Entertaining Death Read online

  ‘To Lady Washington’s suite.’

  ‘Amy?’ Dorinda’s eyes widened.

  ‘She is, I believe, in bed, but she wanted to see you. I shall tell you everything you need to know before you go in and see her.’

  Dorinda nodded and allowed him to escort her up the wide staircase. The sitting room of the suite was empty, and Jack Colyer showed her to an armchair on one side of the empty fireplace.

  ‘What is it I need to know?’ she asked as soon as she was settled.

  Taking his own seat, Colyer sighed. ‘It isn’t a pleasant story, I’m afraid. Lady Washington is greatly shocked and blames herself.’

  ‘What about the Honourable Jeremy?’

  ‘The Earl has offered to take her in until she feels stronger – his words – but at the moment she is too distressed to consider it.’

  ‘I see.’

  ‘The whole thing began when Lady Washington and Mariah were working the halls in the Whitechapel area. You knew that?’

  ‘That they worked there, yes.’

  ‘Nothing else?’

  ‘Aramantha said there was – talk.’

  ‘Indeed. As I told you last night.’ Colyer looked down at his steepled fingers. ‘I think it was merely comfort on Lady Washington’s part, but for Mariah it was different.’

  ‘Then they went to The Gaiety.’

  ‘Lady Washington did. She took Mariah along as friend and dresser – unpaid. The relationship continued, but Lady Washington was gaining a reputation as a performer, and attracting the attention of many of the gentlemen.’

  ‘Including Sir Harold.’

  ‘Indeed. Mariah apparently felt that marriage would only make their lives simpler, but Lady –’

  ‘Please stop saying “Lady Washington”,’ said Dorinda impatiently. ‘Just call her Amy.’

  Colyer inclined his head. ‘Very well. Amy, while being too kind to turn Mariah off, simply began to distance herself, and of course, as you know, was soon in an interesting condition.’

  ‘That didn’t please Mariah.’

  ‘It didn’t. And this is where the story becomes most unpleasant.’

  ‘Don’t tell me – Mariah was responsible –?’

  ‘It has been very difficult to ascertain the details, but Amy confirms that Mariah began giving her some “medicine” to help some of the more unpleasant symptoms. You know the outcome.’

  ‘And then Amy and Sir Harold started talking about having another child.’

  ‘They did. And Mariah decided to remove Sir Harold.’

  ‘How?’

  ‘Again, from what she has said, and what Doctor Hargreaves remembers, suffocation with his own pillow. The hot milk was an afterthought. I believe it was an attempt to make the death appear either earlier or later – I haven’t decided which – but in fact it simply drew our attention to the very death itself.’

  ‘She was – obsessed, wasn’t she? Is that the word?’

  Colyer nodded. ‘No one else should have her. I’m sure the Honourable Jeremy would have met with an accident if he had continued his pursuit.’

  ‘How horrible. Will she hang?’

  ‘I believe not. I shall do everything in my power to prevent it.’

  They sat in silence for a few minutes. Then Dorinda stood up. ‘May I see her now?’

  Amy was propped up on a mound of pillows looking ten years older than she had the day before. She held her hands out to Dorinda and promptly burst into tears.

  Dorinda let her cry, then pushed her gently back on her pillows.

  ‘I’m so sorry, Dolly. It was all my fault.’

  ‘Of course it wasn’t. You didn’t kill Sir Harold.’

  ‘It was my fault that he died. If I hadn’t …’ her voice trailed off. ‘The sisters were right. I shouldn’t inherit anything.’

  Dorinda didn’t know what to say.

  Amy sniffed and sat up. ‘I wish I could come back to The Alexandria, but I don’t think I’d better, do you?’

  ‘We’d be pleased to have you,’ said Dorinda.

  ‘But the scandal. Those old cats will make sure this gets out, you see if they don’t.’

  ‘Oh yes, I see. What about the Honourable Jeremy?’

  Amy lifted her chin. ‘What about him?’

  Dorinda just looked at her.

  ‘Oh, all right. Perhaps I will …’ Amy looked thoughtful. ‘His dad’s a nice old buffer. Not like I thought.’

  ‘Then you could renounce Sir Harold’s bequest, perhaps?’

  Amy brightened. ‘Oh, yes! I could. Thank you, Dolly!’

  Dorinda leant over and kissed her cheek. ‘Now rest. I must get back to the others.’

  ‘Oh – you’ll have to re-set my numbers.’ Amy’s face crumpled again and Dorinda hastily stood up.

  ‘Don’t worry about that. Come and see us when you’re up and about.’

  Jack Colyer was waiting by the window when she returned to the sitting room.

  ‘The rain’s stopped,’ he said.

  ‘Then I may walk back in the dry.’ Dorinda retrieved the umbrella. ‘My I tell my friends what has happened?’

  ‘Of course, unless you would like me to come with you and tell them myself?’

  ‘No, thank you.’ Dorinda held out her hand. ‘Goodbye, Inspector Colyer. I hope you won’t think me rude if I say that I hope we do not meet again this summer.’

  He took the hand in both of his and smiled.

  ‘No, Dorinda, I don’t think you rude. But you have said nothing about next summer. Or even winter.’

  Dorinda felt the familiar heat rising into her cheeks. ‘That is hardly likely, is it?’

  ‘Oh, I think it’s very likely. And who knows what might happen when The Alexandria at last has its own telephone?’

  Ends

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  Published by Accent Press Ltd 2017

  ISBN 9781682995945

  Copyright © Lesley Cookman 2017

  The right of Lesley Cookman to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

  The story contained within this book is a work of fiction. Names and characters are the product of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

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