Death at the Wedding Feast Part 23

*Very probably, yes.'

*Then I shall arm myself accordingly.'

Even in these dire circ.u.mstances the Apothecary could not help but smile. The Marchesa might be one of the most beautiful, most seductive women ever born, but she was also one of the toughest and strongest street fighters he had come across in his entire life. He knew that she had personally practically annihilated the gang of dross who called themselves The Angels. They had based their doings on The Mohocks of London and had terrorized the poor people of Exeter who hardly dared leave their homes after dark. And they had also killed her son by making him an opium addict. The Marchesa's revenge had been swift and terrible but just. The Society of Angels no longer existed.

*Thank you,' he said. *And now I've one more favour to ask.'

Before he could say another word she smiled and said, *Can you borrow the coach tonight?'

*The words saddle-sore were invented for me alone, I fear.'

*You are nothing but a wretched Londoner, my good man.'

*Nonsense, Madam, many people in town are fine riders. I just do not happen to be one of them.'

She laughed and threw her arms around him and he was surrounded by the heady smell of lilac and woodruff and all the wonderful scents of her.

*I shall always love you, you know that.'

*Yes, I know,' she answered.

And they were just about to exchange a longed-for embrace when the sounds of the carriage approaching came from outside and broke their wonderful moment.

The day cleared of rain and began to fade gently. Tiny white clouds that looked as if they had been puffed out by putti bounced across the sky and the moon rose in a thin sliver. The air was gentle after the earlier rain, soft as a cat's fur, and all the birds in the world began to sing their hymn to the coming night. John had always loved this time of day; dusk, twilight, eventide. He had loved it in all seasons: when the ground beneath his feet had been hard and crisp with snow and the night had been lit by a thousand crystal stars; when warm summer breezes had wooed his senses with the smell of flowers and somewhere in the distance a nightingale had started to sing; in autumn when he had kicked around the crisp, colourful leaves and had felt the first chill of coldness in the air; in the spring, that outrageous season, that despite the cool weather allowed the camellia to come into bud and delighted the eye with the first glimpse of snowdrops and crocuses.

And now, as the carriage pa.s.sed through the countryside and he saw that the evening was still light and early summer was lying over the land, his thoughts flew away for a moment and he forgot the reason for his secret journey back to Sidmouth House. But they came back to him with a jolt as he knocked on the ceiling with his stick and called to the coachman to pull up.

They had stopped short of the property in the woods that centuries before had been partially cleared by labourers so that a fine house and glorious gardens could be built. The house had now been replaced and the gardens modernized, but, though thinned out, the woods still stood, and it was through the depths of these that the Apothecary silently made his way until the song of the sea sounded softly in his ears and he knew that he was going in the right direction.

No one knew of this evening visit except John, who was determined to take a look at the beach and see if the lovers who walked on it would reappear, because he now had an opinion as to who they might be. Silently he proceeded through the hushed atmosphere of the trees until at last he emerged on to the open cliffland where the gardens of Sidmouth House went down to the lawns that, in turn, swept down to the sea.

Twilight had come while he had been walking amongst the shady trees, and what he saw now was a small beach far below him lit by the crescent moon and the first stars. The sun was just spreading its last rays to the west, adding a warmth to the scene, and showing him that the beach was empty.

John paused, turning his head slightly. It seemed to him that there was a slight noise behind him as if somebody a or something a was following in his footsteps. But when he swivelled round there was n.o.body to be seen and he thought he had imagined it. Silently, he began to descend the tiny path that led down to the sh.o.r.e. And then the two figures appeared out of nowhere, giving John a fright, though he realized immediately afterwards that they must have been in a cave and had just stepped out. They were walking away from him, entwined round each other, clearly very much in love.

Quiet as a stalking cat John made his way down the path until it died away and he had to scramble over a couple of small rocks to reach the sand below. The couple were still walking away from him but he could see them clearly, their outlines etched blackly against the white of the waves and the glow of the sand. He knew who they were even before they turned around. He had suspected her, in particular, for some time. Of the ident.i.ty of the man he had not been so certain. They turned at the beach's end and John sank down behind a rock. Yet again he thought he heard a noise behind him but was in no position to wheel round and look. Very distantly he could hear s.n.a.t.c.hes of the couple's conversation.

