The Victory Garden(103)

Her father was frowning. “Making herbal remedies? I suppose that could be construed as practising medicine without a licence.”

“I was only trying to help,” Emily said. “She said she was getting weaker.”

Judge Bryce turned from his daughter to the two policemen. “Gentlemen, my daughter might be stubborn and inconsiderate, but I have never had an occasion to question her veracity. Nor have I ever seen any sign of avarice or of kleptomania. If she says the items were gifts, then I believe her. Besides, she comes from a comfortable home. Why would she need to steal from an old woman? Why would she care about being mentioned in her will? She will inherit a goodly amount from me one day.” He paused to let this be digested, then continued. “If she says she was trying to help, we must believe her. If she is guilty of anything, it is of ignorance and naiveté in dealing with unfamiliar herbs. Murder, as you very well know, must demonstrate intent.”

“All the same, Judge,” the Scotland Yard man said, “if the old lady dies, then it would not be unreasonable to bring the charge of manslaughter.”

“Only if it is proven that the herb mixture really did contain an ingredient that could have precipitated her death,” Emily’s father replied. “And if she is guilty of manslaughter, then I would say that any doctor whose patient dies after his best intentions should be similarly hauled before the courts.”

“You have a point there, sir,” Inspector Payne muttered. “Of course, you are very well known amongst the Devon County Constabulary—known to be a fair man. We had no idea the young lady was your daughter. Why did you not tell us?” He glared at Emily.

“You didn’t give me any time to explain anything,” Emily said.

The Scotland Yard inspector got to his feet. “Well, I think we’ve done all that we came for today. If you will be good enough to make up another dose of that tonic, then at least we can have it tested and see if it might have contributed to the lady’s heart attack. But as for the attempted murder charge, then I would say, Miss Bryce, that someone has a grudge against you.”

“That may be true,” Emily agreed. “It may also be that the person genuinely felt that I wished her mistress harm. She is not the brightest woman in the world, and is very possessive of her employer.”

“Generous of you.” The inspector nodded. “Perhaps you’ll be good enough to bring in this herbal mixture when you return to Exeter,” he said to Emily’s father.

“I’d be happy to.” He glanced across at his daughter.

When the policemen had gone and the motor car doors had slammed, Emily took hesitant steps towards her father.

“Daddy, you were wonderful,” she said. “I don’t know how to thank you.”

He turned to her, smiling now. “I could always put forward a good argument. But in this case, I meant what I said. You have never lied to me that I know of.” He took a deep breath. “Now, if you would tell me what in God’s name you are doing in this hovel. And why you were hiding out from your worried parents all this time. Your mother feared you had committed suicide in grief after your young man was killed, and she blamed herself terribly.”

“I’ll show you why.” Emily walked through the kitchen to the back door, opened it and led her father outside. “That’s why,” she said, and pointed at the pram.

“A baby?” he asked incredulously. “Yours? You have a baby?”

She nodded. “A little girl. She’s three weeks old.”

“That was why you came here? Why on earth didn’t you tell us?”

“Daddy, you made it very clear what you thought of the Morrisons’ daughter when she found herself in my condition. I assumed I would get the same reception. I thought you’d send me away and make me give up my baby, and I didn’t want to bring shame on you.”

“My dear girl,” he said, staring at her now. “Your mother sometimes spouts off with things she doesn’t really mean. She is quick to judge others, as you well know. And the Morrisons’ daughter did have a reputation for being a little too fond of the boys. But you—our only daughter—did you think we would not have come to your aid?”

“Yes, I did. I really did. When you came to take me home when I was working in the fields, and expected me to give up Robbie Kerr, you told me quite clearly that I need not come home again if I chose to disobey you.”

He nodded. “It was hot-headed of me. I think we wanted to frighten you into obeying. We’d never seen you so headstrong before.”

“Because I loved Robbie, and I was going to marry him. He was a good man, Daddy. Frightfully brave. He must have been special, because I was prepared to go all the way to Australia with him.”

“And this is his daughter.” He peered into the pram. “She’s beautiful.”

“Yes. I’ve called her Roberta after him. But right now she’s Bobbie.”

“You must come home right away,” he said. “We’ll get a proper nursemaid for her.”

Emily shook her head. “I don’t want to embarrass you both. Mummy would be worried about what people say.”

“We can say you’re a war widow. Half the women in England are, these days. You ran off to marry an airman and he was killed. No one will question that.”