Philippa Carr - The Adulteress

When Dickon and Sabrina returned from Bath, which Dickon had thoroughly enjoyed, he took extra care with his clothes and turned into a dandy.

I hated him and in my hatred there was an element of fear. He was an evil influence on our lives, I was sure. My mother and Sabrina seemed to dote on him more than ever. He still professed a great interest in the estate and became quite friendly with Tim Parker. He was pleased that he had driven James away. He knew why, of course, and was secretly amused when he heard that James and Hetty were married. I think he thought he had shown James that no one could displease him and not expect to pay for it.

We had just had the news that Hetty’s son was born. We were settling down as well as could be hoped. Tim Parker was a good enough man so it had worked out not too unsatisfactorily. Then one day when I was in my stillroom one of the maids came to tell me that there was a young man below to see me.

I said he should be brought into the hall and I would come down.

He was not much more than a boy, and I thought I had seen him before.

Rather awkwardly he pulled his forelock and said: “Me grandad sent me. I’ve rid all the way from Eversleigh.”

“Your grandad?”

“Jethro, mistress.”

“Yes, yes.”

“He wants me to tell you, mistress, that he thinks you should come. There’s something going on up there that ought to be looked into.”

I SENT JETHRO’S GRANDSON back with messages for Jethro and Uncle Carl. I should be coming to see him and setting out before the end of the week.

Jean-Louis wanted to come with me but that would not be easy. Tim Parker was understandably not yet so conversant with the management of the estate that he could be left alone; also we both knew that Jean-Louis would find the journey exhausting and that this would be an anxiety for me.

What of Sabrina or my mother? wondered Jean-Louis. But since Hetty’s affair my relationship with them had undergone a change. They couldn’t quite forget my animosity towards Dickon and took it as a sort of affront to themselves. Perhaps the real reason was that I was afraid of what Jessie or Evalina would hint. In any case I knew that I had to go and I wanted to go alone.

So after some argument with Jean-Louis, who was fearful of my traveling alone, it was agreed that I should take six grooms with me, as I had on the first occasion, with an extra one to look after the saddle horse.

It was spring again. The days were long and we made good progress and it was an early afternoon when we arrived at Eversleigh. Jessie was waiting for us. She greeted me with something like affection and relief, and she looked more discreetly dressed than I had ever seen her. Her gown was a pale gray, rather simple, and her complexion was only very lightly touched up.

“I am so glad that you have come. I have been so worried. I told him that we should let you know but when he was able to understand he was rather distressed. He didn’t want to upset you. I did not know what to do but when you sent your letter saying that you was coming I was so pleased. He couldn’t read it himself. He’s not fit. You’ll see. You must be tired after the journey. Would you like to rest first … ?”

“No,” I said. “First I want to hear about him and see him.”

“I am not sure when you can see him. It will depend on the doctor.”

“The doctor is here?”

“He wouldn’t have the local man. He sent for his own doctor. It’s lucky for us that Dr. Cabel, having retired from practice, was able to stay here. He’s here now.”

“What happened?”

“It was some sort of seizure. I thought it was the end. Fortunately Dr. Cabel was already here. You see, he’d been ailing before. I suppose he was working up for this and I had said we must call in the doctor. He wouldn’t have it, and at last he agreed to my sending for his old friend Dr. Cabel. They had been friends for years and Dr. Cabel had looked after him before. Well, he came, and he stayed, expecting trouble, so he was here when Lordy had his seizure. He’s been here ever since.”

“I’d better go and see my uncle.”

“He must not be disturbed while he’s sleeping. Well, he’s sleeping most of the time, but he mustn’t be excited. Do you mind waiting until the doctor comes in? He’s just taking a little exercise at the moment. As soon as he comes in I’ll tell him you’re here. Let me take you to your room so that you can wash and change if you want to. Then we can talk about it … and I daresay Dr. Cabel will allow you to go in for a few moments.”

“My uncle sounds very ill.”

“My dear.” She gave me a little push, a reminder of the old days. “I thought it was the end. I did really. But let me take you to your room. It’s the same one. That’s all right, is it? And when you’ve washed the journey off you and had a bite to eat you’ll feel rested.”

It sounded reasonable enough but Jethro’s message had been that something strange was going on. I decided to see him at the earliest possible moment.

I went to my room, washed and changed from my riding habit into a dark blue gown. Then I went down to the winter parlor, where some wine and cakes were on the table.

“I don’t know how hungry you are,” said Jessie, “but I thought you’d better have a stopgap between now and supper.”

“I’m not hungry at all. What I want is to hear about Lord Eversleigh.”

“You shall see him as soon as Dr. Cabel comes in. He can tell you more than I.”

“How long has Lord Eversleigh been ill?”

“It’s nigh on two months since the seizure.”

“All that time! I wish I’d known.”

“I wanted to tell you. …” She lowered her eyes and I wanted to shout at her: Then why didn’t you? but I said nothing and waited.

Her eyes were on one of the cakes. She picked it up almost absentmindedly and started to eat it.

I said: “It is a big responsibility for you.”

She stopped chewing and raised her eyes to the ceiling. “Lord bless you,” she said, “you’ve said a mouthful. Still, I’m fond of him and want to give him my best. He’s been good to me. It’s the least I can do.”

I felt nauseated and, as always in the company of this woman, a sense of something sinister which was all the more alarming because it was dressed up to look like normality.

I rose. I couldn’t sit there any longer and I had no appetite for the wine and cakes to which she had referred as a stopgap.

