‘I’m sure you have. But you needn’t think that I’m as tolerant of this sort of thing as Inspector Deacon. Now, Miss Brewster.’ The inspector had obviously decided to adopt his kind, fatherly tone again. ‘I daresay you’ll find this a little distressing, embarrassing even, but I’d like you to tell me about Miss Montacute, if you will.’
‘I hated her.’
‘Vera! I think you should – ’
‘Miss Simpson, will you please not interrupt! Go on, please, Miss Brewster.’
‘I didn’t hate her at first, of course. But I was frightened of her.’
‘Perhaps you could explain, Miss Brewster?’
‘I was worried when I heard Lavinia had invited an heiress to stay. I shouldn’t have been surprised, of course. It was just the sort of thing she would do.’ Vera sighed, and pulled at her handkerchief. ‘But it changed everything. Theo is very ambitious, Inspector. He thinks he wants to be a doctor in London with a practice in Harley Street. But he wouldn’t like that at all, I know he wouldn’t. He cares about treating real people, making a difference to ordinary people’s lives with his medicine.’
Vera pulled so violently at the material of her handkerchief that Rose wondered whether she would rip it.
‘Theo has a weakness for the aristocracy and the landed gentry. He wants to associate with them and have them respect him. He thinks they can help further his career. I knew he’d view Miss Montacute as a potential wealthy patient.’
‘Please proceed, Miss Brewster.’
‘I thought that was all there was to it at first. Theo trying to secure a rich patient. I didn’t think there was any more to it than that. Of course I noticed that they spent a lot of time together, giggling and laughing and that sort of thing. Theo can be quite charming when he wants to be. Then Lavinia said something particularly spiteful … the day before yesterday, I think it was. Something about Theo enjoying the company of Emmeline rather too much for her liking and that I should make more effort with my dress. You remember, don’t you, Rose? You were there, weren’t you?’
Rose nodded but said nothing, keen not to catch the inspector’s disapproving eye.
’I’d rather been thinking the same thing myself, but hoping that I was wrong. But to find that even Lavinia of all people had noticed. Well, it really was too much. I imagined all sorts of things, you know, about people talking behind my back saying all sorts of horrid things like what a fool I was not to have noticed or put a stop to it. Of course,’ Vera averted her gaze to take in the carpet, ‘it didn’t help that I’d had a bit to drink.’
‘I beg your pardon, miss?’
‘I’m afraid that when I’m a bit nervous or upset I have a bit to drink. Not so much that I can’t walk in a straight line or I slur my words. Nothing like that. I don’t think anyone else would really notice. They don’t lock the drinks away here at Sedgwick as they do in some houses. They trust their servants here. So you see, it’s easy to help oneself to a drink if one wants to.’
‘I see.’
‘I’m afraid you’ll think I was rather beastly to Emmeline. I couldn’t get it out of my head that Lavinia was laughing at me. And Emmeline seemed so happy while I was so miserable. It didn’t seem fair. So I mentioned the kidnapping. But I had absolutely no idea that Emmeline and Jemima would be so upset. And then Theo … the way he looked at me … the way he spoke to me and what he said … I have never seen him so angry. And then he put his arm around her … Emmeline, I mean. He cared about her, but he didn’t care about me at all. It was awful.’
Vera put her hand to her forehead, as if she were trying to block out the image.
‘And then Count Fernand suggested you all play a type of parlour game? Looking at each other’s diamonds and the like through his jeweller’s lens?’
‘Yes. He did. It was awfully kind of him. Of course, it was only Emmeline and Lavinia who had diamonds worth looking at. I don’t know what would have happened if he hadn’t suggested that entertainment. I’d probably have rushed out of the room and gone up to bed. I might even have packed and left next day before breakfast.’ Vera paused and said in a voice hardly above a whisper so that the others only just caught her words: ‘I should have done that … If only I’d done that.’
‘Now, I’d like you to go through the events of yesterday for us if you will, Miss Brewster. Shall we start with your walk in the grounds with Miss Simpson yesterday morning? I understand you asked Dr Harrison if he’d care to join you, but that he declined.’
