by Anya Wylde
Not a squeak of protest was heard. The duke was not asking them but informing them.
“I think it is only fair to all present that I first start with my daughter. Catherine had spent the longest time with my sister, who was, as we all know, a difficult person. It was because of her that my daughter was literally a prisoner in her own home. She was alienated from her friends and from her family. She came to hate her aunt with a passion.”
He put up his hand to stall Lord Raikes, who had risen from his seat to argue, “I know what you are going to tell me, that she loved her as well, like no one else present in this room did. Lord Raikes, a person commits a crime out of intense emotion. It is easier for love to turn into hatred than mere dislike. She loved the memory of her aunt as she had been during her childhood, allowing her to escape to the library when she pleased, encouraging her shyness, and soothing her tears. When Catherine grew up, she slowly understood the negative aspects of her aunt’s attitude and how it was affecting her life and personality. She is an intelligent girl, and she slowly became aware that she could never hope to grow as a person with her aunt acting as her companion. She needed to break free of her influence and for once breathe. She had been suffocating. I would never let my sister go. How could I be expected to choose between a daughter and a sister? So she had a motive to kill. She runs the household, hence her procuring a knife was not a problem. Finally, she does not have an alibi, and her room is closest to my sister’s.”
Catherine had turned white. Lord Raikes held her hand and glared at the duke and asked, “How can you accuse your own daughter?”
“I am merely stating facts,” the duke replied dispassionately.
“Are you saying your daughter is the murderer?” Mr Barker enquired.
“No, I am not confirming who is the murderer … yet. I am simply telling you how she had the means and the motive. I will now come to you, Lord Raikes,” he said, turning to face the furious man, “you are in love with my daughter.”
A few gasps sounded around the room. Not everyone had been aware of this new development.
Catherine quickly glanced at Lord Raikes and was surprised to find that he did not deny it.
The duke ignored the murmurs. Instead, he continued eyeing Lord Raikes as he spoke, “Now, why would you have any reason to murder my sister? You had the means and no alibi. You were awake at the time of murder by your own admission, but what could be the reason. I think you were afraid Lady Babbage would never let Catherine go. You saw the depth of her possessiveness.”
“I am sorry to spoil your theory midway, Your Grace,” Lord Raikes interrupted, “Lady Babbage had encouraged me to pursue Catherine and forget Emma.”
“We have only your word to prove that, but let us assume you are speaking the truth. She encouraged you in your efforts to woo Catherine. Let us even assume she allowed you two to marry. Tell me, Lord Raikes, do you think a change in marital status would have affected her hold on my daughter? She had years to work on her charge. She had ample time to mould her into a perfect, biddable girl who did as she was told. You saw how submissive my daughter was, and you were not sure if you could ever free Catherine from my sister’s clutches. You are also a passionate man, and I think your love is all consuming. You cannot bear to share the one you love with anyone else. You love her enough to want her to grow into her own person. The only way she could be a confident and secure young woman was if her aunt were removed from the scene.”
“It sounds a bit improbable, My Lord,” the earl commented.
“I am surprised to hear you say that. You know him best and are surely aware of his past. He did not return to England for ten years because his first love refused to have him. Can you fathom what a man of such deep emotions is capable of? He fell in love once more, and this time he intends to have his beloved. He did not mention his indiscretion to me yesterday out of any sense of honesty or belief in my omniscience. He told me what occurred truthfully because he knew the result. I would have no choice but to get the two of them wed as soon as I possibly could.”
Lord Raikes stayed silent, neither confirming nor denying anything.
The duke gazed at his future son in law and smiled, “He will not proclaim his innocence until he is sure that Catherine is safe from the gallows. Would anyone like tea or some wine?”
No one bothered to reply.
The duke shrugged and refilled his own glass; taking a sip he continued, “Emma now has two people who can vouch for her actions on that fated night. Though, she did have a motive … her concern for her cousin. She loves her like a sister. No one else knew the depth of Lady Babbage’s effect on Catherine better than Emma. She could see how her cousin’s spirit was slowly and steadily being crushed. Emma is a fighter and she fights for those she loves. She was the only one who my sister could not push away or bully. She stuck steadfast in her love for Catherine, coming every summer in spite of all the curtailments. How could she see Catherine suffer every single day and not do anything about it?”
“Her alibi?” Nutters interrupted.
“Pickering could have fallen asleep. The earl and Emma may have been aware of being followed and worked together to kill my sister once the coast was clear.”
The duke became silent thereafter. The others stirred as if awakening from a trance. They waited a few moments for the duke to continue and when he did not, they moved to pour themselves tea or wine.
Soft murmurs soon became louder as they all discussed the duke’s observations. The clock chimed ten and they wondered if no more was to come.
Pickering entered the room with a tray of refreshments, dispelling the thought that the session was now over. They were in for a long night.
No one had any desire to eat, and the duke finally gestured to Pickering to remain, “It is not pleasant talking about people I love in such a ruthless manner. I am being as impartial as I can. It would not be fair if I only dissected the strangers or friends present and spared my own family. It pains me as much as it is hurting all of you. Mr Barker, would you like a cigar?”
