Mellington Hall

by Meredith Resce

  “Has the constable given any indication that he might know who has made this terrible attack on you, sir?” the minister pursued.

  “I’m afraid he is no closer to making an arrest. He simply has no idea.”

  “What about you? Do you suspect anyone?”

  Alan shook his head. He had had this conversation with Sarah several times. They had talked about different ones, about motive and opportunity, but in the end they had reached the conclusion that there was simply no evidence.

  “Well, I cannot tell you how glad I am that you look as if you are no longer at death’s door, even if the doctor will not allow you out of bed.”

  “I fear that I am as weak as a kitten,” Alan admitted. “I have been completely dependent on my staff.”

  “So you have confidence that it is not one of them, then?”

  “Well, to be frank, there is only one person I have confidence in, and she has been most diligent in caring for me. I believe she might have been the one who has saved my life on both occasions.”

  “Ah, yes! Miss Montgomery.”

  Alan was not sure whether he detected a note of disapproval in the minister’s tone of voice, but he decided that he would take the opportunity to begin to set the record straight.

  “Yes, the poor girl found me half dead in the woods, just prior to that blizzard, and it took every ounce of ingenuity to save my life, considering she was alone, and trapped by the snow.”

  The minister nodded as if he understood.

  “And as I understand it, her reputation has suffered severely in spite of all the care she took of me; as a result, I find my brother has been forced to employ her in the house. She has been shunned by the parish, you know.”

  “I had heard something of the sort, sir,” he admitted.

  “It was Miss Montgomery who discovered I was being poisoned, and I believe it was she who saved my life the second time. Is that the story you heard?”

  “A somewhat distorted version of it, perhaps, but I can see how difficult it must have been for her. I hope you have taken good care to make sure she is treated properly.”

  “If by that, you mean, have I violated her innocence, of course not, and you may rest assured she is quite safe. As to her future, that is as yet undetermined. I have simply been too ill to meet with the Parish elders to sort out the misunderstanding.”

  “Make it a matter of urgency, Lord Mellington. As soon as you are well enough, please present the facts clearly. Her reputation appears to be in tatters.”

  Alan would have enjoyed the visit on any other occasion. He usually found the minister intelligent and his conversation thought-provoking and encouraging. But today, without saying so, he had indicated that what Sarah had told him was not only true, it was the chief topic of conversation in the village. Mr Edwards did not listen to idle gossip. For him to be aware of the situation and to mention it, it must indicate that it was being widely accepted as fact.

  As days passed, Alan felt like a heel. There had been nothing he could do to refute the slander, and from several snide remarks by his brother, he realised that it was generally accepted that Sarah Montgomery was his mistress. Of course Alan was not strong enough to call his brother out on it, and Simon took delight in walking out of the room before giving Alan a chance to discuss the subject. If the rumours were reaching even him, then he knew that Sarah must be having a far worse time of it.

  Alan had sent Rupert to the village with a letter, asking if the Reverend Snead would be good enough to visit.

  “When may I expect Mr Snead to come?” Alan asked Rupert upon his return.

  “I doubt very much that he will come at all, my lord,” Rupert said, sounding somewhat dismayed.

  “Did you make sure he understood it was important, and that I am unable to travel at present?”

  “I believe he understood your situation very well,” Rupert explained with difficulty. “Unfortunately, I’m afraid he has no sympathy for you. I am very sorry, sir. I believe he has washed his hands of you.”

  Alan was furious. “I wonder how much sympathy he might develop when he finds out I shall no longer be paying his living?”

  It was a rhetorical question, an expression of his anger, but Rupert was horrified just the same.

  “Would you take such drastic action, sir?” Rupert asked.

  “You don’t think I should?” Alan replied, not afraid to discuss the matter with his valet.

  “Well... I mean... You do understand the vicar does not approve, sir... ”

  “Of course I understand that, but I also understand that he is refusing to take a moment to listen to the truth. He has taken the gossip at face value, and has made his judgement. He is a man of influence, Rupert, and his word on this matter is making things very difficult for Miss Montgomery.”

  Rupert said nothing. He was not entirely sure that Miss Montgomery was as innocent as they protested.

  “Please send Miss Montgomery to me,” Alan asked Rupert.

  “Yes, my lord.” Rupert knew his place. He also managed to hide the disapproval he felt.

  However, Sarah was not so good at hiding her feelings.

  “What does he want?” she asked the valet when he spoke to her.

  “It is not my place to ask, Miss, nor yours. He has called for you, and you should go immediately.”

  “What good does he think this will do?” Sarah couldn’t help showing her frustration. She had been feeling the effects of smug disapproval ever since she had returned to the servants’ quarters.

  But Rupert didn’t bother to discuss it with her. He turned and waved his hand in the direction of the staircase. “After you, Miss.”

  Sarah had no choice but to follow.

  “How are you?” Alan asked her, the moment she walked into his bedroom.

  “Very well, thank you, sir,” she answered in a detached manner, curtseying as any servant would.

