The Victory Garden(100)

“This is beyond belief, Inspector.” Emily tried to sound assured and indignant as she fought down the knot of panic growing inside her. “And you couldn’t be further from the truth.”

“Or maybe you now have an even bigger motive,” he said, rubbing his hands together as if this whole conversation was giving him great pleasure. “The old lady had changed her will, hadn’t she? Including you in it.”

Emily went pale. “Changed her will? I had no knowledge of that. And even if she had, the house and estate were not hers to leave. There is an heir, her grandson, Justin.”

“But her personal possessions she can will if she wants to, right? I’m told she was leaving you the contents of her library . . . books and items that she and her husband collected during their travels. A nice, little haul.”

“I had no idea of this,” Emily stammered. “Who told you of it?”

“One of the people who reported this to me had been called upon to witness the changes to the will. I’m afraid you are in big trouble, Miss Emily Bryce. If Lady Charlton dies, which seems very likely at this moment, then you might very well find yourself accused of murder.”

“This is ridiculous,” Emily said forcefully, but her insides were churning. She could see all too clearly how each of the things he had said made sense . . . would make sense to a jury.

“We’ll wait and see, shall we?” The inspector stood up. “Attempted murder would be a lesser charge, but probably easier to prove, since it’s not a hanging offence. Either way, I’m afraid you’ll have to come with us to the police station.”

“You can’t do that,” Emily protested. “I have a three-week-old baby, and I’m not going to be separated from her.”

She stood with her chin out, staring at him defiantly. “You can’t subject a tiny baby to separation from her mother, Inspector. Even you couldn’t be that cruel. Besides, I haven’t been charged with anything yet.”

A tiny whimper from the next room made him look across, then he turned back to her.

“Then I’ll be merciful and allow you to stay put until they send the big guns down from Scotland Yard. But you are not to leave this place. I’m putting a guard on your door.”

“I’m not likely to try to go anywhere with a young child, am I?” she retorted. “And let’s hope that the big guns from Scotland Yard, as you put it, are able to see that this is nonsense.”

She wanted to mention her father, but realized that this might not be helpful. If her family had rejected her, then that would be another reason to doubt her good character, making it seem even more likely that she had wanted to take advantage of Lady Charlton.

“We’ll be back, Miss Bryce,” said the inspector while pausing in the doorway, before ducking his head as he went under the low lintel.

Emily watched the black motor car drive away, feeling sick and scared. As she looked around the cottage, it came to her suddenly that she was fulfilling her role in the curse. She had become the wise woman, and the wise woman always came to a bad end. That’s what everyone had said, hadn’t they? Susan Olgilvy had been innocent, but that hadn’t mattered. Was she now destined to suffer the same fate?

She went through to the bedroom and sat beside her sleeping infant. How peaceful and lovely she looked, like a little cherub. Who would look after her if she really was taken to prison? At that moment, there was a tap on her front door and Daisy came in.

“What’s going on, Emily?” she asked. “Mrs Trelawney’s strutting around the kitchen looking like the cat with all the cream. And she said something to Ethel that she knew from day one that that girl would mean trouble, and now she’s getting what she deserves. And I saw a strange motor car driving off.”

“Oh, Daisy.” Emily reached out and took her hand. “Two policemen were here.” And she went on to recount the entire episode.

“Why, that spiteful, old cow!” Daisy exclaimed. “I knew she didn’t like you. She’s said some pretty horrible things about you. But to go to that trouble . . . to make up those stories.”

“The problem is that I can’t really disprove them, can I? I did make a herbal tonic, and she did refuse to drink it at first, and then she sat up, clutched her heart and fainted. Maybe I did make a mistake and one of the things I put in it was too much for her heart. I’m not an expert. I don’t really know what I’m doing . . . But all those ingredients were supposed to be heart restoratives, I swear.” She put her hand up to her mouth as she swallowed back a sob. “And all those nice things she has given me. If she dies, how can I ever prove they were gifts? She always gave them to me when we were alone together in the library, so nobody ever could have witnessed it.”

“What’s going to happen now?” Daisy asked.

“A man is coming down from Scotland Yard. And then . . . then I suppose they’ll take me to prison, and I’ll stand trial, and if the jurors don’t believe me, I’ll hang.”

“Didn’t you say your dad was a judge?”

“Yes, he is. But—”

“Then, for heaven’s sake, write to him. Tell him everything. He will make it right for you.”

“He might not.” Emily looked away.

“He certainly won’t let his daughter hang, will he?”