The Complete Ravenscar Trilogy: The Ravenscar Dynasty, Heirs of Ravenscar, Being Elizabeth

He smiled at her, touching her cheek with a fingertip. ‘And that’s how you look—absolutely well.’

As he savoured his whisky and soda, Edward told her about the tiaras his mother owned, and that she was going to send them to the jewellers to have them appraised and then sold. ‘She insists on doing this, Lily, in order to finance the purchase of a house for me. In Mayfair. I understand she’s already seen one in Berkeley Square, and thinks it’s ideal for me. She wants me to have my own household.’

Lily nodded, smiling and was about to tell him she had seen one for herself nearby in South Audley Street, which she was contemplating buying. But she knew it would be inappropriate. The last thing she wanted was for him to think she was trying to cling, because of the baby she was expecting.

Ned said, ‘You looked as if you were about to tell me something, Lily, but changed your mind. What was it?’

‘Nothing,’ she lied, and went on, ‘Shall we look at the menu, I am a little hungry.’

He nodded and signalled to the waiter who was by their side in a split second. He gave them the menus, recommended various items and departed.

Lily said, ‘I think I will have Dover sole: it’s light.’

‘So will I. And what would you like first?’

‘Nothing really—well, perhaps a cup of bouillon soup. I find if I eat anything heavy at night I suffer from indigestion these days.’

He smiled, leaned into her, and whispered, ‘You poor thing…I can’t wait to see our child, hold her.’

‘Oh you’ve decided on the sex, have you? A girl, eh?’

‘Well, you know how much I love women,’ he answered before he could stop himself; he could have bitten off his tongue and looked suddenly chagrined, shook his head, seemed somehow helpless.

Lily simply laughed, being a wise woman.

Edward said, ‘What shall we call the baby? Lily?’

‘I’d like to call her after you, so I prefer Edwina.’

‘Edwina Lily, how about that?’

‘And Edward, if it’s a boy, is that all right with you, Ned?’

‘Anything you want, my darling. I do adore you, you know.’

The waiter returned and took their order, and they sat back, happy at being together in this elegant restaurant, enjoying each other and sharing the evening, at ease in their relationship.

It was after their first course that Lily suddenly announced in a quiet, rather subdued voice, ‘Ned, I want to ask you something. It’s really important for me to discuss it with you, and I must have an answer from you tonight.’

Alarmed, he looked at her swiftly, and exclaimed, ‘What is it, Lily? Is there something wrong? What on earth’s the matter?’

‘I’m not sure how to begin, because it’s a morbid subject but I have been troubled…’ She took a deep breath. ‘Let me start again. As you know, I was an only child, and my parents are dead. I have no other family, only a few good friends, most particularly Vicky. And because I’m alone in this world I’ve worried about something quite a lot lately. Women do die in childbirth, you know. It’s not unheard of, and I worry that I could die. And then what would happen to the baby? Our baby. So I want to know your thoughts on this, Ned. I couldn’t bear it if the child were put up for adoption.’

Startled by her words, he was also appalled at the thought of Lily dying and their child being put up for adoption, lost to him forever. He didn’t have to think twice before answering her immediately. ‘You’re not going to die, I promise you that. You’re a healthy young woman, and you take good care of yourself. You’ll both be fine. But if something ghastly did happen and you…died in childbirth, and the baby lived, you know I wouldn’t permit our child to be adopted. Never, Lily. Never. Please trust me on that. I promise you I would take the child, bring it up.’

‘You’d do that alone? How would you handle it? What about other women? You’ll get married one day. A wife might not be overjoyed at the thought of your illegitimate little girl or boy. Am I not right?’

‘Yes, perhaps you are. But I believe my mother would happily raise the child, with the help of a nanny. And of course I would see the child all the time. Does that satisfy you?’

‘Yes, it does! And it was the answer I was hoping you would give, Ned. You see, I know women, know how easily the child of another woman could get in the way in a relationship.’ Lily gave him a huge smile, and squeezed his arm. ‘If anything goes wrong, then your mother can take over…I’m so happy you suggested it.’

He took her hand in his, squeezed it. ‘Lily, let’s not talk about your dying…I can’t stand that thought, I really can’t. Let’s be happy tonight, happy that we’re together.’

