The Edge

Back in the garden my nerves began to jangle again. The lights in the dining room were out, only the drawing room was lit. I heard the church clock sounding ten far down in the valley. I hurried on towards the house, intending to take the same route back as I had on the way out but suddenly I smelt cigarette smoke.

I froze and crouched beside the boxed hedges of the lower garden. The smell of smoke was coming from the drive. Peering cautiously around the corner I saw my husband and brother in law smoking on the steps.

My way was blocked, there was no escape that way. I could wait but it risked being found as I was not sure how long the nurse would sleep for. My only other way in was to get in via the stable doors. I got up my courage and ran towards the left hand side of the house, behind the bushes, shielded from the men.

When I reached the left wing of the house, I looked about me. The kitchen door was open, and the servants were passing in and out, I could hear their chatter. No hope of getting in there un noticed. I leant against the wall in desperation then noticed the windows below me. These were to the dairy and were open. I knelt beside them. They were open only a few inches and I pulled at them experimentally. They opened fully, and I realised I could fit my entire body in, if I went at an angle, my hips towards the top of the frame. I had to chance it! I gathered my sodden muddy clothes close about me and pushed my feet, my legs and hips through. I was fitting! I soon had my entire upper body through and then my head and I was in! I sat on the counter below the window and pulled it back to its former position.

Getting down I saw mud over the entire counter from my boots and skirts. I pulled ff my cloak, damp with mist, and used it t scrub off the mud. My boots were filthy from it and I reached down and pulled them off. I could hear people just feet away in the other room! I had no time to mind the floor, I held fast to my cloak, wrapped about my filthy boots and darted to the door. My baby was moving inside me, little flutters as if he or she were turning over. The corridor was empty. I heard the footmen with Cook and some of the maids out in the courtyard. I had to risk it! I ran down the corridor and to the back stairs. I began to run. No one called out after me, I heard no cessation in conversation.

Up the stairs, up and up. I reached the ground floor then the first floor. Up again the second. I was out of breath now, panting with it. I dared not rest, I carried on to the third floor and went through the servants door out into the main corridor. I could hear sounds of people coming upstairs, my sister and her husband! I walked quickly with the last of my strength and entered the abandoned nursery, shutting the door behind me and dropping onto the floor in an exhausted heap.

My breath was painful, my lungs burning. I stayed on the floor for a while, letting my heart stop pounding, the spinning of my head abate. I looked around the dark room, cool and quiet. It was empty and the carpets had been taken up. There were no signs of anything familiar. The walls had been stripped of their paper too. There were no ashes left in the grate, the adjoining bedroom for the nursery maid and the nanny was empty also. It was a dead room now, James's spirit was not here. Victoria's children were welcome to it.

I listened at the door again. Sounds of talk, a door closing. Cautiously I opened the nursery door and looked out. The hall way was empty. I lost no time, I started for the set of stairs that lead up to my floor. I was up and beside my own door in moments. I fumbled for the key, found it, unlocked the door.

I check Nurse Ruth to see if she were still sleeping, she was. I went to the looking glass. Bess was there, waiting, her face anxious and when she saw me , it broke into a delighted smile, relief at seeing me safely back. We looked at me, my dress was covered with mud. I pulled it off, taking care not to stain the carpets with any of the dirt and we looked for a hiding place. There were few. In the absence of a better place, I hid the cloak and dress under the chest of drawers where it could not be seen. The boots I shoved under as well, I could clean those later. My petticoats were also mud stained, I had no idea of what to do.

I pulled out the bundle of cloth and took up the key again. I went out into the craft room. There was a small fire in there, red coals dying down. I put on kindling and stoked up the fire. As the flames began to lick up again I ripped the clothes into strips. These I added to the fire, one by one, until they were mostly burnt. I peeled off my petticoats and ripped them too, added them to the fire and waited until the whole heap was smouldering. I placed the guard across the fire and left the room, I would let it burn out over night and so no evidence would be left.

Back inside the room, with the door locked. I began to feel my strength leave me. Fear, excitement, cold and all emotions began to have me at their mercy and I shook so that I could no longer stand. I went to Nurse Ruth, she was sleeping soundly and when I shook her, she did not even stir.

