A Death by Arson (7 page)

Fortunately, it was not long before Bertram, Hans and Richenda joined us. Richenda burst into the room, saying, ‘I hope this will not take long, Richard. This is the first night Amy has spent away from home and I want to see her settled.'

‘Haven't you got my sister a nursery maid, Muller?' demanded Richard. ‘I don't know how your parents did things, but my sister and I were raised by servants in the correct manner. Bertram's mother tried to interfere a mite too much when he was in the nursery, but our father soon put a stop to that. You can't mollycoddle children if you want them to have any moral fibre.'

‘Good God!' exploded Bertram. ‘I don't know which part of that speech I object to most. You speaking about moral fibre? Ridiculous!'

‘My wife has all the servants she requires,' said Hans in an obviously controlled voice. I knew him well enough now to know when he was using his preternatural aura of calm.

‘Honestly, Richard, you are being abominably rude,' exclaimed Richenda. ‘I thought this gathering was all about mending bridges and trying to be a family. All you are doing is reminding me why I left Stapleford Hall in the first place. I pity your poor bride. She seemed harmless enough. I assume she doesn't know you very well, and that she is a trade heiress. Slightly better than going for an American, but it's really a pretty poor show, brother. It's not as if you weren't already rolling in the stuff.'

‘Richenda!' said Hans shortly. He gave her a look that caused Richenda to blush fiery red.

At this point Lucinda stood up and came forward. As I saw the expression on Richenda's face, I realised that Richard had been blocking her view of the slight girl. ‘Thank you so much for coming to our wedding,' said Lucinda in a gentle voice. ‘I too am hoping that we can all become a happy family.' She turned to her fiancée, ‘Richard, I do think you could have postponed any family reunion until tomorrow. The others must be tired after their long journey. And I quite understand about Amy,' she added, turning back to Richenda. ‘I have a little cousin who sometimes comes to stay with Mummy and Daddy, and though she has been coming for the past three years, she is always a little unsettled on the first night. Poor Amy! First night away from home in an enormous place like this! But I am sure you have chosen an excellent nanny. Richard has spoken of how devoted you are to your daughter.'

‘Adopted daughter,' corrected Richard.

‘Richenda's concern makes it very clear, darling, that she considers Amy as her own blood,' said Lucinda. ‘And why not? I think it was a totally splendid thing of you and your husband to take her in.'

Richenda went an even deeper shade of crimson and muttered something about Lucinda being very kind. Hans watched Richard's bride-to-be with a puzzled expression on his face. Bertram was wide-eyed and slack-jawed. I felt unaccountably annoyed with him.

Richard placed a protective hand on Lucinda's shoulder. ‘It matters, my dear, because the first of us to have a legitimate child inherits the family seat at Stapleford Hall.' He smiled down at her. ‘Something I am very much hoping you will help me do.'

It was Lucinda's turn to blush now, her radiant skin flushing a slightly rose-tinted hue. If anything, she looked lovely, and could not have made a worse – or better – contrast to poor Richenda's ruddy complexion. I wondered if Bertram was about to start drooling again, but he managed to shut his jaw and mutter, ‘Some things one doesn't talk about in front of ladies.'

Richard went over to the drinks table and poured scotch for the men. Lucinda invited Richenda and I to join her in sitting by the fire, where she stared rather helplessly at the tea tray until Richenda took charge. Lucinda chattered on, but I barely heard her. Richenda's face revealed a torrent of emotions stirring inside her. I tried to catch her eye. My stomach was churning. I feared all too well what she was about to do.

Richenda smoothed down her skirts, took a deep breath, and said, ‘Actually, Richard, I think you'll find Stapleford Hall will become mine.' She smiled widely and patted her stomach. ‘You see, I am already with child.'

Chapter Ten
A severe attack of chivalry

There is an expression ‘then all hell broke loose', and this would not be an incorrect way of describing what followed Richenda's announcement.

Hans threw himself to the floor at her feet, begging her to tell him if this was really true. Bertram choked on his scotch. Richard bellowed, ‘Damn you, sister, this had better not be true or I'll have your hide!' Lucinda fainted neatly onto the sofa, unnoticed by everyone but me.

