Chapter Seven
April 23, 1820
Mary dabbed the corners of her mouth with a linen napkin then she laid the fabric square on the table. Another morning of eating breakfast without her husband.
To be fair, last night once Gabriel had taken the children upstairs to the nursery and schoolrooms where they slept with the other children, she had readied herself for slumber, and no sooner had she slipped between the sheets than she’d fallen asleep. Where she’d hoped to share carnal intimacy with her husband, the exhaustion from the day had caught up to her.
When he’d come into the bedchamber, he’d apparently not wished to disturb her, so he’d merely slipped into the bed with her and left her to the peace, for which she’d admonished him earlier this morning before she left him to start their day, for she’d wanted him to catch a couple of hours of sleep.
It seemed there wouldn’t be any time for romance while on this case. Of course, she would never trade motherhood or being his partner on a handful of cases, but she did miss the ease and freedom they’d had at this time last year when they’d been newly engaged.
Before she came down to breakfast, Mary had checked on the children and bid them a good day as they were given porridge and toast for their own breakfast. Now, as she left the morning room, she nodded to the footman. Before she and Gabriel began interviews for the day, she wanted to have another look at the parlor where the murder had been committed. There might have been things missed in the initial examination, and if that was the case and she could find another clue, it would help expedite the process.
As she approached the music room on her way toward the main stairs, the sound of piano music drifted to her ears. Whoever was playing the instrument had a mastery of music, for they infused emotion into the passages. Seconds later, a series of discordant notes broke upon the air as if the musician slammed their hands on the keys. Then the sound of sobbing commenced, and it nearly broke her heart, for she recognized the voice.
Oh, dear. Priscilla.
Of course, Mary’s first instinct was to comfort the young woman, for she must be laboring beneath an enormous amount of anxiety, so she paused just inside the door to the room, and her gaze went immediately to Priscilla, who sat at the pianoforte on a cushioned bench, but instead of playing in the beautiful style that she had, the lady openly sobbed. Yet Mary didn’t move, for she didn’t need to. Henry was there as well, standing behind her with his hands on her shoulders, speaking softly to her.
“Please don’t fret, sweeting. All will turn out right as rain, you’ll see.”
“I don’t know how!” Another jab of crying interrupted her words until she’d calmed. “Your father wishes to interview me today, and what I am supposed to tell him? Surely, he knows by now that I had a previous relationship with Edwin and that our last meeting didn’t end well. Additionally, it was my piano tuning fork jammed into his chest.” She sniffled, and when Henry gave her a handkerchief, she dabbed at the moisture on her cheeks. “He is going to assume the worst. And then with you fighting with Edwin the day he died…”
“Hush, now.” Henry came around the bench, urged her to the side, and then sat next to her, slipping an arm about her waist. “My father is one of the best investigators I have ever seen. The sheer number of cases he has solved is mind boggling, and he is like a dog with a bone. He won’t rest until he’s unraveled this coil.”
“But what if he can’t?” Priscilla turned a tear-stained face to her fiancé. “What if he is unable to discover who the killer is, and since there is more than enough facts surrounding me, he decides that I’m the murderer?”
“He won’t. Papa isn’t like that. He doesn’t make assumptions and will work tirelessly until he finds the truth.” Henry hugged her close. “Please don’t worry. If there are two people in this world I trust beyond every doubt, it is my father and Mary.”
For several moments, silence reigned in the room. Finally, Priscilla nodded. She laid her head on Henry’s shoulder. “I will try and maintain my composure, but this not knowing is stealing my creativity at the piano.” She sniffled. “This was supposed to be our wedding day! And now everyone is wondering and gossiping instead.”
At the door, Mary’s heart squeezed at the pain in the young lady’s voice, but she was so proud of Henry for acting mature enough to bring comfort and calm.
“None of that means we are still not going to wed,” Henry said to her. “It simply means that the ceremony has been delayed by a few days. And you’ll see, it will be better for it. You didn’t want our nuptials marred by murder, did you?”
