The Butterfly Conspiracy Page 9

“It was becoming worse and worse of late.”

  Royston nodded slowly. “Was this companion, Miss Knight, with her last night?”

  “You mean at the lecture? No, my lord, Miss Knight used to go everywhere with her, to the dressmaker’s but also to balls and lectures inasmuch as her ladyship attended any. Until Foxwell came along. He then accompanied her everywhere. Miss Knight was quite upset about it at first. But she had to accept it, of course.”

  “Yes, of course. I think we need to speak with Miss Knight. Where is she now?”

  Buckleberry said, “Normally she’d be at the house caring for her ladyship. But as Lady Sophia will never come home again, she is probably out and about.”

  The disapproval was thick in his voice. “She always had a reason to leave the house even though it was not her day off. Most disturbing to the household. The maids complained to me that they also wanted such freedom. I told them to become a lady’s companion, then, and that shut them up, as they have no French and can’t play music. But in my heart I did agree with them, my lord. Miss Knight should not have acted as if she was so high and above all of us.”

  “And do you have any idea where she went when she left the house?”

  “On errands her ladyship sent her on, she claimed. But I have always thought she was seeing a man.” Buckleberry nodded self-importantly. “She was always talking about men as if she didn’t need them, but those women often have a secret lover.”

  “Yes, well, that still doesn’t tell us where she is now.”

  Buckleberry shifted in his seat. “I might have an idea.”

  Royston hitched a brow. “Yes? That is what we are here for.”

  Buckleberry said, “Well, it’s just a conjecture of course. But this morning she argued with Mr. Foxwell. I think there was some talk about her having to go now that Lady Sophia was no longer there.”

  “He was giving her notice? With her mistress dead for a few hours? After ten years of service?” Royston’s voice rose more with every new, bewildered question.

  Buckleberry said, “They never took to each other, those two. I think he was waiting for a chance to get rid of her. And now that Lady Sophia is gone, there is no need to keep a lady’s companion about.”

  “He could have let her stay on for a few more weeks. That would have been decent.” Royston glanced at Merula. It was clear he liked Foxwell less and less with every new thing they learned about him.

  Buckleberry said, “As Miss Knight knows she has to find new employment, I can imagine she went to one of those agencies that help companions or nannies. I think I once heard her mention the name Grunstetter to my wife, claiming it is the most prestigious agency in the whole of London, maybe the whole of England.” He grimaced. “You can count on her to come from the most prestigious agency there is.”

  Royston nodded. “We will go there at once. I have heard of it and know the address.” He glanced at Merula again. He seemed to want to know if she had any more questions.

  She looked at Buckleberry. “Are you sure that Lady Sophia and Foxwell ate and drank the same things and that there can’t have been poison in anything she took?”

  Buckleberry waited a few moments. Then he said, “It would be painful if this came out. In fact, it could be quite disastrous for me. But, as you are looking into my mistress’s death and she has always been very generous to me, paying me very well, I want to tell you this. After dinner, when food is left, my wife and I sample some of it. She had bits of the veal from last night’s table and I sampled the wine. Neither of us suffered as much as a stomachache. The third maid put veal on a sandwich for her beau who works in the harbor, and Cook’s little girl ate the pudding. There was no poison in any of it, I am certain.”

  “Thank you for assuring us this way,” Royston said with a half smile.

  Merula asked, “Did Lady Sophia eat any sweets? Did she have anything in her drawstring purse that she might have eaten on the way over to the lecture?”

  “Oh, no. As I told you, she mashed everything and she avoided any foods that were hard. She especially disliked sticky and coated things like sweets. I can ask the maids, but I am quite sure she never ate any of that.”

  “If you could ask if any of them know anything, that might help. Anything peculiar she did before she left the house last night.” Royston sat up, leaning his palms on the table. “It seems she must have come into contact with the poison after she left the house. But where and how?”

