Adela. It was Adela Varens who found Selina dead.”

  Chapter 15

  “No wonder she was hysterical!” I could scarcely contain myself. “How could you not tell me this earlier?”

  “I planned to tell you when we met on the morrow. That way I could assure you that Adela was fine. After she’d had a good night’s sleep and I’d had the chance to talk with her.”

  “This certainly explains why she was distraught!” I spat the words out.

  “Mrs. Rochester, I beg you to remember that you were the same age when the nurse at Lowood carried you from the bed of your friend, Helen Burns. Helen’s death did not frighten you overmuch. At least not that I observed.”

  “That is true enough, but Helen and I both knew she was dying—and I was taken from the bed before I realized she had died! More importantly, Adèle and I have different sensibilities. She is French and prone to emotions—”

  “Whereas you are English through and through,” said Miss Miller. “What upsets one child, another takes in stride. Yes, finding Selina dead did disturb Adela, at least initially, but I hoped to report to you that she had regained her self-control. She has been working hard to develop that quality over the past two years. I believe she has come a long way.”

  Mr. Douglas cleared his throat, bringing us back to the topic at hand. “What else did Mr. Waverly ask?”

  “He wanted to know if Selina had made enemies.”

  “Had she?” asked Lucy eagerly, leaning forward in her chair.

  “Enemies?” said Miss Miller. “I can’t imagine so. But Selina was…provoking. She teased Caje, the young man who works at Alderton House. She flirted with him and mocked him. She bullied our previous German teacher, Fräulein Hertzog, until the young woman packed her bags and left in the night without a character reference. Truthfully, although she matriculated only three months ago, in that short time Selina managed to irk all the teachers, leaving her work undone, causing disruption in the classrooms, and generally being disagreeable.”

  “How did she act toward the other students?” I asked.

  “Regretfully, I must admit she tormented them. I tried to correct her, but Mrs. Thurston would have none of it. Selina had become her pet.”

  “I do not understand,” Lucy said. “You are saying that Mrs. Thurston ignored the girl’s misbehavior? Astonishing. Particularly when you relate that she caused so much havoc.”

  Miss Miller nodded. “It is rather confusing. I cannot explain why Mrs. Thurston doted on the girl. In the beginning, Mrs. Thurston and Selina were frequently at odds and even once engaged in a shouting match. Soon after, I noticed Mrs. Thurston’s attitude changed. She chose to ignore the child’s failings.”

  “Given the tenor of our meeting today, she did not strike me as being exceptionally sensitive,” I said.

  “Our superintendent puts great store by controlling one’s emotions. While her exterior is gruff, Mrs. Thurston can be very kind and compassionate. I know you did not see that side of her today, Mrs. Rochester, but believe me, it is there,” Miss Miller said.

  “That discrepancy, the change in Mrs. Thurston’s behavior toward Selina Biltmore, is certainly a matter that needs to be explored. Meanwhile, let us summarize.” Mr. Douglas steepled his fingertips. “Selina Biltmore was killed in her own bed sometime during the night. She was discovered to be dead when her partner, Adèle Varens, attempted to rouse her for breakfast.”

  Miss Miller nodded. “Adela’s screams brought me running. I sent a girl to tell Caje to fetch the doctor. Miss Jones led the students to the dining room, where they stayed until after…after Selina’s body was removed. That is about the time that Mrs. Rochester appeared for her visit.”

  “I saw men carrying the stretcher to the hearse. Of course, at the time I did not know it was a hearse, but now I understand the nature of the vehicle that had blocked our
way when Williams and I arrived,” I explained.

  Mr. Douglas inclined his head and continued his summation: “There is a window leading into the dormitory of the Senior girls, and it is accessible by climbing a horse chestnut tree. There was, and is, no adult available to stand guard over the girls in the Senior dormitory.”

  “Waverly did say he would post a man on our street,” Miss Miller said. “A Robin Redbreast.”

  “What is that?” I asked.

  “One of the Bow Street horse patrols. Their red waistcoats announce their identity from a long way away,” Lucy said.

  “The horse patrol might prevent someone from breaking into the school,” Mr. Douglas said, “but such a plan offers no help if there is already a murderer in your midst.”