“I’ll walk round the garden,” I said. “I feel the need to stretch my legs. I’ll look forward to seeing Dr. Cabel as soon as he returns.”

“He’ll be wanting to see you.”

I went straight out to the garden. I walked round awhile and then slipped through the shrubbery.

Jethro knew that I was coming and I guessed he would be on the lookout for me. I was right. He was.

“Oh, you’ve come. Mistress Zipporah,” he said. “I’m right glad about that.”

“Thanks for sending your grandson. What’s going on at Eversleigh?”

“That’s what I’d like to know. It’s all a little odd … if you’ll forgive me saying so.”

“What do you mean by odd?”

“I haven’t seen his lordship since it happened. That must be well nigh on two months ago.”

“Couldn’t you slip in during those afternoons?”

“Well, I couldn’t be sure of them. Amos Carew, he’s more often at the house now.”

“What. You mean he’s moved in?”

“Not … not exactly. He’s still got his house … the agent’s house, you know. Oh yes, he’s still there, but more often at the Court.”

“You mean he sleeps there.”

“’Twould seem so, Mistress Zipporah. I’ve seen him coming out in the morning.”

“And that is since Lord Eversleighs seizure?”

“That’s right. They never called in Dr. Forster.”

“Dr. Forster?” I repeated. The name seemed vaguely familiar.

“He’s the new doctor here,” went on Jethro. “Been here a year or two now. People like him. He’s good, they say. But he wasn’t called in to the Court. His lordship sent for his own man.”

“Dr. Cabel,” I said. “Had he ever visited Lord Eversleigh before?”

“No. Seemingways—so I heard from some of the girls up at the Court—Dr. Cabel was an old friend of his lordship and he sent for him and he being retired from his doctoring like, he stays. They say his lordship won’t trust anyone else.”

“That is what Jessie Stirling told me. Well, Jethro, what is strange about all this? It seems Lord Eversleigh has had a stroke, as many people do at his age, and he has called in his own doctor.”

“I don’t know what it be, Mistress Zipporah, but there’s something strange about it. I’ve never been allowed to see his lordship since.”

“He has to be kept quiet, I’m told.”

“Still, I’m not that noisy. I reckon he’d like to see me. He always did. He’d sleep in the afternoons sometimes and never minded being wakened. He used to say ‘Come when you can, Jethro, and if I’m dozing wake me.’ I tried to see him … I crept up there. I know Jessie was out … and where, and Dr. Cabel he was out too. … But I couldn’t get in to see his lordship though I tried.”

“You mean you went up to his room?”

Jethro nodded. “The door was locked. It was almost as though they were expecting someone to call. I thought it was odd, Mistress Zipporah. And one of the maids who’s rather friendly with my grandson told him that Jessie cleans the room herself and none of them is allowed to go in.”

“Well, mightn’t that be that he is so ill she doesn’t want him disturbed?”

“That’s as might be but Jessie was one who never liked to sully her hands and I doubt they’d made contact with a broom for many a long day,” Jethro frowned. “Now I talk of it to you, Mistress Zipporah, it sounds all natural like. It was when I was brooding on it to myself that there seemed something wrong. I hope I haven’t upset you like … bringing you here. …”

“You did absolutely right, Jethro. It is as well that I’m here and can find out from Dr. Cabel how my uncle really is.”

He looked relieved. I said to him: “What else has been happening here? It seems to be just the same at the Court, except that Lord Eversleigh is so ill they have had to call in a resident doctor, and Amos Carew visits the house more often.”

“Oh, there’s Evalina.”

“What happened to her? Isn’t she there now?”

“She married.”

“Oh … and she’s gone away?”

“Not far. You remember Grasslands.”

“Yes, of course, it’s the rather big house … close to Enderby.”

“That’s right. Well, she went as housekeeper to old Andrew Mather. In a few months she’d married him.”

“Oh,” I said, “so Evalina is mistress of Grasslands.”

“A regular little madam she is now. Rides round in her carriage. They say that she fooled the old man good and proper; warmed his bed for him and wormed her way in till she’d got him where she wanted him. She’s learned a trick or two from her mother.”

“What about Enderby?”

“The Forsters are there.”

“Oh yes, I remember. I did meet them when I was here once.”

“Dr. Forster, whose got his practice in the town, is related to them. He’s at Enderby quite a bit, though he has a house in the town.”

“Things have really happened since I was last here. I shall keep in touch with you and if you discover anything that you think I should know do tell me. I’ll call on you again. First I have to see Dr. Cabel. There’s a lot I want to know about my uncle.”

I left Jethro and went back to the house. I went to my room and had not been there very long when there was a knock on the door.

It was Jessie.

“Dr. Cabel is here now. He’s so pleased you’ve come. Will you come down now and see him?”

“With pleasure.”

Eagerly I followed her to one of the small sitting rooms, where Dr. Cabel was waiting for us. He rose and bowed as I entered. He was of tall and commanding appearance and looked every inch the medical man. He was by no means young but he gave the appearance of carrying his years lightly. I guessed he must be some five or ten years younger than my uncle.

“Mistress Ransome,” he said taking my hand, “how glad I am that you have come. I have been saying for some time that you should be sent for.”

“How is my uncle? Is he very seriously ill?”

Dr. Cabel lifted his hands and let them sway from one side to another. “He is,” he said, “and he isn’t. If you mean could he pass away at any moment, the answer is yes … but then so could we all. If you say will he live another six months, a year … two years … even three … well, that could be possible. He has, as I think you know, had a seizure. He is not a young man. But he has survived … and there are indications that he may go on surviving.”