The Edge of the Fall (47 page)

Emmeline nodded, eyes wide.

Now that Arthur had been arrested, the newspapers had started up again with their coverage. The papers were covered with pictures of Arthur, discussions about the family – Arthur and his evil, Celia a ‘war spinster', the rest of the family decadent, decayed. Some of the papers had just reprinted the old pieces they'd used years before.

The men were outside Stoneythorpe, taking pictures, Emmeline was being followed with the twins.
Murderous Germans!
the words shouted.

Celia clipped out the relevant articles, stuffed them into a box, hid it under her bed. She didn't see, couldn't see with it all in front of her, how anyone could come to a trial and think anything good of Arthur at all.

Every moment, the reporters were in the square under the flat. She looked out at midnight, two a.m., five, eight, and they were always there. Waiting.

Celia tried to sound braver than she felt. ‘Listen, Emmy, we have to be calm with him. We can't help him otherwise.'

Emmeline turned her head. ‘I always used to make him angry.'

‘So did I. So did everyone. But we're helping him now. Anyway, I told you how different he was in Paris.'

Arthur had been intending to come back. But at the last minute, he changed his mind. And then the police came for him, found him in France by tracing his letters. They had new evidence, that's what the detective had told the family.

‘What?' asked Verena. ‘What new evidence?'

‘We can't say. All that we can say is it's new.'

Celia had moved out of the rooms with the other girls on the night Emmeline had come to find her.

‘Can we see him?' She asked Mr Janus as soon as they came out of the dance.

‘In a week or two.'

She'd begged to go. She'd said that she should go alone, since she'd seen Arthur so recently. But Emmeline insisted on coming. Mr Janus didn't want to get too close to the policemen.

A tear was gleaming in Emmeline's eye. ‘But what if we're wrong?' she said. She lowered her voice, but Celia saw her mouth make the sounds. ‘He might
hang
.'

‘He's innocent, Emmeline, no doubt about that. Let's hear what he says.'

‘The papers say he did it.'

‘Well, we know he didn't. They can't prove it either.' She was
going to have to tell them about Louisa committing suicide. Even if Arthur said not to. He couldn't protect Louisa for ever. Not if the cost was years in prison – or even, as Emmeline said, his life. She tried to throw Paris from her mind.
Married. I wanted to keep her safe
. She spoke to the police detective, up high, somewhere in an office in Scotland Yard.
Don't discover the marriage
.

‘Come on in, ladies,' said the officer. ‘The prisoner will see you now.'

Emmeline hung back. Celia pushed forward, past the officer, into a large room, just as dirty as the rest. Arthur was sitting at one end, behind a yellowing table, wearing a grey prisoner's suit. Two other men were talking to visitors on other tables. Three officers were standing apart, watching over the scene.

‘He's over there,' said the policeman, pointing unnecessarily. ‘Very grateful for his family to visit him at all, I'd say.'

Celia smiled at him. She supposed he didn't read the papers that said Arthur's family were evil Germans, or perhaps he did and was so used to heated words that he forgot them the minute he'd read them.

‘Thank you.' She and Emmeline walked towards Arthur. He looked up as they approached. Celia wanted to stop when she saw him. He looked nothing like he had in Paris, less than nine months ago. His handsome face was thin, lined and there were grey streaks in his thick brown hair.

‘Hello, brother.'

Celia sat down on the chair opposite him, sweeping her skirt under herself. She didn't know if she was allowed to touch his arm. Emmeline sat down next to her and immediately put her head in her hands.

The officer to the side was watching them.

‘He probably can't hear,' said Arthur, catching Celia's eye. ‘You can say what you like.' His voice was heavy with misery. It was almost a shock to hear him. Looking at him, his face ashen, eyes sunken, she knew that he was innocent. Louisa had thrown herself over – and it was up to Celia to say so.

‘How are you, brother?' She clenched her hand, over Louisa's ring, but he wasn't looking.

He shook his head. ‘I suppose I need a barrister. Are the newspapers full of it? The guards here say so.'

‘A little. They'll find something else soon.'

‘I expect so. Are you looking for a lawyer? I'll need someone good. Expensive.'

‘We'll find someone. Papa is looking.' That was a lie. Emmeline had said that Rudolf was too ill to speak. ‘He fell into bed on the first day,' she said. ‘Shock.'

Celia leant over the table, grasped his hand. ‘In Paris, you told me Louisa meant to fall. I haven't told Emmeline. Or anyone. But I have to now.' She looked sideways at her sister. Emmeline was shocked but Celia thought – cruelly, she knew – they didn't have time for it.

He nodded. ‘It's true. She wanted to die. But I've told them this now. I said I felt her fall. But they won't believe me. They say they have new evidence.'

‘What new evidence can there be?' She dipped her voice. ‘I'il tell Emmeline the thing you told me. But even if they have that on you, it's not enough.'

‘What?' she heard Emmeline saying. Celia shook her off.

‘You loved her. You wanted to look after her. That's the truth, like I said in Paris.'

‘Well,' said Emmeline. ‘We have to convince the court of that now.'