TWENTY-NINE (#)

Edward Deravenel was not easily rattled. In fact, he was almost always composed, in control. This afternoon, as he walked at a measured pace down the corridor to John Summers’s office, he was perfectly at ease with himself and with the world. And he had a good idea why he had been sent for by Summers. There was news.

When he arrived at the door of Summers’s office he knocked and walked straight in; he was not at all startled to see Inspector Laidlaw sitting there with Rob Aspen. He had expected him to be there.

‘Hello, Inspector,’ he said, and looked across at the two other men. ‘Afternoon, Summers, Aspen.’

They both responded, and John said, ‘Come and join us. ‘We’re waiting for Oliveri so we can begin.’

At this very moment Alfredo knocked and walked in, looking somewhat harassed. ‘Afternoon, everyone,’ he said in an offhand, rather casual way, and took a chair next to Edward.

Inspector Laidlaw pushed his chair back a little, so that the other four men in the room were in his line of vision. ‘Well, gentlemen, I’m here to tell you that I don’t have very much news to give you. We have done a very intensive investigation into Aubrey Masters’s death, and we’ve come up empty-handed.’

‘What exactly does that mean, Inspector?’ John Summers asked, steepling his fingers, a habit of his, and frowning at the detective, looking displeased.

‘There are no suspects. We don’t believe anyone gave him digitalis, because there seems to be no reason anyone would want to kill him. He led a plain life, somewhat humdrum, in fact. It was a dull marriage, his wife is a bit reclusive, but there were no other women.’

‘But did he have a heart condition?’ Rob Aspen asked, ‘and did you manage to trace Dr Springer?’

‘He did not have a heart condition, nor was he prescribed digitalis because he didn’t need it,’ the inspector explained. ‘We did find Dr Springer, and he turned out to be a psychiatrist, one who is a follower of Dr Freud. He could throw a little light on Mr Masters’s life in general, although he did show us the medical files pertaining to Mr Masters. He explained that Masters was concerned with his lack of sexuality, worried that this problem was affecting his relationship with his wife. Apparently he firmly believed that she felt neglected.’

The inspector paused, then added, ‘Dr Springer was analysing him.’

‘So did he die of an overdose of digitalis or not?’ Alfredo now asked, a trifle impatiently. He was in a hurry, wanted this meeting to come to a conclusion so he could talk to Edward Deravenel privately.

‘Yes, he did,’ the inspector confirmed quietly.

‘There was an inquest this morning, wasn’t there?’ Edward said, as he stared at the Scotland Yard man.

‘Indeed there was, Mr Deravenel, and the coroner brought in a verdict of accidental death.’ Laidlaw paused for a moment, then finished, ‘In my opinion there could be no other verdict than this. My sergeant and I believe that Masters accidentally poisoned himself with his vegetarian mix of seeds and pods, the stuff he ate, and apparently had eaten for years. It could have built up, the toxicity. The medical examiner thinks that anyway.’

‘Didn’t you examine his vegetarian mix at his home?’ Edward gave the detective another hard stare.

‘We did indeed, but there was nothing much there, and certainly there was no digitalis in the mixture we did find. You see, the idea was to buy everything fresh several times a week, at least so Mrs Masters told us.’

‘And where did he buy the mix?’ John Summers thought to ask.

‘That’s the problem: we don’t know,’ Laidlaw answered, and added, ‘His wife told us he brought the mixture home with him in a plain, unmarked brown paper bag, so we have no idea what store he bought it at. I told you, we’ve come up empty-handed, I’m afraid. Case closed, gentlemen. There was no crime, in our opinion.’

‘Thank you very much, Inspector Laidlaw,’ Edward said courteously, immediately rising, walking over to the detective, shaking his hand. ‘I, we, appreciate everything you’ve done to solve this, and I suppose it will always remain a mystery, won’t it.’

‘That’s right, sir, it will,’ Laidlaw answered, and took his leave of them.

Edward followed the detective, walked him down the corridor, as he had in the past, heading in the direction of the grand staircase. When they reached it, Edward turned to Laidlaw and said, ‘Inspector, if you ever need anything, need help, whatever it is, please come to me. You’ve been most diligent, and very courteous. Deravenels and I appreciate everything you’ve done.’