CHAPTER NINE (Part Three)

Tuesday morning Eliza Gilbert was walking along the gallery overlooking the great hall at Cliff House when the door bell rang. She paused, surprised. The unswerving custom of the local gentry hereabout was to make calls of an afternoon. It was barely ten o’clock. Who could be calling at this hour? No one of importance for sure.

     She looked over the banister to see the maid Linda Bream cross the hall to answer.

     ‘Who is it?’ she called impatiently.

     Linda paused in her stride, looking up startled. ‘I don’t know, Mrs Gilbert.’

     ‘Well, answer the door, you dolt,’ the housekeeper snapped. ‘Ask them their business.’

     Eliza watched with interest as Linda opened the door and then on seeing the visitor stepped back a few steps as though troubled.

     ‘Well, who is it, girl?’

     The voice that answered her made her start with sudden dread and she clutched convulsively at the banister.

     ‘It is I, Mrs Gilbert,’ Joshua Tucker said and then stepped into view in the hall. ‘I have called to pay my respects and condolences to the family in their dire need. I understand Mr Jonathan Trevellian is on the brink of death.’

     Eliza clutched a hand to her throat with apprehension to see him standing there.

     ‘This maid can announce me,’ Joshua continued. ‘Show me into the midst of the family, girl.’

     ‘Wait!’ Eliza cried out hurrying down the staircase. ‘I’ll deal with this, Linda,’ she said sharply. ‘Go back to the kitchen immediately.’

     The maid seemed only too willing to rush away towards the baize door at the back of the hall.  

     Eliza joined the man who was her son in the hall.

     ‘What are you doing here?’ she asked him, feeling her throat swell with anxiety.

     ‘There is sickness in the family,’ Joshua said calmly. ‘What is more natural that the local clergy should call and offer comfort?’

     ‘Are you mad?’

Eliza felt a great heat envelop her. She could not let him present himself. While the rest of the family would take him at face value, Sir Leopold knew the truth about him. For them to come face to face would be her undoing.

‘There is no danger, Mother.’

‘Don’t call me that!’ she glanced around apprehensively. ‘Come into my parlour where we can talk.’

‘I’ve had enough of that,’ Joshua said angrily. ‘The housekeeper’s parlour is beneath my position as curate. Now, present me in the proper way.’

Eliza’s lips stretched into a sneer. ‘Were you really clergy you’d know that the gentry do you receive visitors during the morning time. To call at this hour is a show of bad manners.’

Joshua looked uncertain. ‘You should’ve warned me, Mother.’

‘Damn you!’ Eliza said passionately. ‘You’ll destroy us both.’ She stepped away towards the back of the hall. ‘Come to my parlour or leave the house,’ she said imperiously.

With a coarse oath he followed her through the baize door. In the privacy of the parlour Eliza felt more secure.

‘We have much to talk about,’ she told him as they sat down opposite each other. ‘Our scheme to oust Rosalind Trevellian has failed. She remains and seems to be under the protection of Mr Cedric for some reason.’

‘He’s taken her as his slut perhaps.’

Eliza shook her head. ‘I don’t think so. She’s at the cottage in the grounds supposedly nursing Mr Jonathan. She’s a danger to us that must be eliminated.’

     Eliza decided there was no other way to be sure of Sir Leopold. Despite his denial that he would ever wed her, she knew she still had a hold over him. Every night he came to her bed. His need for her had not changed. Soon, when Rosalind was no longer a threat he would come round to her way of thinking of their future together.

But she was still troubled. She had been certain that with Rosalind’s reputation besmirched beyond repair, Sir Leopold would have banished her, but he had done nothing and had even allowed Mr Cedric to intervene on the girl’s behalf.

Rosalind remained a danger to the dream that was nearest to her heart; to be Lady Trevellian, the wife of Sir Leopold Trevellian. It would mean wealth and an unassailable position in county society for her. If Rosalind had to die, so be it.

 She watched his eyes carefully. ‘While she lives she stands between you and the life of privilege you should be leading, Joshua,’ she said carefully. ‘She denies you your rightful place in society.’

‘The Devil you say!’

‘I’m certain she has both Sir Leopold and Mr Cedric in the palm of her hand still. You must take drastic action if you want to be publicly acknowledged as Sir Leopold’s son. And it must be soon.’

He lifted an arm and clenched his fist. ‘I’ll not let that slut stand in my way, Mother, you can be sure of that. A tragedy is about to occur.’

‘Be careful!’ his mother said quickly feeling a touch of alarm. ‘It must look like an accident. We don’t want to likes of Twm Beynon, the village watchman, poking about in our affairs.’

Joshua gave a dismissive laugh. ‘In my experience watchmen are no more than footpads. He can be bought off, I’ll wager.’ He nodded. ‘But I will take great care. None shall know it wasn’t an accident.’

He stood up. ‘Now I think since I am here already here I should meet the family.’

Eliza stood too, impatience making her lips twist. ‘You fool, Joshua! Did I not tell you it is unwise?’

His face clouded. ‘Have a care, Mother,’ he said tetchily. ‘You are addressing the curate of this parish, a man of certain standing.’

‘You are a fool!’ Eliza exclaimed. ‘Believing your own lies. Neither the Master nor Mr Cedric is home.’

‘Present me to my nieces then.’

Eliza’s impatience turned to exasperation. She had already sensed that her son was of low morality and even lower intelligence. Now she saw he could prove to be as great a liability as Rosalind Trevellian.

‘Think!’ she exclaimed angrily. ‘It would be unseemly, and should Sir Leopold hear of it, and he certainly would, your chances with him would be ruined.’

He stared at her stonily for a moment. ‘Sometimes the thought comes to me that you are the one who stands in my way, Mother.’

Eliza straightened her spine. ‘I am your only hope. When I am Lady Eliza Trevellian your future will be assured.’ She turned and opened the parlour door. ‘Now you must leave,’ she said firmly. ‘And through the back entrance.’

‘I protest...’

‘Joshua, I know best.’

She went with him to the back entrance and watched him leave. As she turned to go back to the sanctuary of her parlour she caught a glimpse of the hem of a skirt disappearing round the corner of the passage that led to the kitchen. Alarmed Eliza hurried after and saw the maid scuttling away.

‘Linda Bream!’ Eliza cried out. ‘Stand where you are!’

The maid turned a white face towards her.

‘Were you eavesdropping, you little wretch?’

‘No, Mrs Gilbert.’

Eliza was sure there was guilt on the girl’s face. ‘I think you were.’

‘No, ma’am.’

‘You saw my visitor.’

‘I saw no one, ma’am.’

Eliza looked at the girl through narrowed eyes, her suspicions making the hairs on her neck lift.

‘I don’t like being spied on,’ she said with a hiss. ‘Neither do my visitors. Nasty accidents can happen to nosey-parkers, Linda Bream. You watch your step and keep your mouth shut. Do you understand me?’

‘Yes, Mrs Gilbert.’

‘I’ll be watching you.’ Eliza lips tightened. ‘Dreadful things can happen to silly girls on dark nights.’

Eliza was pleased to see the look of terror on the maid’s face.

‘Now get about your business.’

Linda dipped a knee and then turned and rushed away. Eliza stared after her thoughtfully. It was unlikely that the girl had heard anything incriminating yet she must be watched and dealt with if she proved a threat. She had gone too far now, Eliza reflected, to be squeamish about anything.