I went into the bathroom, Bess was in the large mirror there and I ran the water into the massive tub. When the room was steaming with the heat, I poured in some cold, then got in. The warm water was revitalising, I luxuriated in it. I left the bathroom door open so that the mirror did not steam up and I told Bess all of what had happened.

She was frankly astonished but said she was happy for me. The doctor seemed a good man, she was sure he would act in my defence. Once I had washed enough and felt warm again, I rose and dried myself. I put on a bed gown, I made some hot spiced wine which I drank before the fire. Nurse Ruth was still deeply asleep.

"Should I try to wake her?" I asked anxiously, for I had not thought she would sleep so long. Bess told me no, she will wake in time. I feared to let her sleep any longer but at the same time, I was no utterly exhausted. I went to bed, too tired to even dream.

In the morning Nurse was groggy but awake. She asked how I had slept and when I said well, she nodded and said that our dinner had clearly been soporific, perhaps she should let the windows be opened for an hour or so after dinner, air out the room and so forth? I nodded then asked if I might be allowed into the craft room? I wished to do some painting.

Nurse Ruth hesitated. Apparently my husband had said I was not to leave my bedroom. She would ask of course, but he was at the mine, the only person to ask was my sister. Perhaps I should look through the various trinkets I had taken from Rhiannon's room? She could also fetch me some frames to mount the pictures and so forth.

While she left me to do that, I opened the trinket box. Inside were several brooches, a few hat pins and such like. They had little value by themselves but I decided to keep them anyway. They might do as gifts to some of the maids, and I determined to write each a little note and give them as tokens of esteem for their service. The jewel cases were more interesting. There were six in total, the first was a simple pearl necklace which had been given on her fifteenth birthday. I put that aside to keep for myself. The others had all been gifts to mark certain events, her engagement, her wedding, the birth of her first child, an anniversary. They were all but priceless too, rows of rubies, emeralds, sapphire and diamond. I charitably put the emerald box aside for Victoria, it would go with her ring. The others I would keep myself. These went into my strong box.

I placed the glass blue bird on the desk so I would see it as I wrote, the rose on my dressing table. I boxed and allocated the little brooches for the servants, each with a note, thanking them on behalf of their late mistress for their loyal service. Nurse Ruth came back in and I asked her to take them down to the staff with my compliments. The footmen and housemen had each been awarded a sovereign from me so that no person was left out.

Next I framed the pictures and wrote a memorandum to the house keeper as to where they should go. This done I drummed my fingers on my desk and felt bored. There was so little to do. Nurse Ruth came back, she tried to get me to knit or sew but I shook my head. I wanted to be outside, to walk about or feel the wind on my face. My baby was restless inside me, kicking and moving. Thinking of my baby made me stop a consider a while.

If I left, I left my son's body. I would not be able to see his grave ever again. It was a sobering prospect. If I left then there was much I would leave behind me. I could not be able to take much with me at all, and what I left behind might never be reclaimed.

There was a knock on the door. Nurse answered it and had a conversation at the door with someone, who kept their voice so low that I could not hear who they were. After a few minutes Nurse went out, locking the door behind her. She returned after fifteen minutes looking grim. She locked up the door and came over to me, her face a still mark of disapproval.

"I am sorry, my lady, but I am afraid that I must trouble you to come downstairs with me. Master has returned and requires your presence in the library." I was dressed in my brown woollen gown and my hair was already smooth so I followed her downstairs. Nurse looked worried all the way.

Inside the library were my husband who was standing beside the desk. To his right sat Victoria and standing beside her, Mr Eveleigh. Jones the butler and Mrs Levin were standing to my husbands left. I was taken to a chair on my husbands left side and Nurse stood behind me. Once I had been seated my husband gave a nod to his footman who opened the main doors and the entire house hold staff, including the grooms and the gardeners, were ushered in. All stood in a semi circle in from of the family. All faces were either confused or worried.

My husband cleared his throat and began.

"I am sure you are all wondering why I have called you all here today. The reason is very serious and I expect all of you to keep it to within the household circle, and not to be discussed in the village.

