A Death in the Loch (12 page)
‘But what can it mean, man?’ demanded Rory.
‘It means we are on the eve of war,’ said Bertram.
‘With Scotland?’ said Rory, alarmed.
‘With Germany,’ said Bertram. ‘With the great German Empire.’
In which we discover the end of the world will not come today, but that tomorrow is looking distinctly dodgy
‘I don’t understand,’ said Rory. ‘Are you sure you’re feeling yourself, Mr Bertram?’
‘What are they building on the Clyde, Rory?’
‘Ships,’ said Rory. ‘Liners for around the world.’
‘Not just civilian shipping,’ said Bertram. ‘Dreadnoughts.’
I had read enough of the newspapers during my recent incarceration in Stapleford Hall to recognise the name. ‘The new breed of warship?’ I asked.
‘The biggest warships Britain – sorry, Rory, Scotland, has ever built,’ said Bertram.
I picked up the edge of one of the maps. There, very faintly, ran a pencilled script. I read it aloud. ‘The Kiel Canal. You’re right, Bertram. It is a canal.’
‘It’s a short cut,’ said Rory disbelieving. ‘Rather than sail the ships round the top of Scotland, which I grant you is the roughest sea in the world. Ships are lost there all the time. But it looks like they’re not even prepared to go round the southern edge of England. They’d rather cut the heart out of Scotland.’
‘That’s terrible. Why would they do that?’
‘It’s obvious,’ said Bertram. I noted with concern his breathing had yet to return to normal. ‘It’s because they think they won’t have the time. They expect the Germans to mass their navy any day.’
‘This will take more than a day to dig,’ said Rory. ‘And I tell you, the local people won’t simply stand by.’
‘They will claim that for the safety of us all, for the sake of King and country, it must be built so we can be ready when Germany declares war. It means they think war with Germany, be it one year or four years away, is inevitable.’
‘But it’s 1912,’ I cried. ‘Surely we are beyond such barbarity!’
‘Dear God,’ muttered Bertram into his glass, ‘the things I’ve seen my brother’s company build. They are making guns that fire so quickly they could take an army of soldiers down like a farmer scythes corn. Metal compartments with tracks that men can hide within. They’re working on ways to deliver poisonous gases. Bombs that explode when you step on them. Bombs that can be thrown that will blow three men or more apart.’ He looked up at us. ‘The potential for slaughter is unimaginable.’
‘I donae think I’ll be working for Lord Stapleford much longer,’ said Rory slowly. ‘I cannae work for a murderer.’
Bertram met him with a level gaze. ‘You’ve always known he was a murderer,’ he said.
‘Suspected murderer,’ said Rory. ‘There’s never been proof. I ken it’s no illegal to make arms, but I dinnae like to think that’s where my wages are coming from.’
‘I shouldn’t feel too bad about it,’ said Bertram. ‘Most of the aristocracy got their money through the sacrifice of other people’s blood. Slavery or industry – mills, coal pits, sites of human exploitation.’
‘Excuse me,’ I said, ‘before we descend into condemning all of humanity, shouldn’t we do something about what is going on here and now?’
‘Stop the war?’ asked Bertram.
‘Prevent the canal?’ asked Rory.
‘Find the missing woman,’ I said. ‘With such a contentious plan under review do you both honestly think she’s simply gone missing?’
‘Euphemia, we are talking about the Empire going to war!’ said Bertram.
‘Firstly, we don’t know that is going to happen,’ I said. ‘We can always hope that wiser counsel will prevail. That a diplomatic solution with be found. We can always hope.’ I paused, adding a silent internal prayer. ‘Secondly, even if it is going to happen, I don’t see there is anything any of the three of us can do about it.’
‘That’s because you’re female,’ said Rory. ‘I’d be on the front line fighting for my country. Scottish or no. I’ll defend Great Britain and all within with my last breath.’
Something strange happened in my chest when Rory said this. If felt like my heart fell from its moorings and dropped like a stone.
‘I’d fight too,’ said Bertram.
‘Ye no well enough,’ said Rory bluntly.
Bertram protested and went to struggle to his feet, but the effort was too much for him.
‘I don’t doubt the bravery of either of you,’ I said firmly, ‘but that is not the matter in hand. The question is, has Miss Flowers been taken by forces who want to know of this plan, or has she run off to sell the plans to a foreign power?’
‘Good God,’ exclaimed Bertram, ‘You mean she might be a traitor! I hadn’t thought of that.’
‘There’s rumours in the village of a German man hiding out in the woods,’ I said.
