It was late afternoon before Martin finally used the telephone to ring the War Office. Violet knew that because she’d followed him around all day, waiting unashamedly to eavesdrop on the conversation.
She’d deliberately stayed out of the kitchen, once it became obvious that Martin had no intention of using the telephone while she was within earshot. After lunch, while Martin was still in the kitchen, she’d made a point of telling Sadie that she was going to the market that afternoon, and had even put on her felt hat and gloves and fetched the shopping bags from the pantry.
She hadn’t been gone more than ten minutes, hovering outside the back door, when she heard Martin lift the telephone from its hook. Since he was ringing all the way to London, she knew it would take a while for everything to connect, which gave her plenty of time to run around to the east wing steps, enter the great hall, and run the length of it to reach Elizabeth’s office.
Once there, she had to wait a moment or two to catch her breath. Martin was bound to hear all that huffing and puffing if she didn’t. She considered it her duty to find out what was going on. After all, there were people out there who took advantage of elderly gentlemen like Martin, and someone had to look out for the old fool. Lizzie would thank her for taking care of matters.
Having thus satisfied her conscience, Violet felt no qualms about lifting the telephone in Lizzie’s office to listen in.
After carefully lifting the receiver from its hook, she held her breath and pressed the telephone to her ear. She was just in time to hear Martin’s quavery voice telling someone his name.
Violet listened to the entire conversation, then waited for Martin to hang up the telephone downstairs before replacing the receiver.
She was at the door when the telephone jangled, scaring her half out of her wits. She waited through a couple of the double rings, then picked up the receiver again. Martin must have gone back to his room. Not that he ever answered the telephone. Always complained he couldn’t hear a word through that newfangled trumpet. Which didn’t stop him from using it when it was convenient for him, of course.
Holding the receiver to her ear, she said warily, “The Manor House. This is the housekeeper speaking.”
A woman’s voice answered her. “This is Sister Brown at North Horsham General Hospital. I wish to speak to Lady Elizabeth, if you please.”
Violet peered at the clock on Lizzie’s desk. It was almost five o’clock. “Her ladyship is not present,” she said, a faint worry beginning to niggle at her. “In fact, I was under the impression she was at the hospital.”
“Ah, well, that’s what I wanted to speak to her about. She inquired about the health of Major Monroe, and I wanted to tell her that the doctor has given his permission for the major to receive visitors. Major Monroe is awake and wishes to see her.”
Violet frowned. “But she should be there by now. In fact, I was expecting her to come home again soon. Are you sure she’s not visiting the major?”
“I just looked in on him ten minutes ago,” the sister assured her, “and he hasn’t had any visitors at all today.”
“Well, as soon as I see her ladyship I’ll be sure to pass on the message.” Violet paused, then added, “Perhaps you’ll ask her to give me a ring if she should arrive there?”
“Certainly.”
“Please give my best to the major.” Violet put down the telephone, the worry beginning to grow. Where on earth could Lizzie be if she wasn’t at the hospital? She tried to remember exactly what Elizabeth had said that morning. I have an errand to run, then I’m going into North Horsham. What kind of errand would keep her busy all day, especially when she was so anxious to see the major? It didn’t make sense.
Her stomach knotted with worry now, Violet hurried back to the kitchen. If only Lizzie had told her what errand she was going to run, she might have been able to track her down.
She lifted the telephone and started dialing George’s number, then hung up again. There was no point in raising an alarm if it wasn’t necessary. It wasn’t as if Lizzie were chasing after a murderer or anything, like she sometimes did.
Violet turned away from the telephone, then changed her mind again. Lizzie must have eaten somewhere that day, and Bessie’s tea shop seemed the likely place.
Bessie answered her ring, sounding rushed and out of breath.
“I was wondering if her ladyship dropped by today,” Violet said, doing her best to sound unconcerned.
“Yes,” Bessie said, her voice tinged with impatience. “She was here. Had a Cornish pasty and left.”
“What time was that?”
“Around one o’clock, I suppose. I know we were busy. Just like we are now.”
Ignoring the hint, Violet demanded, “Did she say where she was going after that?”
There was a pause while Bessie answered someone in the background, then she spoke into the telephone again. “No, she didn’t.” She seemed about to hang up, then added, “Is something wrong?”
“No, no,” Violet hastily assured her. “I was just wondering if she was coming home for supper, that’s all.”
“She didn’t say. She did ask about Clyde Morgan’s horse, now I come to think about it. She might have called in there.”
