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Authors: Christine Trent
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Dorothy at the train station.”
No staff to meet the Fairmont sisters at the train station? Curious. “Is Mrs. Peet the only servant here?”
“Yes, Father only brought her, his valet Larkin, and Madame Brusse, Willow Tree House’s cook, with him to London prior to heading off to Egypt. He’d planned to spend the rest of the Season in parliamentary session.”
“Where are the valet and cook now?”
“We have no idea.”
The valet and cook were gone? “Do Detectives Hurst and Pratt know this?”
“Yes, they’ve questioned us extensively, which is why my poor wife is nearly exhausted. Father took Larkin and Madame Brusse with him on his journey, leaving Mrs. Peet to manage the empty house.”
“And so your father came home early for some reason, but without his two servants.”
“It seems so. Do you think Larkin and Madame Brusse know something? Could they have had something to do with this? Inspector Hurst had no opinion, but I thought maybe . . .” Stephen’s voice trailed off on a sob. He cleared his throat and continued. “Do you know, I do believe he suspects me of killing Father.”
“You? For what reason?” Didn’t the inspector think it was a suicide?
“The inheritance, of course. Do you remember my elder brother, Cedric? He went off to the Crimea in fifty-four after a rather, er, disastrous marriage, and we never heard from him again. He was declared dead in 1861 and I was made the heir. So I suppose I stand the most to gain in my father’s death.”
Violet shook her head. “But surely Inspector Hurst sees that is ridiculous. Not only did you love your father, I’m sure, but why would you do this all of a sudden now?”
“Especially given that he may have been dying anyway.”
“Stephen!” Katherine said. “Should you speak of such things to the undertaker?”
“Of what topic other than death should I speak with the undertaker?”
Katherine blushed.
“It’s quite all right, Lady Raybourn,” Violet said. “Most people don’t know what to make of the undertaker. We’re used to being partly detested, partly feared, and only occasionally admired. So have no fear that you can either offend or distress me.” She smiled encouragingly at Katherine. The grief-stricken frequently argued and lashed out at one another, hardly remembering later what they’d said. No need for this husband and wife to have a petty quarrel over her.
“What do you mean that your father may have been dying?”
“It’s as I told the detective. Some months ago, I went to Willow Tree to visit Father, and caught him taking some pills he’d gotten from the chemist. He said he had a stomach ailment, but that I shouldn’t worry, as he planned to stop for a cure somewhere along the way on his Egyptian tour. I knew he was scheduled to return yesterday, so Katherine and I took the train up from Sussex to surprise him. We arrived here to find only Mrs. Peet in residence. She was . . . was . . . standing over my father’s body. I—we—were devastated. Still are.”
“So if your father had taken a cure and it worked, he should have been feeling healthy, and if his illness had been exacerbated by his time in Egypt and he was possibly ill to the point of dying, what purpose would there be in killing him, as he would soon pass on himself?”
“Exactly what I told the detective. It didn’t seem as though he believed me, although he said that he and that other fellow—Prigg? Plum?”
“Mr. Pratt.”
“Right, that he and Mr. Pratt had other investigations to set upon, and that he wasn’t sure when he’d be back.”
Could Lord Raybourn have killed himself because of his illness? Did it worsen while in Egypt, making him realize he might die a painful, lingering death if he didn’t put a quick end to it all?
Perhaps, but the notion didn’t sit well with Violet.
There was nothing to do but plow on. “I’m so sorry, Stephen. I’m sure Inspector Hurst will soon clear your name and discover what
No staff to meet the Fairmont sisters at the train station? Curious. “Is Mrs. Peet the only servant here?”
“Yes, Father only brought her, his valet Larkin, and Madame Brusse, Willow Tree House’s cook, with him to London prior to heading off to Egypt. He’d planned to spend the rest of the Season in parliamentary session.”
“Where are the valet and cook now?”
“We have no idea.”
The valet and cook were gone? “Do Detectives Hurst and Pratt know this?”
“Yes, they’ve questioned us extensively, which is why my poor wife is nearly exhausted. Father took Larkin and Madame Brusse with him on his journey, leaving Mrs. Peet to manage the empty house.”
“And so your father came home early for some reason, but without his two servants.”
“It seems so. Do you think Larkin and Madame Brusse know something? Could they have had something to do with this? Inspector Hurst had no opinion, but I thought maybe . . .” Stephen’s voice trailed off on a sob. He cleared his throat and continued. “Do you know, I do believe he suspects me of killing Father.”
“You? For what reason?” Didn’t the inspector think it was a suicide?
“The inheritance, of course. Do you remember my elder brother, Cedric? He went off to the Crimea in fifty-four after a rather, er, disastrous marriage, and we never heard from him again. He was declared dead in 1861 and I was made the heir. So I suppose I stand the most to gain in my father’s death.”
Violet shook her head. “But surely Inspector Hurst sees that is ridiculous. Not only did you love your father, I’m sure, but why would you do this all of a sudden now?”
“Especially given that he may have been dying anyway.”
“Stephen!” Katherine said. “Should you speak of such things to the undertaker?”
“Of what topic other than death should I speak with the undertaker?”
Katherine blushed.
“It’s quite all right, Lady Raybourn,” Violet said. “Most people don’t know what to make of the undertaker. We’re used to being partly detested, partly feared, and only occasionally admired. So have no fear that you can either offend or distress me.” She smiled encouragingly at Katherine. The grief-stricken frequently argued and lashed out at one another, hardly remembering later what they’d said. No need for this husband and wife to have a petty quarrel over her.
“What do you mean that your father may have been dying?”
“It’s as I told the detective. Some months ago, I went to Willow Tree to visit Father, and caught him taking some pills he’d gotten from the chemist. He said he had a stomach ailment, but that I shouldn’t worry, as he planned to stop for a cure somewhere along the way on his Egyptian tour. I knew he was scheduled to return yesterday, so Katherine and I took the train up from Sussex to surprise him. We arrived here to find only Mrs. Peet in residence. She was . . . was . . . standing over my father’s body. I—we—were devastated. Still are.”
“So if your father had taken a cure and it worked, he should have been feeling healthy, and if his illness had been exacerbated by his time in Egypt and he was possibly ill to the point of dying, what purpose would there be in killing him, as he would soon pass on himself?”
“Exactly what I told the detective. It didn’t seem as though he believed me, although he said that he and that other fellow—Prigg? Plum?”
“Mr. Pratt.”
“Right, that he and Mr. Pratt had other investigations to set upon, and that he wasn’t sure when he’d be back.”
Could Lord Raybourn have killed himself because of his illness? Did it worsen while in Egypt, making him realize he might die a painful, lingering death if he didn’t put a quick end to it all?
Perhaps, but the notion didn’t sit well with Violet.
There was nothing to do but plow on. “I’m so sorry, Stephen. I’m sure Inspector Hurst will soon clear your name and discover what
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