A Death by Arson (3 page)

‘No, she is not, but I believe she will tell you the whole story herself.'

Bertram looked most alarmed. ‘I say, there is no need to go that far! A woman's body and all that…'

Considering the group who now appeared at the doorway to the smoking room, this was a most unfortunate ejaculation of Bertram's. Stone had returned, bringing with him a woman I judged to be in her mid-thirties and a slightly older man. The two bore a strong resemblance to each other, but while the woman wore a discreet and tidy dark dress, the man wore a loudly checked suit, a flat cap and an eye-wateringly coloured waistcoat.

‘I don't rightly know if I can leave you here, Susie, if this is the kind of treatment you will be exposed to,' said the man in an aggressive tone.

‘Mrs Ellis and her brother, Mr Brown,' intoned Stone. ‘Mrs Ellis is to be the new nursery maid.'

This speech confused me. Was it now the custom for one to refer to a nursery maid as Mrs, as it was with a housekeeper? Or was Hans also to employ her husband? In which case, who was Mr Brown?

‘Hang on there,' interrupted the man. ‘I'm not liking what I'm hearing. Who are you?' he demanded of me.

‘I am Bertram Stapleford,' said Bertram rising to his feet. ‘Brother-in-law to the owner of the estate, Mr Hans Muller.'

‘Yeah, but who is
she
?' demanded Mr Brown, gesturing at me.

Bertram flushed slightly. ‘Take them to Mr Muller's study, Stone,' he said.

‘I tried to, sir, but it seems Mr Muller is occupied with Mrs Muller.'

‘So that's what you call it around here, is it?' said Mr Brown rudely. ‘Come on, me girl. We're out of here.'

‘I shall be delighted to show you the door,' said Stone in a voice admirably devoid of sarcasm.

‘Oh, Henry, hush,' said Mrs Ellis. She came forward into the room towards me. ‘I do beg my brother's pardon. I had an unfortunate experience at my last situation and he is being over-protective. I am Susie Ellis, a widow, and I am most eager to secure this appointment.'

Bertram offered Susie his hand. ‘A pleasure,' he said. ‘But neither myself nor Miss St John here can confirm your appointment. You had really better wait in Mr Muller's study.'

‘I don't know that I like the idea of my sister waiting on a man in his room,' said the objectionable Mr Brown.

‘I can assure you that Mr Muller is the model of propriety,' I said acerbically. ‘This is a well-run and moral household. It is also unnecessary to ring the doorbell for such an extended period of time.'

‘I told you we should have used the trade door,' said Susie, colouring in embarrassment. ‘I am so sorry for disturbing you, ma'am.'

‘I assume your brother is not also looking for work?' I asked.

‘Oh no, ma'am. He's in trade. Runs his own grocery shop, he does.'

‘In that case might I suggest, Stone, that you take Mr Brown below stairs, where he will doubtless be more comfortable, and offer him some ale. I will escort his sister to see Mr Muller and remain with her during the interview. I assume this will relieve your worries, Mr Brown? Afterwards, I will bring your sister to you to say farewell, if Mr Muller sees fit to offer her the position. I assume you have an appointment?'

‘Well … no,' said Susie. ‘I saw the advertisement in
The Lady
, just before Christmas. I did write, but when I received no reply, what with us being so near and Henry having his van, I thought we could come down and enquire.'

‘Indeed,' said Bertram, his eyebrows rising almost into his hairline. ‘In that case I am unsure whether Mr Muller will see you at all. Perhaps you might enquire, Stone?'

‘I will go up and see them,' I interrupted. ‘Mrs Muller has been taken ill and her husband is attending her.'

‘Is it typhoid?' demanded Mr Brown.

‘It is a mild indisposition,' I said coldly.

I left Stone and Bertram to deal with this extremely odd couple. It was true that we were in dire need of a nursery maid now that Hans had forbidden Merry to go near Amy, and with Richenda pregnant and subject to fainting fits we would be much overstretched. Still, my instinct told me that the best course of action would be for Hans to turn these two away. Susie Ellis might have reasonable manners, but her brother was deplorable.

