Chapter 13
A WEEK HAD passed since their arrival at Thornwycke Hall, and Tulip remained insistent on helping Alex figure out what had happened to the predecessor dukes and finding the culprit responsible for doing them in.
They went into town to speak to the coroner, a man by the name of Dr. Harding, who also happened to be the only doctor in the vicinity.
He had an earful to relate about Alex’s predecessors who had indulged in the old duke’s debauched ways among other sins of sloth and excess, but he firmly believed their deaths had been accidental.
“Many people had reason to do away with them,” he said with obvious moral indignation, “but they did the work of others by cutting their own lives short with their outrageous behavior.”
As they walked out of his infirmary, Tulip brought up the matter of Alex’s untouched bottle of brandy. “Why did you not mention it to Dr. Harding? You might have changed his mind if he found something in it.”
“No, love. He has already made up his mind about the string of deaths and that brandy bottle isn’t going to change it.
The poison is going to be something quite subtle that ordinary test instruments will not pick up.
Dr. Harding would only become more entrenched in his opinion if his results turned up nothing. ”
Tulip thought giving the bottle over to the doctor was worth a try, but respected Alex’s judgment. “All right, you’re the expert investigator and would know best.”
“I don’t know about that,” he said with a grunt. “Perhaps I am losing my touch. I can’t even find my watch fob. Haven’t seen it since yesterday.”
She looked up at him in surprise. “Truly? You are always so meticulous.”
“I know, but this mystery must have me more distracted than I realized. You haven’t seen it, have you?”
“No, Alex. But I will keep an eye out for it.”
They next met with Lord Farnhum, the local magistrate, whose feelings were much the same as the doctor’s about the prior dukes.
“Your Grace, I am glad to see you are nothing like them,” he said, smiling in approval of Alex’s polite manner around Tulip.
“As suspicious as those rapid deaths in succession may be, I saw no proof at all to rule them as other than accidental.”
Next, they spent time poring through newspaper accounts, the pages yellowed from age, that were maintained by the town’s bookshop owner, Miss Adela Keane.
“It is my civic duty to hold onto these vital records since neither the magistrate nor the newspaper office appear to deem preservation of old news necessary,” the middle-aged spinster had declared.
They spent hours reading those newspapers, taking care to keep them from crumbling under their hands. Unfortunately they came across nothing helpful because the volumes in the bookshop’s storage did not go all the way back to Elspeth’s time.
Alex seemed convinced the deaths of his predecessors were related to Elspeth, but they had come to a complete dead end because there were no records or subsequent clues to be found, not even in the local church registry.
Tulip could feel Alex’s tension mounting daily.
Each night, he would inspect the walls, the fireplaces, and even the flooring in search of a hidden doorway, but never found one.
He would then wash up and retire to their bed with his grandfather’s journal and read portions of it over and over again.
“I am missing something obvious, Tulip,” he said with frustration as they climbed into bed at the end of another long day.
“It cannot be obvious if it is eluding someone as clever as you,” she replied. “What if I read it? Maybe it will help to view it from a woman’s perspective.”
“No, sweetheart. I know what’s written in these pages will upset you. It upsets me and my heart is made of stone.”
She snuggled against him, knowing that he had the softest heart for her.
Well, she would insist on reading that journal if nothing came to light within the next few days.
She fell asleep in Alex’s solid arms, soothed by the strong, steady beat of his heart.
Had she claimed his heart?
Neither of them had admitted their love yet.
Perhaps it was still too soon to make such declarations even if they were husband and wife.
Tulip awoke early the following morning refreshed for another day and with a battle plan in mind.
She hoped to gain information from friends and family who would attend the dinner party she and Alex were hosting tonight.
“We haven’t questioned Mrs. Crabbe yet,” she casually mentioned while she and Alex prepared for the day.
“We?” He shook his head. “Tulip, leave it alone. I don’t want you interrogating anyone, and especially not Mrs. Crabbe who will be in worse humor today of all days because of our party.”
She donned her walking boots. “I can go into the kitchen pretending to check whether all is in readiness for this evening. Is this not an excellent excuse?”
“No.”