Mr Barker jumped at the sudden change of subject and shook his head.
The duke passed the box to Lord Raikes, and then continued, “Allow me to speak of your daughter, Mr Barker,”
Mr Barker nodded worriedly.
“Prudence was being blackmailed by my sister, and we all know that, since the evidence was found in the form of letters and the brooch. I will not go into details of what she was being blackmailed for. I hope anyone who is aware of the reasons will keep it to themselves. She has a strong motive and no one to vouch for her innocence. Now, I beg your indulgence a little further by discussing your wife.”
Mrs Barker fidgeted under all the eyes that suddenly turned towards her. She absently picked up a pastry on the table near her and dug the spoon into the light as air dessert. She did not lift the spoon to her mouth as she waited for the duke to continue.
“She too was being blackmailed. She gave me her reasons, and unfortunately it was not the complete truth. After discovering the murder, I instructed Pickering, and a man provided by Nutters, to stand guard outside my sister’s door. It was lucky I thought of it in spite of my state of shock. Mrs Barker and Mr Barker were seen lurking around outside the door. They had no reason to venture into that part of the house as their room falls in the opposite direction. They have visited my home often enough to know their way around, so their excuse of getting lost did not sit well with me. I therefore searched through every piece of paper in my sister’s room and found the reason. Mr Barker was involved in the embezzlement of a large sum of money. That was the true reason for the blackmail. I suspected Mrs Barker was lying the moment she told me she was afraid her husband would find out about her extramarital affairs. Her husband, as we all know, could not have been unaware of his wife’s indiscretions, as she has no qualms flirting outrageously in front of him. I think he even encourages it to further his own means.”
Mr Barker, for once, remained silent. Mrs Bar
ker had dropped the pastry on her lap, where it now sat melting into her skirts.
“I then conducted an experiment. I asked Nutters to go into Mrs Barker’s room when she was not present. I similarly entered Mr Barker’s room and closed the connecting door. The servants assured me that the door between their rooms has remained closed for years. They often know such things, and it would be too much of a coincidence if the door were suddenly opened on the night of the murder. I then asked Nutters to open the main door and slip out into the hallway. According to Mr Barker, he had heard his wife leave in the middle of the night. Imagine my surprise when I found that I could not hear a thing. I then requested a younger servant to take my place to ensure nothing was wrong with my hearing. He, too, could not tell when Nutters departed the room. I concluded that the two had planned to face my sister together. I am also sure they had an ugly argument with her. The reason was the brooch. My sister had failed to locate the basket left by Prudence. She expected the girl would come and see her that night with a valid excuse. She did not think Prudence would dare to ignore her instructions without an explanation. Accordingly, she had pulled out the brooch to gloat and kept it next to her as a reminder to Prudence as to who held the reins. She was a cruel woman. Instead, Mr Barker and Mrs Barker arrived in her room to reason with her. They noticed the brooch lying on the bed and realised who else she had been blackmailing; hence, they argued and perhaps in a heated moment … killed her.”
“We did not kill her,” Mrs Barker whispered, “It is true, we fought bitterly, for I could not stand the thought of my daughter being subjected to the same misery as I was. It was heartless to use such a young girl for her means. It was the first time that I knew of it, and I could no longer control my emotions. I was so angry, and I could have killed her, but I did not!”
The duke just glanced at her blandly and continued as if he had never been interrupted, “I had briefly touched upon the topic of Lady Babbage’s son yesterday. I want to expand on that and tell you some more about him. I had mentioned that each one of you has seen him but not met him. His name is Joseph Babbage, and he has been working as an under-gardener on the estate. I was not aware of this until a few days ago when one of my men overheard him speaking to my sister. He was planning to rob the house on the night of the murder. That is why I had requested Pickering to bar the entrance to the servant quarters and stay within the main house.”
“So did he kill her?” the earl asked.
The duke did not immediately answer. Then he spoke slowly, “I was told that a blonde man with a knife was seen in the corridor. I had assumed our killer was Joe. It would have been a convenient solution that protected every member of my family, and I would have gotten rid of the rogue. Unfortunately, he became aware of the fact that I knew of his planned robbery. Lady Babbage may have overheard my conversation with Pickering and warned him. I do not know for sure. He left right after dinner and went to the local pub in the village. He drank himself into a stupor and passed out on the table. The pub owner threw him out on the street, where he lay until the morning. I did not believe his story until the villagers confirmed it.”
“Then who is the blonde man?” the earl wondered aloud.
“There is only one man in this house who is tall and blonde, and that happens to be … you, Lord Richard Hamilton.”
Chapter 30
The earl turned white and Emma emitted a strangled sound.
“Let me continue. I know you did not commit the crime, since Pickering followed you around the whole night in the mistaken belief that you had been convinced by Lady Babbage to rob me. He never liked the look of you, which as it turns out is lucky for you, since you have a watertight alibi from two people I trust. Yes, I trust you, Emma, because I know you,” the duke said, looking at her, “I also believe you, because your actions that night do not make sense otherwise. Why would the two of you hunt for proof that Lady Babbage was a blackmailer if you intended to kill her? What was the point if, by the end of it, she would be dead and Prudence safe? You had no idea Pickering was following you or that I had asked him to stay that night. I told him right after everyone returned to bed and there was no way you could have overheard. My study was closed and has thick walls to keep my business private. Even if you had somehow found out, this whole act of hunting for the note just to ward of suspicion did not make sense. What could you gain by it? The murder would not have been made any easier.”