I met Hans on the landing, emerging from Richenda's room. He did not have the happy smile I would have imagined an expectant father to have; instead he frowned at me, ‘She will not tell me what is wrong. She says you know and will reassure me it is not serious.'

‘It is not,' I said, confused. ‘But I am at a loss as to why she has not told you the whole story.'

‘As am I,' said Hans stiffly. ‘It seems there is an issue of trust.'

‘I am sure it is not that,' I said quickly. ‘I will speak to her. First, I am afraid, we have a situation. A Mrs Ellis has turned up to apply for the position of nursery maid. Leaving aside the fact she has made no appointment, she seems unobjectionable – although they came to the front door.'

‘They? She has a husband with her? I have no mind to house –' began Hans.

‘No, she is a widow and escorted by her brother, a coarse and rude man. He says she has had some trouble in her last position – and I must confess the snippet of conversation they overheard between Bertram and myself would not have been inspiring.'

Hans gave a small smile. ‘I can imagine.'

‘Please don't,' I said. ‘I promised to escort Mrs Ellis to your study and stay with her during any interview, should you agree to see her.'

‘And her loutish brother?'

‘Taken below stairs by Stone and given some ale.'

‘Hmph,' said Hans. ‘We are in need of a maid for Amy, but this does not sound promising.'

‘Indeed,' I said. ‘I did not take to them.'

‘Well, I suppose I should see what she is like before I send her on her way,' said Hans. ‘To be without a situation at this time of year must be hard, and if she left her last situation under a cloud, then …' He stalked off down the stairs with me following, and again marvelling over how very kind Hans can be. I only hoped that his empathy for his inferiors would not lead him into making a serious mistake.

 

⁵
While there was no etiquette problem with my seeking out the butler – provided he was above stairs – there was no way I could open the front door myself: something I had never managed to explain properly to Richenda.

Chapter Four
Bertram's foreboding

‘So you see, sir, I am well qualified.'

We were in Hans' study. Susie had refused a seat and I could tell sitting while a woman was standing made Hans feel very comfortable. He glanced at the sheet she had handed him.

‘These are all your references?'

‘Not my last position, as I explained to Miss St John. I had to leave in a hurry.' She lowered her voice. ‘I'm afraid the elder son of the house had taken quite a shine to me, and I was not brought up to behave in such a manner.'

‘How old was he?' asked Hans.

‘Seventeen,' said Susie.

‘A difficult age, to be sure. But he was surely not in your charge?'

‘He had two little sisters, aged three and four. Most of my experience, as you will see, is with small children. I'm afraid I was not able to do more than list addresses for most of my references, but you will see my last-but-one position has a telephone number against it and the master and mistress there said they would speak for me.'

‘You left there why?'

‘Their little boy – I'd been with him since he was a baby – turned seven and was sent away to school.'

‘And Mr Ellis?'

‘Mr Ellis died some time ago,' said Susie, looking down. ‘We had only been wed a month. An accident when we were sightseeing in Bath. We were on a late honeymoon. We hadn't been able to go at once as Alf couldn't get time off from his work. It was my fault; I wanted to go there. Neither of us was used to streets that busy – and it all happened so quickly.' She brushed a tear from her cheek. ‘I was hardly Mrs Ellis at all, really, but I kept the name. It was the only bit of him left to me.'

Hans coughed uncomfortably and I knew he was thinking about the loss of his own first love. Susie thought differently. ‘I assure you, sir, I am no wailing widow. I have accustomed myself to my lot in life, and my greatest aspiration is to find another secure post where I may help look after a child or even children. I find their company inspiring.'

I met Hans' gaze and, with difficulty, suppressed a smile. Engaging although young Amelia was,
inspiring
was never an adjective I would have used to describe her. Hans raised an eyebrow, clearly thinking the same thing.

‘And your current situation?' he asked.

‘I am living with my brother.' The tone in which the poor woman said this gave a clear indication that she did not consider this ideal. ‘He has several small children,' she added.

Comprehension dawned on Hans' face. ‘Might we ascribe your brother's assertiveness to a reluctance to lose you from his household? Unless, of course, he is seeking work as well. In which case he will be sadly disappointed.'

