Chapter 39
CERENSTHORPE ABBEY – PRESENT DAY
Tabitha hurried towards her office. There was no printer in her cottage, and the file Mikey had sent was explosive. While she had been awaiting his email, she had called Tamar.
‘As soon as it arrives, send me the file,’ her sister had instructed. ‘It’s important you’re not the only person in the house with the information.’
‘And what should I do?’
‘Print it out, then show it to Molly.’
‘She’s on holiday with a friend,’ Tabitha had replied.
‘Damn, she’s your biggest ally. You’re going to have to show it to Gulliver and Edith then,’ she said, then hesitated before continuing. ‘Billy and I are staying with his sister in Looe, we could be with you in about four hours. I don’t like the idea of you being at Cerensthorpe with this woman.’
Tabitha had been about to protest, to claim she could cope, but she realised this was false bravery. ‘Would you both mind?’ she had asked. ‘It would be great to have some support.’
She had heard Tamar whispering to Billy.
‘Yes, Billy’s fine with it,’ she had said, then lowered her voice. ‘I think he’s glad of an excuse to leave; his brother-in-law drives him mad. We’ll leave in the next half an hour and be with you as soon as we can.’
When the file arrived, the sisters had been horrified.
Five marriage certificates accompanied by photographs of Lucia in a range of disguises had opened first, this was followed by a series of accounts showing both the purchase and commissioning of fake paintings which were then sold in the gallery as rediscovered classics.
The most upsetting document for Tabitha was a fake authentication for a supposed ‘lost’ painting by Gulliver’s favourite artist, Leonora Carrington, with a profile on Gulliver and scribbled across the top in Lucia’s handwriting:
Possible new mark?
‘This is horrendous,’ Tamar had said, calling back from the passenger seat of her husband’s car. ‘If this is to be believed, she deliberately targeted Gull. I need to make a call.’
‘What are you going to do?’ Tabitha had asked.
‘Ring Zanna and ask her if she knows a good criminal lawyer.’
Tabitha had sent the file to her elder sister Suzannah too and saved it on a memory stick, which she hid in the pocket of her coat which hung at the back of her wardrobe.
It was rare for her to use her office at the weekend and as she followed the gravel path, ignoring the stones skittering out from underneath her hurrying feet, she created numerous excuses why this printing could not wait until Monday.
In the event, she met no one and her presence went unchallenged.
Tabitha knew Edith was in her suite and, despite several attempts at calling him, Gulliver’s phone continued to go straight to voicemail. The house was unnaturally quiet; there was no sign of Lacey or Nicola or any of the other people who helped to keep Cerensthorpe Abbey functioning.
Tabitha fired up her computer and opened her email. She did not want to risk downloading the file on the Cerensthorpe Abbey system, instead she opened the attachments in email, printing each one, before closing it.
The file was huge, and it was a slow, painstaking process.
When she had finished, she checked the computer thoroughly, deleting any evidence of her subterfuge.
As she worked, every whisper of wind, each call of a bird or creak of a floorboard made her start.
The documents she was printing were inflammatory, and she was unsure of the reaction they would receive.
How would Gulliver feel when he discovered his marriage was a sham?
The final incriminating page slid from the printer. Tabitha checked her hard drive one final time, ensuring she had left no trace, and shut the computer down. She shuffled the three copies into neat piles and opening her desk drawer pulled out three A4 envelopes, sliding a set into each one.
‘What are you doing?’
Lucia’s voice was like ice in the heated fug of the room.
Tabitha forced a smile before turning to face the other woman.
‘I’m printing a few things,’ she said.
‘On a Saturday? I thought Edith insisted on weekends off.’
‘She does; this is a favour for my sister,’ replied Tabitha. ‘Edith gave me permission.’
‘Did she?’ said Lucia. ‘You and Edith are close, aren’t you?’
‘Yes, she’s always been very welcoming,’ replied Tabitha.
