Regency Masquerade, page 18
Annie pointed a trembling finger into the room, “I came down to put ‘er to bed and she wasn’t in ‘er room so I went looking for ‘er, and there she is, on the floor! Murdered!”
“Nonsense!” said Miss Pettigrew automatically. However when she saw her mistress lying still, on the carpet, she was a little less certain. Very gingerly she knelt down beside her and touched her shoulder. “My Lady?” There was no answer.
By then the butler appeared, roused by all the commotion, hastily dressed in trousers and a coat which had evidently been chosen at random. “Has anyone gone for the doctor?” he asked sensibly, and then proceeded to send Tom off immediately on that errand. “Let’s get her on the sofa,” he decided, “It isn’t seemly to leave her there on the floor.” He looked to the two women for help to lift his mistress.
“Wait, let me get a cloth first, she won’t want to get blood on the material, ‘tis new,” Miss Pettigrew objected. Then she realised Lady Murray might well be past worrying about such things. She plucked a small cushion from a nearby chair and placed it on the sofa. “That will do.”
Together Annie and Hanson lifted Lady Murray off the floor onto the sofa and Miss Pettigrew sat down beside her, gently wiping the blood away with her handkerchief. “What happened?” she asked the butler fearfully, “Who has done this dreadful deed?”
For the first time, Hanson realised that he had most likely let a murderer into the house. He felt quite faint at the thought, should he call a constable? He wished Tom would return soon with the doctor, a medical man would likely know what to do, and besides, perhaps there was still some hope for his mistress.
It seemed hours before the doctor arrived, bustling in with his bag and hoping audibly that he had not been brought out on a fool’s errand. As soon as he saw Lady Murray however he cast a sharp look at Hanson, “What’s been happening here?”
“I don’t know sir. Annie found her on the floor, like that. Is she ... dead, sir?” he asked anxiously.
Dr Everard was already bending down over the still figure. He looked up gravely at the hovering servants, and shook his head. “I’m afraid she’s gone.”
“She’s been murdered! I knew it as soon as I saw ’er!” Annie exclaimed.
“I’m afraid she could be right,” the doctor addressed Hanson as the senior man present. “Someone will have to fetch a constable.”
Tom sighed, he knew full well who would be given that task!
XXX
It was Mr Adams who broke the news to Lord Carleton later the next day, still puffing slightly from his hurry to get there.
“Murdered!” Carleton echoed in disbelief. “Just a moment, Frances will need to hear this.” He sent Rawlings off to ask her and Mrs Pearson to join them in the study as soon as possible. He waited impatiently for them to be seated, then invited Adams to continue.
“I have grave news, Lady Carleton. Your grandmother, Lady Murray, was found dead in her house last night. It troubles me to tell you this, ladies, but she was murdered, brutally murdered in her own sitting room!”
Mrs Pearson gave a small whimper of distress and buried her face in her handkerchief. Frances stared wide-eyed from one man to the other. “Can this be true?” she asked.
Mr Adams nodded, “I am afraid so, I have already been down to Bow Street to confirm the news. I expect you will receive a visit from the magistrate in charge, within a day or so my lord, you and your wife being her next of kin.”
He paused for a moment to give Carleton a meaningful look. “There is one more thing you should know, my lord. It appears that Mr Pilkington, Lady Murray’s solicitor cannot be found. It seems he has disappeared! Very suspicious, given the circumstances if I might say so!”
Carleton whistled. He found himself in full agreement.
Adams continued, “Once he heard I was your man of business my lord, the magistrate, Mr Pringle that is, asked me to help the constables search through the papers in Pilkington’s office, to try and determine the motive for the attack. We start this afternoon, if I have your permission my lord.”
“Certainly, an excellent idea. I would appreciate it if you kept me informed of your progress.”
“Of course my lord.” Mr Adams bowed and took his leave shortly afterwards.
“I never liked her Richard, but I didn’t wish this on her!” exclaimed Frances, and went into his arms.
XXX
A week later found them all once more gathered together in the study to listen to grave news from a visitor, but on this occasion the caller was none other than Squire Herbert, up from Selby for the week. After exchanging a few brief courtesies, the Squire got down to business, as eager to tell them his story as Lord and Lady Carleton were to hear it.
“You will be amazed at what news I have for you! Not only do we have the motive for your Grandmother’s murder, but we also know why the so-called Comte Duverne tried to kill you my lady,” he said with an air of satisfaction. His listeners stared at him with proper expressions of astonishment, although Frances was already leaping ahead in her imagination.
“’So-called Comte Duverne’?” queried Carleton.
The Squire nodded vigorously. “It seems there is no such person as the Comte Duverne. You will never guess who the pretender was!”
“No, tell us please!” entreated Frances.
“A French assassin! Apparently he found that masquerading as a Comte got him access into all sorts of places he would never been allowed into as plain Mr Duverne.” Squire Herbert was well satisfied with the reaction this brought. He continued with his story. “You will be glad to hear that Pilkington has been caught at Dover, attempting to escape over to France. He had some of Lady Murray’s jewellery on his person so there is no doubt he will hang for her murder. Once he knew there was no escape he spoke freely, boasting of the fact that he had hired Duverne to assassinate you, Lady Carleton, Lady Murray knew nothing about it.”
Frances and Carleton exchanged glances, no doubt Duverne had seen it as an extra bonus when he found the ‘boy’ he was seeking and his target were one and the same.
The Squire frowned uneasily at Frances. “The unfortunate truth is that both Pilkington and your grandmother have been stealing from your inheritance, my lady. When Pilkington found Bow Street was getting too close to him, he went to see Lady Murray. Apparently he had the gall to demand she provide him with the funds to escape, in return for his arranging Duverne’s attack on you. However, instead of being grateful to him you will be glad to hear, she threatened to turn him in to the constable! They struggled when he tried to take her jewels and she fell and hit her head on the table. He says he didn’t mean to kill her but that will make no difference, he will still hang for it.”
“Serve him right!” exclaimed Frances. “I am exceedingly glad to hear that my grandmother was not part of the plot against me. I will try and think of her more kindly now, despite our differences.”
The Squire took his leave a short time later, leaving the couple to mull over the news in private. He feared there would be much to do, to set Lady Carleton’s affairs in order during the coming weeks. He did not think it necessary to tell Frances that Pilkington had said Lady Murray had been more upset about his demand for money than the botched attempt on her granddaughter’s life. Let Frances think the best she could of her grandmother, it was a harmless deceit.
THE END
Table of Contents
Copyright
Acknowledgement
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TW0
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Vera Loy, Regency Masquerade