Susie shook her head vigorously. ‘Oh no, sir. He's not looking for work. He and his wife run a greengrocery business. He is well set up.'

Well enough, no doubt, to afford his own servants, I thought to myself. I was beginning to have a great deal of sympathy for Susie, and yet, there was something that bothered me about her. But each time I tried to pin it down it eluded me further.

‘Shall we say a month's trial? Subject to my telephoning your reference? Although we are shortly to depart for Scotland. You have no objection to travel, I hope?'

‘I have never been abroad,' said Susie, her eyes very wide.

‘The Scots may be a very different people to the English, but it is hardly abroad.'

‘In that case, sir, I would very much like to accept your offer of a trial.'

‘I shall telephone now and see if I can speak to your reference. Euphemia will take you to the morning room and arrange for a tea tray.'

‘My brother …' began Susie.

‘Stays below stairs,' finished Hans.

I could not be sure but I thought I detected an expression of relief on Susie's face. In what seemed like no time at all the matter was settled. Her trunk had been retrieved from the van by the ill-tempered brother and carried upstairs. I watched her go with some misgiving. ‘Did you not think Richenda might like to interview her?' I asked Hans, trading on our long-standing acquaintance.

‘I just telephoned her former employers. Her reference was excellent. And, frankly, it does not matter what Richenda or I feel. It will be down to how she relates to Amy. I am satisfied she has the ability to keep the child safe. Now all we need to know is if she can keep her under reasonable control.'

‘Reasonable?' I queried.

‘I am not a man to ask for miracles,' said Hans gravely, though his eyes twinkled.

‘About Merry –' I began.

‘No!' Hans held up his hand. ‘I will not discuss this with you. She is to return to Bertram's estate with Merrit when we depart.'

‘Will Bertram not require his car?'

‘Ah – I have arranged a little late Christmas present for my brother-in-law.'

I quailed inwardly. Bertram behind the wheel of his current contraption was terrifying enough, but with one of the new automobiles, which were rumoured, incredibly, to be able to do far more than twenty miles per hour, I felt no road in England would be safe. I could only hope that Rory was accompanying us north, and that he would be at the wheel, but I decided not to push my fortune and ask Hans if that would be so. The last I had seen, the two men had been at extreme odds.

‘Perhaps you should tell Richenda the good news?' I suggested. ‘It might cheer her spirits.' It occurred to me that Hans might cancel the whole trip when he learned of Richenda's delicate condition, and that if that was to be so then the sooner the better. I recalled from my days as a housekeeper the enormity of moving a household to Scotland – and that had been only to a small hunting lodge, not a grand New Year's party. I thought it very likely we would not be going, which did not disappoint me in the least. Although I will own that the scenery up there is breath-taking, all my forays northward have occasioned sudden demises. Scotland, Richard Stapleford and a big party of important people might seem like a cocktail of delight for many young women – for I knew that Hans would insist I attend the ball – but I could only think of it as having potential for yet more morbid disaster.

‘I think it is better she gets her rest before the journey,' said Hans. ‘I have spoken to the doctor and he says there is no cause for alarm.'

I studied him hard when he said this, but he gave no indication of being a man who knows his wife is in the process of producing his heir. Hans continued, ‘I know you are thinking I should curtail the trip, and that business is not a good enough reason to –'

‘I would not dare suggest such a thing,' I interrupted.

‘No,' said Hans, smiling, ‘but you might well think it. The truth is, Euphemia, that while this trip is important to me – very important on the business front – it would be impossible for us to stay in the house for the next week.'

‘Why so?'

‘I have arranged for the installation of electrical lighting throughout the entire building. I understand that in doing so the men will make a devil of a mess, not to say noise, and that the place will be quite uninhabitable. Now, if you will excuse me, I have matters to attend to.'

I watched him go, wondering what on earth I should do. I decided to beard Bertram in the smoking room and get his thoughts on current matters. Whether I should tell him about Richenda's delicate condition, I was unsure. I felt very strongly that it was Hans' right to know first –well, first after Richenda! But it was certainly not my place to tell him; perhaps talking with Bertram, even if I did not expose the secret, would help me decide what to do.