  “Would you give us a moment, Rupert?” Alan spoke to the valet who had entered the room with Sarah.

  Rupert bowed briefly, and backed out of the room.

  “Why did you do that?” Sarah could not maintain her submissive façade. “You know what the talk is!”

  “I just need to know if you are all right.” Alan sounded genuinely caring.

  “Of course I’m not all right,” she burst out. “I’ve been thrown out of my home and rejected by my family, the villagers have branded me a loose woman, and even your staff treat me like rubbish.”

  “Who?” Alan asked, angered by this information.

  “All of them!” Sarah cried. “And your calling me in here like this only makes it worse!” She looked at him with an agonised expression. “When are you going to do something to set it right? I haven’t done anything wrong!”

  “As soon as I am sufficiently recovered,” he answered. “I promise you, I shall do all I can.”

  Sarah wanted to go on as the frustration bubbled within her, but she knew there was little use in that. Instead she just looked at him, her face set like flint.

  “I promise I shall,” Alan tried to reassure her.

  “Will that be all, sir?” she asked coldly.

  There was nothing else to be said. He merely nodded, and she let herself out of his room.

  Along with the rumours, Mr Snead’s refusal to come and this heated exchange with Sarah had all really disturbed Alan. He knew that he was being dishonourable in many ways. Since going to the New Church, he had not so much heard a different message as seen and felt a different attitude towards life and people. He understood Mr Snead well enough after years in his church. But the controversial minister at the New Church, he knew, would have stopped and listened to Sarah’s story. He would have helped organise a meeting with the Allysons, and insisted on a proper hearing as she explained the situation. Alan felt sure that if he spoke to Mr Edwards now, he would advise that he put his hallowed family traditions aside and look to the well being of this vulnerable young woman. And, if Alan had confessed his attr
action to Sarah, this minister would advise that he marry her, and be proud of her for who she was, despite her lack of wealth and title. Alan knew all this, but wondered if he dared.

  He sighed as he realised that he was still not well enough to be doing anything quite so dramatic at the moment. For the time being, he would have to content himself that Sarah had work and accommodation. He would defer exploring his other thoughts and feelings until later.

  Despite her frustration with him, Sarah was very relieved to see that Alan’s health had greatly improved, though she couldn’t help but worry that another attempt would be made on his life. Considering the disappointment she felt at his apparent passivity concerning her situation, she found it strange that she still felt a strong sense of concern for his well-being. When she tried to analyse it, the only answer she could come up with was that she cared for him as a friend. To admit anything more was impossible, so she refused to think about it. But caring for Alan as a friend meant that she was forever watching the shadows and observing others in the house. She wasn’t remotely satisfied with the investigation that the constable was supposed to be conducting. She would have liked to have made a more thorough inquiry herself, and her chief suspect was Simon. Whenever the constable was in the house, Simon was friendly, amiable and apparently bending over backwards to be helpful. But as soon as the authority of the law was gone, he resumed his arrogant and controlling manner, and the more Sarah observed him and his relationship with his brother, the more she became convinced that Simon hated Alan.

  But Sarah realised that she had lost her temporary place of privilege, or at least she had given it up when she had returned to the servants’ quarters. The household appeared to have settled back into a relatively normal rhythm, and because everyone was aware that they were all under a kind of surveillance, they seemed to be making extraordinary efforts to allay suspicion. Still Sarah observed, and though she didn’t consciously admit it, she felt that she had earned a special right to watch over Sir Alan Mellington.

  lan was not particularly fond of his cousin Sir Leighton Lydbury, and he definitely disliked Sir Leighton’s wife, Lady Felicity. But he knew what was expected of him, so when Rupert announced that Lord and Lady Lydbury were at Mellington Hall to call on him, he knew that he would have to receive them.

  “Have them come out here,” Alan said to Rupert, as he sat in his chair on the lawn in the warm sunshine. “And have Sarah bring out some tea for us.”

  “Very good, sir.” Rupert gave a slight bow and turned to go back indoors.

  Leighton was the eldest son of his father’s younger sister. The families had never been particularly close, and in fact had experienced a period of tension when their grandfather had passed away, as Leighton’s mother had not received what she believed to be her rightful inheritance from their father’s estate, and Alan’s father had showed no regret that his younger sister had been poorly treated.

  However, Alan had never felt that past history was any of his concern, but sensed that perhaps things between him and his cousin had been somewhat strained because of it.

  “Alan, my dear, how are you?”

  “Felicity.” Alan tried to sound enthusiastic as he stood up to greet his cousin and his wife.

  “Alan, old man,” Leighton said, shaking his hand. “I hear someone has tried to do you in.”

  Alan didn’t quite know how to respond to this, and merely ducked his head, as if he was embarrassed.

  “How are you feeling now?” Felicity asked, after giving her husband a disapproving glare.

  “Much improved, thank you,” Alan responded politely.

  “Have they any idea who took a shot at you?” Leighton asked, determined to dwell on the point, despite his wife’s effort to avoid the subject.

  “It would appear that whoever it was used the duelling pistols from Simon’s private sitting room.”

