All Is Fair

by Dee Garretson

  Thinking they might be out in the old stable where Andrew kept his car, I went back down the main stairs in time to see Lucas come through the front door. Andrew came out of the drawing room.

  “I’ve been looking for you everywhere,” Andrew said to Lucas. Neither of them saw me.

  “I’ve been helping sort out the carts and motorcars trying to leave,” Lucas said. “Some of the horses pulling the carts needed convincing they shouldn’t bolt at the sounds of engines.”

  Andrew held up his hand. “That’s not important now. I’ve got to—”

  I came down the rest of the way so fast that I nearly fell. “Wait,” I said, interrupting him. “It’s Hannah. Hannah is working for the Germans.” I told them everything I’d figured out, plus how Lucas had noticed that someone had been using the secret staircase in the Tapestry Room. “I don’t know where she is now. No one does. And no one can find Miss Tanner.” I stopped to breathe, hoping I’d made them understand.

  “Listen,” Lucas said. I heard muffled sounds of laughter. It was a man’s laugh.

  When it came again, I pointed to the Tapestry Room door. “There’s someone in there.”

  We walked over to it, all of us moving as quietly as possible. Andrew motioned for us to stand back. He pulled open the door.

  Over his shoulder, I saw Margaret on the sofa, sitting on the lap of a tall man in a uniform. She was kissing him.

  My sister was kissing a stranger in the Tapestry Room.

  I was as embarrassed as if it had been me on the stranger’s lap.

  “Margaret!” I said.

  My sister started at the sound of my voice and leaped up. The man stood up as well.

  Andrew let out a strangled sound and then bowed. “Your Highness, I’m so sorry. We didn’t mean to intrude. We just thought—”

  Your Highness? I gaped at Margaret and the man. It was Prince Albert.

  My sister had been kissing Prince Albert.

  My sister had been sitting on Prince Albert’s lap and kissing him.

  “I s-say, a b-bit awkward, isn’t it?” the prince stuttered. “Lord Andrew, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, sir,” Andrew said. “I do apologize.”

  “We just wanted a bit of privacy,” Margaret said. “Usually people don’t barge in here late at night.” She glared at me. “Do you mind leaving now?”

  Andrew took a step forward. “Sir, Margaret, we would leave, but Mina has brought some news that is rather disturbing. We think there is a possibility the new housemaid is a spy, and for some reason, she can’t be found.”

  “Hannah?” Margaret laughed. “Don’t be absurd. She’s just a simple country girl, and not a very intelligent one at that. She can’t be a spy.”

  A faint creaking behind me caught my attention. I turned to see the bookcase in front of the secret stairway move slightly. The barrel of a revolver appeared in the crack as the bookcase opened.

  “Watch out!” I yelled, pointing at the revolver.

  Andrew reacted first. He sprang toward the secret door. A sharp report sounded and everyone was moving—everyone except Andrew, who was on the floor.

  I could see the blood expanding on Andrew’s shirtfront, the red shocking against the white. I froze, unable to look away.

  Lucas ran over and flung the bookcase door all the way open. He started up the stairs after the shooter, and that brought me to my senses. I knew he would have a hard time catching her. She’d go up one flight and then go down the upstairs hallway to the back stairs, which ran through all the floors in the house. From there, she could go down two flights and out the kitchen door. And if he got too close while he was chasing her, Hannah would just turn around and shoot Lucas too. I had to help him, but it wouldn’t help just to chase after him. All sorts of ideas flashed through my mind as I ran out of the Tapestry Room and into the main hall.

  A man in uniform burst through the front door. “Where is the prince?” he yelled. “I heard a shot!”

  “He’s all right!” I said. “He’s in there. But call for a doctor! Someone else has been shot. The telephone is in the library.” I pointed at the library door and then dashed for the servants’ stairs on the main level, behind the main staircase. I could cut her off in the stairwell if I could reach it before she got down to the lower level.