Violet thanked her and hung up. Her face creased in a frown, she sat down at the kitchen table. Why on earth would Lizzie be asking about the rag and bone man’s horse? Clyde Morgan was dead. Was she thinking about buying his horse? Surely not. She had enough trouble taking care of the two hounds the major had given her.
Violet’s frown deepened. In a million years she would never have thought that Lizzie would spend all day seeing about a horse when her major was waiting for her in a hospital bed in North Horsham. Something was wrong. She could feel it in her bones. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to ring George after all.
Elizabeth slowly opened her eyes and blinked. Searing pain stabbed through her head when she turned it, and she uttered a soft moan. She lay on her side, and the arm pinned beneath her had gone to sleep. She tried moving it, but her hands seemed to be tied together. She couldn’t open her mouth. Something soft had been tied over it.
The air was unbearably stuffy, and an awful smell invaded her nostrils. Hearing a soft shuffling sound, she braved the pain to lift her head. She appeared to be in a shed, with a horse for company.
In the next instant it all came flooding back. Iris Morgan had attacked her, ordered her son to tie her up, and intended to throw her and her motorcycle over the cliff to make it look like an accident.
Groaning in pain, Elizabeth eased herself over onto her back and stared at the beams above her head. No one knew she was there. Violet thought she was in North Horsham visiting Earl. There was no hope of escape. She couldn’t even call out.
Just to make sure, she drew in a deep breath through her nose and tried to force it out in a shout. All she got for her efforts was a muffled whine and another vicious stab of pain in her head.
Moving her bound feet, she winced when her ankle came in contact with something sharp. With great caution she angled her head, and realized she was lying in the cart, alongside her motorcycle.
She lay back, her spirits plummeting. Was this how it was all going to end? Would Earl survive, only to find out she had died in a so-called accident after driving over a cliff? What would that do to his recovery?
No! She could not, would not, let it happen. She turned her head again and examined the motorcycle. Her ankle had collided with the edge of the mudguard. Was it sharp enough to cut through the rope that bound her hands? It was worth a try.
The pain in her head almost blinded her as she wriggled around to get her hands in position. At long last she was there, and she pressed the rope against the mudguard and began sawing.
She sawed until her arms felt as if they would drop off from fatigue, but the thought of Earl lying in that hospital bed kept her at it. Just when she thought she could not move her arms one more inch, she felt the rope begin to give.
Her determination renewed, she sawed even more frantically. So intent was she on breaking through the final strands, she didn’t hear the shed door open. It wasn’t until she heard his voice that she realized Tommy had come back into the shed and stood not five feet away from her.
Tears of frustration coursed down her cheeks as she stared into eyes that were empty of expression. Her muffled protest, unintelligible behind the cloth over her mouth, went unheeded. He stepped toward her, the carving knife in his hand, and she closed her eyes. Good-bye, my love. I’m so sorry.
She bit back her whimper of fear as rough hands turned her on her side. She waited for the knife to sink in her back, wondering why Iris had sent this young boy to commit this terrible deed.
Then her body jerked in surprise when her hands were suddenly freed. Before she could fully comprehend what was happening, her feet were also cut free. The cloth was removed from her mouth, with a silent signal from the boy to stay quiet.
He needn’t have worried. Her soaring hope had rendered her speechless.
Stunned by this turn of events, she allowed him to help her from the cart. Blood rushed back into her cramped limbs, and she bit back a cry of pain, fearful that it might cause him to turn on her with the knife he still held in his hand.
“Come on,” he whispered, and led her stumbling and limping to the door.
With an unbelievable heady rush of relief, she stepped outside into the cool evening air.
“Go,” the boy whispered urgently. “Run, before she comes to get you.”
Her resolve fast returning, Elizabeth took the boy’s arm. “I can’t leave you here with her. She’s insane. She killed your father-”
The boy shook his head, cutting off her words. “Mum didn’t kill our dad.” He swallowed, and sent a scared look at the house. “I did it. He beat me and then he was going to beat Katie again. I couldn’t let him do that. I was afraid he’d kill her. I got the gun and I was just going to frighten him with it. I didn’t know there was a bullet in it.” Tears rolled down the boy’s face, and his voice trembled on a sob. “I had to stop him from hurting Katie, didn’t I.”
“Of course you did,” Elizabeth said soothingly. “I understand. But now we have to tell-”
“Tomm-y-y-y-y!” Iris’s voice floated down the alleyway.
Tommy shoved Elizabeth away with both hands. “Go! She’ll kill you. She said she wouldn’t let anyone take me away. She means it. I couldn’t let her do that because of what I did. I just couldn’t.”