He turned to address Mr and Mrs Barker, “You also had a reason to commit murder and you were the last to see her alive. I again question your actions on that night. If you had murdered my sister, then the last thing you would want is to be seen returning from the direction of the victim’s room. Imagine you murder a woman and immediately after the act, you walk down the corridor to return to your rooms. Would you be so blatant about your departure? The murder was planned, please remember, since the weapon used was a butcher knife which is not an object ordinarily found lying around in one’s rooms. It was not an act of momentary passion. If it were planned, then why, Mr Barker, would you allow yourself to be foolishly seen. You did not even attempt to conceal your identity. Now I come to the biggest question. If you or Prudence murdered her, then why in the world would you leave the letters and brooch in her room after the act? The letter referring to the embezzlement was still there, as well as the letters for Prudence. Why would you leave the brooch sitting by her bed? If you had left it as a clever ploy to ward of suspicion, then why did you try and return to her room later that day? If you knew the woman was dead, you could have fetched it all through those hours before the body was discovered. Mrs Barker is well aware of my character. She knows I will not let any financial misconduct go unpunished. In the same manner, why would Prudence kill her to conceal her secret, and then leave the letters airing those very secrets out for all to read?”
He paused to take a deep breath. His eyes softened, as he looked towards his daughter. He patted the arm of his chair, hoping she would come and sit by him.
She ignored him, her face expressionless.
The duke sighed and continued, “Catherine and Lord Raikes, why did I discount them? They have been crossed off my excellent advisor Mr Nutters’ list. Let me start with Lord Raikes. I spent considerable time learning his character and grilling him after his arrival here. I knew my daughter was growing attached to him and Lord Raikes never tried to hide his feelings. I know he is an intelligent man and well-travelled. He has visited places of which I have never even heard. I also know he studied medicine along with Lord Hamilton. If a man like that had to commit a murder, what would he do? He would use his experience and knowledge. He would do the job so neatly that no one would be able to tell that the death had not been natural. He understands medicine and he understands poison. He could have used a number of rare roots to bring about heart failure or leaves to cause a death coma. Why would he not slip some herb into her cup instead of stabbing her with a knife? The knife made it obvious that it was murder and that meant Catherine could be implicated. He loves Catherine, and the last thing he would want is to have suspicion fall on her. He did not hate anyone else in the household to want the blame to fall on them. He could have secretly hated his best friend, but he knew Hamilton had an alibi in Emma. He did not know anyone else.”
He turned once more to face his daughter, “You must be wondering by now why I first give a long speech implicating everyone and then spend the next hour proving how they are innocent. I am not doing this because it gives me any perverse satisfaction. The reason is that I want the murderer to know why everyone else is eliminated and how no other suspect is left. I do not want the person to have any room to escape what is coming. The murderer is well aware of all the motives each one of you had. Your actions prove your innocence, trapping the murderer. So I beg you to indulge my monologues a little longer.”
The people in the room became tense, realising that not many of them were left to be analysed. It was becoming increasingly obvious that the duke knew who
had killed his sister and he was patiently and methodically eliminating each one of them, moving closer to the culprit.
“I know that if I beseech you to believe me, on the basis of a father’s insight, that his daughter did not commit such a heinous act, then no one would believe me. Therefore, I must strive to convince you with practical deduction. If Catherine had killed her aunt, then she could hardly expect her own father to call her out for it. She would have felt safe committing the crime making her the most dangerous and obvious suspect. Imagine for a moment that she planned the entire thing. She sat ready and waiting for the right moment. She knew that I would investigate the next morning. What would a murderer do in such circumstances? Would she go to man’s bedchamber after midnight, a man she believed to be her cousin’s fiancé? Why would she risk that her cousin who she cares for deeply would, become aware of her misdemeanour? Questions would be asked and Lord Raikes would have to confess his night’s activities. Prudence saw her as well and even if Raikes decided to keep silent, she might not. A murderer would have ensured that he or she stayed out of sight. The moment that they are seen roaming the hallways at an odd hour, they would be suspected. She could not possibly know how many people were walking the halls that night. We know the murder was committed after Mrs Barker left my sister’s room. That had been just after one in the morning. Lord Raikes went to Catherine’s room which is closest to her aunt’s. He would have been the other person implicated since he too had been in the vicinity of the murder. Her growing regard for him is obvious. Then why would she visit his room and put him at risk of being a murder suspect? She would have chosen another night for the planned murder. If she had waited this long, she could have bided her time for another day. If she murdered her aunt, then she was shooting herself in the foot by letting at least two people know she was awake and out of bed at the time of the murder. I, too, would hear of her midnight stroll to Lord Raikes’ room. It did not make sense that she would want everyone to know of her improper behaviour.”