  “So you suspect Simon? After the full inheritance, do you think?” Felicity asked quickly, drawn into the discussion, despite herself.

  Alan shook his head. “I doubt it was Simon.”

  “Who else, then?” Felicity seemed suddenly very keen to solve the mystery.

  “I really have no idea,” Alan answered, trying to sound a little bored, as if the subject didn’t interest him at all, when in fact, he was desperate to find out who had nearly killed him.

  “Did the constable find any evidence of poison anywhere in the house?” Leighton continued the questions.

  “Yes. A bottle of cyanide was found in the wash house, but no one seemed to know how it had got there, or to whom it belonged.”

  “Naturally. Who is going to admit to possessing a bottle of cyanide when the master of the house is on death’s doorstep as a result of attempted poisoning?”

  “I daresay all of the servants have become very tight-lipped?” Felicity said.

  “And more thorough than I’ve ever known them to be,” Alan added. “They all know that the investigation is not over, and that is why I feel relatively secure at present. I doubt that anyone will make an attempt while there is so much vigilance.”

  At that moment, Sarah wheeled a tray-mobile out onto the patio, and then brought the afternoon tea tray across the lawn and placed it on the white wrought-iron garden table. She was dressed in the plain black uniform of a housemaid, with a white apron tied neatly around her waist.

  Alan gave her a warm smile, which she returned in a very reserved manner. Even she knew that familiarity between servants and the family was not the done thing, but she did not ignore him completely.

  After she had set the tea things out, poured the tea and handed the plate of refreshments to each of the guests, she looked to Alan for further direction.

  “Will there be anything else, Lord Mellington?” she asked politely.

  “Not for the moment, Sarah. Thank you.” He smiled warmly at her again, at which she gave a small curtsey, and backed away before turning to go indoors.

  Alan watched her all the way back to the house. Even the reticent smile she’d given him had caused his heart to pound, and he found himself longing for more. She might not have been dressed like a lady, but her feminine charm and beauty had totally captured his imagination. Alan was quite unaware of just how transparent he was as he watched Sarah return indoors, and didn’t even realise he should try to hide his feelings.

  “Something going on there, old man?” Leighton asked bluntly, raising his eyebrows.

  “I beg your pardon?” Alan’s attention was abruptly brought back to his guests.

  “You have that girl in your sights, if I’m not mistaken.” Leighton didn’t bother to protect his wife’s delicate sensibilities.

  “Leighton!” she scolded, trying to sound scandalised. But she had also noticed that their cousin’s face revealed tenderness when he looked at the girl.

  “There is nothing going on at all,” Alan said, blushing once he realised he’d acted without considering the effect. “That young woman was the one who saved my life on both occasions. Naturally, I feel quite an amount of gratitude toward her.”

  “I say, Alan, do be careful,” Felicity warned. “Young girls like that are only too ready to grasp any opportunity they can. Do be careful,” she repeated. “I would not have her employed here, if I were you.”

  Alan didn’t bother to argue. He didn’t want to discuss his feeling of obligation, or any other feeling that might or might not be developing.

  Eventually, Felicity got up and walked over to the roses and took a few moments to absorb the scent and beauty of the carefully tended flowers.

  “As I said before, old man,” Leighton continued in a stage whisper, “if nothing is going on now, it looks as if you’d quite like something to begin. There are ways of arranging these things, you know.”

  Alan was annoyed. He knew exactly how members of his set arranged things when they wanted to indulge in an affair. It was something he had berated Simon over many times, convinced that it was not an honourable or moral practi
ce. But the trouble was, he also had some very strong feelings towards Miss Sarah Montgomery. Perhaps his cousin Felicity was right. Perhaps he should not have her working in the house. How long would it be before all of his strongly held moral convictions weakened in the light of the growing attraction he was feeling towards her?

  But there was not much else he could do with her, considering her current plight. He could not, or would not, cast her out to try and fend for herself. That was out of the question.

  Alan’s cousin and his wife were too perceptive by half, and he had a difficult job trying to divert their attention from Sarah Montgomery. It troubled him, as he was obviously not hiding his feelings about her at all. They had pounced on this indiscretion straight away, and while Lady Felicity seemed bound to warn him away from engaging in any way with the servant, his cousin seemed equally determined to help him to find a way to indulge in something that both of them considered an illegitimate affair. Both attitudes troubled Alan greatly. He didn’t see Sarah as either a threat or a forbidden delight to be tasted. He truly respected her and, if he was honest with himself, he loved her, at least as far as a man can love a woman from a distance. But to give way to his feelings was out of the question. He’d been over that many times. He had an obligation to his own position and station in life, and he would be true to that first.

  Still the problem of Sarah haunted him in the night hours. He decided that he must guard himself more carefully, because if his cousins had noticed his admiration so easily, what must the rest of the household think?

  Sarah had taken a chance by going into the village. She had hoped that the uproar caused by Mr Snead’s vicious edict would have long since settled, and that the people in the village might perhaps have forgotten Mrs Allyson’s garbled report.