*Harder to sneak into the servants" attics, you mean?" said Mr Bertram. *You have a point. Unless it was ..."
*Seems unlikely, sir," said Rory. *After all, there is no one new in the house." He paused. *Other than your footman."
*Merrit?" said Mr Bertram. *Are you suggesting?"
*I"m suggesting it might be best to rule him out before the police get here and ask the same question."
*Police?" asked Mr Bertram blankly. *You called the police."
*Yon doctor would have done it if I hadn"t. It looks better this way."
*But he"s been with the family for ever!" said Mr Bertram.
*Good G.o.d, man, he fair killed the woman!"
*Right. Right," said Mr Bertram. *Have you woken my brother yet?"
*I was just about to, sir, once we knew what the doctor thought and once we"d checked where your footman was."
*I see. Thank you," said Mr Bertram roughly. *You appear to have thought of everything."
*I endeavour to give satisfaction, sir," said Rory with a notable trace of irony in his voice.
My eyelids felt extraordinarily heavy, but I managed to open them. I was lying on a chaise in the library. Rory and Bertram were standing by a roaring fire. I could see Bertram had a large brandy in his hand. Although to be fair he seemed to be holding it rather than drinking it. A heavy cover was thrown over me. I tried to lift my head and the world swam alarmingly. *Is she all right?" I asked in what was admittedly a shaky voice.
Rory turned at once. *Lay your head back down, la.s.s," he commanded. *The doctor will be up to see you in a moment."
*Honestly, Euphemia, what were you thinking of running around the household late at night, barely dressed?" demanded Mr Bertram.
I put my hand to my head and felt the large lump that was growing. *I thought she"d need me after whatever ..." I stopped as the words tangled.
*It was a right brave thing to do," said Rory. *b.l.o.o.d.y stupid, but brave."
*He knocked me down," I said.
*Aye, you were lucky. He made a right mess of Mrs Wilson. Looks like he tried to kill her."
*Good G.o.d!" I said horrified. *Who was it? Have you caught him?"
*He was too fast for me," said Mr Bertram, *and Rory here was too caught up with carrying you upstairs."
I gave Rory a weak smile. Mr Bertram glowered. *Thank you," I said.
*I thought for a moment he"d killed you," said Rory, *but looks like it"s just a nasty knock on the head."
*How did he get out?" I asked.
*Kitchen door and across the garden," said Mr Bertram.
*Have you checked to see if everyone is where they should be?" I asked bluntly. (I can only offer the concussion as an excuse for my rudeness.) Rory pursed his lips and shook his head.
*But it could be ..." Sense returned and I didn"t finish the sentence.
*Did you get a look at him?" asked Mr Bertram.
I closed my eyes and thought. *No, I can"t remember much. Only a black figure running and knocking me to the ground." I opened my eyes again and the world swam alarmingly once more. *I don"t feel well," I said.
*Where is that wretched doctor?" said Mr Bertram. *Go and check, Rory."
When we were alone Mr Bertram knelt down by my side. *You gave me a terrible fright, Euphemia. You had no business ... unless you were with him when ..."
*I was in my room," I said coldly. *Alone."
Mr Bertram hung his head. *It was finding you standing there with him, dressed as you were, and with all the commotion, I didn"t know what to think."
*You should know me better," I said.
Mr Bertram"s head hung a little lower. *Euphemia," he said, *Euphemia ..."
*Yes," I whispered.
*There isn"t any chance it was Merrit, is there?"
*Merrit," I said flabbergasted. *Why on earth would you think that?"
*He"s new and Rory said the police would ask about anyone new to the house a either on staff or as guests. And apparently he"s the only one."
*Yes, of course. He"s right. But can"t you go and check if he"s in his room? He can"t be there and halfway down the park at the same time."
Mr Bertram lifted his head and his clear, dark eyes met mine. *It happened hours ago, Euphemia. You"ve been unconscious for ages. It took us a while to get the doctor and he"s been with Wilson ever since. Rory"s right. Whoever it was he tried to kill her and he did a fair job. I believe an ambulance has been sent for. Though why the wretched man hasn"t been up to see you ..."
Rory came back in and did a double-take to see Mr Bertram kneeling at my side. Mr Bertram hurried to his feet, brushing down his trousers and began bl.u.s.tering about the doctor.
*He is currently with a guest of Lord Stapleford"s a Miss Beatrice Wilton. It appears the young lady is known for having a weak heart and has found the commotion she heard from her room most disturbing."
Mr Bertram looked down at my dishevelled form. *But Euphemiaa"
*Is not a guest," said Rory roughly, *and the doctor has his orders, from Lord Stapleford himself."
