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Authors: Harriet Smart
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said.
“This is Mr Haines, the coroner,” Sir Arthur said.
Major Vernon made a respectful bow to the coroner, who looked to Felix like the sort of man who would quibble with his cook for putting too much butter on the bread.
“And this is?” Sir Arthur went on, with a gesture towards Felix. There was something in his voice which suggested he had guessed who he was, and Felix felt piqued by it.
“Forgive me, yes, of course; Sir Arthur, Mr Haines – may I present Mr Carswell? My colleague at Northminster.”
“Ah yes, your surgeon,” said Haines, in a raspy voice that one could grate cheese on. “A Scotsman, yes?”
“Yes, sir, indeed he is.”
Felix made his bow and grinned like an idiot but held his tongue because he did not trust himself to speak.
“Don’t you have some connection to Lord Rothborough?” said Sir Arthur.
“My father has charge of a parish on Lord Rothborough’s Scottish Estate,” Felix said, with care.
“That isn’t what I had heard,” said Haines, with such insolence that Felix was tempted to snatch the whip from the coachman and strike him with it.
“About this business, if we may?” Major Vernon said, indicating the hearse.
“An accident, one must suppose,” Sir Arthur said.
“Drowning is, in the main,” said Mr Haines.
Felix could hold his tongue no longer.
“The circumstances and the condition of the corpse suggest otherwise. As the first medical man to see her, I would strongly recommend that the inquest be adjourned until a full post-mortem can be performed. Time is of the essence.”
“And you would like the job and the fee, I dare say?” Sir Arthur said.
“I do not care a whit for the fee,” said Felix. “I am only interested in getting to the truth.”
“I suppose you need not care,” said Haines. “After all, you have the rents from Ardenthwaite. A nice gift that is for the son of a poor Scots clergyman, I should say. That is the case, isn’t it, young man, that you have title to the place? No doubt, you’ll be putting up for parliament soon enough. This doctoring of yours is just a pastime. But don’t you think that we will let you have the seat for the say-so. Your ‘connection’ may think he can buy the votes of the Ardenthwaite tenants, but good Sir Robert will be out of his tomb and haunting them if they try and vote for a godless Whig, I can tell you that for a fact!” He punched a bony finger towards Felix.
“Mr Haines, if we might deal with the matter in hand,” Major Vernon said. “The inquest?”
“Tomorrow at ten, at the Golden Lion in Market Craven,” said Haines.
“We will be there, of course,” said Major Vernon. “As will Lord Rothborough.”
“That won’t be necessary,” said Sir Arthur. “One of my men will give a report and that will be sufficient for a verdict of accidental death, which is the most likely case here. The only other sensible possibility is that she was a mad woman who drowned herself. Better we record accidental death, Mr Haines and let the poor creature have a decent burial.”
“And let her murderer think he can get away with it?” Felix burst out. “For if this isn’t murder, then –”
“The circumstances are ambiguous,” said Major Vernon. “This young woman may have been brutally attacked – that needs to be established, and if it is, then surely it is in the public interest that we discover who might be responsible?”
“We, Major Vernon?” said Sir Arthur. “I do not think this is your responsibility. This is not Northminster!”
“Forgive me – that was force of habit. However, may I at least offer my services as a neighbour? Mr Carswell and I have already begun to gather some useful evidence. Let me at least brief the officer you have put in charge of the investigation. That can do no harm, surely?”
“I really cannot see the need for it, unless you wish to set all my men on chasing about the district looking for phantoms? This is not Northminster, Major Vernon,
“This is Mr Haines, the coroner,” Sir Arthur said.
Major Vernon made a respectful bow to the coroner, who looked to Felix like the sort of man who would quibble with his cook for putting too much butter on the bread.
“And this is?” Sir Arthur went on, with a gesture towards Felix. There was something in his voice which suggested he had guessed who he was, and Felix felt piqued by it.
“Forgive me, yes, of course; Sir Arthur, Mr Haines – may I present Mr Carswell? My colleague at Northminster.”
“Ah yes, your surgeon,” said Haines, in a raspy voice that one could grate cheese on. “A Scotsman, yes?”
“Yes, sir, indeed he is.”
Felix made his bow and grinned like an idiot but held his tongue because he did not trust himself to speak.
“Don’t you have some connection to Lord Rothborough?” said Sir Arthur.
“My father has charge of a parish on Lord Rothborough’s Scottish Estate,” Felix said, with care.
“That isn’t what I had heard,” said Haines, with such insolence that Felix was tempted to snatch the whip from the coachman and strike him with it.
“About this business, if we may?” Major Vernon said, indicating the hearse.
“An accident, one must suppose,” Sir Arthur said.
“Drowning is, in the main,” said Mr Haines.
Felix could hold his tongue no longer.
“The circumstances and the condition of the corpse suggest otherwise. As the first medical man to see her, I would strongly recommend that the inquest be adjourned until a full post-mortem can be performed. Time is of the essence.”
“And you would like the job and the fee, I dare say?” Sir Arthur said.
“I do not care a whit for the fee,” said Felix. “I am only interested in getting to the truth.”
“I suppose you need not care,” said Haines. “After all, you have the rents from Ardenthwaite. A nice gift that is for the son of a poor Scots clergyman, I should say. That is the case, isn’t it, young man, that you have title to the place? No doubt, you’ll be putting up for parliament soon enough. This doctoring of yours is just a pastime. But don’t you think that we will let you have the seat for the say-so. Your ‘connection’ may think he can buy the votes of the Ardenthwaite tenants, but good Sir Robert will be out of his tomb and haunting them if they try and vote for a godless Whig, I can tell you that for a fact!” He punched a bony finger towards Felix.
“Mr Haines, if we might deal with the matter in hand,” Major Vernon said. “The inquest?”
“Tomorrow at ten, at the Golden Lion in Market Craven,” said Haines.
“We will be there, of course,” said Major Vernon. “As will Lord Rothborough.”
“That won’t be necessary,” said Sir Arthur. “One of my men will give a report and that will be sufficient for a verdict of accidental death, which is the most likely case here. The only other sensible possibility is that she was a mad woman who drowned herself. Better we record accidental death, Mr Haines and let the poor creature have a decent burial.”
“And let her murderer think he can get away with it?” Felix burst out. “For if this isn’t murder, then –”
“The circumstances are ambiguous,” said Major Vernon. “This young woman may have been brutally attacked – that needs to be established, and if it is, then surely it is in the public interest that we discover who might be responsible?”
“We, Major Vernon?” said Sir Arthur. “I do not think this is your responsibility. This is not Northminster!”
“Forgive me – that was force of habit. However, may I at least offer my services as a neighbour? Mr Carswell and I have already begun to gather some useful evidence. Let me at least brief the officer you have put in charge of the investigation. That can do no harm, surely?”
“I really cannot see the need for it, unless you wish to set all my men on chasing about the district looking for phantoms? This is not Northminster, Major Vernon,
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