Deadly Inheritance (45 page)

The Colonel stood with his arms folded, his expression chilling. ‘I would prefer to hear the charge against you, Warburton. Right, Jackman, tell us what you know. Out there,’ he nodded towards the door, ‘you accused him of being a murderer. An innocent man, Warburton, would not have reacted with the violence you displayed. So, I repeat, I want details.’

The Dowager advanced, her back ramrod straight. ‘Rise, you miserable excuse for a man.’

She waited, implacable, and after a moment William Warburton struggled to his feet.

To Ursula it seemed as though, beneath her iron exterior, the Dowager was controlling an anger of volcanic proportions.

‘I knew you were trouble as soon as you arrived,’ she said, her voice like steel. ‘I told my son to tell you to go. No, he said. You were the Marquis’s nephew and the Marquis was his friend.
Noblesse oblige
, were the words he used. He said he’d learned them from me.’

She was tall for a woman, dressed all in black, her hair in a severe knot, her gaze unyielding.

‘You seduced that girl, Belle Seldon,’ she sounded as though she could hardly bear to utter Belle’s name. ‘You seduced her under our roof! Now she is with child.’

‘What!’ Ursula saw this was something he had not known. He rapidly assimilated the information, then smirked. With an attempt to recapture some of his customary insouciance, he said, ‘If that is indeed the case, our engagement should be announced immediately.’

The Dowager slapped him hard across the face.

Helen screamed.

‘Mama!’ protested the Colonel.

Mr Warburton’s knees buckled and Jackman took a grip on one of his upper arms.

‘You are worthless,’ the Dowager said without emotion. Then she swung round to fix her daughter-in-law with her basilisk stare. ‘You have brought heartache and little else to Mountstanton. You are uncontrollable. I told my son how it would be. He would not listen. Nor would his father. He congratulated Richard, said he had done a great thing. What great thing?’

Helen gazed at her, white-faced.

‘Mama,’ repeated the Colonel, ‘Please! This is not achieving anything. Leave it to me.’

‘And this
investigator
you have brought in. How could you think we had anything that needed investigating?’ She gave Jackman a scorching glance then brought her attention back to Warburton. ‘Belle Seldon is a stupid girl but she is under our protection. You are venal. At the very least you have abused our hospitality. She is like the rock that lies beneath coastal waters waiting for luckless ships, merciless when they are fouled on her granite. You, on the other hand, are scum,’ she said. With a last glare at William Warburton, she left the room.

Helen sat shaking, her head in her hands.

Ursula placed a hand beneath her elbow. ‘Come with me,’ she said and led her, unprotesting, towards the door.

The footman had said they were all a family at Mountstanton; but what an unhappy one. Ursula thought that having to live with the Dowager could make anyone seek comfort elsewhere. When Richard became Earl, he should have pensioned her off to some far county, not allowed her to establish a redoubt in the west wing. No wonder the Colonel spent so little time at Mountstanton.

At the door, Helen turned. ‘Charles?’ she pleaded.

He offered no comfort. ‘Go with Miss Grandison,’ he said evenly. ‘With Jackman’s help, I’ll sort this out.’

Helen stumbled into the corridor, Ursula supporting her.

Once in the pretty boudoir, Ursula settled her into an armchair. ‘Shall I ring for your maid?’

Helen shook her head, a minimal gesture that said she was incapable of either action or speech.

Ursula drew up another chair. ‘Did you really not know about Belle’s condition?’

Helen closed her eyes. ‘No. I had no idea. You have to believe me.’

‘But you knew she was infatuated with Mr Warburton?’

‘She’s a child; I thought it a passing fancy. As soon as she was in London, making her debut, attending the balls and going racing and everything, she would forget him. I still think so.’

‘And you, are
you
infatuated with him?’ Ursula asked bluntly.

‘I … I … he has … he has given me support.’ A flush coloured her pale cheeks.

‘How long has Mr Warburton been at Mountstanton?’ Ursula was aware that she should have ascertained this information before.

‘He arrived just before Christmas.’ Helen looked down at her hands, tightly interlaced in her lap. ‘He … he was such fun.’

Ursula could imagine how the secretary would have brightened the place. He was the sort of young man who could not resist flirting with any halfway attractive woman – and Helen was far more than that. If he had received any encouragement from her, and no warning from his employer, well, no wonder their friendship had become so intimate.