  He paused and added, “There is another way the murder might have occurred. You say that Selina Biltmore often sneaked out, possibly to meet with someone, and the tree offered easy access. Is it possible she let someone in?”

  “But the other girls would have overheard an intruder,” I protested.

  Mr. Douglas stroked his chin. “That raises the question: Why did none of the girls awaken when Selina Biltmore was struggling? Marcus Piper believes she fought her murderer.”

  “Yes, how could the girls have slept through such an event?” Lucy asked.

  “They could have been dosed with laudanum!” I spoke so quickly that I surprised myself. “Adèle has been dosed. When I tried to wake her, she barely responded!”

  “That could explain the other students’ ignorance of the murder,” said Mr. Douglas. “But it would also mean our villain was someone with access to the girls to dose them. Who could have done so?”

  “There is yet another likely scenario. Perhaps the murderer had an accomplice inside the school,” I said.

  “Just so,” he said. “Very good, Mrs. Rochester. I can see you are a natural at this! Who would have hated the girl so much?”

  “I was sorry to tell Mr. Waverly that almost everyone in the school had reason to dislike Selina.” Miss Miller sighed. “Since she came to Alderton, there have been many tearful scenes. Mrs. Thurston would not allow her to be disciplined, so Selina did whatever she wanted. I did not mind the disruption so much as I hated the way it hurt the other girls.”

  She sighed. “But despite all that, I cannot imagine anyone inside the school hurting Selina, much less taking her life.”

  “I can,” I said. “And I have proof.”

  Chapter 16

  I withdrew from my pocket the two pieces of paper that had precipitated my visit to London. “This one from Adèle came to us through the mail a few days ago. The smaller paper was tucked inside.”

  Lucy, of course, had seen both messages. She rose, left the room, came back with Rags, and, while holding him on her lap, silently stroked his hair with her fingers.

  “Can either of you recognize the handwriting on this threat?” Mr. Douglas asked Miss Miller and me as he fingered the heavy piece of paper.

  “No,” I shook my head. “It could be Adèle’s, if she took care to disguise her natural script. But I cannot say for sure.”

  “Neither can I,” said Nan Miller. “Nor does it look familiar, though that is not surprising. Whoever wrote this took care to be unknown. What are these words that cross Adela’s letter to you and Mr. Rochester? The same word written three times? Can you read it, Mrs. Rochester?”

  “Au secours,” I said. “French for ‘help.’ Of course, it could be that this threat has nothing to do with Selina Biltmore’s death.”

  No one said anything. None of us believed the events to be discrete.

  Mr. Douglas stood, legs akimbo, and stared down into the burning coals in the fireplace. “The only piece of information that Waverly does not possess, but that we have, is the threatening note written to Adèle Varens. We do not know if the threat was credible. We do not know the circumstances behind it. Or if it is connected in any way to Selina Biltmore’s death. Therefore, I suggest we wait to share it. Right now, it casts a poor light on Miss Varens, as she found the dead girl and she might have felt threatened by someone.”

  I shook my head. “Adèle would never harm anyone. I swear to you, she wouldn’t.”

  “Mrs. Rochester,” said Miss Miller, “I beseech you. Come back with me to the school. Mrs. Thurston already believes you to be our missing German teacher. I shall explain to her that you have agreed to take on the position only for as long as Fräulein Schoeppenkoetter is delayed. To avoid confusion, I can call you by your maiden name, since she would never consent to having a married woman in the position.”

  “But Adèle knows that she and Edward have wed,” Lucy said. “I told the girl myself, and I know she received a letter from the two of them.”

  “True, but Adela has been forbidden to talk about her guardian,” Miss Miller said.

  “What?” Lucy said. “Can you tender an explanation?”

  “Dowager Lady Ingram told Lady Kingsley about Mr. Rochester’s first wife. As a consequence, Lady Kingsley told Mrs. Thurston, who was so shocked about his conduct that she forbade Adela to speak of her guardian.”

  “How dare she!” Lucy’s face contorted with anger. I am sure my visage was equally distressed.