*. . . you have borne it all well, my love.'

*. . . the thought of you . . .'

*. . . you have earned that fortune . . .'

*. . . lecherous old beast. Indeed I earned it!'

From somewhere above a pebble fell to the ground, hitting a rock as it landed and making a definite noise. The couple froze, as did John.

*What was that?' said the woman, looking up towards the cliff.

*I don't know,' the man answered. *We'd better be going. We must look suitably pious for the journey to Cornwall.'

*I am dreading it. I shall hate people staring at me and then acting as I shall have to do.'

They had walked forward as they spoke and John could now see their faces distinctly. He decided that the element of surprise would be best and reared up from behind his rock in an alarming manner. So much so that the woman gave an hysterical scream.

*You b.a.s.t.a.r.d . . .' said the man.

But he never got any further. From somewhere above all their heads a person unseen fired what sounded like a blunderbuss straight into the cliff wall. There was a great stirring as if the whole mighty cliff was going to come down, and as John scrambled for the path a vast chunk of it fell. The Apothecary stood frozen to the spot, staring at the place where a moment before the lovers had walked. Now all was still except for the choking cloud of dust that was spreading over the beach and being carried ever onwards by the west wind.

For a moment he literally could not move, his muscles seized by a type of catalepsy. Then he sprinted up the path as fast as was possible, aware all the time that there was someone running ahead of him, scurrying for all they were worth. But catching them was not his objective. Instead he wanted to raise men from the Big House. He ran on, aware that the sound in front of him had ceased, that whoever it was had gone off by some other route.

It was the time of day when all the candles were being lit and John stopped for a moment, panting like a dog, and thought yet again what a truly beautiful house it was. Enchanting, indeed. Even the fact that there had been a terrible murder within its walls could do nothing to defile its loveliness.

Knocking on the front door he explained breathlessly that there had been an accident on the beach below and that he needed men to help him s.h.i.+ft the rockfall. Lady Sidmouth had retired for the night with a bad megrim so was not on hand to organize anything a but still they came. Footmen without their jackets and wigs, kitchen boys, gardeners, even the young lad whose sole duty was to clean the boots and shoes. But when they reached the top of the cliff and gazed downwards they saw to their horror that there was no beach. That most capricious of tides had suddenly changed and covered every bit of sand. The red cliff loomed silently, a scar on its face the only sign that there had been a rockfall at all.

The Apothecary looked downwards and knew that justice had been done by that oldest and most unpredictable element of all a the relentless ocean.

Twenty-Nine.

They retrieved the bodies from the sea, brought in by the fishermen and landed on the beach at the small fis.h.i.+ng village of Sidmouth. They lay side-by-side on the sand, the Countess of St Austell and her grandstepson Maurice, the Earl, before they were pitched on to a cart and driven off for identification. That was before they began to swell up and were almost impossible to identify by even their nearest and dearest. It was Lord George who was finally called in and, to his shame, he was forced to rush outside and lean against a wall gasping in great mouthfuls of air to stop himself from being sick. It was said, afterwards, that at that moment he grew up for the first time. For he was now the Earl of St Austell, and with the t.i.tle went the responsibility of a great estate in Cornwall and the care of all the people who worked on and for it. Strangely, he became a responsible citizen and a much-respected man. But the last grim act he performed was to lay his grandfather and brother in the family crypt alone. For Miranda Tremayne, the new Countess, was placed in a solitary grave at the very edge of the churchyard and was never visited, being left desolate and friendless for time immemorial.

The princ.i.p.al players in the drama that had taken place at the wedding feast had foregathered in the home of Tobias Miller, by his express invitation. Nearly all of them were present: John and Elizabeth, Freddy Warwick, Felicity, accompanied by the large and amiable Mr Perkins, Geoffrey James and rather surprisingly the small and perky Miss Melissa Meakin who had stopped crying and was smiling a greeting at all the new company. To round off the people present a in every sense of the word a was dear old Sir Clovelly Lovell.