“Of course not, but it seems as if everything is going wrong. And Patricia keeps spouting off that the world is better now that Edwin is gone. What is happening, Henry?”
“I don’t know. Let Papa work. Let Mary use her cleverness. They won’t disappoint us.”
She used that time to continue her walk to the stairs. Tears crowded her throat, for the murder was horrible enough, but it had disrupted so many lives and stirred up quite a lot of ugliness. Though it was sad and concerning, she couldn’t let emotions sway her either way. She and Gabriel had a case to investigate, and they would do that until the killer was caught.
A few minutes later, she arrived in the rear parlor. The young footman Jon sat on a wooden chair to one side of the door. He scrambled to his feet when he caught sight of her.
“Mrs. Bright! How lovely to see you. Shall I escort you inside?”
“Yes, thank you, Jon.” She gave him a smile. “I’d like another look ‘round.”
“Of course.” The footman grasped the door handle, pushed the panel inward then stood back so she could enter the room ahead of him. “Will the inspector join you?”
“I don’t think so. After this, I’ll join him in our regular interviewing spot.” Slowly, she prowled about the room, sweeping her gaze over the furniture as well as the carpets. When she came to the spot on the floor where the body had lain, she frowned. “Where is the Oriental carpet that used to be here?”
The footman shrugged. “The housekeeper ordered it taken out. She and the cook wish to see if they can remove the bloodstains from it.”
“I would say the rug is too damaged, for that was quite a bit of blood.” As she peered beneath the table that had been shoved behind one of the sofas, no doubt in order to remove the carpet, a tiny flash of red caught her attention. “What is that?” Quickly kneeling on the floor, Mary stretched beneath the narrow table and took the object in hand. “It’s a signet ring.”
Set in gold, the onyx background featured a silver sword atop a severed snake. The one eye of the snake that was visible was a tiny ruby. Even more interesting, she’d seen that ring on Robert’s left pinky finger. Had he come back to the parlor and then dropped it? Not knowing, Mary put the ring into a clever pocket she’d sewn into her navy lawn dress.
A further tour of the room didn’t reveal anything else, but she paused at the window, which was now closed. “Jon, are there any other access points into this room?”
He frowned. “Not that I’m aware of.”
“No secret passageways?”
“No, nothing like that, Mrs. Bright.”
“So no one could have sneaked into this room unless they used the window, correct?”
The footman shrugged. “As far as I know. Lady Titterford would have a fit if she knew random people were accessing the house in such a manner.”
“I can imagine.” With one final look around, she nodded. “I’m satisfied we haven’t overlooked anything else. Please keep the room secured until the inspector is satisfied as well.”
“Of course I will, Mrs. Bright. I would do anything for the inspector.” Hero worship lay stamped all over the younger man’s expression.
That made her grin. “He does tend to pull out the best in everyone around him.”
After that, Mary went directly to the sitting room in the annexed section of the manor. Even though a longcase clock chimed nine in the morning, many of the house party guests remained abed. No doubt some of the young people had stayed up late into the night, long after Mary and her husband had retired.
When she came into the room, Gabriel was seated in a chair across from an older woman with silver-shot blonde hair. Immediately, he scrambled to his feet.
“Ah, Mary. Lovely to have you join us. This is Lady Parsington, mother to Edwin and Robert. She arrived after dinner last night and went straight upstairs to retire, but hadn’t heard about the wedding postponement nor the murder. ”
Ah, that would explain her presence. “A pleasure to meet you, Lady Parsington, and you have my condolences on the death of your son.”
“Thank you.” As the viscountess reclaimed her spot on the low sofa, Mary dropped into the chair next to her husband’s. “You will excuse me when I tell you I’m exhausted from traveling, even from London, and utterly flummoxed to arrive here and be told of my son’s untimely death.”
