The Victory Garden(99)

“Some interesting things you’ve got here,” said Inspector Payne. “That compass—pretty impressive.”

“Yes. It came from Lady Charlton,” she replied. “Those are all things she picked up on her travels.”

“I bet they are,” the man replied.

Emily had had enough. She was tired from making the trip to Exeter and worried about Lady Charlton. “I’m not sure what you are implying, but I’d like to know why you are here and what you want.”

The big man sat again, while the sergeant continued to stand. “Let’s start with your full name. I take it it’s not really Mrs Kerr?”

“It’s Emily Bryce.”

“Miss Emily Bryce?”

“That is correct.”

“So not a war widow then?”

“Why should this be of interest to anyone?” Emily demanded. “I have not tried to obtain anything under false pretences. I have collected no widow’s pension. My fiancé was killed in France before we could marry, and I find myself with a child. It was Lady Charlton who suggested I call myself by his name. I see no harm in it. So would you like to tell me why you are here?”

“We’ve had a report of a most serious nature,” he said, “concerning you and Lady Charlton.”

“What sort of report?” She pulled up a chair and sat facing him.

“Yesterday, Lady Charlton fainted and was rushed to hospital, correct?”

“Yes.”

“This happened, so I am told, right after you forced her to drink some kind of concoction you had made.”

“It was a herbal tonic to help her heart,” Emily said. “And I didn’t force her to drink it.”

“She was heard protesting that she didn’t want it, and you were heard saying it was good for her.”

“Yes, that’s because it was too bitter. I went down to the kitchen and brought up some honey water to mix with it in order to make it more palatable.”

“And then she drank it, and immediately clutched her heart and fainted.”

“Yes, she did.”

He smirked again, looking rather pleased with himself. “Most fortuitous, wouldn’t you say?”

Emily was staring at him with disbelief. “Are you insinuating that I deliberately tried to harm Lady Charlton?”

“That’s what it looks like to me.”

“That’s utterly ridiculous, Inspector. I don’t know who told you this, but I can assure you that what I gave her was a perfectly harmless tonic with herbs that are restorative for the heart. A tried and true remedy from several old books. It contained hawthorn blossom, periwinkle, Viola tricolor . . . herbs from my garden.”

“And the foxglove? Did you forget to mention the foxglove?”

“There was no foxglove in the mixture.”

“And yet you were seen picking foxgloves that very morning. And lily of the valley . . . known to be quite poisonous.”

“Yes, I did. A lot of flowers are blooming right now. I picked several plants to dry them for later use. Lily of the valley can be efficacious in some herbal remedies when used with caution, but I did not include it in this mixture. I can make another batch to replicate it, if you like.”

“Leaving out the items that would have overstimulated an ageing heart this time, naturally.”

“I have just told you what I put in that mixture. And if you don’t believe me, there might still be some left in the glass on the bedside table, if the maid has not cleared it away.”

He was still smiling. “But you threw that away yourself, remember? As soon as the old lady fainted and you sent for help, you waited until everyone was running in all directions, and then you poured the rest of the mixture down the sink in her bedroom. You were seen.”

“That is completely untrue!” Emily shouted now. She heard Bobbie whimper in the next room. “Inspector, I don’t know where these lies come from, but I can guess. A certain member of Lady Charlton’s household has always resented my coming here. I suspect it is she who has fabricated these things.” She paused, taking a breath to calm herself. “Besides, what possible reason would I have for wanting Lady Charlton dead? She has welcomed me into her household and I have become very fond of her.”

“You must admit it’s all rather fortuitous, isn’t it?” he went on, glancing up at the sergeant for confirmation. “You arrive out of nowhere, as a gardener, so they say. Then you ingratiate yourself with the old woman and start helping her in the house, and suddenly things start going missing. Valuable objects that have miraculously turned up here in your cottage. I suppose you thought the old lady wouldn’t notice, being short-sighted and forgetful.”

“She is neither short-sighted nor forgetful,” Emily snapped, “and every object here was given to me by Lady Charlton as a present.”

“She gives a gardener quite valuable gifts then.” Another smirk. “Is that usual?”

“I helped her catalogue her books and artefacts,” Emily said calmly, “and I take no pay. The objects were small thank-you gifts.”

“Not very small gifts, if my eyes don’t deceive me. Quite expensive gifts. As I see it, this is how it all happened. You find yourself in the family way. You hear about a lonely, old widow . . . a rich, old widow. You turn up here, claiming to be a gardener. You start to help her in the house. You quietly help yourself to objects that take your fancy. And maybe she discovers your little game and wants to get rid of you. So you get rid of her instead.”