‘Why on earth didn’t you mention this before?’ barked Bertram.
‘I thought it was a silly rumour,’ I said defensively. ‘Plus we didn’t know what was going on here.’
‘We knew it was a secret government meeting,’ snapped Bertram.
‘Oh for heaven’s sake,’ I said crossly. ‘For all we knew it was a meeting about who was going to win the next contract for supplying army uniforms!’
‘Which is likely to make someone a fortune,’ said Rory. ‘If you’re right about what you think this canal means, Bertram.’
‘When did you start calling me Bertram?’ asked the man in question peevishly.
‘I think when it comes to government business we’re all on a fairly equal footing,’ I said frankly.
‘And what is that?’ asked Bertram.
‘Barely significant?’ suggested Rory.
Bertram smiled. ‘All right, but not in front of the servants or – or anyone other than Euphemia.’
‘I did notice you call each other by your Christian names now,’ said Rory.
‘Stop getting distracted,’ I commanded them. ‘Mr Short gave me a letter to post a day ago. I think the German spy tried to follow me.’
‘You’re telling us now?’ said Bertram.
‘He told me it was a love letter. He’d covered it in cologne.’
‘Maybe it was,’ said Bertram.
Rory frowned. ‘Is he rich?’
‘Probably,’ said Bertram.
‘Och, well, maybe then.’
‘But you posted it?’ asked Bertram.
‘I did, but what if I was sending it to a German spy?’
‘Hang on, I thought you said he was in the woods?’
‘That’s only what a forester thinks. And what forester speaks German?’ I said.
Bertram blinked and drank the rest of his glass of water down.
‘I think Euphemia is simply saying that in view of this being about a secret plan for war, we need to re-examine everything that has happened,’ said Rory.
‘Yes, that,’ I said succinctly.
‘Aye, but I’m no’ at all sure I don’t want to scupper this plan,’ said Rory. ‘And if it got into the hands of the Germans that would do it.’
‘That’s treason!’ both Bertram and I exclaimed.
‘Aye, well,’ said Rory looking uncomfortable and fiddling with his collar. ‘Is it not treason I’d be doing if I didn’t object to them tearing my country in half?’
‘Treason’s against the crown,’ I said softly.
‘Och, it’s not like I can do anything,’ said Rory. ‘All I’m saying is if it’s already happened I won’t be shedding any tears over it.’
Bertram goggled at him, outraged. ‘So I was right. You were behind this woman’s disappearance. Did you help her leave the house?’
‘Man, I’ve told you. All I’ve done is stolen a look at a few wee maps.’
‘Bertram is bad enough,’ said Bertram coldly. ‘but I will not be addressed as “man”.’
I could see Rory was about to come back with a smart comment, so I trod heavily on his foot. ‘Do either of you have a way to contact Fitzroy? I have Mr Edward’s number …’ I trailed off.
‘Let’s not be hasty,’ said Bertram. ‘I don’t want to be any more caught up with those people than I have to be.’
‘Aye,’ said Rory. ‘On that we agree.’
‘So, we should concentrate our efforts on tracing Miss Flowers,’ I said. ‘I can ask around in the village. I could get Susan to help. The locals are more likely to talk to her.’
‘I need to get those maps back in Miss Flowers’s room,’ said Rory. ‘I’m the quietest of all of us. I can do that.’
‘And I will have a man-to-man chat this evening with Mr Short and find out if he does have an extra-marital liaison going on,’ said Bertram
I must have looked shocked because Rory said, ‘Did you not notice the man was wearing a wedding ring, Euphemia? It’s an uncommon enough practice among men for any good servant to notice.’
‘So we each have a plan of sorts.’
‘I’m hoping the girl has run off with a lover she arranged to meet up here,’ said Bertram. ‘This could be nothing more than a silly affair.’
‘I don’t know that I can stand by and let the Kiel Canal go ahead,’ said Rory
‘What option do you have?’ I said quickly. Bertram looked as if he was about to lose his temper.
Abruptly the door to Rory’s parlour was wrenched open. Unable to think of anything else I jumped up and sat on the table, obscuring the maps with my person. I need not have worried. The figure in the doorway was far too distraught to notice. Eyes wide, hair in a tangle, and pale as a ghost, Merry blurted out, ‘I’ve done a Euphemia.’
The bell begins its toll
‘What on earth?’ exclaimed Bertram.
Rory used some choicer words that I would rather not repeat.
