Once inside the room, he saw that Sarah was asleep. Felicity’s housemaid, Clara, was sitting next to her.
“I’m sorry, sir,” Clara said, rising respectfully, her face full of compassion.
“How is she?”
“The doctor said she has a bad concussion, sir. He was quite worried about it. We have to try to keep her awake, sir, and not let her slip into unconsciousness again.”
“Well then, wake her,” Alan demanded.
“She has only just now gone back to sleep, sir. She has had a very harrowing afternoon, indeed, sir.”
“Nevertheless, I wish to be able to speak to her for a moment. Please try to wake her for me.”
Clara turned back to Sarah and picked up the patient’s hand. She tapped it lightly, and called her name softly.
“Lady Sarah?” She paused a few moments, then tried again. “Lady Sarah, your husband is here to see you, ma’am.”
There was no response. Alan’s alarm was increasing by the moment. He stepped close to the chaise longue and knelt down next to his wife. “Sarah,” he said, as gently as he could, trying his utmost to control his rising panic. “Sarah, wake up, darling. Please.” He brushed his hand over her cheek, hoping it would stir her. But there was no response.
“Something is wrong,” Alan said. “You say the doctor insisted you must not let her slip into unconsciousness?”
Clara nodded.
“We must rouse her!” He shook Sarah gently at first, then a little more vigorously when there was no result. Eventually, he sat up on the lounge and tried to make her sit up by lifting her under the arms but her head fell forward limply.
“Go for the doctor again,” Alan shouted. “Go, Clara! Hurry!”
he only comfort Alan could take while waiting for the return of the doctor was that Sarah was still breathing, but that was all. He could get no other response from her.
When the doctor eventually arrived, he almost had to physically push Alan out of the way so that he could do his job.
“Your distress is causing you to become irrational, Lord Mellington,” the doctor said. “Please stand back, or you will need to leave the room altogether.”
Alan was not going to leave the room for any reason, so he pulled himself together and stood back quietly.
Eventually the doctor stood up, his face very grave.
“I left some medicine here to be given the patient in very small doses on very infrequent occasions. Who administered the medicine?”
Alan looked at Felicity since she had been overseeing the nursing.
“I gave very specific instructions to Mrs Maddock,” Felicity said, sounding alarmed. “Surely she would have done just as I asked.”
“Maddock?” Alan asked. “Is she Lucinda’s mother?”
“Oh, yes, but you can trust her with your life,” Felicity said quickly.
“Can you?” Alan bellowed.
“Have her come here at once,” the doctor said firmly.
Felicity went to the bell cord and rang. While she sent Simmons off to find the housekeeper, the doctor turned his attention back to the patient.
“Help me, Lord Mellington,” he said. “I need to induce vomiting. I believe she has had an overdose of morphine.”
Alan did exactly as he was told, holding his unconscious wife upright, while the doctor did his best to get a fluid down her throat.
By the time her body had responded, and she had been very sick, Simmons had returned with Mrs Maddock.
“Did you give Lady Sarah the mixture in this bottle?” the doctor asked, the minute he was free to speak to her.
“I gave her one spoonful, as you directed,” the older woman said, her eyes wide with fright.
“How is it then, that she has been poisoned with an overdose?” Alan asked angrily. He marched up to her, his anger very evident, and she shrank from the intimidating figure he presented.
“Was it you who was controlling your daughter, driving her to the edge of madness?”
“Please, sir, I only followed Lady Felicity’s orders. I didn’t do nothing wrong, sir, indeed, sir!”
“I cannot believe you. I believe you were the one who has been making attempts against us the whole time!” Alan’s distress had overcome his rational thinking.
“Lord Mellington, sir,” the doctor intervened. “This is a matter for the constable to investigate.”
Alan drew back just a fraction, but the fury in his eyes did not lessen as he glared at the poor woman.
