‘Why didn’t you tell me he was back?’ Nessie asked when Andre had left.
Reuben hung his head and shrugged. ‘I suppose I didn’t want to upset you.’
‘But at least if you’d told me, his turning up here wouldn’t have come as such a shock,’ she accused. ‘And now I may as well tell you something that’s been bothering me. I accidently found some money under your mattress some time ago when I was changing your bed. I saw you talking to Snowy White too, would either of these things have anything to do with our dad?’
Reuben licked his lips. ‘Yes,’ he admitted. ‘Apparently Dad has been doing … some jobs for Snowy and …’
‘Huh! More like robbing for him, you mean,’ Nessie interrupted him scathingly. ‘Everyone knows what a reputation that man has and if Dad is working for him you can bet he’s up to no good! But how have you become involved?’
‘Snowy White approached me some time ago and told me he had some money for Dad. He asked if I’d pass it on to him; it’s as simple as that, I swear I haven’t been involved with them other than that!’
‘You fool!’ she scolded him. ‘Why didn’t you just tell Snowy to get lost? You must have realised the money was probably from ill-gotten gains!’
‘I thought if I did that, you know, just pass it on, that Dad wouldn’t bother us, but after I’d done it once it was hard to say no … I’m sorry.’
He looked so dejected that Nessie couldn’t stay angry with him for long. ‘It stops right here,’ she warned. ‘No more passing on anything, do you hear me? What would Maria say if she knew you were associating with the likes of Snowy White? And why couldn’t Snowy just pass the money on to Dad himself anyway?’
‘Snowy always covers his back. That’s why he’s never been caught. I dare say he doesn’t like to hang on to large sums of money in case the coppers catch him with it. He’d have to explain where it came from then.’
‘Hmm! But no more, understood?’
He nodded and disappeared back upstairs, leaving Nessie feeling shaken. Seeing her father again had brought back terrible memories that she would rather forget. They were all working so hard to build new lives for themselves and the last thing she needed was her dad turning up again and spoiling everything for them all. Marcie wasn’t going to take the news well either, she mused. Still, at least Andre had sent him on his way and with a bit of luck he wouldn’t bother them again.
The next morning Molly arrived at the parlour long before it was time to open the shop with a very tearful Marcie.
‘Whatever is the matter?’ Nessie asked, ushering them inside. She was still in her dressing robe with her hair loose about her shoulders.
‘Oh, Nessie!’ Marcie flung herself into her sister’s arms and began to cry.
‘That friend of hers, Eliza, is dead,’ Molly told her. ‘And they reckon that young George Dorsey killed her. He’s gone missin’ but I think Marcie ought to tell you the rest.’
‘How do you know all this?’ she asked as she pushed Marcie gently onto a chair and hurried over to fill the kettle.
‘The police came to question Marcie a couple of hours ago an’ they told us.’
Nessie looked shocked. ‘Question Marcie! Whatever for? What has Marcie got to do with all this?’
Marcie looked shamefaced and hung her head.
‘I … I went up to the house and caused a bit of a ruckus last night. George was getting engaged you see and I … I couldn’t bear it, so I went up and confronted him in front of everyone, and told them about the baby.’
‘Oh, Marcie, no! Why ever did you do that?’ Nessie groaned.
‘Why shouldn’t his future in-laws know what sort of a person he is?’ Marcie retaliated with a sob. ‘Why should he be allowed to go off and live happily ever after while I’m left to look after his brat!’
‘So what happened?’
‘Belinda flung his ring at him and the Lewises left saying they never wanted anything to do with the family again, and then Mr Dorsey threatened to chuck me out so I left.’
‘But I still don’t understand why Eliza’s death has anything to do with you.’ Nessie was feeling totally confused.
‘It was Eliza who got me the Lewises’ address. I was going to write and tell them about the baby but then she told me about the party and I decided to go and tell them all face to face. From what the police said, George must have guessed that Eliza was involved. One of the grooms said he heard someone scream in the laundry room and it must have been her. Then George flew out of there and got on his horse and they found Eliza dead on the floor.’ She started to cry again as Nessie tried to take it all in. Poor, poor Eliza, she had been so young with her whole life ahead of her and now it had been snuffed out like a flame. It just didn’t bear thinking about.
‘So where is George now?’ she asked.
Marcie shrugged. ‘No one has seen him since he took off on his horse last night … He could be anywhere.’
‘Hmm, well there’s nothing you can do for now, what’s done is done,’ Nessie sighed. ‘But I suggest in future you think about what consequences your actions might have!’
‘Oh, so you’re saying all this is my fault, are you?’ Marcie challenged.
‘Of course not, I’m just saying be more careful.’
Marcie pouted as Molly and Nessie exchanged a glance.
‘I er … also ought to tell you that I had a visitor last night,’ Nessie said cautiously. ‘Dad turned up on the doorstep, but don’t worry, Andre was wonderful. He soon cleared him off.’ She had expected Marcie to look shocked but the girl merely nodded dully.
‘I already know he’s back. I was going to come and tell you this morning. I bumped into him last night on my way back from Haunchwood House.’
Strangely, although she hated her father with a passion, him turning up again seemed trivial now compared to the other things that had happened.