“Understandable.” Bright nodded then he removed his notebook from the interior pocket of his jacket of bottle green superfine. It was one garment that made golden flecks swim in his brown eyes. “When was the last time you saw your son, Edwin?”
Her shrug was nothing but elegance in motion. “Perhaps three days ago. It was just before he intended to head here, and he stopped by to visit briefly with me and his father.”
Mary made a sound of comfort in her throat. “I heard about your husband’s health from Robert. I’m sorry you are struggling with this.”
“As am I, but then, Parsington hasn’t had the best health over the course of our marriage.” She waved a hand in dismissal. “I rather thought Edwin would take after him, and he did, in many different ways, but ill health wasn’t part of that.”
“Oh?” Mary shared a glance with Bright, who frowned. “What do you mean by that?”
“I’m sure it’s not a secret to you that Edwin was a rake with many vices.” A sigh escaped her. “I have had to appear strong for far too long on behalf of this family, and I feel the need to be entirely truthful with you.”
Bright leaned forward. He rested his forearms on his knees. “Of course, I would always prefer that, especially during a death investigation, so perhaps you should expand on why you feel that way now.”
The viscountess pressed her lips together. Shadows filled her eyes. “I have been married to Parsington for nearly thirty years. Four years after we wed, the twins came along. Even from the first, they were very different from each other.” She pleated a section of her moss green skirting. “As they grew into young men, though, it was obvious which son I favored, and that was Robert.”
Mary’s eyebrows shot upward with surprise. “Why is that?”
“As time went on, Edwin became unsteady. He was reckless and rash from his time in university until the day of his death.” She frowned, glanced at something on the carpet near Bright’s boots before continuing. “Every month there was a new scandal. Just since Christmastide, my husband and I have had to pay out much funding to keep two separate pregnancies quiet. Both were with maids in our household. ”
“Oh, dear.” Mary couldn’t help it but her lower jaw dropped open. “I guess I didn’t realize how much of a womanizer Edwin was.” Where did Priscilla fit into that?
“Indeed.” The viscountess nodded. “As you can imagine, it was rapidly becoming a problem, and he was in danger of dragging the family name through the muck.”
“When did these issues first arise?” Bright asked as he made a short note.
“Perhaps a few years ago? Or four?” She shook her head. “In fact, it was shortly after the time when he had his heart broken by Miss Davenport.”
A knot of worry formed in Mary’s stomach. “They’d had a relationship?”
“As far as I know, they did, though it was supposed to be kept clandestine.” A huff escaped her. “Of course we all knew, especially since Patricia married his twin.” With the shake of her head, she lifted her gaze to the ceiling briefly before looking at Mary again. “For whatever reason, there was something about the Davenport girls my sons couldn’t resist, and the proximity of our estates didn’t help either.”
Mary made a few notes in her own notebook. “Why did the break occur between Edwin and Miss Davenport?”
“Who can say? Perhaps she found him lacking, for it was her who broke it off, but I fear he continued carrying a tendre for her, and with every woman he was with, he was trying to recreate what he’d felt for her.”
“Ah, so he suffered a broken heart,” Bright said with his usual absence of tact. “That made him into a young man about Town who tried to fill the void with all the usual vices.”
“So it seems.” The viscountess frowned. “Just in the past few months, when my husband’s health took a bad turn, I caught myself wondering if it would be all that horrible to put a large dose of laudanum into Edwin’s brandy and let Robert assume the title once Edwin was out of the way.” When Mary gasped, Lady Parsington nodded. “It’s horrid, I know, especially from a mother, but my husband and I were so desperate for peace and an end to Edwin’s scandals.”
Bright narrowed his eyes. “I suppose your wish was granted.”
“Yes, I suppose so.” Then a crack in the woman’s proverbial armor cracked. Sadness shadowed her expression, and a quick wash of tears went into her eyes. “Despite everything, he was still my first baby. No matter how detestable his behavior, I will miss him.”