  I opened the door and went onto the tiny landing. Light spilled in from the hall, so I closed it, afraid that if she saw the light, she’d know I was waiting for her. At first there was no sound from above, but then I heard footsteps rushing toward me. It was very dark. A thought flashed through my mind—Why did we keep the servants’ stairs so dimly lit? It was dangerous for them to go down in the dark. I could barely see anything.

  As the footsteps came closer, I suddenly realized I didn’t have a plan. I didn’t have a plan, and Hannah had a gun. I put a hand on the doorknob. My hand was shaking so badly I could hardly hold on to it. I needed to get back out into the hall. The footsteps grew louder. I could hear her breathing heavily. I could also hear a second set of footsteps. Lucas was coming after her.

  I took my hand away from the knob and flattened myself against the wall. I had intended to try to grab whatever arm held the gun and then hold on to her until Lucas caught up, but when she got close, I stuck my foot out instead and she fell. I heard the gun clattering down the lower stairs. Hannah swore and started to get to her feet. I didn’t know what to do next, but then Lucas was there. He grabbed her from behind.

  “Where’s the gun?” he shouted.

  “It’s down there,” I said. Hannah struggled to get away. I was afraid he couldn’t hold on to her, so I opened the door out into the hall. “Help!” I yelled. The man who had come looking for the prince came into the hall. “Help him carry her downstairs,” I said to him. We’ll lock her in the butler’s pantry and then call the constable.”

  She was trying to bite Lucas, but the man picked up her feet and Lucas got a better hold on her arms. “I’ve already telephoned them,” the man said.

  “Good.” I couldn’t wait to be rid of her. “This way.” I went first, wanting to be able to explain to Mrs. Brickles what was happening. This went far beyond the typical kitchen upset.

  When I burst into the kitchen, Mrs. Brickles gave a little shriek and took one step back. “Lady Thomasina!” She didn’t have time to say more before Lucas and the man carried Hannah in.

  “We need to put her in the butler’s pantry. Can you get the key?” I said.

  She gave one giant shudder and then raised her chin. “I can do that,” she said, and marched over to the wall where the keys hung.

  As soon as they got Hannah inside and locked the door, she began to scream and pound on it.

  “I have to get back upstairs,” the man said. I saw by his uniform that he was a major. I supposed he was an aide to the prince. He nodded to Lucas as if they’d just finished a game of tennis or something equally casual. I felt like I was in one of my own plays.

  To add to the unreality of what was happening, I saw Mrs. Brickles pick up her rolling pin and shake it at the pantry door. “She won’t get out, Lady Thomasina!”

  “Thank you,” I managed to choke out.

  “I’ll stay here with Mrs. Brickles until the police arrive,” Lucas said. His voice dropped. “You should go see Andrew.”

  Andrew and the red on his shirtfront. I went back upstairs, concentrating on watching myself take one step after another while the scene in the Tapestry Room played over and over in my head. I shouldn’t have shouted. I could have picked up a chair and thrown it at the gun instead. I could have done all sorts of things that would have saved Andrew from a gunshot. And now I’d never be able to forget it.

  When I got back to the Tapestry Room, Gwendolyn was kneeling by Andrew, who was propped up with a cushion. Miss Tanner held a cloth against Andrew’s chest. A terrible whistling sound came from it. The room spun in front of my eyes. I dropped down into a chair and put my head on my knees for a few moments.

  I was stil
l sitting like that when I heard the doctor arrive, and I made myself sit up. He came in and immediately knelt down to examine Andrew, paying no attention to the prince, who stood next to Margaret. “We need to get this man moved upstairs,” the doctor said. He looked up, and from the way his head jerked back when he saw the prince, I knew he had recognized him.

  “We’ll carry him,” the prince said, motioning to the major.

  I followed them upstairs, but when they laid him on the bed, the doctor made everyone leave except Gwendolyn, who told him that she had helped her father many times in his surgery. I wanted to get back to the kitchen, but Margaret was so upset that I thought I shouldn’t leave her. The prince wanted to stay with her, but the major insisted they get back to Cranwell, where it was safer.

  After they left, we went into the drawing room. Margaret poured herself some brandy and sat down. She stared at her glass.

  “Does Father know about the prince?” I asked.