The Constable was in high humour, having started on the liquid refreshment some time before his guests arrived. And once the entire a.s.semblage had foregathered and were standing somewhat tightly in his small reception room, gla.s.ses in hand, a definitely festive atmosphere could be sensed. Eventually, though, he called for them to be seated and pointed out that some of the gentlemen would have to sit on the floor as there were insufficient chairs to go round. Sir Clovelly, however, was offered a s.p.a.cious chair to himself which he took with much joviality.

Tobias Miller cleared his throat.

*Ladies and gentlemen, good evening to you all and I thank you for coming to hear the resolution of the mystery. First let me say that the two killers, one Herman Cushen and his a.s.sistant a an unknown thug alas a have escaped custody and are still free. Reward posters have been printed and circulated but so far with little response. But the minds behind the hiring of the a.s.sa.s.sins have been identified.'

*Well who, jolly well, was it?' demanded Sir Clovelly, nibbling a savoury with much relish.

*It was a heinous crime because it was the Earl of St Austell's elder grandson and heir, Viscount Falmouth.'

John interrupted. *I think I must say in the poor creature's defence that he was probably put up to the idea by a scheming woman.'

*That's as may be, but it is still a terrible thing to commit patricide,' answered Felicity, while affable Mr Perkins said, *Hear, hear.'

*Whatever your views, with which I heartily concur, I would like to ask Mr Rawlings to tell us how he got on to it. How he solved the crime.'

John stood up, wis.h.i.+ng he had something less ephemeral to say to them.

*It was a combination of things really. First of all Felicity told me the strange story of the couple she had seen from the cliff top. They were walking on the beach, a man and a woman, and the woman's scarf was blowing up in the wind. Some time later I went down to the beach and found a piece of black veiling snagged on a rock. It had obviously been torn from the garment that the woman had worn. I felt fairly certain that it belonged to Miranda. It set me thinking,' John continued. *In the first instance I felt she was marrying the elderly Earl for the money and position. But quite honestly it never occurred to me that she wanted it all. That she wanted a young and attractive lover into the bargain.'

*I suppose,' said Miss Meakin reflectively, *that she and the Viscount must have met and fallen in love and the plot must have grown out of their relations.h.i.+p. But why kill my poor brother? What had he done wrong?'

Tobias Miller spoke up. *I have thought and thought about the murder of him and Mrs James, and do you know I think that their deaths were accidental.'

There was a stunned silence. *What do you mean?' somebody asked.

*That to cover up the fact that they had one target and one target alone, the a.s.sa.s.sins shot a few people at random.'

*I concur with that,' said Sir Clovelly from the depths of his chair. *I heard one of the killers mutter to the other not to shoot me. I suppose they must have known me from somewhere.'

*I agree they were firing at random,' put in John. *They aimed at me all right, but I played dead and the bullet whistled past my ear.'

The volatile Miss Meakin burst into tears and Geoffrey James lent her his handkerchief.

*I too lost someone dear. My wife. She was a gossip and a fiercesome flirt, but she could be good company when she chose.'

John looked at him, relieved beyond measure that he had cured the poor man of his terrible problem and that his flatulence was now under control.

*But what about the attempt to poison me?' asked Felicity. *Why did they do that?'

The Apothecary replied. *Did you tell your mother about the couple you saw on the beach?'

*Yes, I did.'

*Then I can only presume that Miranda overheard you and decided she must silence you. How she got hold of the Water Hemlock I do not know. She presumably went out one evening before her midnight tryst and gathered some. It is the easiest poison in the world to use. It grows everywhere and it is just a question of recognizing it. When you pull it up its root is almost identical to a parsnip. Which is where I found four of them, mixed with the vegetables in the kitchens of Sidmouth House.'

*But Mama could have eaten some! Or the servants!'

*I can only think by that time Miranda had become a little crazed.'

