Page 54 of Ambition (The Chaplain’s Legacy #6)
Kent lifted his head and looked his brother straight in the eye.
“I do. I do believe it, Eustace. Because when you heard that Nicholson had been murdered, you did not say ‘Murdered?’ , as anyone might, on hearing such a thing. You said ‘Nicholson?’. I thought it odd at the time, but now it makes sense. You were not surprised to hear there had been a murder. You were only surprised to hear that it was Nicholson who had died. Yes, you killed Nicholson, but you intended to kill Walter. I am sorry Nicholson died, but I am extremely grateful that you did not succeed in the crime you planned.”
It was Winnie who made the other obvious point. “And yet he did succeed, in a way. He managed to deprive Walter of both his inheritance and his intended wife, although at least Walter has been spared any further attempts on his life.”
“But he tried to kill Bertram,” Kent said. “The inheritance was out of his reach for all time, but Bea was not. He had one last shot at winning her. Happily, he failed there, too.”
“And yet, what audacity!” Michael said. “To slip away from the gathering, run down to the basement, across the open space to the cheese store, climb the ladder to the hatch, take the shot and run back inside, emerging in time to aid the search for the gun, and at any moment risking discovery. Incredibly brazen, and carefully planned, too. He wore black that evening from head to toe, to make himself less visible as he crossed the void beneath the bridge. In the darkness, perhaps with his collar turned up to hide his white neckcloth, he would have been impossible to see. We can only be glad that his shot failed to achieve its objective.”
“But he succeeded in killing Miss Peach,” Luce said quietly.
“Yes,” Michael said. “I am afraid he did. She knew just too much for his comfort. She hid herself away in the tower, spying on Mr Eustace and all the comings and goings at Welwood. She no doubt saw Miss Wilkes leave the brothel in Pickering and step into Mr Eustace’s carriage, recognising it just as Lady Tarvin did.
So she went to Welwood, to the tower, discovered the field between the tower and the house contained a few horses capable of making the journey to Corland, experimented with laudanum to see if it would be possible to induce an entire household to sleep soundly, and we can guess the answer to that.
She wrote in her notebook that it only remained for her to find a saddle secreted in ‘the obvious place’ , as she described it.
The obvious place being the shed in the field where she had herself hidden the saddle for her mule.
That would complete the picture of the murder. ”
“But she was killed before she found it,” Luce said.
“Unfortunately, she made a fatal mistake,” Michael said.
“The laudanum caused her to oversleep one day, and she was almost discovered by Mr Kent Atherton. Her bag was discovered, and Mr Kent reported that to his brother. Mr Eustace went to the tower to confront Miss Peach, and… we can only guess what was said at that meeting, but we know the result.”
“What nonsense!” Eustace said. “You should be writing novels, Captain Edgerton, with such a fanciful imagination.”
“It is not my imagination, however, that there was indeed a saddle hidden in the shed at the far side of the field. I had already found the saddle for Miss Peach’s mule buried in the straw, but when I looked further, I found another saddle, one designed for a full-sized horse.
It was very well hidden, by the way. I had to shift a vast amount of hay before I found it.
I should have liked to discover a green leather bag there, too, or even blood-stained clothing, but you were sensible enough to dispose of those.
A saddle, however, is much harder to get rid of.
So you buried it in the hay. It is all very ingenious, sir,” he said, gazing steadily at Eustace, “and you almost got away with it. You were greatly aided by Miss Peach’s love of conspiracy.
If she had been less secretive, we could have arrested you months ago, and she would be alive today.
But there are no more secrets and you will answer for your wickedness, both in this world and the next.
Sir Hubert, will you arrest this man for the murders of Mr Arthur Nicholson and Miss Philomena Peach, and the shooting of Mr Bertram Atherton? ”
“I will indeed,” Sir Hubert said grimly.
Lady Rennington gave a great wail of despair, her daughters clustering around her protectively.
Even Lady Alice, the most phlegmatic of the Corland ladies, had her hand covering her mouth, eyes closed in distress.
The men looked grim, but no one questioned Michael’s summary.
He had expected objections, but apart from a few murmurs about finding the best lawyer from London, there was no resistance.
Lord Rennington had his head in his hands.
He believed it, and that was more telling than anything else.
Eustace himself, his face set, had nothing else to say. Sir Hubert led him out of the library and into the entrance hall, with Michael and Sandy following.
“Do you have somewhere secure to house him until he can be conveyed to York Gaol?” Michael said.
“There is a room in my cellar fitted up for the purpose,” Sir Hubert said.
“You will allow me to pack a few things first?” Eustace said. “I trust you would not have me incarcerated with only the clothes I stand up in?”
“Of course,” Sir Hubert said. “Lead the way to your room.”
Eustace had been housed in one of the guest rooms on the first floor, so they made their way up the stairs and after only one false start in the wrong direction, found the room.
Eustace hesitated, his hand on the doorknob.
“Might I be permitted to do this alone? I cannot escape, after all. Edgerton has proved that the drainpipes will not bear a man’s weight.”
“What do you say, Edgerton?” Sir Hubert said.
“I have no objection,” Michael said. “Mr Atherton is entitled to a few moments of tranquillity to contemplate his future.”
Eustace went inside, closing the door softly behind him.
“Yer very trusting, Michael,” Sandy said. “He could be out of the window in moments.”
“There are no trees or climbing plants anywhere on the castle walls, and the nearest drainpipe is well out of reach. If he jumps, he falls clear to the basement level and breaks his neck.”
“He could knot sheets together, and climb down that way,” Sandy said.
“Then he will find Neate waiting for him, pistols at the ready.”
“Ye’ve thought of everything,” Sandy said.
“I certainly hope so,” Michael said sombrely.
“One never knows how these occasions will end, and one is prepared for all eventualities — he might not hang, and if he is transported there is always the prospect of him turning up on the doorstep one day with that oily smile of his, looking for revenge.”
“Ye used to like the man,” Sandy said.
“I did,” Michael said shortly. “He was always so affable and so helpful — looking everywhere for Miss Peach. Luce thought he was wonderful for finding the body, but it was not exactly difficult when he put it there himself. He was stalking poor Miss Franklyn, too… Mrs Bertram Atherton, I should say. It will be safe for them to return now. I must write to—”
The explosion inside the bedroom was shockingly loud. Sandy jumped away from the door, and even Michael, who had half expected it, was startled. Only Sir Hubert was unmoved.
“Ah,” he said. “He retains some shred of honour, then, and his mother and father will not have to suffer the shame of a son tried for murder.”
“Has he—? Is he—?” Sandy whispered. “Should we—?”
He set his hand on the doorknob, but both Michael and Sir Hubert called out, “No!”.
“I will deal with it, Sandy,” Michael said gently. “I have seen a great many dreadful sights in my time, and this one will be no worse than many, but you need not share it.”
“Captain Edgerton and I will deal with this,” Sir Hubert said grimly. “You may stand outside the door and ensure no one enters, understood?”
Already the sound of the gunshot was bringing anxious faces up the stairs.
“What shall I tell them?” Sandy whispered.
“The official story will be an accident with a gun,” Michael said.
“Accident with a gun,” Sandy said, nodding.
He turned to face the first worried arrivals, as Michael and Sir Hubert slipped into the bedroom to take care of the devastated remains of Eustace Atherton.