‘Lucky you,’ said Lucia and there was genuine regret in her voice. This sadness made her seem approachable for the first time.
‘You’re Gull’s wife, it’s a different relationship from the one I share with her,’ said Tabitha. ‘Edith’s old-fashioned, perhaps she feels she has to treat you in a more formal manner.’
Lucia shrugged and the momentary glimpse of vulnerability vanished beneath her usual haughty expression.
‘On this occasion, I shall allow it,’ Lucia said. ‘In future, please remember this is our family home and you aren’t welcome here outside of office hours.’
‘Until Gull tells me otherwise—’
‘Do you think he cares about you?’ interrupted Lucia with a brittle laugh. ‘I’ve seen you gazing at him, throwing yourself into his arms in the barn. He finds it amusing.’
‘Amusing?’ muttered Tabitha, her own temper rising. ‘Is that why he kissed me? And told me he was filing for a divorce?’
Lucia’s face blanched with fury. ‘He would never kiss you and he certainly wouldn’t discuss such an important personal issue with the staff,’ she snapped.
‘Staff?’ said Tabitha and the word rang with contempt. ‘What century are you living in?’
‘Get out of my house,’ Lucia hissed.
‘It isn’t your house,’ replied Tabitha.
‘It will be,’ Lucia responded and turned on her heel. ‘I’m married to the heir and with Edith and Gull both—’
But she did not finish the sentence because Tabitha shouted, ‘I know you’re descended from Eglantine Last,’ to Lucia’s retreating back, ‘the illegitimate line can’t inherit over the legitimate heir.’
Lucia stopped, turning to Tabitha, her face remaining blank, before she gave a cruel smile and said in a quiet voice as though explaining to a child, ‘The house is mine. The manuscript is mine. The day Wilbur Swanne allowed Helena Last to die, then left Eglantine penniless, our family knew it would one day be avenged upon the entire Swanne family.’
‘“Avenged upon the entire Swanne family”?’ said Tabitha.
‘What are you? The villain in a pantomime? Edith and Gulliver haven’t done anything to you.
Anyway, you’re wrong. Wilbur loved Helena, he wanted to marry her and, after she died, he was devastated.
He tried to provide for Eglantine, but her aunt, who adopted her, refused his help. ’
‘No,’ said Lucia in determination. ‘Wilbur abandoned Eglantine.’
‘He didn’t,’ said Tabitha.
‘You’re lying…’
‘Did you target Gull because he was the heir of Cerensthorpe Abbey?’
‘At first,’ Lucia admitted, ‘but we had a lot of fun together. When he proposed, it was easy to accept.’
‘What about Priya Constance and her marriage to Jayden Packet? Or Lola Buckley and Jonjo Stiles? Or, my particular favourite, Flora Lions and Zac Fresher? Did you enjoy being Flora Fresher?’
Lucia was momentarily silenced as Tabitha reeled off several of her pseudonyms.
‘Why did you use your real name to marry Gulliver? Were the stakes so high, you wanted to be able use your family connections?’
Lucia moved with such speed, Tabitha did not have time to duck. She screamed in shock as Lucia placed a stinging slap across her face.
‘You can’t win,’ Lucia hissed, her face centimetres from Tabitha’s the cloying scent of Poison filling her nostrils, making her wretch. ‘With him gone, everything is mine!’
Fear trickled through Tabitha at Lucia’s words. ‘Gone?’
‘Edith was easy to finish off. I’ve been adding small amounts of arsenic to her food for weeks,’ said Lucia. ‘It was simple to hide in the Blue rooms and sneak down the old servant’s staircase to the kitchens.’
‘Lucia, no,’ said Tabitha. ‘Edith is a defenceless elderly woman.’
Mikey’s words whispered in Tabitha’s mind: ‘Take her seriously and be very careful. The Forelli family is not one you’d want to cross.’