*By G.o.d, we"ll see about that," said Mr Bertram and strode out of the room.
Rory"s face softened. He came over and very gently felt the lump at the back of my head. *I"ve woken Merry and she"s making you a cold compress. I didn"t want to disturb you when you were out, but you"re back with us now." He smiled. *Growing up I saw a fair few brawls. I donnae think you"ll have much to complain about except a roaring headache for a few days."
*The world"s underwater," I said plaintively.
*Aye, well, it would be with your brains all shook up. But you"re talking fine and yer"re alert and they"re all good signs."
Merry burst into the room, waving a wet rag around. *Oh no! Oh, Euphemia! Are you dead?"
Even Rory chuckled slightly at this. *Give that here, la.s.s," he said and tenderly placed the cloth on my head. The ache immediately subsided.
*Oh, thank you," I said.
*You"ll need to get a bucket with ice and keep rewetting the cloth until at least the doctor has seen her," said Rory.
*Of course," said Merry. *You poor thing. What did the maniac do to you?"
*He knocked me down," I said. *We don"t know if he was a maniac."
*Who else could it be?"
*Mr Bertram is worried it might be our footman, Merrit. Though he came with excellent references."
Merry shook her head vehemently. *It weren"t him."
*You"re very sure," said Rory curiously.
*We were walking."
*Outside?" I asked.
*It"s a full moon," said Merry defensively. *I got into views when we were in the Highlands. I offered to show the man some, seeing how he was new to the area and a Londoner like myself. We walked to the gates and back."
*At night?" Rory frowned.
*It was proper," said Merry with dignity. *We were both wearing our coats and everything."
*Did you see the man?" Rory asked. *The maniac?"
*No," said Merry. *Should we have done?"
*If yous were out walking at the time of the attack and the maniac didn"t sprout wings and fly over the wall, then, yes, you should have seen him. There"s no other way out of the park."
*There must be," I said. *Loose rocks, a high branch, some other way out."
*We"ve got a new groundskeeper and he"s very good," said Rory.
*But the gates would have been locked," I said.
*Wrought iron gates aren"t that difficult to climb," said Rory.
Merry grinned. *Is that a confession of a misspent youth, Mr McLeod?" She registered the expressions on both our faces. *I didn"t mean to be rude," she said. *I was trying to lighten things a bit. The pair of you look like you"ve seen death in the flesh."
*Don"t you see, Merry," I said gently. *If he didn"t leave the grounds then he"s still here. It could even be someone in the house."
*Oh lor"," said Merry. *Are they calling in the police?"
Rory nodded.
*Well, Lord Stapleford"s going to have some explaining to do then," said Merry.
*What do you mean?" I asked.
*Didn"t you hear?" said Merry. *He and Mrs Wilson were having the devil of an argument after that spooking session. Going at it hammer and tongs, they were."
3 At four foot eight she always boasted that, as a young girl, she could depress the attentions of any suitor with a single look and that she had once made a young duke cry. Annoyingly she has always refused to tell me which duke.
Chapter Three:.
The Return of Sergeant Davies
*You heard Lord Stapleford arguing with Mrs Wilson?" I repeated blankly.
*She was screeching her head off," said Merry. *I never heard nothing like it."
*Not, of course, that you heard much," said Rory. *Just pa.s.sing as you were."
*Unless, of course, your bootlaces had come undone?" I suggested.
*Now you come to mention it I think that did happen."
*Merry! Miss St John needs her rest and not a lot of silly nonsense."
*Go on, Merry, it"ll take my mind off my aching head."
Merry looked from one of us to the other. Her emotions played so clearly across her open face I had to stifle a giggle. Should she indulge her love of gossip or please her new boss? Gossip won out, as I knew it would. *She was complaining about the seance. Said how his father would never have exposed her to such a thing."
*That"s hardly surprising," said Rory. *It was an unpleasant thing to force any of the servants to do."
*But she was really angry. Mrs Wilson doesn"t get angry. Not with those above stairs a and there"s more ..."
Merry paused, savouring her moment. *She accused Lord Stapleford of pushing the gla.s.s."
*What?" snapped Rory. *Are you sure?"
*She believes in ghosts?" I asked, confused. *Did she think he was trying to tell us something?" My heart hammered at the thought of all the hidden secrets and buried bodies that the late Lord Stapleford had good cause to know of. *Did she think he"d come back to tell the truth?"4 *You must have hit your head awful hard," said Merry. *The only spirits Mrs W believes in come out of a bottle. No, you ninny, she said Lord Stapleford had exposed her to cruel and drunken antics and caused her pain beyond his meagre comprehension. What do you think she meant by that?"