‘Reuben,’ she began tentatively as she ladled his porridge into a bowl later that morning. ‘We need to talk about Marcie and George … and the baby.’
‘So what’s she goin’ to do when it arrives? We ain’t havin’ it,’ he growled.
‘Seeing as the baby is due round about the time you’re thinking of getting married I hardly see how this is going to affect you anyway,’ Nessie retorted.
‘No? And what do you think Maria’s family are goin’ to think of her?’
‘I dare say they’ll think she’s just another girl who’s been rather silly. Maria’s family are close-knit, they’ll understand.’
‘Huh! I’m not so sure.’ Reuben shook his head. ‘An’ I can’t help but be disappointed in her. An’ now for this to happen on top, all because o’ Marcie goin’ up there an’ causin’ trouble …’
‘Sadly, that can’t be helped now. In fairness, she was just looking for revenge on George because he let her down. She couldn’t have known what he would do, could she?’
‘I don’t suppose so, but what’ll happen now? I mean, will Marcie be in trouble … with the police?’
‘I doubt it, after all she didn’t actually physically harm anyone, did she? They have already questioned her first thing about what went on and they’re looking for George now.’
‘So where do you think he’s gone?’ Reuben asked.
Nessie shrugged. ‘I suppose he could be anywhere, although I dare say he’ll try and get on a boat and leave the country.’ Nessie sighed, defeated. ‘What are we to do, Reuben? It’ll be all round the town in no time that she’s having a baby.’
Things surely couldn’t get any worse for the family, could they?
Soon after, Nessie had to explain everything to Andre, who was shocked and horrified at the turn of events. As they were talking there was a rap on the door of the parlour and when Nessie went to open it she found Oliver standing there.
‘I’ve actually come to call on Andre. We’re in need of his professional services,’ he told her sadly. ‘I dare say you’ve already heard what’s happened up at the house to poor Eliza?’
Nessie nodded and held the door open, allowing him to step inside.
‘It is most regrettable what has occurred,’ Andre told him solemnly. ‘Do you wish me to arrange the funeral for you?’
Oliver nodded. ‘Yes, please. I’ve already spoken to Eliza’s family and they expressed a wish that you bring her here to the chapel of rest. They have a number of younger children so it wouldn’t really be appropriate to keep her body at home until … Well, until you’ve got the funeral all arranged. We want her to have the best of everything, the best coffin you can supply, etc. Money is no object; my family will be paying the bill due to the circumstances. It’s the least we can do.’
‘I shall see that everything is done to your wishes,’ Andre assured him, and turning he went back into his living quarters, leaving Nessie and Oliver alone feeling decidedly uncomfortable.
‘I er … apologise for what my sister did last night,’ she faltered, feeling that she should say something.
‘No, if George is the father of her baby, then I can quite understand her being so angry. It was abominable of my brother to think he could just use her like that then get engaged to someone else. I’ve been wanting to talk to you about the baby but wasn’t sure if you even knew about it.’
‘Oh, I knew all right, but I was too embarrassed to broach the subject with you,’ she admitted. He looked so sad that she wanted to reach out and touch him. But she didn’t, of course. What had happened between Marcie and George had put a further wedge between them.
‘Have they, er … said how Eliza died?’ she asked tentatively.
Again he nodded. ‘Yes, it appeared that she smashed her head on the sink as she fell. But George had clearly been lashing out at her with his riding crop. There were weals on her body.’
‘That doesn’t mean he deliberately set out to kill her, though, does it?’ She longed to ease his pain. ‘Perhaps she fell trying to get away from him?’
‘However it happened,’ Oliver said, ‘he will still be tried for murder. The trouble is he’s making everything so much worse for himself by keeping away. Why didn’t the stupid little devil just go and get help rather than running away?’
‘I dare say he panicked. But look, why don’t you come through and I’ll make you a cup of tea? You don’t look as if you’ve had much sleep.’
In truth he hadn’t. He had spent most of the night sitting up with his parents and then this morning the terrible job of informing Eliza’s parents of her death had fallen to him. That had been the worst thing he had ever had to do and they had been heartbroken at the loss of their lovely girl. They had also been extremely angry with him too. It was his brother who they believed had caused her death, after all. Even the offer of his family paying for her funeral had done nothing to placate them.
Their eyes locked for the just the briefest of moments and once again Oliver had to stifle the urge to put his arms about her and comfort her but then he looked away hastily. If what Marcie was saying was true, then his younger brother had caused not only the death of one young woman but had left another with a child to bring up on her own.
‘I won’t, if you don’t mind,’ he said quietly as he turned to the door. ‘My mother is in quite a terrible state, as you can imagine, so I need to call into the surgery and get some medication that will calm her down.’
‘I quite understand,’ Nessie told him as she folded her hands sedately, although her heart ached. ‘And please don’t worry about your surgery at the soup kitchen for a while. I’m sure you’ll have things to attend to.’
He paused to look back at her with a bleak expression on his face that tore at her heart. He opened his mouth to say something, but then seeming to think better of it, he jammed his hat onto his head and left without another word, leaving her to stare helplessly after him.