Chapter 16 #4
She winced as he gave the gash a thorough cleansing.
“Fortunately, you do not require stitches. But it was a nasty blow to the head and I’ve put some ointment on the wound to keep it from getting infected.
Clean it with a clean cloth and some strong spirits twice a day for the next three days, brandy or whiskey ought to do the trick.
Ah, I see you have a bottle of brandy right there on your fireplace mantel. ”
“No, not that one,” Alex said, wanting to spill out its contents and smash the bottle. He did not care whether it contained poison or not, for Ernfield was dead and it no longer mattered.
But his instincts told him it was poisoned, so he would send it off to be analyzed in due course.
Might as well tie up all the loose ends.
“Well, any bottle of spirits will do to cleanse the wound,” the doctor said. “Then you are to apply the ointment to that nasty gash.”
“I’ll attend to it,” Alex assured with a nod.
“Good, good. Do this in the morning when Her Grace wakes up and each night before she retires to bed. The treatment will sting, unfortunately.”
“I shall endure,” Tulip said.
“You are to get plenty of bed rest,” the doctor continued. “No lifting anything heavy. By the way, the same applies to Mrs. Granger. The both of you are to take it easy for the next few weeks or you’ll just make yourselves worse.”
After the doctor left, the magistrate requested to see Tulip.
“Blast, our bedchamber is busier than a London coaching inn,” Alex muttered as the doctor traipsed out and the maids continually scampered in and out.
Tulip set aside her covers. “Let’s talk to the magistrate downstairs. Carry me down to your study or the parlor. There is more to clear up about all these deaths, and lots of questions to be asked of all of us. I don’t want to miss any of it.”
“All right, love. But not for too long. The doctor wants you to rest.”
“And I will after we have our answers. I’ll be too restless, otherwise.” She held out her arms to him.
He grunted and then picked her up. “Fine, but do not think you will always have your way merely by batting your big, blue eyes at me and melting my heart.”
She laughed. “I love you, too. And I promise not to abuse your adoration of me.”
He kissed her softly on the lips and then carried her downstairs.
The magistrate was in the parlor along with Carver and Tulip’s uncle.
Alex settled Tulip on the settee and tucked cushions at her back to make her more comfortable. “I’ll be right back.”
He went into his study to take the items he’d found in Ernfield’s room out of his safe.
“I have some things to show you,” he told the men upon returning, and then realized Tulip had not known about his findings either. “Sweetheart, these will be of interest to you, too.”
He held out the building plans, the vials, the velvet pouch, the two tie pins, and–
“Your fob!” Tulip cried out. “Where was it?”
“What are these things?” the magistrate asked.
“The building plans!” Carver exclaimed. “Wherever did you find them? I gave myself headaches trying to figure out where I had last placed them.”
“Let’s call these items Ernfield’s loot…
or perhaps better described as his sick mementos.
He took a little something from his victims. That my watch fob was among these items probably meant I was to be his next victim, and he was actively in the planning stage of my demise.
” Alex then took the magistrate and Carver to Ernfield’s chamber to show them the cavity in the floorboards. “These were all hidden in here.”
“The foul fiend,” Carver muttered.
They returned to the parlor where William had remained with Tulip, and Alex then explained to all what he had figured out so far.
“First, let me state that Mrs. Granger and my wife’s testimony against Ernfield would have been enough to have him hanged had he survived.
But there’s more. The locket contained in the velvet pouch connects him to Elspeth’s death.
The same for these building plans, for he must have known of them and studied them from as far back as her death.
However, I don’t think my grandfather was aware Ernfield had found those plans or knew anything of the secret passages, especially the one leading up to the tower room. ”
“What is the significance?” William asked.
“Ernfield knew how to get into the tower room without being seen. He lured Elspeth up there, probably with a forged note or perhaps even a verbal instruction. He then struck her over the head to knock her unconscious, and then pushed her out the window. He took care to lock the tower room door from the inside so that anyone investigating would think she must have been alone in there when she jumped.”
“The foul fiend,” William muttered.
Alex nodded. “After sending her to her death, he left through the secret passage.”
“But no one ever found her body,” Tulip remarked. “So there were never any questions raised about Elspeth dying here.”