Last night some person or person's entered this house through a kitchen window. They are expected to have an accomplice, currently un known, who may have been in the house for sometime and these people are suspected of being about to rob various valuable items. Since no evidence has been found to suggest that they have left the house, it is my wish to the house be searched from top to bottom.

Mrs Levin and all the female staff will please stay here while I divide the men up into groups to search the house systematically, floor by floor. Mr Jones will lead the main group and will keep the keys to locked rooms with him. I ask for everyone's complete co-operation." Michael then began to divide the men into teams of four, who were sent off to search the house. The maids were asked to take seats while we waited, and I looked at my husband to discover what exactly had been found.

He stepped close to me and Nurse Ruth, where we sat beside Mrs Levin and spoke to us all, Victoria and her husband stepping close as well.

"I am sure you may well wonder about this, wife. The fact is, a kitchen window was found open last night, with muddy footprints on the floor. They had not been there when the room was used at dinner and the floor is always kept clean. The footprints end in the room, we suspect that the wearer removed them when they went further into the house. It may be that you did not imagine those footprints in my mother's empty room the other day ,Imogen. I think that perhaps this person might have gained access before." Victoria butted in.

"Or have an accomplice, brother. Someone within the house, possibly?" Michael shook his head.

"I think not, all the staff have been here at least three years. No, I believe some outsider has gained entrance here before last night on a few occasions, perhaps seeking to take valuable jewellery as this may be taken easily and without hope of being found after being sold on." He looked at my face which had grown pale with fear, knowing as I did that it was my footprints that had been found. Michael reached out and patted my shoulder, motioned to the nurse who hastened to get me a glass of brandy. Michael said to the maids that they might also take a small glass, owing to the fact that they were many of them frightened.

Victoria was as pale as I was but I detected that she was enjoying the experience. Mrs Levin was quietly concerned, the maids were chattering amongst themselves and Michael seemed on edge and worried. Victoria talked on and on about how someone might be hiding somewhere in the house, ready to leap out if found until Michael told her to be quiet and stop creating more fear. After an hour the teams of men returned. No person, living or dead, had been found. No evidence of any one had been found anywhere. Michael commanded that the gardens now be searched, the outhouses and stables, the greenhouses and up as far as the park. The men departed.

It was now considered safe for me to return to my room but Nurse Ruth asked that I be allowed to stay downstairs a while, I had been shaken by the events of today and some company other than her own might be welcome. Michael might have objected had I not put in that I had a gift for his sister, and he authorised Nurse Ruth to go up and get it while the rest of us stayed in the library. With her gone and the maids dismissed to go about their work, Michael stood talking with his sister and brother in law only, ignoring me. Mrs Levin sat beside me and talked of easy things, to sooth me I think.

When Nurse re-entered with the jewel case, I presented it to Victoria with an explanation that it was the accompanying piece to her ring and I wished her to have it. Michael and her husband came up to see what was in the box.

As the lid of the box was raised, a general gasp of admiration went up and the maids clustered about to see it, chattering like birds about how lovely the necklace was.

It was a choker in style, with an enormous square cut emerald as it's centre piece. Strung either side of this were a double row of smaller emeralds and diamonds which interwove to create a diamond pattern about the neck. The clasp was gold and from the central emerald hung one lovely droplet of crystal, cut into a multi faceted ball. All together it's value was priceless.

Victoria instantly took it from the box and put it about her neck, went in front of the glass to see how it suited her. It looked very well with the red hair and brought out the deeper green shades of her eyes. She thanked me warmly for the gift, although her eyes were watchful and shrewd. She had not been bought but she would play along nicely to get what she wanted.

Michael gave me an approving look but still kept his distance, he was angry yet over what he saw as my disobedience. As Victoria placed the necklace back into it's box, a group of men came back in from the garden, bowed and said they had found something. Michael bad them speak. The head gardener was the one who spoke for them.

"Beg your pardon your Lordship, but we have found evidence of people in the garden, thought we think only one entered the house. There are footprints clear to see in the mud on the lower garden, leading up to the house. we couldn't find evidence of steps back but we traced them to where the person came in, from the garden gate. Just one person came in, your lordship but three people were there in total. We found the footprints of two others outside the gate, which move off through the park and get lost in the grass. Cant follow them but sure as I stand here, it means their accomplice is still inside the house."