“Of course,” Mary said in a soothing tone. “No one expects to outlive a child, especially when they’ve survived infancy.” It was a sad tale all around, and she was even more impatient to interview Priscilla.
The viscountess stood, and Bright scrambled to his feet. “As you can imagine, I am not feeling social just now, but if I could see my son one last time?”
“I will take you to him myself. However, I do have one more interview this morning before I am free.” Bright escorted the older lady to the door. “Why don’t you break your fast, take a lovely stroll in the flower gardens, or perhaps visit with some of the other house party members in the meanwhile? Once I am done here, I’ll come find you.”
“Thank you, Inspector. I appreciate that.”
“And one last question, my lady. Can you think of anyone who held a grudge against your son, Edwin?”
She uttered a short snort of laughter. “He wasn’t the best of men, my Edwin, but Robert was always envious of him and his status of older son by two minutes. Robert coveted being the heir apparent more than anything, but beyond that, I have heard gossip and rumors that each time he met with Miss Davenport within society, those meetings were fraught with charged emotion.” Her shrug only lifted on shoulder. “Edwin could have been likable if he hadn’t strayed off the proper path.”
Mary rose to her feet. She dug into her pocket and held the signet ring between her thumb and forefinger. “Does this look familiar to you?”
The viscountess squinted as she peered at the piece of jewelry. “Yes. Edwin always wore that signet ring. Robert has the same one, I believe.”
How interesting. “Do you know why?”
“I couldn’t say, but it stemmed from their university days.”
Bright moved into the corridor. “Thank you for your time, Lady Parsington. I shall find you when I’m ready to take you to see Edwin’s body.”
“Thank you, Inspector.” Then she took her leave.
After her husband asked the footman, Jasper, to summon Priscilla to the sitting room, Bright closed the distance between her and him. “With every interview, my faith in humanity grows more dim.”
“I feel the same way. However, I have a feeling Henry and Priscilla have hopefully worked out their issues.” Briefly, she told him what she’d witnessed in the music room.
He nodded. “Good, because I don’t really want to interview her, but need to have it out of the way before we can move on.”
“I agree.” She showed him the signet ring. “Do you remember if Edwin was wearing this ring when we examined his body?”
“He was. It was on his less dominant hand. I remember because of the interesting design.”
“That’s what I was afraid of.” She put the ring back into her hidden pocket. “What are the odds that Robert lost his? ”
Bright tilted his head to one side. “Highly unlikely, for I distinctly remember seeing that ring on his finger when we interviewed him.”
“Then who the devil does it belong to?” The plot continued to thicken.
“The speculation will need to wait,” he said in a low voice as fabric rustled at the doorway, announcing the arrival of Priscilla, whose eyes were puffy and red-rimmed, a sure testament to her earlier emotional state. With the charming grin that she knew far too well, her husband ushered Priscilla into the room. “Welcome. I’m glad to see you.”
Mary took her hand, led her to the sofa, and then pulled the younger woman down beside her. “How are you doing, Priscilla? This was to be your wedding day, after all.”
“I am well enough, thank you. Henry talked with me earlier this morning.” She bounced her gaze between Mary and Gabriel. “He assured me that the two of you were good at what you do regarding murder investigations, so I am trusting you to solve this.”
“Good.” She patted the younger woman’s hand. “We’ll need to ask you a few questions. Would that be all right?”
“Yes.” Priscilla nodded. “Henry told me to tell my story and offer whatever information you want, regardless if it’s embarrassing.”
“You have quite the intelligent fiancé, Miss Davenport,” Bright quipped with another grin, as he apparently tried to pour on the charm. It worked, for Priscilla gave him a smile, albeit a tight one. “I won’t bite.”
She blew out a breath. “At least I know where Henry got his charm.” Then she fixed her gaze on his knee when he sat in his abandoned chair opposite her. “Please, start the interview. I’d rather not postpone it.”
“Right.” He turned to a fresh page in his notebook. “Tell me why you argued with the deceased prior to his death.”
