A False Mirror - Charles Todd [42]
The door was suddenly pushed wider. “You wanted to speak to me, Inspector? Is it Matthew? Is he all right?” The woman standing there was quite beautiful, in a fragile and defenseless way. The kind of woman, in his experience, who brought out protectiveness in men, the need to shield and guard. Rutledge had found such women to be very capable of looking after themselves.
Jean had been fragile too, until her own needs had driven her to strength.
“You ought to be with him, Mrs. Hamilton.” Rutledge spoke directly to her. “He needs to feel your presence there beside him.”
“Then you must do something to end this silly business,” she said fiercely.
Even her voice was intriguing, low and gentle. It enhanced the helpless image. She was like a child, he thought, but by no means childish. He could see her mind working behind the pretty eyes focused on his face.
When he said nothing, she looked from Rutledge to Mallory, pulling her blue woolen sweater closer about her, almost to the point of wrapping her arms about herself. She added quickly, the anger gone and worry in its place, “Are you lying to me? Is he better and you aren’t telling me, just to frighten me? Or is he truly worse, and you’re afraid to let me hear it?” She stood there, waiting for him to commit himself to a lie or the truth.
“There’s little change,” Rutledge told her finally. He was suddenly afraid to pit her against Mallory and add to the man’s agitation. “Which may not be a very good sign. The doctor feels he ought to have come round by now. And he hasn’t.”
Something stirred in her eyes, fear coiling and uncoiling. “And if I wanted to go to him? What then? Who would take my place here? And would you let me come back again?” She glanced quickly at Mallory, then away. “I must come back, you see. For—for Nan’s sake. I can’t leave her in this predicament all alone.”
“I could stay here, in your place,” Rutledge offered for a second time. “I think Mr. Mallory would accept that.”
“No!” The word was explosive, angry. “I warned you not to bring it up, damn you. You’re no use to either of us caught in Bennett’s trap with me.” Mallory had stepped in front of Felicity Hamilton, as if half expecting her to push through the door and run out to the motorcar or down the drive, before he could stop her. “Get out of here, Rutledge, and don’t come again until you’ve got news. I’ve had enough of your meddling, do you hear me? Help me by finding the man responsible for this, or stay away from me.”
“But, Stephen,” Mrs. Hamilton said, turning to him, pleading. “It’s not meddling. I wouldn’t be long—I’d go and sit with Matthew for just a little while, and then come straight back here. I promise you.”
“Felicity. They wouldn’t let you come back. Don’t you understand? They’re using Matthew to make trouble. Frightening you so that you’ll rush down to Granville’s surgery and—” He broke off. “Don’t look at me like that,” he pleaded. “This is none of my doing.”
“You didn’t see him lying there, Stephen. You didn’t see the blood and the bandages. I did.” She whirled back to Rutledge. “You’ll give me your word I can come back, won’t you?”
“It’s not his word that matters. For God’s sake, Bennett won’t have given his, and so he’s free to do as he pleases. I don’t want to hang for something I didn’t do. Even if Matthew dies—”
“No, don’t say that!” she exclaimed. “I won’t let you even think it.”
Rutledge could see the anguish in Mallory’s face and the intensity in Mrs. Hamilton’s, each with a need the other couldn’t meet. A confrontation neither had anticipated at the start of this debacle.
Hamish said, “It’s no’ a very good thing—”
And Rutledge cut his words short, saying quickly to Mrs. Hamilton, “He’s right. Bennett won’t be bound by my promises. If you leave here, there’s no turning back.” He looked over her head to Mallory’s tight face.
“We needn’t stand here on the steps quarreling. Let me in—”
“No!” Mallory said again. “You’ve already made matters worse. Why haven’t you done as I asked, why haven’t you got to the bottom of this business?