A Captain–Esdale–no, that wasn’t it — Emery — no. I have a kind of feeling it began with an E. Or it might have been H.
Rather an unusual kind of name. But I’ve never even thought of it for sixteen years.
He and his wife were staying at the Royal Clarence.” “Summer visitors?” “Yes, but I think that he–or maybe both of them — had known Mrs. Halliday before. They came to the house quite often. Anyway, according to Lily he was sweet on Mrs. Halliday.” “And his wife didn’t like it.” “No, sir…. But mind you, I never believed for a moment that there was anything wrong about it. And I still don’t know what to think.” Gwenda asked, “Were they still here — at the Royal Clarence—when—when Helen — my stepmother went away?” “As far as I recollect they went away just about the same time, a day earlier or a day later — anyway, it was close enough to make people talk. But I never heard anything definite. It was all kept very quiet if it was so. Quite a nine days’ wonder Mrs. Halliday going off like that, so sudden. But people did say she’d always been flighty —not that I ever saw anything of the kind myself. I wouldn’t have been willing to go to Norfolk with them if I’d thought that.” For a moment three people stared at her intently. Then Giles said, “Norfolk? Were they going to Norfolk?” “Yes, sir. They’d brought a house there.
Mrs. Halliday told me about three weeks before — before all this happened. She asked me if I’d come with them when they moved, and I said I would. After all, I’d never been away from Dillmouth, and I thought perhaps I’d like a change — seeing as I liked the family.” “I never heard they had bought a house in Norfolk,” said Giles.
“Well, it’s funny you should say that, sir, because Mrs. Halliday seemed to want it kept very quiet. She asked me not to speak about it to anyone at all — so of course I didn’t. But she’d been wanting to go away from Dillmouth for some time.
She’d been pressing Major Halliday to go, but he liked it at Dillmouth. I even believe he wrote to Mrs. Findeyson whom St.
Catherine’s belonged to, asking if she’d consider selling it. But Mrs. Halliday was dead against it. She seemed to have turned right against Dillmouth. It’s almost as though she was afraid to stop there.” The words came out quite naturally, yet at the sound of them the three people listening again stiffened to attention.
Giles said, “You don’t think she wanted to go to Norfolk to be near this — this man whose name you can’t remember?” Edith Pagett looked distressed.
“Oh indeed, sir, I wouldn’t like to think that. And I don’t think it, not for a moment.
Besides I don’t think that — I remember now–they came from up North somewhere, that lady and gentleman did.
Northumberland, I think it was. Anyway, they liked coming south for a holiday because it was so mild down here.” Gwenda said: “She was afraid of something, wasn’t she? Or of someone? My stepmother, I mean.” “I do remember–now that you say that — ” “Yes?” “Lily came into the kitchen one day.
She’d been dusting the stairs, and she said, ‘Ructions!5 she said. She had a very common way of talking sometimes. Lily had, so you must excuse me.
“So I asked her what she meant and she said that the missus had come in from the garden with the master into the drawingroom and the door to the hall being open, Lily’d heard what they said.
” ‘I’m afraid of you,’ that’s what Mrs.
Halliday had said.
” ‘And she sounded scared too,’ Lily said. ‘Pve been afraid of you for a long time.
You’re mad. You’re not normal. Go away and leave me alone. You must leave me alone. Pm frightened. I think, underneath, I’ve always been frightened of you…’ “Something of that kind — of course I can’t say now to the exact words. But Lily, she took it very seriously, and that’s why, after it all happened, she — ” Edith Pagett stopped dead. A curious frightened look came over her face.