Lucia did not acknowledge Tabitha’s words, instead she continued, ‘Gull caught me injecting an arsenic solution into Edith’s cake this afternoon,’ she sneered. ‘Sadly, he had to go too. I’d always planned to kill him in the end, but I had hoped to stage one final passionate reunion first.’
She’s insane, thought Tabitha. No one rational would be discussing their plan for a double murder.
‘For all his pathetic kindness,’ Lucia continued, ‘Gull was truly filthy in bed, shame you’ll never be able to experience it.’
‘Where is he?’ Tabitha demanded.
‘Upstairs, with his dear old Auntie Edie,’ she said. ‘When he caught me, I pretended to burst into tears, to run away, but I’d already filled the teapot with arsenic. He’s so trusting, he would never have thought to make any more. The amount in there will have killed them both by now.’
She howled with laughter. Beside Tabitha was a heavy-duty stapler, she scooped it up and flung it at Lucia’s face.
It hit the mark, slamming into Lucia’s nose, which exploded with a rush of blood as she screamed.
Tabitha grabbed the three envelopes, barged past the flailing Lucia and fled.
As she sprinted down the corridor, her phone rang.
Tamar’s name and image flashed across the screen.
‘Help me, Tay,’ she gasped as she ran.
‘What’s happened?’ said Tamar.
‘Lucia’s admitted to poisoning Edith,’ said Tabitha, panting as she took the stairs two at a time. ‘She said she’s poisoned Gull too.’
She heard Tamar shout to her husband to call the police.
‘Do you know where they are?’
‘I hope so,’ she said, fighting to keep her tears and panic under control.
‘I’ll stay on the phone until you’ve located them,’ Tamar said.
‘She’s lying though,’ said Tabitha. ‘Killing someone is extreme…’
‘Lucia’s been arrested twice for attempted murder, but the charges have never stuck,’ said Tamar. ‘It’s at the end of the file.’
Tabitha felt her insides go cold. She flew along the corridor to Edith’s room. Crashing through the door, she dropped the envelopes onto the sofa and burst into the bedroom. She screamed.
‘What?’ shouted Tamar in her ear.
‘They’re dead,’ Tabitha gasped, fighting back tears of panic. ‘Edith and Gull…’
‘Check their pulses,’ demanded Tamar and the severity of her tone brought Tabitha from her shock.
Tabitha put her sister on speaker phone.
She could barely bring herself to approach the two people she had grown to love.
Edith was motionless on the bed, her skin fragile, tinged with purple, her eyes closed.
Gulliver was slumped in the armchair beside his great-aunt’s bed, his face waxy, a blue tinge around his lips.
‘No, you can’t be dead,’ she whispered as she ran to his side.
‘Tabs, talk to me,’ shouted Tamar. ‘Does Gulliver have a pulse?’
Tabitha grabbed his wrist and felt for the tell-tale whisper beneath his skin, a skill Tamar had taught her sisters on many occasions. She calmed her own breathing, concentrating on Gulliver, then relief flooded her. It was faint, but there was a pulse. He was alive.
‘Yes,’ Tabitha called. ‘He’s alive. Let me check Edith.’
With great gentleness, Tabitha reached for Edith’s delicate arm.
Over the past weeks, she had lost a huge amount of weight and Tabitha felt it would be easy to snap Edith’s bones with the lightest of touches.
She placed her fingers on Edith’s wrist and waited, tears welled in her eyes, then miraculously, she felt the faint beat of the old woman’s blood.
‘Edith, too. There’s a pulse,’ she said.
‘Stay with them,’ said Tamar. ‘An ambulance is on its way. Billy called it. He’s told them it’s an emergency. Sit tight, we’ll be with you soon.’
Tabitha stared from Gulliver to Edith, feeling helpless, then she remembered Lucia and wondered where the other had woman had gone.
She ran through the suite, reaching to lock the door to keep them all safe until help arrived, but as she did, the true horror of their situation hit her.
The smell of smoke was filling the room.