  Buckleberry said, “I will, of course, see if I can find out any more for you, my lord. For now…” He waited with an eager expression.

  Royston dug through his pocket and handed him a few coins. “This is to show I have faith in you,” he said. “I can make it a bearer bond if you have more to tell me. Ask your wife, the maids, any female who worked in her rooms and with her wardrobe if they know anything about her habits or peculiarities that might help us. I have no idea yet what we are looking for, so anything unusual could be of the greatest importance.”

  Buckleberry had looked disappointed at the sight of the coins, but the word “bearer bond” made him perk up, and he assured them he’d be thorough. They left him seated with his coffee cup clutched between his fleshy hands, a seemingly innocent servant having a moment to himself before he resumed his domestic duties.

  “I have no idea if we are getting anywhere with this,” Royston observed as they stood outside in the cool wind and mild rain of a grayish afternoon. “But that companion must be able to tell us something. When you’ve served someone for ten years, you know things.”

  CHAPTER 7

  The Grunstetter Agency was situated on the third floor of a building that also housed a lawyer’s office and a stockbroker. Even the stairs were carpeted, and neat brass plates spelled out the names of the various businesses. The solemn silence, however, was broken when they entered the Grunstetter premises. Female voices filled the air in an excited chatter. Six ladies were seated on simple wooden chairs along the wall, one of them in the middle of a tale about being at an exotic market when a hooded stranger placed a hand on her arm. The other ladies gasped and squealed, not even noticing the new arrivals.

  Merula glanced past the faces, looking for one that would strike her as belonging to Lady Sophia’s companion. As Miss Knight had served for ten years, she couldn’t be very young anymore, so the two women who looked only eighteen were dismissed at once.

  Four were left.

  The woman telling the story seemed too animated and outgoing for someone who had been described by Buckleberry as high and mighty. Three left, then …

  Merula studied the faces, not sure whether the intense brown eyes of the woman on the left or the cool blue ones of the woman beside the storyteller seemed most likely to belong to the character she was building in her mind.

  Royston stamped on the floor and called, “Ladies! One moment please.”

  The storyteller fell silent with her mouth wide open, her excited expression giving way to regret and accusation against the man who had suddenly disturbed her moment of glory.

  The others eyed him speculatively, not displeased with what they saw. He was handsome, well dressed, and obviously well-to-do, so why not give him a moment of their time? Perhaps he was looking for a companion for his sister or his wife?

  Royston said, “We’d like a quick word with Miss Knight if she is here.”

  The woman with brown eyes rose to her feet. “I am Miss Knight,” she said in a pleasant voice. “How can I help you?”

  “Outside in the corridor, if you please,” Royston said, and without waiting for her answer he retreated, leaving her to follow them.

  Miss Knight came out with a flush on her face. She crossed her arms over her chest and eyed Royston. “You cannot command me, sir. Not unless you want to hire me.” She glanced at Merula. “Perhaps your wife is in need of a companion?”

  Royston didn’t admit or deny Merula was his wife. He merely said, “You used to work for the unfortunate Lady Sophia?”

/>   The woman’s expression changed from resistant to suspicious. “Who wants to know?”

  “I am a consulting detective hired by an interested party. I’m looking into Lady Sophia’s death.”

  “Isn’t that the task of the police? I think they even made an arrest last night.”

  “They did,” Merula said, “but we doubt that they arrested the right person.”

  Miss Knight gave her a cold stare. “And you are?”

  “She is my client,” Royston said. “I’m sure, Miss Knight, that you are a very observant person and that if your mistress was in danger for her life, you’d have known about it. We desperately need your help.”

  Miss Knight looked at him. “I have to find new employment because I’m being turned out like a dog. I never did anything to deserve such treatment. But here I am. Why would I help you?”

  “Because even if Foxwell is treating you badly, your loyalty lies with Lady Sophia. You were with her for a decade. That is a long period of time to be with someone. You got to know her and you even came to care for her.”

