Виктория Холт - The Silk Vendetta

She hesitated. “I don’t know. Sometimes I get angry and it all seems different. I hate him then. I want to hurt him … as I’ve been hurt. Charles says I should be happier if I did.”

“It’s for you to decide what you want… not Charles.”

“Charles has always influenced me. I’ve admired Charles. Philip was so gentle. But Charles was the man of the world. He married Helen. They are not even good friends but he doesn’t care in the least. He’s quite happy with the arrangement. He is blatantly unfaithful to her and yet he seems to enjoy life. I wish I were like Charles … not caring.”

”You wouldn’t want to be like that.”

“Oh, I should. I couldn’t care then whether Drake loved me or not … I’d be like Charles. I’d take lovers. He doesn’t care in the least. He’s having a love affair with that Italian woman now.”

“Do you mean Madalenna de’ Pucci?”

“Yes, that’s her. He sees a great deal of her. She’s always in and out of this house. And she’s in his rooms. I believe he has given her a key so that she can come in when she pleases.”

“Really … but it’s your house.”

“It’s Charles’s home when he’s living here. Oh, he’s deeply involved with her. Charles is so sophisticated. He’d never get hurt like this. I wish I were like him.”

“You must not let him influence you, Julia. Your life is in your own hands.”

“Sometimes I think Charles is right. Then sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I think I don’t care. I just want to hurt Drake as he has hurt me … and then at others it all seems different.”

I said: “You would ruin his career and your life at the same time.”

“I know … I know. I say I mustn’t and then I say I will. I’m wretched so everyone else shall be too.”

“Oh, Julia, I wish you’d drink less and be like you used to be.”

“It’s so comforting. You’re miserable and then you feel you don’t care … and after you feel quite merry and that nothing matters. But sometimes you feel so wretched you could end it all… not only for yourself but for everyone else.”

“Julia, it’s not too late… .”

“Isn’t it?” she asked eagerly. “Isn’t it?”

“Really, Julia, it isn’t.”

”I’ll talk to Charles tonight. I’ll tell him I’m going to try. I’ll be a good wife to Drake. I’ll help him. That’s what I always wanted to do. Yes, I’ll tell Charles tonight. I’ll tell him I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to be different. I’m not going to drink … so much. I’ll wean myself from it. You can’t do it quickly … not when you’re as involved as I am with it. Yes, I shall talk to him tonight.”

“Always remember, Julia, I want to be your friend.”

“Oh, I know. I know, Lenore.” She was near to tears. “I’m going to be different. I’m going to tell Charles tonight that I won’t do what he suggests. I’m going to try and be a better wife to Drake. I’m going to make him love me. …”

I rose to go. I went to her and kissed her. I said: “Don’t get up. I’ll let myself out.”

As I came into the street I told myself that the meeting had not been in vain.

But by the next morning Julia was dead.

The days which followed are like a grotesque nightmare in my memory. I kept telling myself that I must wake up and find that I was dreaming.

The cause of Julia’s death was established. She was found in Charles’s sitting room. He had had his own little suite of rooms in the house since the fire; they comprised a bedroom, a dressing room and a sitting room, and although they were part of the main house and were situated at the end of the first floor corridor, there was a back staircase which led only to them. Because of this they were especially private. Julia had given them to Charles so that he could feel a little apart until he was able to make arrangements as to where he would live.

The valet—who had saved him at the time of the fire—had told Julia that Charles had said he would be home round about seven o’clock.

Julia had gone to his sitting room as she wished to talk to him without delay. There she intended to wait for him. She must have seen the decanter and found it irresistible. Julia’s passion for drink had killed her. Her death had been instantaneous. When Charles had come in, he had found her dead. It seemed that she had drunk poisoned sherry which must have been meant for Charles.

When I heard the news I was overcome with shock. I had to get away from everyone to think clearly what this could mean. Someone had tried to poison Charles and Julia had died instead.

Grand’mere came to talk to me alone.

“My dear child,” she said, “what does all this mean?”

“They meant to kill Charles,” I whispered. “They did not mean to kill Julia.”