“I’m not leaving you with her.” Elizabeth turned to face the alleyway as Iris’s voice sounded louder. “We’ll face her together and we’ll get Katie and-”
“No!” Tommy was sobbing now-huge, deep sobs that tore at her heart. “You can’t take Katie away, you can’t!”
“Tommy-” There was no time to argue with the boy. Elizabeth grabbed the knife out of his hand and turned to face the woman running toward them.
Just then another shout echoed across the quiet field. Someone hurtled out of the alleyway on a bicycle. Someone short and stout-George. Somehow he wedged his bicycle in front of Iris, stopping her cold.
For a moment it seemed as if she would fight him, but then she burst into tears and sank to the ground. Tommy broke free from Elizabeth’s grip and ran toward his mother. Dropping to his knees beside her, he wound his arms around her, his sobs joining hers.
“Thank goodness I thought to call Bessie,” Violet said, some time later. She set a glass of brandy down on the kitchen table in front of Elizabeth. “If she hadn’t said that about you talking about Clyde Morgan’s horse, I never would have thought of calling George until much later, and by then it might have been too late.”
She shivered and poured herself a generous glass from the brandy bottle. “I tell you, when George rang to tell me you’d almost been killed, I was beside myself.” She glared at Elizabeth. “Why didn’t you tell me that the rag and bone man was murdered and you were getting yourself involved again?”
Elizabeth took down a mouthful of brandy and shuddered. “I didn’t know for certain and since George was so convinced it was suicide I didn’t want to make any accusations until I was sure that my suspicions were founded.”
Violet seemed about ready to cry. “You always confide in me, Lizzie. I don’t know why you didn’t this time.”
“You were so worried about Martin. I didn’t want to worry you with something else that might well have been nothing more than my imagination.”
Violet wagged a finger at her. “Don’t you ever do that to me again, Elizabeth. From now on you tell me when you’re going off on one of your wild-goose chases. If no one knows where you are, how do we know when you’re in trouble? It was lucky the hospital rang or I’d-”
Elizabeth sat up straight in her chair. “The hospital? What did they say? Did they say anything about Earl?”
“Of course they said something about the major,” Violet said crossly. “Why else would they call?”
“What did they say?” Elizabeth took hold of Violet’s hands. “Violet, tell me, what did they say?”
“They said as how the major was awake and wanted to see you, but-”
Elizabeth waited to hear no more. She leapt to her feet, sending her empty glass spinning across the table. “I must go to him.”
“What now?” Violet deftly caught the glass and set it upright. “It’s past eight o’clock. You’ll never get there before dark. Besides, the major’s probably asleep by now.”
Elizabeth stared at the clock. “I had no idea it was that late.” She rushed over to the telephone and grabbed it off the hook. “I’ll ring the hospital and ask how he is.” Her fingers busily dialed as she spoke.
Violet said something she didn’t hear, but she paid scant attention. All her thoughts were on Earl now, and as she waited for someone to answer the urgent ringing of the phone, she prayed she would hear good news.
It took some time before she could persuade the nurse who answered to allow her to speak to someone in charge. When the sister finally came onto the phone, she was obviously annoyed.
“I must advise you, your ladyship,” she said stiffly, “that it’s past visiting hours. I must ask you to ring us back in the morning.”
“I just want to know the condition of Major Earl Monroe,” Elizabeth said stubbornly.
“The nurse could have told you that.”
“I didn’t want a carefully worded stock answer. I need to know his real condition.” Elizabeth waited a beat, then added, “Or should I just come in person to find out what I want to know?”
“The major is resting right now.” The sister hesitated, then added, “He’s over the crisis, and is expected to recover.” Elizabeth’s cry of joy made her pause, then she added, “I must warn you, however, it’s likely to be a long process. It’s better that you talk to the doctor in the morning. He can tell you more than I can.”
Elizabeth hugged the telephone to her cheek. “Thank you, sister. I’ll be there first thing.”
She hung up the receiver and turned to find Violet dabbing away at the corner of her eye with her handkerchief. “He’s going to be all right,” she said and, in a burst of joy, hugged Violet’s scrawny body. “He’s going to be well!”
“Thank the good Lord.” Violet patted Elizabeth’s hand. “Now sit down. I have something to tell you about Martin.”
Elizabeth sat. No matter what trouble Martin was in, they could take care of it. Now that Earl was on the mend, she could take care of anything.
“I think Martin has gone completely off his rocker,” Violet said.