‘She means she’s found Miss Flowers’s body, don’t you Merry?’ I said. I went forward and led her gently into the room. I noticed her arms, upper body and part of her skirts were soaked through. ‘Get the fire lit,’ I said to Rory, who rarely lit his own fire, thinking it an extravagance. The room was close enough to the kitchen that it never felt too chilly, but Merry was beginning to shiver with cold.
Merry turned her shocked face to me. ‘I tried to get her out the water. I really did. I tried and I tried. But she was so heavy. So heavy and so cold.’
‘I’d better go upstairs and tell them what’s happened,’ said Bertram. ‘Give her some brandy, Rory. You, Euphemia, get her into some dry clothes.’
I chased Rory from the room to get Susan and lit the fire myself. Susan appeared quickly carrying a fresh uniform and some towels. Between us we got Merry undressed, dry, and dressed in fresh clothes. We had only that moment finished when Rory knocked on the door. He handed the brandy to Merry. ‘You’re going to need this. It sounds like the lot of them are headed downstairs.’ Merry whimpered like a frightened child.
‘She’s in no state to be questioned,’ I said.
‘I’ll deal with them,’ said Susan unexpectedly. ‘I’m not as posh as the rest of you and I can talk plain when I need to. I’ll tell them we’ll contact the local police and until then the girl needs to rest.’
‘They may not agree,’ said Rory.
‘Aye, I know,’ said Susan. ‘That’s why I’m doing it. I don’t work for any of them.’
I won’t deny there was chaos for quite some time, but it was perfectly true that Merry was not up to answering questions. I took her up to our room and lit the fire there too. She managed to describe where she had found the body, but then she started crying. I had never seen Merry cry before. I embraced her and rocked as I would have done little Joe. She felt thin as a bird in my arms. ‘I want Merrit,’ she sobbed.
Susan pulled me gently away. She held a cup of tea. ‘Here, this will help with the shock,’ she said and she helped Merry take a few sips. Merry quietened down. ‘Now, you go to sleep and see your Merrit there,’ she said. She pulled the covers up over her. Within a few moments Merry had closed her eyes and was drifting off to sleep.
‘Poor wee lassie,’ said Susan. ‘She’s got such a feisty spirit, that one, you forget what a wee scrap of a girl she is.’
‘What about …’
‘Oh, the men are sorted. I called the police. I’m afraid they’re sending an inspector later. Bobbies coming first to take the body. Did she tell you where it is?’ I nodded. ‘The Big Man’s been on the phone to London for a long while. Now they’re all closeted upstairs. I’d lay my bets they’ll be asking for their luncheon soon.’
‘You’re joking,’ I said.
‘Yon English are not ones for missing their meals,’ said Susan contemptuously. ‘And you better look about yourself quick smart. You’ve your duties and Merry’s now to cover.’
Sure enough luncheon had been ordered. Afterwards the men moved through to the library for coffee while we waited for the police to appear.
‘Do you think I should go and sit with the body,’ I said as I did the washing up.
‘I don’t know,’ said Susan. ‘I don’t like to think of her out there alone.’
‘Under the circumstances I don’t think I would consider it safe for Euphemia to go out there alone,’ said Rory.
‘I’ll go,’ said Jock, surprising us all. ‘If there’s someone out there murdering women, me and my cleaver would like a wee word.’
‘We don’t know –’ I began.
‘I think that’s a grand idea, Jock,’ said Rory. ‘Thank you.’
‘It’s nothing, man,’ muttered the big chef.
Susan stood on tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek. ‘Ye kind soul, you,’ she said. Jock blushed, brushed us all aside, and stomped off into the countryside, cleaver in hand.
‘I hope he doesn’t meet any tinkers,’ said Susan darkly. ‘Jock doesn’t like tinkers. Not since one of them ruined his best knife.’
Bertram appeared at the baize door. ‘A word, Euphemia?’
He took me to a quiet corner. ‘I’ve had a word with Mr Short. A man-to-man sort of thing. Pointed out the police would be enquiring and all that.’ He blushed slightly, ‘The long and the short of it is that the man does fancy himself as a bit of a Casanova. In fact once I’d got him going on his conquests it was damn hard to stop him.’ He took a handkerchief from his pocket and mopped his suddenly sweaty brow. ‘I’m happy to believe it was a love letter he got you to send. He brought it up. Said as you were from Stapleford could I get you to hush up about it. I said I would.’
‘What?’
‘Be realistic, Euphemia. Even if the girl was murdered the police aren’t going to get far with this, are they?’ He paused, sighed at my slowness and said, ‘A few telephone calls here, a few telephone calls there, and that ministry man will close the investigation down.’