‘He said he had work to do,’ said Vera. Her voice had taken on a bitter tone. ‘I was silly enough to believe him, Inspector. But he lied. He didn’t. He just didn’t want to walk with me. He wanted to be with her.’
‘Perhaps you will tell me about this walk, will you, Miss Brewster?’
Vera rubbed her forehead and closed her eyes.
‘There isn’t much to say, Inspector. At least nothing new to add to what Miss Simpson must already have told you. Let me see. Yes … we walked in the grounds, didn’t we, Rose? I remember us chattering quite happily about one thing or another. I tried to impress upon you how ridiculous Lavinia was being suggesting that Theo was fond of Emmeline. I had quite convinced myself that what I was saying was the truth.’
‘And then?’
‘We came across Mr Thistlewaite and Miss Wentmore in the gardens. They were sitting on a bench with their backs to us, so they didn’t see us. It was all rather embarrassing because they didn’t know we were there and they were – ’
‘Excuse me, Miss Brewster. Miss Simpson, you didn’t mention anything about this.’
‘Didn’t I? I’m sorry, Inspector, I must have forgotten,’ Rose said, and then added rather pointedly: ‘I rather think you were wanting me to tell you about something else at the time.’
‘I’m sorry, Miss Brewster, do go on,’ said the inspector, frowning.
‘Really. It was all rather sad. They were talking about how they didn’t think they could bear to be apart from one another. They were saying that of course they would write, but that it wouldn’t be the same thing at all. Then Jemima said something about not having to wait … yes … now what was it? She sounded very serious. Don’t you remember, Rose? Now what did she say exactly? Yes … something about what if she could get her hands on some money now.’
‘Oh. Did she indeed?’
‘Yes, we didn’t hear any more. We felt a bit awkward that we had listened in, however unintentionally, to what was obviously a private conversation. I think it was then that we decided to walk down by the lake.’
Vera’s voice had suddenly become quieter, and Rose leaned forward in her seat and squeezed the woman’s hand.
‘It was then that we saw Theo and Emmeline by the lake. It was awful. They were – ’
‘It’s all right, Miss Brewster. Miss Simpson has told us all about it.’
‘It was awfully odd in a sad sort of way,’ Vera said, her eyes filling with tears. ‘Because do you know what kept going through my mind? It was that Theo had lied to me. He had pretended to be busy with his work, when all the time he wasn’t. I remember feeling frightfully angry about it. And of course it hurt damnably, Inspector. Seeing Theo and Emmeline like that. So in love. I don’t think Theo and I were ever like that.’
‘You didn’t think to confront Dr Harrison?’
‘No. I should have done of course. But it was such a shock. And then before I could do anything they had disappeared. They hadn’t seen us, you see. I remember standing there feeling sick and afraid I was going to go to pieces. You were there, Rose, and I suddenly wanted more than anything else in the world to be alone. Part of me wanted to forget what I had seen, and another part of me wanted to think about nothing else.’
‘So you went to your room?’
‘Yes, I spent all day there. I didn’t come down for lunch or tea. Lavinia arranged for my meals to be sent up on a tray, but I didn’t eat anything. I just moved the food around on the plate. I felt frightfully lightheaded when
I came down for dinner.’
‘What happened when you did?’
‘Nothing. I don’t think Theo had even noticed that I had been absent all day. He didn’t come over to me to see if I was feeling better.’ Vera looked wearily at Inspector Bramwell. ‘That was the excuse I gave, Inspector, for staying in my room.’ She sighed. ‘It was as if I wasn’t there. As if I didn’t exist for all the notice they took of me, Theo and Emmeline. I hated them both like poison, parading their feelings for each other for all of us to see. But most of all I hated her. Emmeline Montacute. She could have had any man she wanted and she’d chosen mine.’
Vera laughed, a shrill little laugh that made the others feel uneasy.
‘Do you remember, Rose, how concerned you were about me? Do you remember what I said? You were afraid they’d overhear.’
‘Vera …’
‘Go on Miss Brewster. What did you say to Miss Simpson?’
‘I said how much I hated them and I wished they were dead.’
‘Did you indeed?’
‘I’m afraid I’ve shocked you, Inspector. But that isn’t the worst of it. There’s more – ’
‘Vera!’