Alex nodded. “My grandfather sincerely believed she had jumped to her death and committed the sin of suicide. He must have been the one to find her, and Ernfield was lurking close by, prepared to poison my grandfather’s mind with lies.
He had only to look up to see the open tower window.
When he later checked the tower door, he must have found it locked from the inside. ”
“Just as Ernfield had set it up,” Tulip said in obvious dismay.
“I don’t know what words were exchanged between them that night,” Alex continued. “But my grandfather thought he was protecting Elspeth’s memory by having Ernfield hide the body.”
“Which worked out well for Ernfield since there would now be no investigation,” the magistrate noted.
Alex nodded. “Exactly, but his plan would have worked no matter who found the body. The only difference being that her death would have been reported, and then determined to be a suicide.”
“So, your grandfather played right into Ernfield’s hands,” William said. “The fiend did not even have to worry about an inquest. He got away with the murder of that sweet, lovely girl. Oh, what a vile, sick man. Elspeth was a good soul who never harmed anybody.”
Alex cleared his throat. “Did you love her, William?”
“We all liked her, but…oh, dear heaven! That’s why those stupid love rumors about me and Elspeth suddenly arose.
There was so much gossip floating around.
She’d run off with a navy captain. She’d run off with a married man.
And then suddenly my name was mentioned.
Ernfield must have been slyly telling everyone I was having an affair with her.
Gad, I almost lost Perty because of his lies. Thank goodness Perty believed me.”
“The disgusting wretch,” Carver muttered. “He did not care who he destroyed.”
Alex now turned to his estate manager with pain in his eyes. “I think Martha was also one of his victims. I’m so sorry, Mr. Carver.”
He then went on to explain about Martha likely seeing Ernfield emerging from the tunnel’s secret exit in the grove of trees.
“Or perhaps she had seen him hiding one of his vials of poison somewhere in the house. Or seen him retrieve it. Whatever it was, she had no idea of the significance at the time, and he could not risk her figuring it out.”
“So you think he used one of those vials to slowly poison her?” Carver’s every word was filled with anguish and he broke down in tears. “Why did I not see this? I could have saved her.”
“Everyone was fooled,” Alex said, although it had to be little consolation for the grieving father. “And it was no coincidence that young Edward Wilcox died shortly afterward.”
Even the magistrate’s eyes began to tear up. “The innocent lad, too? All these years, we had a monster in our midst and did not know it. So many good people are now dead because of him.”
Alex did not know how good his predecessor dukes were, but they certainly did not deserve to be murdered.
There was no doubt in his mind Ernfield had killed them all, and those little mementos found hidden in Ernfield’s floorboards was the proof to link him to those intentional deaths.
Not that it mattered now.
The villain was dead and the danger had passed.
Carver’s hands were trembling, so Alex ordered him to sit down. “I’ll have one of the footmen bring in some tea for you.”
“Not necessary, Your Grace. With your permission, I would like to visit my daughter’s grave. I want her to know the truth and finally be at peace.”
“We’ll hold a memorial service for all of them who died at his hand,” the magistrate said. “Do you have any idea where he might have buried Elspeth?”
Alex shook his head. “It is possible he let her body float out with the tide.”
“No,” Tulip said with a gasp, her eyes wide as she stared at him. “Your grandfather would not have allowed it. I think I know where she is buried.”
All eyes now turned toward Tulip.
She took a deep breath. “I always thought it odd that there was no bench placed beside the willow tree when it was such a logical place for one to be. There is good shade, and it is near those splendid, fragrant roses. It is also a perfect spot to sit and read. Why do you think your grandfather never allowed anyone to place a bench there? Nor was one ever put there after he died. If we question the gardeners, I expect we’ll learn that Ernfield insisted on continuing to uphold your grandfather’s wishes. ”
“No bench,” Alex muttered. “Dear heaven, of course. That is a brilliant deduction, Tulip.”
The others nodded in agreement.
Alex now turned to his estate manager. “Mr. Carver, you and I will look into the matter tomorrow morning. Nothing more is to be done today. There’s been enough upheaval to last us a lifetime.
I also think we ought to take Mrs. Granger’s wishes into consideration.
She may have strong feelings about what is to be done for Elspeth. ”
“Oh, you are right,” Tulip said, looking up at him in dismay. “She’ll need to be told.”