It was only the fact that the doctor had directed his attention to Sarah, continuing to monitor her pulse, check her eyes, and trying to rouse her, that Alan was able to be distracted from the possibility that Mrs Maddock could have tried to poison his wife.
Alan was not prepared to leave the room where Sarah lay. She had roused enough to satisfy the doctor that she would pull through, but he had left strict instructions that she must be watched carefully. Alan had taken a strong notion that the danger they had all been trying to avoid, had been in wait for them all the time at his cousin’s home. His strong suspicion was that Mrs Maddock had been the one who had been manipulating her daughter’s mind. But there was nothing to be done but send word to the constable.
The clock in the hall had only just struck one in the morning. Alan’s head had fallen so that his chin rested on his chest, when he was awoken from his slumber by the sound of someone moving in the room. The light was dim, and though Alan was exhausted, his mind was instantly alert.
“Who’s there?” he growled, looking around quickly.
“I’m sorry, sir!” It was Felicity’s housemaid, Clara.
“What do you want?” Alan rose from his chair and faced the young woman, his body tense and his tone of voice stern.
“I have to tell you something, but I’m afraid, sir, indeed I am, sir.”
“What?” Alan asked impatiently.
“It’s Lady Felicity... ”
“What about Lady Felicity?” Alan insisted. “Tell me, girl!”
“I heard her call Lady Sarah down the stairs, sir. She seemed in a terrible panic, and told your wife that you were in trouble, indeed she did, sir.”
“Go on,” Alan prompted, sounding just a little more sympathetic.
“I was dusting just behind the staircase, and Lady Felicity did not see me, sir, indeed she did not, but I saw her come down the stairs and wait at the bottom.”
“Did you see Lady Sarah fall?”
“Yes, she fell, and I was shocked to see it, but Lady Felicity didn’t do nothing at first, sir, but went back up the stairs to do something. It took her almost a minute before she came back down, and then started calling for us.”
“Why did you not go at once to Lady Sarah’s aid?” Alan asked, exasperated.
“Lady Felicity was right there, sir. I thought she would tell me if I was to go for help, sir, or something, but she didn’t even see me, sir, indeed she did not, sir.”
“Is that all?” Alan asked.
“No, sir!”
“What more?”
“I am sorry, indeed, sir, but... ” Clara said meekly.
“What else is there?” he barked.
“Lady Felicity told me to give Lady Sarah a spoonful of the medicine that the doctor left. I didn’t know that Mrs Maddock had already given her a dose, sir, indeed I did not, sir.”
Alan was quiet for a moment. If what the girl was saying was true, then it would appear that his cousin’s wife, Felicity was the one behind the attacks. As he thought about it, he guessed that it all made sense. If he and Simon were gone, then Leighton would get the entire Mellington Estate, and now the stakes were higher, for if she could get rid of Sarah first, then the Pennerly Estate would be his as well.
“Have you told anyone about this?” Alan asked, suddenly realising that the poor girl must be terrified.
“No, sir, indeed, sir,” Clara replied.
“First thing tomorrow, you must repeat what you have told me to the constable. Do you think y
ou can do that?”
“Yes, sir,” she nodded.
She turned around, and opened the door to leave, but just as she did, there was the sound of a gunshot, and the girl crumpled to the ground.
Instantly alert, Alan looked quickly around for some weapon with which to defend himself. He wasn’t too surprised however, when Felicity walked into the room, two duelling pistols in her hand. One had just been fired, and the second was aimed at him.
“Now to finish what I started,” Felicity said maliciously. “And to think there is so much more to gain from it now that she decided to get involved.” She nodded her head in the direction of Sarah, lying on the chaise longue.
“You are out of your mind, Felicity, if you think you can get away with this... ”
But she didn’t stop to dialogue with him. She simply pulled the trigger, and once again Alan felt the pain of a gunshot wound go through his left shoulder.