‘What was the “
noblesse oblige
” business?’

Helen looked sightlessly around the room. ‘Richard said there was some … some misdemeanour William had been caught up in. Nothing much, he said, only he could do with some help with his correspondence and, well, William was to stay with us for a couple of months or so.’

‘A couple of months? But surely he has now been here for much longer.’

‘Richard said he was useful.’

‘He does not seem to do very much.’

Helen shrugged again. ‘Apparently he has given satisfaction.’

Ursula stopped herself from suggesting the satisfaction might lie with the Countess rather than the Earl. She went to the window, tweaked the curtains and looked out at the dark. Rain lashed at the windowpanes. The thought of Belle out there was horrific.

‘And you really have no idea where Belle might have gone? Could she have made friends with one or another of your neighbours?’

‘She was so bored with everywhere I took her. It was so embarrassing for me.’ Helen seemed to sense Ursula’s condemnation. ‘I am, of course, worried about where she is. Charles said he would send that investigator of his to Hinton Parva as soon as he returned; he thought she might have gone there. But now there’s this interrogation of William going on.’ Helen covered her eyes with the back of a hand. ‘It is so ridiculous. William cannot have killed anyone.’

‘Belle was not on her way to the village when she galloped past us.’

Ursula imagined the girl, wet through, at last slowing her helter-skelter ride. Would she start to wonder what she was doing? Regret her impetuous decision? Would she know where she was? Be able to find her way back to Mountstanton? She had not returned. Was she lying helpless somewhere out there? Surely a search had to be instigated now? But how successful could it be in the dark?

A knock came on the door of the boudoir and the Colonel entered.

Helen looked at him hopefully. ‘Belle, has she returned?’

‘I’m sorry, Helen, she hasn’t. We have to go and look for her.’

‘Will you be able to see anything?’ Ursula asked. He looked tired and dispirited.

‘Very little,’ he acknowledged. ‘The walking party, though, will take lamps and the territory is well known. The grooms and I will ride; she’s likely to have gone beyond walking distance. We will cover as many of the tenant farms as we can, together with the village. If we can’t find her, in the morning we can start on the neighbours.’ He looked out of the window. ‘If the rain eases and the clouds lift, the moon will provide illumination, it’s almost full.’ It seemed a lot to ask for.

For a moment Ursula remembered discovering the Earl’s dead body; the belvedere and all around had been flooded with silver light. Then it had seemed cruel; now it would be helpful. ‘In what way can I assist?’

The Colonel gave her an absent-minded smile. ‘Thank you, the best thing you can do is keep Helen company.’

‘What about Mr Warburton?’ Helen asked urgently. ‘Have you cleared him of this ridiculous charge of murder?’

‘We have hardly started,’ he said grimly. ‘He will remain in his room until tomorrow. Food will be taken to him.’

‘You haven’t locked him in?’

‘He has given me his word that he will remain there.’

‘He is of course innocent of whatever foul deed your investigator is accusing him of,’ said Helen. ‘Richard would never have employed him unless he was certain of that. If William has given his word not to leave, I cannot understand why he may not have the run of the house.’

The Colonel looked at her incredulously. ‘After admitting to seducing Belle and getting her with child, and being accused of murder, I should have thought, Helen, you would want him thrown in a dungeon. I hope you will not think of going to speak with him.’

‘Of course not, Charles,’ she said sharply.

His expression softened slightly. ‘I have told Benson to have food brought to you and Miss Grandison here.’

‘He may bring me a tray. I am sure Ursula would prefer to be elsewhere. My mother-in-law might welcome her company.’

Ursula tried to remind herself that Helen was under enormous strain and it was no wonder she wanted to be on her own.

With a sigh of exasperation the Colonel held the door open for Ursula. Once outside he said, almost if trying to believe it, ‘She is not responsible for her words.’

‘I know.’ They started down the corridor towards the hall.

‘You are limping badly, Miss Grandison. Did that accident damage your ankle again?’

‘No, it’s fine,’ she lied, ‘I’m just tired. A night’s rest will be all that’s needed.’

‘Good. There’s too much going on for the reliable Miss Grandison to be handicapped.’ Without a pause he added, ‘Jackman has reported the result of your visit to Gray. I gather that he has admitted authorship of the letter, and denied paternity of Polly’s child or knowledge of who did seduce her. Is that about it?’