  “Of course not,” she said. A tear ran down her face. “It can’t come to anything, so there was no sense in telling anyone. We just wanted to forget about everything for a little while.” She got up and moved over to a chair by the window, turning away from me.

  We sat there in silence for a long time until Miss Tanner came in. “The constable has taken Hannah away,” she said.

  I jumped up. “How is Andrew?”

  “I don’t know. The doctor is still with him.”

  I noticed Miss Tanner’s hair was coming down and her spectacles were bent. I’d never seen her like that.

  “Are you all right?” I asked.

  She brushed her hair away from her face and took a deep breath. “Yes. I must apologize. I’m so very sorry. I should have been more suspicious of the girl.”

  “How could you have known? She was a very good actress,” I said.

  “I should have listened to Lettie. When she complained about Hannah, I told her she should realize she was lucky to have the extra help.”

  There were still some things I didn’t understand. “What happened to you tonight? Andrew and Mrs. Brickles couldn’t find you earlier.”

  “Hannah locked me in a room in the male servants’ wing,” she said. “I had found an unsigned note in my office saying that something was wrong there, so I went to check. It was foolish of me to be taken in like that. I had ordered her to stay in the kitchen and help Mrs. Brickles. I expect she didn’t want me noticing she wasn’t there.”

  “So I suppose Hannah was working with the man I saw running away the first night I was home?”

  “The constable believes so. I reported what you told me, but asked him not to upset the household by asking questions. I realize now that I should have let him do just that. I had no idea about Lady Margaret’s … friend.”

  Margaret, who hadn’t said a word, got up and poured herself another drink. She didn’t even look in our direction.

  “I would have approached the whole situation very differently if I had known,” Miss Tanner said. “The man you saw that night was probably passing information from Hannah to someone in Lincoln, who then passed it on to Germany. The constable doesn’t know if the man arrested in Lincoln was part of it, but the police will find out.” She brushed back her hair again. “Now, can I get you anything? Would you like some tea?”

  “No, we are fine. Do you know where Mr. Miller is?” I didn’t understand why Lucas hadn’t come to find me.

  “I haven’t seen him. If I do, would you like me to ask him to join you?”

  “Yes, thank you.”

  After Miss Tanner left, we went back to our silence. When the door opened again, Gwendolyn came in. “He’s stable,” she said. “The bullet went through him, and the doctor says you might as well all go to bed. You can’t do anything more for him tonight. A nurse will be in early tomorrow to stay.”

  “Can I see him?” I asked.

  “Better wait until morning,” she said. She looked over at Margaret. “Margaret, why don’t you let me help you upstairs? I’ve got some sleeping powder. I think you could use it.”

  I was relieved when Margaret nodded and got up. She and Gwendolyn went up the stairs. I waited until I thought they’d be in Margaret’s room and then went up as well. I stopped at Lucas’s door and knocked. No one answered. I peeked in. There was no one there.

  I went to my own room, wishing I knew where he was. My brain was so fogged with tiredness, I lay down on the bed and pulled a blanket over me.

  When I woke the next morning, the room was frigid, and I realized that no one had lit the fire the day before. I was so chilled I decided to put on my school uniform. The heavy skirt would keep me much warmer than the frocks I’d been wearing, and with everything that had happened, it seemed silly to care about whether or not I looked fashionable. After I’d dressed, I went to Andrew’s room. The door was open and I could see Andrew. He was laying very still. A woman in a nurse’s uniform sat in a chair next to him. “He’s doing better,” she said when she noticed me.

  I crept in. “Has he been awake?”

  “Yes. He was complaining about people making a fuss over him and saying he wanted to get up. That’s a good sign. The doctor left a few hours ago but is coming back shortly to check on him. As long as infection doesn’t set in, he’ll mend just fine, though it’s best to let him sleep.”

  “Thank you,” I said. I went downstairs. Chairs still littered the hall and the floor was dull with bits of mud and scuff marks. I decided I could do something to help, so I started to put things back into place.

