CHAPTER FIFTEEN (Part Two)
Linda called on her mother mid-day.
‘What have you brought me today, child,’ Daisy asked. ‘Some of Mrs Jowett’s scones, I hope.’
‘Mam, you can’t expect to receive something every visit. Mrs Jowett is generous but we mustn’t take advantage.’
Daisy sniff, annoyed. ‘There’s plenty at Cliff House and I expect Mrs Jowett feathers her own nest quick enough.’
‘Mam, that’s unfair.’
‘Unfair!’ Daisy’s nostrils flared. ‘Considering who your father is...’
Linda felt her face flame to be reminded of her shameful origins. ‘Mam! Please!’
‘Well!’ Daisy folded her arms and looked unrepentant. ‘I’m thinking of your future, my girl,’ she said. ‘You’ll be ready to marry soon and you have precious little in way of a dowry.’
‘I’ll never marry,’ Linda said lowering her head. ‘What decent man would want me with my family background?’
‘Oh, there’s many a man would take you for your looks alone.’
‘I don’t want to talk about it,’ Linda said with a tone of finality. To change the subject she remarked. ‘Has something happened in the village? I noticed groups of people talking together.’
‘Oh, that’ll be talk about the dead woman found on the shoreline earlier this morning.’
Linda looked startled. ‘A dead woman? Who is she?’
Daisy shrugged. ‘No one knows. She was lying below the cliffs at Cliff House.’
Linda put her hand to her throat. ‘Not Rosalind!’ she cried out.
‘A stranger, I told you, Daisy said impatiently. ‘According to Twm Beynon’s description she might be a lady. Tall she was, with long blonde hair left to grow wild. I wondered if she belongs to Cliff House.’
Linda drew back in shock, her hand covering her mouth. No, it could not be. She jumped up from her chair at the table and reached for her bonnet and shawl.
‘I must go, Mam.’
‘But you’ve only just got here!’ Daisy’s eyes narrowed. ‘You know something, my girl. Out with it!’
‘There’s no time now,’ Linda said hastily. Her hands were shaking as she pulled on her bonnet and threw the shawl around her shoulders. She must return and seek out Rosalind to reassure herself that everything was all right at the cottage.
‘You stay right here and tell me everything now!’ Daisy thundered. ‘I’m your mother. I have a right to know what danger my daughter might be in.’
‘Your curiosity must go unfed for once, Mam,’ Linda said crisply. ‘Rosalind might be in danger herself.’
With that parting shot Linda ran from her mother’s cottage, dread making her hurry.
For the umpteenth time in the last hour Rosalind went to the cottage door and stood gazing along the path through the woods expecting to see the returning figure of Cynthia Trevellian.
She had been gone since before breakfast and now the lunch hour had passed also with no sign of her. Several times Rosalind had been on the point of going to look for her, but she felt that would be too much like complying with Sir Leopold’s wish that she spy for him.
Where could Cynthia be all this time? Had she gone to the house to visit her daughters? Rosalind was at a loss but knew Cynthia would return when she was good and ready. She felt some annoyance at the inconsiderate behaviour. Meals had been prepared and were now wasted.
Rosalind was about to turn back into the cottage when she saw through the trees someone was running along the path. She felt a sense of relief but it was short lived as Linda Bream came into view. Her bonnet was awry and she looked quite out of breath.
‘Linda! Why are you in such a hurry?’
‘Oh, Rosalind. Something dreadful has happened.’
Linda’s face was chalky white and she was shaking. Rosalind felt a tremor of alarm.
‘Has something happened to Mr Cedric?’ she burst out.
She knew he was at the Neath mines today and often went underground to make inspections even though there were men whose duty it was to do that. Her heart turned over in her breast. Had there been a mine accident?
‘No, not Mr Cedric. Oh, Rosalind it’s awful.’
‘Is Pricilla ill?’
‘No, no. It’s Mrs Trevellian, Rosalind. She’s dead.’
Speechless with shock and horror Rosalind could only stare at her.
‘She was found at the foot of the cliffs earlier,’ Linda hurried on. ‘The watchman, Mr Beynon, took the body to his cottage in the village. He has no idea who she is but I know it’s her.’
Rosalind wrung her hands. ‘How do you know it is Mrs Trevellian?’
‘Mr Beynon spoke to my mother and gave a description. Tall with wild blonde hair.’ Linda put her knuckles to her mouth. ‘It can’t be anyone else than Mrs Trevellian. Oh, Rosalind, what shall we do?’
Rosalind felt icy cold with the ghastliness of what had happened. It was not so long ago that someone, a footpad, had tried to throw her over the cliff. Had Cynthia Trevellian fallen victim to the same evil creature?
‘We must go to the house immediately and raise the alarm,’ she said.
‘The master is not there. Nor Mr Cedric.’
Rosalind had a thought. ‘Neither Melissa nor Pricilla must not be told of the tragedy yet. It’s Mr Cedric’s place to break the news to them.’ Rosalind reached for her shawl. ‘Come along, Linda. Mr Cedric must be told first. We will speak with Mr Jowett. He can send George on horseback to Neath to bring him the news.’
‘Rosalind, I’m afraid.’
Linda looked stricken and Rosalind took her hand to offer comfort.
‘Yes it is frightening,’ she agreed. ‘But we must bear up.’
‘There is evil abroad in the village, Rosalind, I know it, I can feel it.’ Linda insisted, her lips quivering. ‘It creeps ever closer. First there was the attempt on your life and now Mrs Trevellian has met with a violent end.’
Rosalind hesitated. ‘It might have been an accident,’ she said without conviction. ‘Cynthia could’ve missed her footing. I know she walked the path most mornings.’
‘I’ll not use the cliff path again,’ Linda vowed. ‘And neither must you, Rosalind.’
Rosalind agreed silently. ‘No more time should be lost. Linda. Come with me now to find Mr Jowett.’
‘It’ll be several hours before Mr Cedric can get here,’ Mr Jowett said thoughtfully as he saddled a horse. ‘Perhaps I should go and see for myself that it really is Mrs Trevellian afore we go raising the alarm.’
‘It’s her, I know it,’ Linda persisted.
‘I think Mr Jowett is right, Linda,’ Rosalind said more cautiously. ‘Identification must be made before speaking to Mr Cedric. It would be too upsetting for him if we are wrong.’
Mr Jowett mounted the horse. ‘I’ll not be long,’ he said as he started to move forward. ‘Say nothing to anyone, not even my wife.’
Rosalind and Linda watched him go until he was out of sight.
‘I must wait in the cottage,’ Rosalind and. ‘If I’m spotted around the house it will arouse curiosity.’
‘I must get back to my duties,’ Linda said. ‘Although I don’t know how I will be able to keep silent.’
‘You must,’ Rosalind warned her. ‘For Pricilla and Melissa’s sake.’
The silence of the cottage was strangely unnerving Rosalind found as she waited anxiously for Mr Jowett’s return. If it was Mrs Trevellian that had met such a dreadful end where would it all lead? Rosalind felt a terrible dark cloud had descended over Cliff House once again.