‘Miss Simpson! Will you please stop interrupting? If you can’t keep quiet, I shall ask you to leave.’
‘I’m worried about Miss Brewster, Inspector. Vera, have you been drinking?’
‘A little bit … yes. But I’m quite all right, Rose. I want to tell the Inspector everything. You heard him, Rose. He wants me to. He doesn’t want me to withhold anything.’
‘Inspector. I don’t think Miss Brewster is feeling quite well.’
‘I’ve only a few more questions to ask her, Miss Simpson, and then she can go.’
‘Miss Brewster, Dr Harrison told us that before you retired for the night he asked you to meet him in the library as he had something important to say to you.’
‘Yes. He broke off our engagement, if that’s what you’re referring to?’
‘I am.’
‘He just announced it. As if … as if it didn’t matter. And then he just walked out of the room. He didn’t wait to hear what I had to say. He didn’t … make certain I was all right. He … he knew how much I loved him. He knew. And he didn’t care!’ Vera’s voice had risen and now she was crying, tears falling freely down her cheeks.
‘Inspector, please.’
‘All right, Miss Simpson. I only have one more question to ask Miss Brewster. Then she can go.’
The inspector turned his attention to Vera. He withdrew from his pocket a handkerchief, which he passed to her. ‘There, miss. Use mine.’
Vera took it and dabbed at her eyes clumsily.
‘Now, I want to show you something, Miss Brewster. I want to know whether you recognise the handwriting on this piece of paper here.’ He took a scrap of paper from the desk in front of him and handed it to Vera, who looked at it in surprise.
‘“Meet me in the middle of the maze at a quarter to six tomorrow morning,”’ read Vera. ‘“I enclose a copy of the plan with this note. Go out by way of the French windows in the study. They are bolted but not locked. Don’t be late. I have something of the utmost importance to tell you.”’
‘You read that very well, Miss Brewster. You obviously didn’t have any difficulty reading the handwriting. It’s signed at the bottom. Can you see? What does it say?’
‘“T. E. H,”’ read Vera, again with no hesitation.
‘Do you recognise those initials, Miss Brewster?’
‘Yes, they’re Theo’s. Where did you find this note, Inspector?’
‘Never you mind about that for the present, miss. Now, do you recognise the handwriting?’
‘Yes.’
Rose saw the inspector sit up in his chair and Sergeant Lane put down his pencil and lean forward. There was a silence in the room full of anticipation. Rose wondered whether Vera was aware that the two policemen were hanging on her words.
‘Whose handwriting is it, miss?’
‘Mine,’ said Vera. ‘I wrote this note, Inspector.’
Chapter Twenty-five
Rose heard Sergeant Lane drop his pencil.
‘You did?’ exclaimed the sergeant. ‘You wrote that note, Miss Brewster?’
‘Yes … yes, I did.’ Vera looked around rather wildly. ‘Oh, it’s you talking, is it, Sergeant? I’d forgotten you were there.’ She returned her attention to the inspector. ‘I thought she would have destroyed it. Silly girl. Where did you find it, Inspector?’
‘Inside the dead woman’s glove,’ answered Inspector Bramwell. ‘Tell me. If, as you say, you wrote it, why did you put Dr Harrison’s initials at the end of this note?’
‘I would have thought that was obvious, Inspector. I wanted Emmeline to think the note was from Theo. She wouldn’t have gone to the maze otherwise, would she?’
‘Miss Brewster. I should warn you that if you’re trying to protect Dr – ’
‘I’m not, Inspector. I wrote that note. You have my word.’
‘I think it would be as well to start at the beginning, Miss Brewster,’ Inspector Bramwell said gravely. ‘Do you wish to have a solicitor present?’
‘No, why would I?’
‘Vera, I think it would be a good idea.’
‘It’s all right, Rose. I want to tell them everything. I want to tell them what I did.’ She stared at the inspector. ‘I suppose the idea came to me after Theo left me alone in the library. I couldn’t believe what he’d said or the awful way he had gone about breaking off our engagement. So cruel. Not like him at all.’
Vera pulled at the handkerchief, still clutched in her hand.