  “She wasn’t an easy woman to please.”

  “But still you tried. You were shocked when you learned of her death.”

  “Of course. She had this tendency to think she would get ill and would die, she was fearful like that, but she was in good health really. The idea that she had just collapsed was … unbelievable.”

  “You were not aware that she had a weak heart or anything of that nature?” Royston probed.

  “No. As I said, she was easily convinced she might have contracted something, she believed every tale a friend told her about strange exotic diseases, but she was really as strong as a horse.”

  “Had a healthy appetite, you’d say?”

  “She was fussy about food, wouldn’t eat certain things. But I think she ate enough to sustain her health. She wasn’t thin.”

  So Merula had been able to see for herself the night before. Lady Sophia had seemed like a strong, healthy woman, except, perhaps, for the reddish tinge in her face.

  Merula asked, “Did she suffer from fainting spells?”

  “She got upset about stories people told her, but she never fainted as far as I saw. I always kept the smelling salts at hand, though, just in case.”

  “You were usually with her when she went out?” Royston pounced at this opportunity to learn more. “Yet you were not with her last night.”

  “No. After Mr. Foxwell came to live with us, he started to accompany her. He didn’t like me to be present as well.” Miss Knight’s lips compressed.

  Royston said, “I barely know him, but he seems like a very … determined man. Likes to have things his way.”

  “Exactly. He acted as if he owned her.”

  “Interesting choice of words. Can you expound?”

  Miss Knight sighed. “I just told you that I am about to be dismissed. I have no wish to speak ill of my mistress or anybody else in her household.”

  “Come, come, Miss Knight,” Royston said, “you are about to be dismissed. You think that is unfair. We both know Mr. Foxwell is to blame, as Lady Sophia would never have let you go. Now you can tell us something about him that will help us along, can’t you?”

  Miss Knight’s expression changed from reluctant to interested. “You think … he is involved in her death?”

  Merula held her breath, waiting for Royston’s response. He could hardly openly accuse Foxwell of involvement. If word of it got back to Foxwell, Royston might face a slander charge.

  Royston said slowly, “Let’s just say that when a man inherits everything, he has a reason to … wish the testator’s death would not be too far in the future?”

  “You have a way with words, sir. I will put it more bluntly. Mr. Foxwell didn’t just wait for Lady Sophia’s death. He was actively expediting the process.”

  Royston hitched a brow. “You must explain yourself.”

  “Mr. Foxwell knew that Lady Sophia was of a nervous disposition and prone to believe even the most unbelievable things. She wasn’t naïve or simple; she was afraid. That makes all the difference, believe me. She was clever enough to understand that some things were nonsense, but still she could not dismiss them from her mind, as she was certain they were going to harm her.”

  “Things or people?” Royston asked.

  Miss Knight sighed. “One day she wanted lavender for her bedroom because she had heard it made you sleep better; the next she had heard from someone else that the scent caused headaches and she wanted it to be removed again. You never knew what she might come up with next. She had always been like that, but after her husband’s death it became an obsession. He had a very good influence on her, you know, calming her fears. Left alone, she was devastated.”

  She looked down and muttered, “Poor woman.”

  “But then Foxwell came into her life.” Royston encouraged her to go on with the story. “Then she wasn’t alone anymore, so you’d think this would be good for her.”

  “You’d think so, yes, but the truth was something else completely. Foxwell soon noticed what state she was in. He realized that by playing on her fears, he could control her.”

  “Control her?” Merula repeated. “That is an odd word choice.”

  “Not at all. It was his intention all along. He realized that if he controlled her, he’d control her fortune. Her money and the collection.”

  “You mean the zoological collection?” Merula asked. “Kept at the country estate?’

  “Exactly. It contains many rare and valuable specimens.”

  “Have you ever seen it?”

