Chapter Thirty-one

The news had come to the Vicarage whilst Jenny and Molly were eating bread-and-milk out of brightly coloured bowls with a pattern of cherries, their fair hair smoothly brushed, their rosy faces newly washed, and their blue eyes intent on the business of breakfast. They made a pleasant picture. Mary Lenton’s colour was not as fresh as theirs. She had slept and waked, and slept and waked again through what had seemed like double the number of hours the night should hold.

Ellie Page did not wake at all. She lay in a deep exhausted sleep with the sheet drawn up to her chin. Her breathing made no sound, and the sheet did not move. Mary had set a night-light in the wash-basin. It made a faint steady light in the room. Every time she waked and saw Ellie lying so still she felt a cold touch of fear. Sleep should not look so terribly like death. But each time, rising and tip-toeing to the bed, she knew that this was not death, but sleep.

She was pouring milk into the children’s cups, when John called her out of the room. He put a hand on her arm and took her into the study.

‘The baker has just been – I took two loaves. Mary, he says there has been another accident up at Ford House. It doesn’t seem possible, but he has just come from there. He says they found Meriel Ford in that pool – drowned in the same way as Miss Preston. He says the police are there now’

Mary Lenton turned very pale indeed.

‘She was drowned – in the pool?’

‘That is what he says. I don’t know if I ought to go up there.’

‘Not just now – not while the police are there.’

He said, ‘How is Ellie? Isn’t she getting up? I shall have to see her about last night. Isn’t she awake?’

‘I gave her some hot milk, and she went to sleep again. You can’t talk to her yet.’

The look on his face was not encouraging. Men must always do things the hard way. He said coldly,

‘If she is ill, you had better send for the doctor. If she isn’t ill, she can see me.’

She said, ‘Wait… No John, I think you must. Don’t you see we’ve got to be careful?’

‘Careful!’

‘Yes, John. You can’t have a scene with Ellie – not now. You really can’t! Mrs Marsh will be here any minute to do the cleaning. I shall tell her Ellie isn’t well and I’m keeping her in bed. Nobody – nobody must know that she was out of the house last night.’

He gave an angry laugh.

‘You’re locking the door after the horse is stolen, aren’t you? Half the neighbourhood seems to know she was getting out at night!’

‘But not last night. There mustn’t be any talk about that.’

He said in a horrified voice,

‘What are you suggesting?’

She took hold of his arm and shook it.

‘I’m not suggesting anything. I’m telling you no one must know that Ellie went out last night.’

‘We’re to cover up for her – tell a lot of lies?’

‘I’m not telling lies, I’m telling the truth. She isn’t well, and I’m keeping her in bed.’

He pulled away from her and went to the window, staring out. Presently he said without turning round,

‘The police say Meriel was murdered.’

‘John!’

‘He says he had it from Robertson. She was struck on the back of the head and pushed into the pool.’

Chapter Thirty-two

Adriana Ford was waiting for the family to assemble. She sat in an upright chair with the folds of her purple house-gown falling to her feet. Her hair was as carefully ordered, her face as carefully made up, as if this was just any day with everything running smoothly and no shadow of tragedy resting upon the house. She had lunched in her room, and it was there she awaited the people whom she had summoned. Miss Silver sat on her right, the white shawl she was knitting making quite a little heap on her lap, her needles moving swiftly. The door into the bedroom was ajar and Meeson came and went. The chairs had been placed conveniently. The business might have been any family gathering.

Ninian and Janet came in together. She had not seen Adriana before going up to London, or since her return. She got a brief ‘Good-morning,’ and the remark that for once Star was showing some sense, and at least one of her friends doing a hand’s turn. After which no one spoke till Geoffrey Ford came in. His florid colour was mottled, and he looked like a man who has had a shock. He had seen Adriana already, and sat down without speaking.

Edna came in last, with her work-bag on her arm and her embroidery-frame in her hand. She had on the black coat and skirt and grey blouse which she had worn for Mabel Preston’s funeral, and she looked very much as she had done on that occasion, but her hair was less wispy than usual and her face less strained. As she seated herself she remarked that it was all very trying, but that she had had a rather better night.

‘I don’t like taking anything to make me sleep, but there really does come a time when you feel as if you can’t go on. So I went up early last night and took one of those tablets Dr Fielding prescribed, and I had quite a good night.’

Adriana drummed on the arm of her chair.

‘I am sure we are all very glad to hear it. And now perhaps we can begin.’

Geoffrey said, ‘Begin what?’

‘If I am allowed to speak, I will tell you.’

She sat with her back to the windows. Her hair took the light. The folds of her dress looked black where the shadows lay. She wore her rings, but no other jewelry – a big clawset amethyst on her left hand, and a blaze of diamonds on the right. She still had very beautiful hands.

‘Now!’ she said. ‘I’ve asked you to come here because I think we may all have something we can contribute towards clearing up the things that have been happening. It goes back farther than last night, but I think we will begin with last night, because it is still quite fresh in everybody’s mind. I know we have all made statements to the police, but what you say to the police is one thing, and what may come back to you when you are talking in your own family circle is another. Yes, Geoffrey?’

He said in a forced voice,

‘There are at least three people here who can hardly be said to belong to the family circle. If you want to talk to Edna and myself, we are most willing that you should do so at any time. To Ninian too, if you think he can be of any use. I must confess I don’t see the need of this formality.’

Rather to his surprise, she showed no temper.

‘Thank you, Geoffrey. A little formality is quite a help in ordering one’s thoughts. As to the people whom I have invited to be present, Meeson has been with me for more than forty years, and I regard her as a member of the family. Sit down, Gertie, and stop fidgeting! I find Miss Silver’s presence a support, and I particularly desire her to be present. And Janet will stay because it is my wish. You may perhaps be interested to know that I rang up Mrs Trent and invited her to come. She refused on the somewhat surprising grounds that she would be looking after her little boy. She said he couldn’t go to school because Ellie Page wasn’t well – it was naturally impossible to leave him alone for half an hour!’ Her voice had a cutting edge.

Since the spectacle of Jacky Trent left on his own for hour after hour of almost every day was perfectly familiar to everyone in the room, it was not surprising that Geoffrey should look embarrassed, or that Meeson should sniff and toss her head in the background. Edna Ford made no sign and she did not look up. She took a stitch in her embroidery, knotted it, and went on to another.

When the silence had lasted for what she considered an appropriate time, Adriana spoke.

‘I will begin with myself and with what came under my own observation. Miss Silver, Edna, Meriel, Geoffrey and I went straight from the dining-room into the drawing-room. Simmons brought in the coffee. Ninian and Janet came in after that. When he had drunk his coffee Geoffrey left the room, saying that he was going to write letters. Meriel suggested dancing. She said they would need Geoffrey for a fourth, and she said she would go after him and bring him back. She left the room, and that is the last occasion on which anyone admits to seeing her alive. Miss Silver, Edna and I remained where we were until half past nine, when we went upstairs together. We separated on the landing. I came to my room, where Meeson was waiting for me, and I went to bed. Edna, what did you do?’