It was a relief to escape from overwrought emotions into the tranquil park. The morning was so bright, so warm and still that it was difficult to believe such a violent act had taken place in such beautiful surroundings. We followed our path to the lake, but on the side furthest from the hermitage.
‘Look there – I think that’s Colonel Hartley waving to us. I like him, don’t you?’ said Sophie.
‘Yes, indeed.’
‘I’m glad he is the magistrate. I thought Sir Ralph would be.’
‘Colonel Hartley was the local magistrate before the Denbys came here – and his father before him. Yes, he wants to talk to us.’
The Colonel had begun walking towards us along the side of the lake so we set out to meet him. We met near one of the seats that overlooked the water.
‘I very much wanted to see you,’ he said. ‘I hope neither of you is too distressed by what has happened.’
‘Poor Elinor is dreadfully upset,’ said Sophie, ‘but then, she found the body. Then Aunt Charlotte went to have a look to make sure she’d not made some sort of mistake.’
He looked at me gravely. ‘That must have been very shocking for you.’
‘Not the worst shock I’ve ever had, but bad enough.’
‘I think I may need your help, Miss Tyler. Sophie, do you think you could run back to the house and fetch your aunt’s sketchpad and pencil?’
She needed no encouragement; glad to be of assistance she hurried off.
‘How can I be of use?’ I asked.
‘I may need a helping hand – literally as I have only one of my own. I know I can rely on you to be absolutely discreet. Sir Ralph means well but he’s a great fusspot and seems to have no idea how matters like this should be conducted. It was all I could do to stop him blundering round the cell, picking things up and moving them. He wanted to remove the body but I told him we must wait for the coroner.’
‘I find it difficult to believe Brother Caspar shot himself a few hours after I had a pleasant conversation with him.’
‘Indeed – tell me about it.’
I related the encounter of the previous afternoon.
‘He seemed perfectly at his ease – quite good-humoured in fact and we walked back to the hermitage together. He saw you’d sent him a bottle of wine and he remarked he’d have a cheerful supper.’
‘You saw the wine?’
‘Oh yes – the bottle had been left just inside the entrance to the cave so that it was in the shade.’
‘But I sent him no wine yesterday.’
‘He certainly thought it was from you. Did anyone else ever send him any?’
‘I think he’d have told me if they did.’
‘I heard the shot at about two this morning just after the stable clock struck the hour.’
‘Really?’
‘And – this is odd – it was followed a few minutes later by a splash as though someone had thrown something into the lake.’
‘Have you told anyone of this?’
‘No. I heard two shots in the middle of the night about a week ago and I mentioned it to Sir Ralph, but he said it was probably the gamekeepers. He didn’t seem very concerned.’
‘Please say nothing to anyone about this. It may be important. There is something not right about the whole business. Like you, I find it difficult to believe this was a suicide but I have no proof it was anything else. Poor man – his was a tragic life and a tragic death, but not, I feel, self-inflicted.’
‘You knew him well?’
‘I don’t think anyone knew him well. I shall, of course, make known his true identity which I could not do during his lifetime. He has kin in Devonshire who need to know and of course, the coroner must be informed.’
‘And you know why he hid himself away from the world like this?’
He nodded. ‘His real name was James Rushworth and eight years ago he was my colonel and I was a mere captain, both of us serving in the Peninsula. I need not go into the whole miserable business at this stage but he was held accountable for the escape of a French garrison. Everyone knew that he was not to blame. A certain general was mainly responsible. He had passed on the orders far too late and when they eventually arrived, Rushworth, I must admit, panicked a little. Lord Wellington thought we were much nearer to the fortress than was actually the case. He had a low opinion of the general, who had been foisted on him by the Horse Guards and was little more than a half-witted drunkard. Whether Wellington ever knew what had actually happened is debatable. Anyway, he criticized the regiment in his official despatch for allowing the garrison to escape. Rushworth was not mentioned by name but he took it as a personal affront. He asked for an inquiry but that was denied.
‘Rushworth was not, I feel, of the right temperament to make a good soldier. He was immensely brave and did his duty with great devotion but he was too sensitive, too thin-skinned. He brooded and moped and even contemplated suicide.’
‘Then?’
‘Oh yes – though of course I was not told until long afterwards. Instead he sold his commission, quit the army and returned home. One of the majors was promoted colonel and two years later, after a few deaths, I gained the colonelcy of the regiment, which went on to redeem itself over and over again. The sad episode that had blighted Rushworth’s career receded into the past but it still loomed large in his mind. The shame – or what he perceived as the shame of his disgrace – went with him. He chose to change his name and disappear. He wandered about the country, taking employment here and there: as a clerk, as a tutor, as a fencing master….’