Hans sprang to his feet and stood, fists clenched at his sides, in front of Richard. ‘How dare you address my wife in such a manner!' he cried in an emotion-filled voice that was very unlike him.

‘Congratulations, sis!' said Bertram, attempting to calm the situation. ‘Jolly well done, old chap,' he said to Hans, tugging at his sleeve and attempting to defuse his confrontation with Richard.

But it was Richard who broke away first, brushing rudely past Hans. ‘You know I will have my way, Richenda!' he flung over his shoulder as he stormed out of the door. He slammed it behind him and, despite us being in a stone room, I swear I almost felt the walls shudder.

‘Richenda, you should have told me,' said Hans. ‘I would never have brought you up here if I had known.'

‘Don't see you would have had much choice,' said Bertram. ‘What with all the work on the house.'

‘What work?' asked Richenda.

Hans threw Bertram a cross look. ‘It was meant as a surprise. I am having the house converted to electricity. I am assured it is a much safer system than gas, and with a child in the house –' he swallowed and corrected himself, ‘with children in the house it was the best course of action.' Then he took both her hands in his and kissed them passionately. Bertram coughed uncomfortably, tried to kick a log on the fire and almost fell in.

‘I hate to mention it,' I said, ‘but I think Lucinda did not faint out of etiquette. She is out cold.' I slapped her hands. ‘She's not coming to.'

‘Oh Lord,' said Bertram, and rang the bell.

‘Probably the first time she's seen Richard's true colours. Bound to be a shock for the gal,' said Richenda, but her gaze did not leave Hans' face. ‘You are pleased, aren't you?' she asked him. ‘I'm so sorry I didn't tell you before, but after speaking with the doctor today I wanted to wait a little longer until…'

‘I understand,' said Hans thickly, and kissed her hands once more.

Bertram grimaced. ‘If you don't mind, old chap, I've had rather a lot to eat tonight and that's a bit much to stomach.'

‘Of course,' said Hans. He raised Richenda to her feet. ‘We will leave you. My wife and I have much to discuss.' His eyes rested fondly on her. ‘My dearest wife, my darling Richenda…'

‘Oh Lord!' said Bertram. Hans and Richenda left the room, practically floating on a cloud. Bertram edged towards the door.

‘Oh no you don't,' I said. ‘We have to do something about Lucinda.'

‘I rang the bell,' protested Bertram. ‘You can't really expect more from a man in situations like these.'

‘But no one has come.'

‘I could ring it again,' said Bertram.

‘What an excellent idea.'

He did so. We waited. ‘Do you think scotch might help?' I asked.

‘Good idea,' said Bertram, and poured himself another.

‘That wasn't what I meant,' I began when the door opened and a footman entered, followed by an older woman dressed in a maid's uniform, who rushed to Lucinda's side and held a little bottle under her nose. The stench of ammonia drifted towards me and I rose to stand by Bertram. Lucinda's eyelids fluttered and she gave a little moan. I could not help but notice that she moaned rather nicely, like a kitten. (Really, I had to stop thinking of her as some kind of pet – but the metaphor seemed all too apt.)

‘Sir Richard has asked me to see the lady and her maid to her room,' said the footman, loftily.

‘Can you stand, my love?' asked the maid with alarming familiarity. ‘Or shall I ask this man to carry you?'

I felt Bertram draw back behind me. ‘She means the footman,' I whispered to him.

‘If I could lean on you a little, Louise,' said Lucinda, as the maid helped her rise. ‘Has Mary retired for the night? I could do with the counsel.'

‘I'll get the man to find out for you, my love,' said the maid. ‘You, Scotchman, find out if Miss Mary Hill has retired yet, and if she has not, request her to join Miss Lucinda in her rooms.'

The footman gave her a look filled with disdain, but nodded curtly. The maid threw Bertram and me a furious look and helped Lucinda out of the door.

‘I say,' said Bertram, ‘that was jolly well out of order.'

‘Which bit?' I asked distractedly.

‘That maid! The way she looked at us. Like it was all our fault.'

‘What else was she to think?' I replied. ‘We were the only two left in the room. You don't think it could be the same Mary Hill, do you?'