  “Seen it? I know every bit in it.” The companion pulled back her shoulders, her face lighting with something close to pride. “Lady Sophia didn’t know a thing about animals. In fact, she loathed them and was even afraid to come near a mounted animal. She thought they were dirty and carried disease. I didn’t feel that way at all. I found them fascinating. When my master was still alive, he showed me the specimens and we talked about them for hours.”

  “So you know the collection? So you know that items in it don’t belong to Lady Sophia but to others who lent them to the curio cabinet.”

  Miss Knight exhaled in a scoff. “So that is what you’re really after. Who are you working for? Havilock?”

  “So you know Havilock is one of the men who wants to have his property back?”

  “I could hardly not know that. He came to the house and threatened Lady Sophia.”

  “He threatened her?” Merula echoed, glancing at Royston.

  Miss Knight said, “He demanded to have some items back. Lady Sophia denied having them. He got angry and reached out to grab her by the shoulders and shake her. She staggered back. I got up from the corner where I sat and approached them, trying to remind him of his place. He didn’t even notice me and shouted that he’d solve the matter as he had in India.”

  “India?” Royston frowned. “Do you know what he was referring to? Has Lady Sophia been to India? Did she have dealings with Havilock there?”

  Miss Knight shook her head. “Lady Sophia has never been to India, at least not since I’ve worked for her.”

  Royston hmmed. “We must look into this,” he muttered. “Very interesting. What could Havilock have meant?”

  Miss Knight continued, “I asked him to leave and he did. I told Lady Sophia she should inform the police that he had harassed her, but she didn’t want to. Foxwell also advised against it. Of course he didn’t want the police to know.”

  “Because of damage to Lady Sophia’s name?” Merula asked.

  Miss Knight laughed softly. “Because his own thefts might come to light. He has been selling off items from the collection.”

  “What?” Royston said. “How could he do that?”

  “As I said, Lady Sophia abhorred those dead animals and never set foot in the curio cabinet. She had no idea what her husband owned. Foxwell could easily sell things off without her ever knowing about it. And now that she’s dead and he
’s the sole heir…”

  Royston nodded. “Do you have any proof of things he sold? Do you know for certain that a piece you once saw in the curio cabinet is now elsewhere?”

  Miss Knight shook her head. “I think that’s one of the reasons Foxwell didn’t want me to accompany Lady Sophia anymore. Because he was afraid I would enter a home and discover a piece there that shouldn’t be. He also tried to come between my mistress and me to isolate her and to make sure she did anything he asked. He controlled her completely by putting new fears into her head. He alienated her from all of her old friends.”

  “I see.” Royston pursed his lips. “Last night you could not come, but you did help her prepare for her departure, I presume? Did she eat sweets or in any other way take anything that could explain her collapse?”

  Miss Knight shook her head.

  Merula suggested, “Did she take a calming draft before she went out, to steady her nerves? Laudanum, for instance? Could she have taken an overdose?”

  Merula wasn’t sure what symptoms this would have caused, but they had to try every possibility. “Perhaps poison was introduced earlier by someone, into the drops?”

  Miss Knight shook her head. “Lady Sophia didn’t take any laudanum or other drops. She ate dinner with Mr. Foxwell. I believe they ate and drank the same things. At least that is what he claims.”

  Royston didn’t reveal what they had learned from the butler about this. He merely said, “If I asked you to conjecture, using your knowledge of the household and Lady Sophia’s actions before she left for the lecture, when and how the poison was introduced to her, could you tell me?”

  Miss Knight shook her head. “I can’t. I have been thinking about it, but I can’t see how. It must have happened after she left the house. In the carriage, perhaps, when she was alone with Foxwell.”

  Royston looked at Merula. “He might have lied, of course, about her not taking anything during the ride to Havilock’s. He could easily have given her something to suck on.”

  Merula expected the companion to deny this, as she must have known Lady Sophia never ate sweets as Buckleberry had told them, but Miss Knight said nothing.