*If she was not crazed from the start,' said Elizabeth. *I thought she was just a gus.h.i.+ng little fool but I did not realize that that act hid a scheming and devious personality.'

*But she was my cousin,' poor Felicity cried out miserably.

n.o.body answered, but Mr Perkins put his arm round her and comforted her in such a cheerful way that everybody felt much better for seeing them.

*May I refill anyone's gla.s.s?' asked Tobias Miller.

There was a general chorus of affirmative replies, during which Sir Clovelly beckoned John to his side.

*There's one thing I can't understand, and that is the att.i.tude of Maurice. I always thought of him as a regular chap, a goodhearted soul. Can you throw any light on it? Do you think it was him who watched you in the darkness of your garden?'

John shook his head. *More probably George. He seemed to be the one to do the dirty work. As for Maurice, he always struck me as something of a cipher, a nonent.i.ty. I think that deep-down he would have been quite happy studying his books but then that state of mind came upon him which compelled him a like all mankind a to go to any lengths to achieve his objective. In other words, he fell in love.'

*Ah ha, cherchez la femme, eh?'

*Precisely, cherchez la femme.'

*Even to the extent of killing his own grandfather?'

*Yes. But what an evil creature the Earl was. Corrupt, dissolute, depraved. Miranda probably incited Maurice by describing St Austell's s.e.xual proclivities.'

*Perish the thought. And what about that handkerchief you found in Wildtor Grange?'

John shook his head. *I don't know. It seemed to me that it bore theatrical make-up of some kind.'

But there was no time for further conversation because Toby was clearing his throat importantly.

*There is one additional mystery of which I am about to tell you. If anyone can throw light on it I would appreciate it if you spoke up. It's just that on the night of the cliff fall which killed the Earl and the Countess, Mr Rawlings said there was somebody following him. And that is not all. A shot was fired over his head and into the cliff face thus causing the fatal occurrence. Now, do any of you know who this might have been?'

There was a stunned silence as a other than for Elizabeth a this was the first that anyone had heard of such a thing. Toby looked from face to face.

*I see that it means nothing to any of you. And I take it you can all account for yourselves on that evening? To remind you, it was the night before the bodies were washed up. Mr James?'

*I was with friends and we played cards till midnight. They can vouch for me.'

*Miss Meakin?'

*I was at home with poor Alan's widow and babe. Besides, Clyst St Agnes is quite a good way away from Lady Sidmouth's house. I would not risk prowling about at night on my own.'

*I can speak for Felicity and myself. I sat beside her bed all night, occasionally dozing. But the slightest sound would have awakened me.'

Mr Perkins flushed crimson and announced, *I'm afraid that I was alone so n.o.body can verify my story. But I can a.s.sure you that the last thing I would have contemplated would be wandering along the cliff top in the late evening. I could have tripped and fallen below, you see.'

John spoke up. *I am sure, Toby, that it was nothing more than a common poacher. I think he fired at the cliffs to put me off the scent.'

Tobias was silent for a long moment, then said, *What you are saying makes total sense, of course. But still there is a question in my mind.'

John adopted his sincere look. *Well, that's your line of business, Constable. To question everything.'

*Yes, I suppose you are right.' He turned to his a.s.sembled guests. *And that, ladies and gentlemen, concludes my business. May you all have a safe journey home. And to those of you that live in Exeter I hope to see you again soon. On a purely social occasion, let me hasten to a.s.sure you.'

They all trooped out into the night and waited while carriages and chairs were sent for. Tobias drew John to one side.

*Lady Imogen is well.'

*You have seen her?

*Yes, I tracked them down. She is a happily married woman.'

*Thank G.o.d for that,' said John, and really meant every word he said.

The first carriages arrived and the guests parted company, all as merry as if they had been at a wedding feast and thankful that the whole wretched affair could finally be put behind them.

However, later that night, it being about nine of the clock, John slipped out of the house and took a carriage to Sidmouth House where, fortunately, he caught Milady just preparing to go upstairs to her bedroom.

*Madam, I apologize for calling so late and so unexpectedly, but tomorrow I leave for London and I have something to give to you before I go.'