‘I have been in love with Theo for such a long time, Inspector. I worshiped him. I always knew that I would make him rather a plain, dull little wife. But he needed that, Inspector. Someone like me who was happy to fade into the background and adore him. Someone who could help him stand in the light. Someone – ’
‘Vera …’
‘Oh … I am going on rather, aren’t I, Rose? You are quite right to stop me. What I am trying to say is that I knew I’d make Theo a much better wife than she ever could. You never met Emmeline Montacute, Inspector. She was silly and vain. She would never have done for Theo. Don’t you see? I was thinking of him all the time. What I did, I did for Theo, not me.’
‘It must all have been very upsetting for you,’ said the inspector.
‘It was. I was devastated. I think I must have sat there for quite a long time, trying to take it all in. A full quarter of an hour, I should imagine. I was trying to think what to do.’
Vera looked up and fixed the policeman with eyes that were bright with emotion.
‘Perhaps I should say at this point, Inspector, that I had no intention of giving Theo up. I knew that it was just an infatuation. I knew it would all blow over when Theo came to his senses. But I couldn’t wait for that to happen. He might have done something very stupid that he would have lived to regret. He might have run away and married the girl.’
Vera rose from her seat and wandered around the room restlessly, every now and then stopping to examine a picture or an ornament, once even looking in a mirror and patting her hair into place.
‘It was no good my trying to reason with Theo, not the sort of mood he was in. But it did occur to me that I could speak to Emmeline. I suppose I should have waited until morning, but I didn’t want Theo to see her first. I was afraid about what he might do. Propose to the girl or something awful like that. Of course it was far too late for me to go and tap on her bedroom door and ask to speak to her. And for another thing, I didn’t want any of the others to know. For all I knew Jemima or a maid might still be in with her, helping her to undress. And besides, I was afraid it might wake up the others. I didn’t want that. Theo would have been furious.’
‘It was then that the idea came to you to write that note?’
‘Yes, Inspector. I was sitting in the library as you know. Seeing so many old books around me reminded me of th
e one Lord Belvedere had brought into the drawing room earlier that evening to show us the plan of the maze. Emmeline had been very taken with the idea of the maze. And of course Lavinia had told us that silly tale about the maid who had gone out there to meet her lover. Really, I don’t think there’s any truth in it, but it did give me an idea.’
‘To write this note and sign it with Dr Harrison’s initials?’
‘Yes. I thought the idea of a romantic assignation would appeal to Emmeline very much. Besides, she would never have gone to meet me in the maze. I had to be sure that she’d go.’
‘This note refers to a plan of the maze. Did you enclose one with it?’
‘Yes, I made a rough copy of the one from Cedric’s book.’ Vera blushed. ‘I’m afraid I’d had one or two more drinks than I ought, and went a little wrong in one place.’
‘What did you do then?’
‘I waited in the library. I’d gone to the drawing room to get the book. But I went back to the library to sketch the plan. You see, I knew there’d be notepaper and envelopes there. I waited until I was quite sure that everyone had gone to bed, even the servants. And then I slipped the envelope underneath Emmeline’s door. I risked giving it a little tap. You see, I was afraid that she might be asleep and not see the note until the morning.
‘And what did you do then?’
‘I went back to my own room and waited. I remember being rather pleased to see that it was a full moon. It appeared to be pitch black and yet one could see a little. Does that make any sense, Inspector?’
‘Go on please, Miss Brewster.’
‘Well, of course, I didn’t even try to get some sleep. I have a straight backed chair in my room, and I sat in that and watched the clock. It seemed to take forever for the hours to go by. I think I counted every minute. I can’t tell you what a relief it was for me when the time came to set off for the maze.’
‘I suppose,’ said Inspector Bramwell, ‘that you had no idea at this point whether Miss Montacute had seen your note or not?’
‘None whatsoever, Inspector. I’d pushed the note right under her door so I didn’t know whether Emmeline had picked it up or not. I could only hope that she had. Anyway … where was I? I do wish you’d stop interrupting me, Inspector. You’re making me lose my train of thought. I set off for the maze – ’
03 - Murder at Sedgwick Court Page 24