Well, one thing about Gabriel, he didn’t mince words. Mary squeezed the young lady’s hand. “We know it’s painful for you, but we are trying to clear your name.”
“That’s what Henry said.” Priscilla’s chin trembled. “Over three years ago, I entered into a physical relationship with Edwin.” Silence grew loud in the space as she thought over her next words. “He was charming and persuasive, and quite handsome, so the summer we all came out here to Papa’s country estate, that’s when it started.”
“You can spare us the details, Miss Davenport,” Bright said with a hard expression. “When did the relationship end?”
She shrugged. “When the summer ended, and Papa moved us all back to Town for the Season. Besides, Patricia married that Christmastide, and it was far too awkward to spend time with Edwin once Robert became part of the family.”
Mary patted her hand “How did Edwin take the ending of the relationship?”
“It wasn’t a relationship, though. I’d made it quite clear it was merely a summer tryst. I didn’t want a romance from him.” She bit her bottom lip then released it. “At the time, he was mutually in agreement, but we swore each other to secrecy. He went about his life, becoming a rake and was soon lost to vices while I moved forward with being a pianist.” A sigh escaped her. “In two Seasons, though I was popular with the eligible men, I spent time with my piano, and I received my first handful of invitations to play for people higher up in society than my father.”
That sounded reasonable. Mary jotted a note. “During those two years, did you see Edwin socially?”
“Here and there, but I never sought him out.”
Bright cleared his throat. “He came after you, though.” It wasn’t a question.
“Yes.” The younger lady nodded. “Edwin wouldn’t leave me alone, but after I’d heard the gossip surrounding him, I wanted nothing to do with him, never wanted to eventually be a viscountess, and I told him that. I was merely curious about carnal relations.” Again, her chin trembled. “He always seemed haunted, in a way, as if he had a secret he couldn’t bring himself to share, but he kept on, saying that he loved me, wanted to court me.”
“And by that time, you’d met Henry,” Mary said in a soft tone.
“Yes, and Henry was so lovely to me that the difference between the two men was enormous.” Her whole face lit as she talked about him. “My head was almost immediately turned by Henry, and when he kissed me for the first time, I knew he was the one.”
“Did Edwin back off when he realized that you were engaged?” This from Gabriel as the nub of his pencil moved across the page in his notebook.
“No.” Priscilla shook her head. “He was angry that I’d chosen someone else over him, even though I wasn’t interested in him.” The delicate tendons of her throat worked with a hard swallow. “One time I danced with him at a rout, he told me that he’d done things in his past that should make me afraid of him, but he’d changed when we’d been together, that he wanted to be a better man because of me. At the time, he acted desperate, as if he were under a mandate to marry, but I turned him down again. I loved Henry.”
With a deep breath, Mary turned to her. “On the day of his death, Edwin badgered you again, correct?”
“Yes. He interrupted Henry and me in the parlor. We argued. Henry defended me. I tried to tell Edwin there was nothing there any longer between us, but I’d forgotten that I’d never told Henry of the relationship. Once he questioned me, Edwin jumped on that, went into obscene detail about some of what had transpired between us.” Tears welled in her eyes. “The men argued, quite intensely, but eventually Edwin realized I would marry Henry as planned and that he had no place in my life like that, so he left the parlor.”
Now that was a surprise. Mary’s heart squeezed from the pain the young lady had revealed. “Did you and Henry leave the parlor as well?”
“Yes, briefly.” She nodded. “Henry was upset. He dashed out of the room, screamed after Edwin that he would kill him if he didn’t leave me alone, so I followed him. I was afraid he’d want to break the engagement after what Edwin had said.” All the color drained from her face. “Surely, Henry didn’t go back and truly kill him…”
“Um…” Mary peered at Bright, who shrugged. “We can’t know anything with certainty right now.”
“The pair of you were together in the two hours or so after the discovery of Edwin’s death?” Bright asked while questions shadowed his eyes.
