A Dreadful Splendor (101)

“But there was a body,” I said. Then I remembered what Flora had told me about her friend being able to wear Audra’s gowns and how they had the same hair. “Maisie,” I said.

Mr. Lockhart nodded solemnly. “An unfortunate death that served a greater purpose. I knew a body would solidify Audra’s death and afford us the time we needed to put a plan in place. With my regular contributions to the church, I was trusted enough to buy the silence of a few workmen to dig up Maisie’s coffin. After that was settled . . .” He paused as if the words were a struggle.

“We needed William and Gareth removed,” Audra finished. She was no longer looking at me, but at the small pile of stones on the other side of the dungeon. “It had to be severe enough to warrant my vindication.”

Mr. Lockhart patted her arm. “With all the gossip about ghosts and family curses, I came up with the idea for a séance. We needed someone who had nothing to lose, but who had enough skill to convince the others. After all, who would doubt the spiritualist who actually believed Audra’s ghost was real?” He gave me the saddest of smiles.

“You’ve been conning me from the very beginning,” I said to him. I remembered reading in the diary about how he always touched his beard when he lied. How had I missed such an obvious thing? Had I really been so desperate for his approval? The water level inched higher, relentless. “You’re an impressive trickster, Mr. Lockhart. I even thought you were dying.”

He shook his head at me. “Only because I told you. To everyone else, I had a cold and a bad limp.”

“You coughed up blood, though. I saw it.”

Rather than pride, his expression was full of regret, void of any self-congratulations. “Chicken blood. It was already on my handkerchief. I used your preconceived idea to complete the lie.”

Maman would have been impressed with his technique. I, on the other hand, was silently raging but, more important, running out of time. “Of course no one was suspicious,” I said, working to keep my voice calm. “You’re the elderly solicitor with decades of loyalty to the family, so kind and giving.” Mr. Lockhart didn’t acknowledge my praise, and I hoped I could still manipulate him with his guilt. Then I realized he hadn’t thought of everything. There was one fact that could save me. I focused my gaze on him. “Who poisoned William?”

Audra giggled. I noticed a clump of hair in her hand. She bent over and gently placed it on the surface of the water and watched it drift away.

Mr. Lockhart regarded her with an increasingly pale complexion. “I’ve been poisoning him for some time,” he confessed. “Auntie Lil considers me a valuable customer. There’s no love lost between her and this family.” The corners of his mouth turned down. “I knew the effects of the poison were slowly accumulating in William, but not fast enough for our needs, so I added the largest dose to his brandy tonight.”

“Having him die during the séance was very effective,” I replied. A tangle of seaweed swirled around my ankles, almost tugging my feet out from under me, but I managed to keep myself straight as I looked at him. “It’s as if you had been planning to take over Somerset for years.”

Audra’s eyes lit with a new attentiveness.

I continued, “You had to act quickly. You were worried Mr. Pemberton was going to sell the estate and use the money to relocate to Spain. You’d no longer be needed and out of a job. This scheme worked out well for you too.”

“No,” he said sternly, showing a lively defiance for the first time since discovering me chained to the rocks. “It was the only way to make William pay.”

“But why frame Gareth?” I asked. “He did nothing to Audra. He’s the one who’s pursued justice for her death.”

“Is it Gareth now?” Audra teased, but her smile was all teeth, a grinning shark. “I did sense a growing attraction between the two of you. He talks in his sleep, you know. He whispered your name more than once. To be truthful, I’m a little jealous.” She started pulling at the back of her hair. “A little jealous,” she repeated, louder.

Mr. Lockhart steadied her hand. “Take a deep breath,” he instructed. However, there was a new impatience in his tone. He counted her down from five again. She slowly lowered her grip. He turned to me and explained, “Audra wanted to frame Barnaby for her murder, but I assured her that he would suffer more knowing that his best friend may have killed his true love and unborn child.”

Audra gave him a pout that bordered on suspicion.

I pressed my point further. “If Gareth is convicted, who gets Somerset?” I asked.

The corner of Mr. Lockhart’s mustache twitched. “Somerset Park will be bequeathed to the family solicitor.”

“You,” I clarified.

He nodded. “Audra will slip away with me for a lengthy holiday as father and daughter. Once Mr. Pemberton has been convicted and sentenced, I’ll become the rightful caretaker of Somerset. I’ll hire all new staff, and then Audra can return as my niece.” His words sounded heavy, bloated with regret.

Audra stared at him the entire time, her frown growing deeper as he spoke.

Mr. Lockhart continued, “I’m not proud of the things I’ve done, Miss Timmons, but it was the only way to give Audra what was rightfully hers. Her father trusted me more than anyone. And he was right to do so.”