A Monstrous Regiment of Women - Laurie R. King [75]
“Margery, of course. Rachel Mallory, she supervises the office staff. Come to that, anyone with access to the filing cabinets. There’s a file in there entitled ‘Wills,’ so we have a record of bequests.”
Convenient. “Is the cabinet kept locked?”
“Oh, yes. But the keys are in Susanna’s desk drawer, which isn’t locked.”
“So no more than two hundred people could have seen the file. That narrows my search down considerably: all I have to do is find someone who can read and who loves Margery. Easy enough.”
“What are you going to do, Mary?”
“Make myself indispensable around the Temple and ask many chatty questions.” And soon, I did not add, I would make suggestions that I was about to write a new will.
“Be careful, Mary.”
“Me? Good heavens, there’s no danger for me. You haven’t said anything about Holmes, though, have you? That he’s a friend of mine?”
“Not since you told me not to.”
Oh dear. “And before?”
“I don’t know. I vaguely remember saying something about the two of you, just a remark, such as ‘I had rooms in Oxford with a girl reading theology who actually knew Sherlock Holmes.’ Something like that.”
“Whom did you say it to?”
“I can’t remember, Mary, I’m terribly sorry, but there were half a dozen people, and I think I was at the Temple, but it might well have been a weekend house party.”
She was getting upset, which would do her no good.
“Don’t worry about it, Ronnie. If it comes to you, let me know, but something that vague—it’s not likely to be of any importance. What is important is getting you well and keeping you safe. I don’t think they’ll try again, but I don’t wish to lose a friend because I misjudged a madman. I’d like you to do two things for me.”
“Anything.”
“Listen to what they are before you agree,” I suggested. “First, I’d like to inform Scotland Yard. They’ll come and ask for a statement. You’ll have to tell them about the will, and when they ask if you were pushed, all you need tell them is that you can’t remember it but it might have been possible. They’ll put a guard on your door until the doctor says you may leave.”
“Is that it?”
“No. The second thing is, I want you to go away. Not for long, two or three weeks at the most, but thoroughly away. We’ll tell everyone you’re in a private clinic, recuperating. You can even go to one, if you like.”
“I can’t, Mary.”
“You must. You’re going to be out on home leave for at least three weeks, in any case. We’ll just make you a home from home. Please, Veronica, I beg you. My eyes are going to be too busy to keep one on you.”
“If I may?” Miles spoke up. “There’s a lodge I use, in Scotland. A bit on the bleak side this time of year, but there’s a large woodpile.”
“Perfect,” I got in before Veronica could say no. “You’ll take Ronnie up as soon as the doctors here give her leave, and you’ll stick to her like glue until I give you the high sign.”
I completely ignored Ronnie’s slow flush. Miles shot her a glance and retracted his hand, then scowled sternly down at her bedcover.
“There’re servants there, of course,” he said. “As chaperones. If you don’t think—that is…”
“I can only see one possible complication, Lieutenant Fitzwarren,” I said, and stopped there. He met my eyes, and his spine slowly straightened.
“There is nothing that need concern you, Miss Russell. While Veronica—while the safety of Miss Beaconsfield is my responsibility, you need not worry yourself as to my fitness.”
“That is most gratifying, Lieutenant Fitzwarren,” I said, and it did not seem odd to either of us that I, barely more than a girl, should stand in judgement concerning him. “Either Holmes or I will be here tomorrow, and we will arrange for transport and communication. In the meantime, you will, I hope, say nothing about this to anyone, even your families.” They agreed, nervously. I turned to go, and my eye fell on the shaky pile of reading material. “Is there a Strand in there?” I asked, and without waiting for permission, I began to paw through the stack until I found the December issue, with the article I was