He fell to the ground, not so much from the wound, but because he decided the best thing to do was to make her believe she had succeeded. She really is a terrible shot, he thought. Three times she had had a go at him, and three times her aim was hopeless.
Alan watched her as she dropped the two pistols and turned and ran out of the door. It wasn’t another three minutes before Simmons appeared in the room, and not long after that, Leighton with Felicity close behind him.
“Oh, dear God!” she cried. It was a faultless performance. “Who could have done this?”
“That Maddock woman, I should guess!” Leighton said, moving over to his cousin to see if he was dead.
“I’m sorry, madam, sir.” Simmons spoke respectfully. “It appears young Miss Clara is dead.”
Felicity let out another cry, and collapsed on the ground dramatically.
Leighton felt for a pulse in Alan’s neck and was relieved to find that he was still alive. In fact Alan was conscious, but he did not want Felicity to know that. He waited until there were more people in the room.
“Simmons, go for the doctor at once,” Leighton said from his position on the floor. “Felicity! Felicity dear, are you well enough to see to Alan’s shoulder. He is bleeding quite badly. I must go and see if I can detain Mrs Maddock, before she gets away.”
Felicity pulled herself up a little from the ground. “Oh, my dear,” she said, pretending to stifle a sniffle. “It is all too dreadful!”
“Yes, yes, my dear,” Leighton answered, as he pressed a clean handkerchief against Alan’s shoulder. “But if you could just come here and hold this cloth firm until the doctor gets here, I must see if I can stop Mrs Maddock before she does any more damage.”
Slowly, Felicity managed to get up and went across to where Alan was lying. He could tell she was close, and his whole being revolted at the thought of her being so near. He wasn’t certain whether he should just open his eyes at that point and make the accusation, or if he should wait.
He decided to act.
“Don’t leave the room, Leighton,” Alan said quite strongly. “Mrs Maddock had nothing to do with the shooting.”
“Alan! What a relief! Are you all right, old man?”
“I am grieved to have to say this, Leighton, but your wife has been the one behind all the attacks. She shot me in the shoulder, just now, and murdered your housemaid in cold blood!”
Felicity’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh, my dear! What are you saying? Leighton, he must be delirious!”
“That is exactly what you said to me this afternoon, Felicity!”
They were all astonished to hear Sarah speak to them from behind.
“You told me Alan was in trouble,” she said, “and you sounded so urgent that I hurried out of bed after you, and then I tripped. There was something strung near the top of the stairs. But when I asked you about it this afternoon, you told everyone that I was delirious. It was you, wasn’t it Felicity? You were the one who murdered Lucinda!”
Felicity gave a nervous laugh, then looked to her husband who was watching her closely.
“You cannot believe that, can you Leighton?” she asked. “It is just the ravings of a sick woman!”
“I saw you shoot Clara and Alan,” Sarah said evenly. “I was afraid you would shoot me too, or I would have called out.”
The three looked at Felicity to see if she would concede, but instead she seemed to back away like a cornered animal. Suddenly, she broke into a run, and escaped through the door.
“Are you sure, Alan?” Leighton asked, looking aggrieved as well as shocked.
“I am sure, and it grieves me to have to say so.”
Leighton got up from the floor and went quickly after his wife.
“Are you all right?” Sarah eventually asked. “I saw her shoot you, and thought I had really lost you this time.”
Alan, who had remained sitting on the floor, got up awkwardly and moved over to his wife.
“Poor Clara!” Sarah said, tears running down her cheeks.
“Do not look, dear. It is better not to.”
Alan wanted to put his arms around his wife, but he had to hold the handkerchief in place over his wound. He wanted to grieve for the lost child, he wanted to comfort her for the horror of having just faced death, but all he could do was sit with her, and wait until the doctor arrived.
“Is it over, Alan?” Sarah asked. “Shall we be safe now?”
hock, grief and relief all came at the same time to confuse Sarah’s feelings.
At least she was safe. Once the constable had come and taken Felicity into custody, the whole mystery unravelled quickly.