“Of course. I couldn’t leave things as they were, for Henry has always told me that his father said successful marriages rely on communication.”
Mary’s chest tightened with pride, for the young man was trying so hard to follow in his father’s footsteps. “Where did you go?”
“Out on the terrace. It was nearly raining, but we figured if we were going to argue, it was best to do so outside where it wouldn’t disturb too many people.” She heaved a sigh. “After that, I was emotional, so Henry encouraged me back inside.”
Bright’s frown didn’t bode well. “Where you returned to the parlor—together?”
“Yes. I wanted tea but didn’t wish to see anyone from the house party.” She brushed away a tear from her cheek. “He ordered tea, and while we waited, he tried to kiss me. I wasn’t in the mood.” A blush filled her cheeks. “Then he took the rejection the wrong way, and we argued a bit again, which is what the footman overheard, and when Henry got up to pace…” Her voice broke. “That was when we discovered Edwin.”
For long moments, another swatch of silence filled the room. Mary’s mind raced. There were two hours unaccounted for where anyone could have lured Edwin into the parlor and killed him. Was Priscilla lying about Henry’s whereabouts to cover for the fact that he’d made good on his threat? Or had Henry alibied his fiancée to cover for the fact she’d stabbed the young man with the tuning fork ?
Bright rubbed a hand along the side of his face. He closed his notebook. “How did your piano tuning fork come to be in the parlor?”
“As I said yesterday, I don’t know. I’d misplaced it from the music room shortly after the guests began to arrive for the house party.”
His expression didn’t change. “Is the music room open to everyone all the time?”
“Yes.” Priscilla nodded.
“Did your parents give you the fork?”
“No.” The word was said in a choked whisper. “It had been the last gift Edwin gave me shortly before our tryst ended. Please don’t tell Henry.”
Oh, dear. Mary’s heart plummeted. “Did he bring it into the parlor when you argued? Perhaps to remind you of his love?”
“I don’t know. Everything was so chaotic. I can’t remember seeing it, but perhaps he laid it on a table there? I only know it was missing.”
“Since you grew up with the Rightenours, do you know of anyone who might have a grudge against him?”
“The Earl of Kendrick. Alan attended university with them as well as Quentin. They were all fast friends… until they weren’t.”
“Oh?” Interest sparked in his eyes. “Why?”
“I don’t know. None of them told me. Perhaps my sisters knows.” She implored Bright with her eyes. “Might I go now? All of this has been so upsetting.”
He waved a hand. “Yes, of course, but if I think of something else, you will need to make yourself available to answer questions.”
Immediately, she sprang off the sofa. Mary and her husband stood as well.
“I’m truly sorry for all the bother, Inspector.” When she unexpectedly threw herself into Bright’s arms, he and Mary exchanged a shocked glance. “I am so glad that Henry is much like you. Just having you here and in charge of things has made me a bit more positive.”
“It is my privilege,” he said while awkwardly patting her on the back.
Eventually, Priscilla left the room, and he blew out a breath. “We are no further along than when we started, for I suspect someone—perhaps all of them—are lying.”
“What should we do?” She never enjoyed it when they came to this part of the case. Everything seemed so bleak with no clear path forward.
“I need to think, but first I need to take a mother to say her last goodbyes to her son. And while I’m there, I’ll have another look at the damned body.” He closed the distance between them, cupping her cheek. “Will you be all right without me for a bit? I thought after I’m done with that task we might take the children into the village on an outing. ”
“What a lovely thought!” She nodded, turned her head, and planted a kiss on his palm. “Yes, I shall be fine. Since I need to clear my head as well, I’ll walk the corridors or perhaps roam the rear lawn.” As she stepped away, she shook her head. “I can’t help but think of how horrible today is when there was supposed to be a wedding.”
“There still will be, sweeting. Keep the faith. I’ll come find you in an hour or so.” Then he left the room as well.
What we really need is a break in the case to lead us into a different direction.