‘But he had family in Devon?’
‘An uncle who owns a large estate. Rushworth was his heir. Another man might have shrugged off the whole sad business and started again. Few people in England would know or understand or even care what had happened. Rushworth could not do that. He eventually saw the advertisement for a hermit, knew that I lived somewhere near and came to see me. I secured him the post, as you know.’
‘He struck me as being very melancholic but yesterday evening he seemed perfectly serene.’
‘I think his life here suited him. He had no decisions to make, no responsibilities, peace and quiet in pleasant surroundings and plenty of fresh air and good food. He seemed content and told me he was happier than he had ever been. That does not mean he was quite free of the depression that troubled him – it was something he had suffered all his life and was unlikely to disappear completely.
‘When we’re able to enter the cell after the coroner has seen the remains I would like you to make a sketch of the interior. There are also some questions I’d like to ask you, if you’ve no objection. I’m sorry to put you through this but I can hardly approach Miss Denby.’
‘Of course not, I’m perfectly willing to help. I would like to be of use.’
Sophie arrived with my sketching materials. ‘Here you are – please don’t make me stay indoors. Lady Denby is still complaining and the whole house is in chaos. It’s so gloomy in there and so peaceful out here, despite what has happened.’
‘Yes, I’d rather you stayed with me,’ I said, ‘at least for the present. But first, I’d like you to go to the kitchen and ask the cook to prepare a picnic basket for us – and for Colonel Hartley, who will otherwise have to go hungry.’
‘Not for the first time in my life,’ he grinned.
‘But not in England in peacetime, I hope. Sophie, I think you’d better ask for a maid to bring the basket out to us here on this bench.’
‘Do you think Lady Denby has turned against me?’ said Sophie, hopefully. ‘She was decidedly unpleasant.’
‘No, I think that was a temporary fit of irritation. I’m sure she’ll be gushing over you again very soon. You are important in her scheme of things.’
‘Sophie and Rowland?’ enquired Colonel Hartley when she had gone. ‘I thought there was some such scheme in operation. I doubt if it will come to anything. I fancy Rowland will surprise us all before he is finished.’
‘Really?’
But he said no more on the subject and we were interrupted by the Colonel’s manservant, Sam Bates, who brought us the news that the doctor and the coroner had arrived together and required his presence. I liked the look of Sam Bates, who had served with the Colonel’s regiment in the Peninsula and at Waterloo. He had a rough, open, weather-beaten face and a simple, direct manner. He was obviously someone to be trusted.
Colonel Hartley excused himself and I found myself alone for the first time that day; indeed, for the first time – the hours of sleep excepted – since I encountered Brother Caspar yesterday. It felt like an age ago and the horrors of the morning seemed quite unreal.
Sophie returned at last with a story to tell. ‘The hamper will be sent,’ she said. ‘Cold ham and chicken, a little salad, a strawberry tart and a pot of cream. Oh, and spruce beer and lemonade.’
‘Thank you – that sounds ideal for a hot day.’
‘Everything is in uproar. The poor maid who takes the hermit his food was in hysterics. “Such a nice gentleman!” she said. “treated me so kindly – spoke to me as though I was a lady!” Then she threw her apron over her head and refused to be comforted. So I thought it best to ask for something simple that wouldn’t need much preparation.’
‘That was very sensible of you.’
‘Then I decided to get something to read from the library – we don’t know how long we will be stuck out here. I overheard the most almighty row going on between Lady Denby and Mrs Thorpe. They were in the study next door and I could hear them shouting at each other, even through that heavy oak door. I got the impression that Mrs Thorpe was tired of Lady Denby’s complaints and told her to shut up. Then her ladyship started telling her a few home truths. I distinctly heard her say: “You are a perfect disgrace and behaving like a common trollop!” Imagine! Now, if I shouted like that you’d tell me I was unladylike.’
‘And so you would be. Lady Denby is a law unto herself and I strongly suspect Mrs Thorpe is not a lady.’
‘Then I suppose she’ll take herself off and Frank Lawrence with her, which would be a pity – he’s amusing. Still, I suppose it will get her away from Papa, which is more important. On the other hand, you said we’d probably all have to stay here until after the inquest.’
‘Inquests are usually held fairly promptly,’ I told her. I reflected that a falling-out between Lady Denby and her old friend might, as Sophie supposed, lead to her early departure from Lovegrove. However, I did not trust her and felt sure that if this happened she would concoct some scheme for seeing my brother again.