She nodded. ‘Succinctly put, Colonel. One more detail, though. It was Miss Ranner who told him who Polly’s father was. Tomorrow morning Mr Jackman and I will try and see if she can contribute any further information.’

‘Excellent.’ He sounded, though, as if his mind was elsewhere.

‘What about Mr Warburton? Is he really the man who caused Mr Jackman’s resignation from the police force?’

The Colonel stopped in surprise. ‘So, he told you about that?’

‘In the context of something else. It seems an extraordinary coincidence.’

They continued walking, Ursula trying not to limp.

‘As to that, I do not think it is such a coincidence. It was an old friend of mine who put me in touch with the Chief Constable. He suggested I contact Thomas Jackman. I am sure that before we met, he researched my background and he could well have known that William Warburton had been given what might be called sanctuary by my brother. The Chief Constable may have looked on it as “unfinished business”.’

Ursula looked at the Colonel, appalled. ‘That suggests he thought Mr Warburton could be guilty. Were you told why Mr Jackman had resigned?’

‘Only the briefest of details. I gained the impression it was not a free choice on his part.’

‘And I understand Mr Warburton arrived at Mountstanton just before Christmas?’

‘I was not here then. If you remember, I only returned the day you discovered Polly’s body.’ He gave her a slight smile.

‘But, Colonel, if you’ll forgive me, you must have been at least in the neighbourhood early in the year to order your motor vehicle.’

He stopped and looked at her incredulously. ‘Was that why you were suddenly so cold with me? You suspected I could have been involved with Polly?’

Ursula flushed. ‘It seemed so strange you going off to London so suddenly and not returning for such a long time. Then when your vehicle arrived, I talked to Roberts. He told me when you had ordered it and that you had personally specified the body work. Salisbury is not so far from here.’

The Colonel gave her a grim smile. ‘You should have faced me with this before now. Yes, I did order my motor vehicle personally but I never came near Mountstanton. I had very little time or inclination to do so. My recent stay in London lengthened because I had to sort out some left-over regimental matter that was more complicated than it should have been.’

Ursula felt ashamed. ‘I never really doubted you, Colonel, but you are right, I should have mentioned the business with the car.’

As they continued towards the hall, she felt she had let him down. ‘Did Mr Warburton not want to help search for Belle?’

‘He said he was sure I would not allow it. Since he showed so little concern for her, I thought it best he kept to his room.’

Ursula stopped him short of the hall, out of hearing distance of any footman. ‘I agree with the Dowager’s assessment of him. And I do wonder if he could be the father of Polly’s child.’

The Colonel nodded. ‘I have come to the same conclusion. I should have suspected earlier. I cannot understand why it did not occur to either Richard or Helen.’

They continued into the hall. There was Thomas Jackman, freshly dressed in dry clothes.

‘Forgive me,’ the Colonel said, ‘I must change. I’ll not be more than a few minutes, Jackman. Are you sure you will not ride with me?’

‘I am no horseman, sir. I shall accompany the foot party that goes to the village.’

The Colonel took the staircase in a series of running leaps.

‘Would you like a sandwich to take with you?’ Ursula asked Jackman. ‘I am sure one can be produced very quickly.’

He shook his head. ‘Thank you, miss, but I am used to working on an empty stomach. We need to find the little lass.’

He made his apologies, saying he was meeting his group of searchers in the stables.

Ursula stood alone in the hall. There wasn’t even a footman there waiting for orders. She felt useless and abandoned. With an inward jolt, she realised that investigating Polly’s death had become part of her life at Mountstanton. And a vital feature of that investigation had been Colonel Charles Stanhope, Helen’s brother-in-law.

Ursula gave a deep sigh and faced her demons. The man had been as involving as the investigation. That was the reason she had so neglected Belle. She should never have allowed herself to be caught up in either Polly’s or the Earl’s death. Never mind that it should have been Helen ensuring her sister’s happiness; part of the mission Chauncey Seldon had given her was to be companion to his younger daughter – who could now be lying somewhere unconscious, her clothing soaked, bones broken. Her mount could have run off and be anywhere. What Helen would say if her prized mare had to be put down, Ursula could not bear to think.