“But this would be the perfect opportunity for me to hold a casual conversation with her.”
“Again, no,” Alex said, shrugging into his jacket as they were preparing to go downstairs for breakfast. “She’s a surly old bat even on the best of days.
I’m serious about not wanting you to poke your nose in this investigation.
This is no game.” He then grunted. “Assuming there is even anything nefarious to be found out. All we have are disconnected facts.”
“A young woman gone missing about twenty years ago. Another who died under mysterious circumstances about five years ago. And a string of Davenport dukes who met their untimely ends. That’s more than mere ‘disconnected’ facts.
We must take Uncle William and Aunt Perty aside and question them more closely again tonight. ”
He kissed her on the forehead. “No, not tonight. This party is to celebrate our marriage.”
“But, Alex–”
He kissed her again. “They were immensely helpful, but we still have no proof those deaths were murders and no proof that Elspeth died.”
“Of course, she died!”
“All we have is gossip, suspicious circumstances, and some old stories that gave rise to them. I agree with you that something bad happened to Elspeth, but you cannot go blurting it around. Are we agreed? No talk of her or Martha or the dukes tonight.”
She frowned. “Why are you suddenly so reluctant?”
“I’m not. What I am is methodical. I cannot go out there and hurl cannonballs when the coroner, the magistrate, and even the newspaper reports all indicate the deaths were accidental. I am sorry we hit a dead end with those old newspapers.”
“Yes, me too. If only they had gone back more than fifteen years.”
He grunted. “We’ll figure out what happened to Elspeth eventually. Her death will not always remain a mystery.”
She took his arm as they walked downstairs to have their breakfast. “I like that we are spending so much time together, but I think you are purposely keeping me close and it has nothing to do with your being enamored of me. We’ll never draw the killer out if we are attached at the hip.”
He paused and held her back as they were about to enter the dining room. “I am trying to be a good husband and spend time with my wife, especially since I feel badly that we haven’t taken a proper honeymoon.”
“Oh, Alex. It wasn’t a proper courtship or wedding, either. But we are married now and I am rather enjoying being your wife.”
He chuckled. “I’m liking it, too. Are you meeting with Mrs. Granger this morning?”
She nodded. “Yes, as always. Right after breakfast.”
“I’ll join you.”
“Fine,” she said with a sigh, “but you ought to go away soon afterward and leave me to talk to her alone. She will never open up to me if you are always hovering close by. I can do this, Alex. Trust me.”
“Stop, Tulip.” She could see the worry in his eyes as he said, “I have every faith in you. It is Mrs. Granger that concerns me. I do not trust her.”
“I’ll be sitting with her in the ladies parlor and that is within earshot of the formal dining room where a half dozen maids and butlers will be working to polish the silver and set up the dinner table for tonight’s party.
If your gut is telling you that she is somehow involved in the deaths of your predecessors, then let me see what information I can coax out of her.
She won’t be on her guard around me. I expect she believes I am naive and stupid. ”
He arched an eyebrow. “You? Yes, you are naive but never stupid. In fact, your mind is surprisingly sharp. I…”
She cast him a smug smile. “Yes, sharp enough to get her to reveal something about her past and possibly about her feelings for your immediate predecessors.”
Alex had been going around quietly questioning everyone who had served in the household during his grandfather’s day, but he could only get so far with them because they considered him a stranger and he was the duke.
He was very smooth about asking his questions, but he could not dig as deeply as he wished without giving his purpose away.
She, on the other hand, was known in the area and her family was very well liked. If anyone was to open up and gossip or confess some secret, it would be to her.
For the past week, Alex had made a point of sitting with her and Mrs. Granger while they reviewed the household accounts, went over the weekly menu, and other matters related to the running of the household that traditionally were in the sole the domain of the mistress of the house.
Mrs. Granger found this quite irritating, although she never openly expressed her displeasure.
It irritated Tulip, as well. She and Mrs. Granger had real work to do in preparation for this evening’s dinner party.
But it was also clear that Mrs. Granger would never confide in her while her duke of a husband was lurking close by.
“Do you have any specific questions for me to ask Mrs. Granger?” Tulip asked before leaving her husband’s side after they’d finished their meal.