  Miss Miller deflected our dismay by shrugging and adding, “Perhaps these attempts were misguided, but Maude Thurston was only trying to protect the girl from scandal.”

  I struggled not to show my disapproval as I turned to Lucy and her brother. “Mrs. Thurston also took it upon herself to mandate that Adèle be called ‘Adela,’ which she thinks is more properly English than the girl’s given name.”

  “Perhaps her methods were injudicious. But her intent was for Adela to escape from her tawdry past,” Miss Miller said with a hint of defensiveness.

  “That is taking her responsibilities rather too far,” said Mr. Douglas. “I do not suppose that working there as a teacher will give you much joy, Mrs. Rochester, but I do think your presence could be an incredible asset to the school, and more importantly to the girls. No one expects you to uncover the identity of Selina’s killer on your own; only to help keep the girls safe and perhaps gather some information.”

  “Bruce, you are still asking Jane to put herself in harm’s way. To thwart a killer!” said Lucy. “That’s too much to expect. I think she should take Adèle and go home.”

  He smiled at her. “Doing so would safeguard Adèle, but what about the other girls? Let’s say the killer wasn’t only interested in Selina. Perhaps Adèle is not the only girl who received a threatening note. What if the killer is a fiend who preys on children? There’s no adult to watch over the Seniors. Mrs. Thurston cannot insure their welfare, can she? And who would she find at this juncture who would risk her life for the students? I can only think of one person, and she is here in this room with us.”

  That had been my thought exactly. To hear him voice my concern so succinctly gave me additional confidence that I could make a difference. He turned to me and continued, “Mrs. Rochester, you do not know me well, nor I you. However, I can tell you in all candor that once or twice in a lifetime, fate presents a person with an opportunity to do tremendous good. To make a difference. But this opportunity always comes in tandem with personal risk. Sacrifice. Occasionally, embarrassment. I draw on my own experience when I say that if you turn away, you will always wonder. You will lie awake at night and feel remorse. You will always question your right to walk among decent people and hold your head high.”

  “You truly believe I can be of assistance?” I said.

  “Provided that you keep a cool head. You will need to notice any and all discrepancies. From your vantage point as a teacher, you might thwart a murder and find clues to the murderer’s identity. Without your presence in the Senior girls’ dormitory, the killer might feel at liberty to strike again.”

  They all turned to me, waiting for my response. “I shall pack immediately.”

  “One more moment, please,” said Mr. Douglas. “
While I admire your courage, I refuse to send you willy-nilly into the path of danger. I suggest we meet together regularly so I can guide your investigation and keep apprised of your personal safety.”

  “How do you propose to do that?” asked Miss Miller.

  “To meet regularly, and to speak freely, the meetings must be outside of the school,” reasoned Lucy.

  We all recognized the wisdom of that.

  For a long time, nobody spoke. Only the ticking of the clock on the mantel reminded us that we must enact our plan quickly.

  “I have it,” said Miss Miller. “We lack a teacher who has any artistic skill with pencil and chalk. As I recall, you own a particular talent for sketching. I propose to tell Mrs. Thurston that you can teach drawing as well as German. That way, you will have an excuse to take your charges to Hyde Park, where Mr. Douglas and Mrs. Brayton can meet with you. The art class would run from two to three in the afternoon.”

  This ingenious plan met all our needs.

  “But what do I do about references? Mrs. Thurston is rigid on the subject.”

  Lucy rose and went over to a writing desk. After pulling a sheet of thick ivory paper from a drawer and dipping her pen, she started writing. None of us spoke as she worked. After she blotted her message with sand, she read it aloud:

  Dear Mrs. Thurston,

  I present to you Miss Jane Eyre, an outstanding tutor whose reputation is impeccable. She is fluent in drawing, pianoforte, German, and French. I personally vouch for her integrity. In fact, I am so taken with this young woman that I propose to sponsor her. Enclosed is a bank draft for the equivalent of one year’s salary.

  Cordially,

  Mrs. Captain Augustus Br]ayton

  Chapter 17

  “We need to get back,” said Miss Miller. “I slipped out while the girls were taking their singing lessons with Signora Delgatto. Those will be over soon. Since she offers both individual and group lessons, the students are usually busy for several hours.”