‘Same?' asked Bertram. Then realisation dawned in his eyes. For all Bertram can, far too frequently, and especially around his family, perform an excellent impression of an idiot, he has a quick and active mind. ‘Mary Hill, the suffragette, who you were in jail with and who you wrongly accused of murder?'

‘We accused,' I said automatically.

‘It was your idea to do the confrontational tea.'

‘Confrontational tea! What a way of putting it.' I sighed and rubbed a hand across my tired eyes. ‘But yes, you're right. Really, this New Year is getting better and better.'

‘Never mind,' said Bertram, patting me on the shoulder awkwardly. ‘At least no one is dead.'

‘Yet.'

‘Don't. Just don't, Euphemia,' warned Bertram.

‘Do you honestly think Richard is going to sit by and let his sister take the country seat from him?'

‘He doesn't need it. He's got all this! And probably more.'

‘It's never been about the money,' I said. ‘Owning Stapleford Hall is an obsession with him. He killed twice to get his seat in Parliament.'

‘I say, hush,' said Bertram. ‘You can't go around saying things like that. Nothing was ever proved against him.'

‘There's only us here,' I said. ‘And you know it's true. Or do you think we have been misjudging your half-brother all these years?'

Bertram sat down in a wing-backed chair. ‘No,' he said, sighing deeply. ‘My half-brother is as black-hearted as they come.'

‘The question is whether he is black-hearted, as you so poetically phrased it, enough to kill his pregnant twin sister?'

Bertram made a gargling noise and went rather pale.

‘You have developed the most alarming habit of letting your jaw go slack when you are startled,' I said. ‘It is most unattractive and makes you look quite stupid.'

‘Since you have become Richenda's companion,' snapped Bertram, ‘you, Euphemia, have changed a lot and not, I may add, in a good way. When I think of the sweet little maid I first found searching my room…'

‘That's better,' I said. ‘You think so much better when you're annoyed than when you are startled.'

Bertram raised his eyebrows at me and poured himself another scotch. ‘Do you really think he would murder Richenda?' he asked, taking his seat by the fire and motioning me to join him.

‘I don't know,' I said slowly. ‘It would be difficult to do. I mean, there are a lot of people in the castle and once she has returned to the Muller estate I am sure Hans can keep her safe.'

‘You put a lot of trust in Muller,' said Bertram grumpily.

‘However, it occurs to me that in a crowded castle with so many alterations, twisting staircases…'

‘He might find her alone and off her?' finished Bertram dramatically.

‘No, but he might arrange for a slight accident.'

‘How would that help him?' asked Bertram.

‘I meant a fall.'

Bertram shrugged. ‘I don't see how getting her bruised would help him. He's always been the kind of mean little sneak that would put trip wires across stairs when we were kids. I remember once when he got Mrs …' he began to giggle. ‘All thin gangly legs and petticoats, she was coming down the stairs. Never seen anything like it. For ages afterwards I was convinced all women were half spider –'

‘I meant,' I said, cutting him off, ‘that a fall could bring on a miscarriage.' I looked at his uncomprehending expression. ‘Not a missed carriage, Bertram, but a miscarriage of the baby. She could lose the baby.'

Bertram paled. ‘My God, think what that would do to Muller! After his first wife lost all those…'

‘I do not think it would be good for Richenda, either,' I said waspishly.

‘No. No. Bad all round.' He stood up. ‘Right, there is only one thing for it.'

‘It would be difficult to leave,' I said. ‘We have no proof that Richard will do such a thing, and I recall that Hans needed to be here for business reasons.'

‘Muller knows full well what kind of man my brother is,' said Bertram. ‘But I didn't mean that. Cause an awful fuss. No, what I meant was that you and I, Euphemia, shall have to guard my sister and her unborn child with our lives!'

Chapter Eleven
A midnight tryst

I realised that this was the many glasses of wine Bertram had imbibed during dinner talking. ‘I completely understand that you wish to protect your sister,' I said. ‘But we are not of the same ilk as someone who might make a decent protector.'

‘Who better than her own kith and kin?' stormed Bertram.

‘Well, we know Rory is handy in a fight. But someone like Fitzroy would be better. I don't suppose he is here? He has a habit of turning up when one least expects him.'