  I worked for quite a long time and when I was almost done, I spotted a glint of gold next to a small table by the door. A necklace lay on the floor, a locket with a broken chain. I didn’t recognize it. It was far too old-fashioned for Margaret. When I picked it up, the locket popped open. There, staring up at me, was a photograph of Crispin as a baby.

  “Oh, you found my locket!” Gwendolyn came hurrying down the steps and over to me, but stopped short when she saw the locket open in my hand.

  “Why do you have my brother’s baby picture?” I asked. I examined it more carefully. It was not a photograph I’d ever seen. “Where did you get it?”

  Gwendolyn clutched her hands. “It’s not of your brother,” she said.

  “Of course it is. You saw the photograph of Crispin in his room. This one is nearly identical except … except…” I held it up again, taking in all the details. “There’s something different. The eyes are different somehow, but it still looks like it could be…” I stopped, confused.

  Gwendolyn began to cry, silent tears running down her face. She whispered, “I don’t want to keep it a secret any longer. I’ve been keeping it so long, and you have all been so kind to me. I’ve wanted to tell you so badly.”

  “I don’t understand.” I held out the locket to her and she took it, smiling and wiping away the tears.

  She touched the picture with her finger. “It’s a picture of Crispin’s son,” she said. “His name is Gordon.” Her smile widened. “He’s a sweet boy.”

  I sat down on a nearby chair, unable to believe what I had just heard. “But … but … why…?” The sheer magnitude of what I was hearing left me unsure of what to ask or what to say.

  Crispin had a son. I was an aunt.

  “Did Crispin know?”

  “No. By the time I knew I was going to have a baby, Crispin was already missing.”

  I took a deep breath, trying to think clearly. “How did you even meet?” I tried to remember from Crispin’s letters where he’d been and when. He’d never mentioned one girl in particular.

  Gwendolyn sat down on the chair next to mine. “I met your brother in Somerset while he was training there, and we fell in love, or at least I did. I hoped he loved me too, but he never asked me to marry him before he left. I guess he didn’t love me as much as I had hoped.”

  I was shocked. My parents were going to be appalled. My father was still very much a Victorian gentleman. A baby—his grandchild—born o
ut of wedlock would be a big blow to him.

  A little sob escaped her and it took her a moment before she spoke again. “He saw me in a theatrical and waited after the performance so he could meet me. After that, I lived for the moments when I could see him. He saw the whole world in a different way, as if every day could hold something amazing.” She took my hand and squeezed it. “I don’t have to tell you that, though. You knew him far better than I.”

  “Does Margaret know?” I drew my hand away. There was too much happening all at once. I didn’t need more to think about.

  “No. When I met her in London, I was so happy to have a chance to get to know Crispin’s family, but I was afraid to tell her the truth. I thought perhaps if I got to know all of you and you liked me, I could tell you then. I did so want you to like me.”

  “But where is the baby?” Gwendolyn clearly didn’t keep him in London. She wouldn’t be able to go out with Margaret and her friends if there was a baby at home, unless she had a nursemaid.

  “He’s with my parents in Dover. We couldn’t keep him at our home in Somerset. Everyone would know, so my father took a job at a military hospital near the port, and they’ve rented a house.”

  I was still trying to take it all in when I realized there was something odd about her story. “What about Andrew?” I asked. “How could he not know who you were? He was Crispin’s best friend, and when he met you, it didn’t seem like he’d ever heard of you. Wouldn’t Crispin have spoken of you?”

  Gwendolyn looked down at the locket. “I knew Andrew’s name. When Margaret introduced us, I nearly fainted. Crispin talked of him all the time. But Andrew was in France when Crispin was in Somerset. I think they didn’t see each other during the time I knew Crispin. I suppose he never had a chance to tell Andrew about me. I wish he had.”

  I tried to think of what to do next. I didn’t know if Margaret should be told, or if we should just wait until my father was back. Gwendolyn began to cry again and I realized the girl was exhausted. “You should get some sleep,” I said. “Andrew is going to need your nursing skills.”

  She put her hand over mine and smiled. “Thank you,” she whispered, though I wasn’t sure what she was thanking me for.