Except that, Elizabeth thought. “Now what?”
Violet nodded. “I heard him talking to someone on the telephone. I think someone is pretending to be from the War Office and they’re humoring him. I wouldn’t be surprised if two men in white coats turn up at the door one morning to take him away.”
“Why? What did he say?”
“Not much. He just said his name, and the gentleman on the other end told him he’d done an excellent job and his country was grateful to him.”
“Oh, my goodness.” Elizabeth ran a hand over her hair and winced as her fingers came in contact with a large bump on her head.
“Let me look at that.” Violet jumped up and began parting Elizabeth’s hair.
“I do know Martin was involved with the government in some way in the first world war. Something to do with breaking codes, I believe. Apparently Martin taught the Morse code to sailors at the turn of the century and was an expert at breaking codes. Ouch!”
Her yelp of pain stilled Violet’s probing fingers. “I’ll get a cold cloth for that.” She hurried over to the sink and turned on the tap. “Well, that explains it, then. You know how Martin is, always getting confused. He must have thought it was World War One again and offered his services. The War Office must have got a good laugh out of that one. Can you imagine Martin trying to break a code nowadays? Half the time he doesn’t know where he is or what he’s doing.”
“Well, it’s nice of the War Office to humor him.” Elizabeth shook her head, then wished she hadn’t when pain sliced through it. “I must call them and thank them for being so understanding.”
Violet held a cloth under the water, then squeezed it out. “Well, they certainly went to a lot of trouble, picking him up in that fancy motorcar and all. I asked him about that and he said it was a chariot and it took him to the stars.”
Her hands stilled, and she stared at Elizabeth. “Funny about that motorcar. You don’t suppose…”
They stared at each other for a long moment, then in unison shook their heads, muttering, “No, of course not. It couldn’t be.”
“That’s what I thought,” Violet said, sounding relieved. “Barmy, he is. Completely barmy.”
And if it made them more comfortable to believe that, Elizabeth decided, then who was she to question it.
The night seemed endless, with Elizabeth tossing and turning, dozing fitfully until at last she could pull back the blackout curtains and allow the morning light to creep into the room.
An hour later she was on her way to North Horsham, riding her motorcycle at a reckless pace that had her arriving at the hospital in record time. After a frustrating wait for the doctor to finish his rounds, she was finally allowed in to see Earl.
She found him propped up on his pillow, his face still drawn and pale, but his eyes now open. The covers were still tented over his legs, and now she noticed the thick bandages strapped around his upper body.
His eyes lit up when he saw her, and, mindful of the nurse hovering over him, not to mention the dozen or so other patients in the ward, she had to restrain her impulse to rush over to him and throw herself on the bed.
Instead, she had to make do with small talk while the nurse bustled about the room, drawing curtains, straightening bedclothes, tidying the bedside table, until Elizabeth wanted to scream at her to leave them alone.
At long last, the nurse drew the curtains around the bed to give them some privacy, reminded Elizabeth she had only a few minutes, and left.
“Come here,” Earl said softly as the curtain swished closed behind the nurse. He held out his hand, and Elizabeth took it, concerned to find his fingers so cold.
“You had us all quite concerned,” she told him as she bent over to drop a kiss on his cheek.
Taking her by surprise, he turned his head and her mouth landed on his. She kept it there for a few satisfying seconds before seating herself again.
“Sister told me you were here a couple of days ago.” His gaze probed hers. “I guess I was asleep. I was kinda hoping you’d stop by yesterday.”
“I intended to, but-” She paused, wondering how much to tell him.
“Something more important turned up, huh?”
“Of course not.” She clasped his hand tighter in hers. “Nothing is more important to me than you. I thought you knew that.”
He didn’t answer her, but kept his gaze steadily on her face.
She sighed and looked down at their clasped hands. “I was… detained on my way to see you.”
His eyes narrowed. “Elizabeth, just what aren’t you telling me?”
In the end she told him all of it. From the beginning, when she first suspected Clyde Morgan had been murdered, to her visits to the three people she thought had motives for murder, to her narrow escape the day before.
As she talked, his expression gradually grew more serious, until he was actually scowling at her. “You promised me you would be careful.”
“I really didn’t expect Iris to attack me.” She shuddered at the memory. “I just wanted to confirm my suspicions. I couldn’t make up my mind what to do about it until I was sure. I had those children to think about… I was afraid that Iris had become unbalanced and that the children were in danger.”
“Why didn’t you take George along with you?”
“I couldn’t convince him it was murder and I needed proof.”