Leighton admitted that ever since he had known her, Felicity had been obsessed with the family history, particularly with his mother’s unforgiveness toward both his grandfather and uncle.
Leighton had never shared his mother’s bitterness at having been cut out of the Mellington estate. There had been an allowance given to her to live, and then she had married Lord Lydbury and lived very comfortably. Leighton had never wanted for anything, and the fact that he might have had a greater inheritance from part of his cousin’s estate had not been something he had ever given thought to. But apparently Felicity had. She had pieced together the whole family history, who was the next in line to inherit, and exactly how many people would have to be out of the way for Leighton to inherit the whole lot. And that was why she had decided to try getting rid of Alan Mellington herself.
But she was proved a very bad shot, and Sarah Montgomery an excellent nurse.
It had been Felicity who had appealed to Alan to take Lucinda back on his staff, and because of the guilt he had felt, he had done so in good faith. But Alan had not realised just how mentally unstable the girl was as a result of the humiliation and persecution she had suffered. But Felicity was aware, and she knew that it would not be too difficult to manipulate her with suggestions, and knowing that there was enough latent hatred to set the girl off easily, she did not doubt that Simon would be the target of her anger.
No one knew exactly how Felicity had silenced Lucinda, but the constable shamefacedly admitted that he sometimes allowed prisoners to receive visitors without checking thoroughly to see if they might be carrying something that would aid an escape, or bring harm to the prisoners. Mrs Maddock wondered mournfully if she might not have been the instrument of her daughter’s death, having carried gifts of food from her mistress to her daughter on several occasions.
Poor Leighton was not so much heartbroken as angered and ashamed that he had allowed this woman, his wife, to extract from him all sorts of information regarding the estates and family fortunes. Now that it was clear what she had been up to, he was mortified that he had not realised it sooner. He should have wondered why she was so intent on finding out about Sir Alistair Pennerly, and the inheritance that his estranged granddaughter was likely to receive.
Now they all understood why she had temporarily deferred further attempts, once she had calculated that there was so much more to be gained from waiting.
Alan hoped that
Felicity would be proved insane, but from what he had heard from his cousin, he was afraid that it would be found she was merely a cold, calculating woman, who would stop at nothing to get exactly what she had set her heart on. Although he felt very sorry for Leighton, he felt infinitely more for his wife and their own situation. As a result after the one discussion about the Lydburys the subject was not referred to again.
Because Sarah was in no state to travel, Claire and Phillip were sent for, and as soon as they came, the family cosseted themselves away at Mellington Hall, taking time to heal.
ir Alan Mellington was a very benevolent lord and landowner. He was very aware of those who were dependent upon his generosity, and even those who merely depended upon him for their livelihood.
For some time though, there had been a rift in the village. There were those who maintained their respect for him, and gratitude for the kind of landlord that he was, and those who had sat under the poisonous teachings of the Reverend Nigel Snead, and who had begun to believe that they had a right to spread slander, ignore and hold in contempt the very man who could evict them from their homes.
Even before Alan had taken Sarah as his wife, he knew what this group of people were up to, but had decided that their behaviour was beneath his notice, and determined to ignore them.
It was not until he had seen how much it had hurt Sarah and her family that he became aware of just how destructive was vicious slander and self-righteousness. But there was not a thing he could do about it, especially when it was being fuelled by a man who used God and the Bible as his authority. He had considered very seriously confronting the Reverend Mr Snead and formally withdrawing his financial support from the church. He felt he could just as easily transfer the money to Mr Edwards, who he believed would put it to much better use. But when he thought about it, he believed that taking such action would do his reputation no credit. Those who believed in him, would always believe in him. Those who had accepted the slander as truth would not be convinced otherwise if he were to remove the vicar from his position. In fact, it would look more like a vindictive act on his part, and those who had supported him, might consider him less favourably.
Mellington Hall Page 19