“Why should anyone want to kill Charles?”

“He must have had many enemies. He is not a good man. He is wicked…mischievous… . He likes to make trouble.”

Grand’mere was looking at me intently. “Tell me everything, Lenore,” she begged. “Don’t keep me in the dark.”

So I told her how he had pursued me, how he had had me followed to Parsons Road, how he had tried to persuade Julia to divorce Drake and cite me as the reason.

“Mon Dieu,” she murmured. “Oh … mon Dieu.”

“Grand’mere, you don’t think… I wouldn’t know how … even if…I have never been in his rooms.”

“There will be an inquest,” she said. “Questions will be asked. You saw her the day she died. You must have been one of the last to see her alive.”

“I talked to her, told her how unwise she would be to divorce Drake. She said she was going to talk to Charles. That must have been why she was in his rooms.”

“When this sort of thing happens there are many questions, there is much probing.”

“Grand’mere,” I said. “I am frightened. I am thinking of Katie.”

“Katie must go to Paris.”

“I can’t go, Grand’mere. It would look like running away. I suppose I might not be allowed to go. Perhaps you could take her.”

Grand’mere shook her head. “My place is here with you. Cassie could take her … and the two governesses with her. That’s the best way. It is wise with something like this to take one step at a time … and make sure that it is the right one. Our first plan then is to get Katie away.”

I knew she was right.

Cassie was greatly upset. She had been fond of Julia and was completely stunned by what had happened.

“I keep thinking of her when we were little,” she said. “All the little things she did. That this should happen! I’m glad Mama is not alive to see it.”

I wondered how Lady Sallonger would have taken the news. Calmly, I should imagine. She had never allowed herself to be much affected by others and Julia would have ceased to play a part in her ladyship’s life.

“Cassie,” I said, “we have to do something quickly.”

I had to explain certain things to her. She was horrified to learn of the part Charles had played but she was not greatly surprised. She knew her brother. In their childhood he had taken a delight in teasing his sisters and had often reduced them to tears. There was—and always had been—a sadistic streak in Charles.

Cassie had grown quite worldly wise when she had left The Silk House. She saw at once the need to get Katie out of London and would make her preparations to leave at once.

Katie was full of questions. “Why can’t you come with us, Mama?”

“I have things to do here. I can come later.”

”Why don’t we wait for you?”

“It’s better for you to go now. You’ll have Aunt Cassie and Mademoiselle and Miss …”

“I’d rather you came, Mama.”

“I know, but it isn’t quite convenient yet.”

“Then …”

But I silenced her with a kiss and said: “You know how you love Paris … and it won’t be long.”

“Shall we go to Grandpapa’s vineyard?”

“I expect so … one day.”

“Will he be in Paris?”

“I don’t know.”

“I hope I go to the vineyard. I want to see Raoul.”

She prattled on and there was a certain speculation in her eyes. I could see that it would have been very difficult to keep the news from her.

I had to attend the inquest. It was an ordeal. Drake was looking pale and strained and the fact that Julia was the wife of a politician who was becoming known to the public meant that there was full press coverage.

Some searching questions were asked of Drake. He knew of no reason why anyone should wish to kill his brother-in-law. He knew very little of him really. His rooms in the house were tantamount to a separate apartment and as they were both busy men they saw little of each other. He was so calm and dignified that I could see he was making a good impression.

I was asked about my last meeting with Julia and why I had gone to see her on that day. I said we had been brought up together and saw each other frequently. Had we discussed her brother and why anyone should seek to kill him? I said he had been mentioned and she had told me that he was out and she looked forward to having a chat with him when he came home that evening.

I was relieved when it was over.

Charles was the main witness for he had been the one to find her. He explained quietly and with great sadness how he had been living in the house of his sister and brother-in-law since a fire had destroyed his home. He had been out all the afternoon and when he had returned it was to find her dead in his room.

In due course a verdict was reached. It was: Murder by a person or persons unknown.

Now the investigation would begin in earnest.

I did not see Drake. Grand’mere said it would be dangerous and that if he should be unwise enough to call she would not allow him to see me.