“So you risked your life. If it hadn’t been for that boy…” He shifted his body and grimaced in pain.
“I know, I know.” She felt terrible causing him this much distress. She wanted to take care of him, take away the pain, make him forget his injuries and see him smile again.
“So what’s going to happen to them all?”
“I talked to the inspector last night. He thinks the boy will have to go into a remand home for a while. Katie has an aunt who is willing to take her until the family can be together again. I’m afraid Iris will have to pay for her part in concealing what happened and for attacking me. I spoke on her behalf, however, and considering the circumstances, the inspector thinks the sentence won’t be too harsh.”
“That was real generous of you, considering she planned on murdering you.”
“She was protecting her child,” Elizabeth said. “I can understand how she must have felt. Anyway, let’s not talk about all this now. It’s over, and I’m safe and well. Now we have to concentrate on getting you well.”
“I’m working on it.” He gave her a stern look. “Once I’m out of this bed, you and I are going to have a long discussion about your meddling in murder.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Meddling? I see it as my civic duty. My people need to be protected.”
“And who’s going to protect you?”
She lowered her gaze. “Well, we can discuss it once you’re out of that bed.”
“I can promise you one thing, your gorgeous ladyship. Once I’m out of this bed I’m not wasting time on discussion.”
She looked up, relieved to see his faint grin. One thing she knew for certain. She had come so close to losing him this time. They’d been offered a second chance, and if only they were given a little more time together, she would no longer let protocol get in the way. Whoever said it was better to have loved and lost knew what he was talking about.
She loved Major Earl Monroe with all her heart and if she was destined to have her heart broken, at least she would have known what it was to love him completely-physically and emotionally-and she could live on the memories for the rest of her life.
And to hell with protocol.
His gruff voice interrupted her thoughts. “What are you looking so serious about now?”
She tightened her grasp on his hand. “I was just thinking that we’ve wasted a lot of time worrying about things that don’t really matter.”
His gaze was intent on her face now, as if he were trying to read her mind. “Like what?”
She tried to pass it off with a shrug. “Oh, I don’t know, really. Protocol, appearances, obligations to people, I suppose. Things like that.”
He seemed to be having some difficulty responding to that. After a long pause he said quietly, “You do know that they’ll be sending me back home when I get out of here?”
She could almost feel her heart breaking in half. “I thought you might be going home, yes.” Until he’d actually spoken the words, she’d made herself believe it couldn’t happen. Now there was no avoiding it. She prayed she wouldn’t cry until she was out of his sight.
“There’s something else I should tell you.”
He let out a long sigh, and she gritted her teeth. She had to be brave. For his sake. If this was to be the last time she saw him after all, she wanted him to remember her smiling.
“I wanted to wait until I was out of this bed, so I could do things right, but what I need to say can’t wait. It’s better I say it now and get it over with.”
Her throat felt so tight she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to breathe. He was trying to say good-bye. In spite of her best efforts, an embarrassing tear squeezed out of her eye and dribbled down her cheek.
“My divorce is final,” Earl said, squeezing her hand so tightly it hurt. “I’m a free man.”
She blinked, struggling to understand what he was trying to say.
He closed his eyes for a brief moment, then muttered, “Aw, hell. I love you, Elizabeth. Marry me. Come back with me to Wyoming, where we’ll raise horses and live out the rest of our lives together.”
She gulped, completely at a loss how to answer him. She’d dreamed of this moment, longed for it. Now it was here she was lost in confusion. How could she leave Sitting Marsh and the Manor House? “Polly and Sadie will manage without me. They’re young and would have moved on in time anyway. But how can I leave Martin and Violet behind?”
She hadn’t realized she’d spoken out loud until Earl said, “Bring them with you. I’ve always thought it would be nice to have servants.”
“Domestics,” she murmured, her mind still trying to grasp the wonderful, incredible offer he was making.
“You could turn the Manor House over to the government as a historical monument,” Earl said. “I’ve been giving this a lot of thought lying here, and-”
With a muffled cry of joy she smothered his words with her mouth. His kiss was very satisfying, considering his weak condition. When she raised her head, the love in his eyes took her breath away. “I love you, too,” she whispered.
He grinned. “It’s about time you told me that. Does this mean you’ll come home with me?”
“Yes.” She sat back on her chair, her hand still clinging to his. “Yes, my love. I’ll marry you and go with you anywhere you want to take me.”
She thought she just might drown in his beautiful smile when he gave her a broad wink and murmured softly, “Atta girl.”