‘We can just tell the truth,' Celia said. ‘It's what happened.'

‘They won't believe me. I've heard about some of the newspaper reports, sister. Evil Germans and all that. People have made up their minds. But there's something they don't know. I told you, sister. About the man Louisa thought was following her.'

‘What's that?' Emmeline was whispering now.

‘I told Celia in Paris. Louisa said that a man had been following her in Margate. She told me that she'd seen him outside her window, tracking her to the shops. She said she was sure he'd been
in London too.' He bowed his head. ‘I didn't really pay as much attention as I should have to it.'

Celia looked up at the officer, gazing into space. She lowered her voice. ‘I think he was the same person who sent Louisa all those horrible things in London, the dead fish. Don't you?'

‘Who did she tell about this?' said Emmeline. ‘Apart from you.'

‘I don't know. Maybe no one. She didn't have many friends.'

‘Surely, she must have told someone,' said Emmeline. ‘Your hotel owner. Someone. If I thought there was a man following me, I'd
ask
people.'

He cocked his head slightly and half smiled. Then, for the first time, he almost looked handsome again. ‘You and Louisa are quite different.'

‘Still, though.'

‘But why would someone be so cruel to her?' said Celia. ‘Did she have any ideas?'

Arthur splayed his fingers on the table. The nails on his two middle fingers were bitten down, the cuticles almost bleeding. ‘When we had to leave the Merlings', she said she was in danger, but I didn't really believe it. I thought she was overreacting. I don't know. Louisa was very rich. People were envious of her. Or perhaps it was some ex-soldier who read about her in the newspaper and thought she was an example of everything that was wrong with the world. Young, pretty, wealthy.'

‘So you think this strange man had some effect on her?' asked Celia.

‘He followed us to Margate. I saw someone who looked a little odd, hanging around. I'm sure – I feel sure – that he was there at the cliffs. Maybe he made her jump. There was something about him.'

‘How awful,' whispered Emmeline.

‘Why didn't you tell me this in Paris?' asked Celia. ‘You said you thought it might be that she killed herself. You didn't say it might be this man too.'

‘I didn't want to talk much about it. But like we said, the cat
dying, this man, she wasn't in her right mind. She was always talking about her mother, how she wanted to join her.'

‘But this is terrible,' said Emmeline. ‘I can't think.'

Arthur put his head in his hands. ‘I wish I'd listened to her properly. I wish I'd done something.'

Celia leant forwards. ‘We have to tell them,' she said. ‘We have to tell them and we have to find him. We must.' She looked quickly at the other police officer, still gazing into space. ‘Would anyone else have seen this man?'

Arthur shook his head. ‘I don't think so. There was an older pair there, walking, some sellers of ice cream, a few families. But they were probably too far away to see anything.'

‘That was the older pair that called the police?' Celia had read about them. They had seen the fall. The woman had fainted and the man had been so terrified that he'd left her to run into the town and call for help.

‘Yes, that's them. They didn't see anything. I doubt they even looked our way until Louisa screamed.'

Louisa crying out, falling on to the rocks. How much would you have seen? Celia wondered. What did you know? She'd heard that people confronted by a horse rearing saw everything slow down. Not her. It went faster, so fast that she couldn't see a thing. Hopefully, it had been the same for Louisa. Black, cold shame flung itself across Celia's mind. Louisa had arrived at Stoneythorpe lonely, orphaned. She had wanted friendship. Celia had been too selfish, too wrapped up in herself. She had been cruel, wrong. And what was the point of vowing to change? The damage had been done.

‘If only you'd never taken her away, brother,' she said.

Arthur shrugged. ‘She was lonely at Stoneythorpe.'

Celia dropped her eyes in shame.

Emmeline sighed. ‘I wish Samuel was here. He would know exactly what to do. Maybe they'll let him bring us next time.'

‘Can you tell us what this man looked like?' asked Celia. ‘You said you thought he might be a former soldier.'

‘I can't really. I think he changed his appearance sometimes,
wore different things. I think he was smallish, short hair, probably forty or so. Nothing special. I don't know.'

‘After Louisa fell, what did he do? Did he just run away?'

He nodded.

‘Well, then we have to find him.'

Emmeline roused herself. ‘And he was the same one who frightened her in London?'

Arthur shrugged. ‘Probably. He wanted to frighten her, that's for sure.'

Celia shook her head. ‘But why? I don't understand why.'

Emmeline sighed. ‘But you know, Celia, even if we do find him, so what? He didn't push her off. He just frightened her.'

‘It shows so much about her state of
mind
, don't you see? That she threw herself off. This man was after her. He killed her cat. Then he turns up in Margate. It's important. She thought there was no escape.'

She looked up and saw the guard moving forward. He was looking at them, waving his hand.

She seized the chance. ‘Brother,' she hissed. ‘Do the police know you're married?' She heard Emmeline gasp.

He nodded. ‘They found the certificate.'

She stared at him. ‘Is
that
the new evidence?'

He shook his head. ‘I asked that. They said not.'

The man was coming closer.

‘I think our time's up,' Celia said, straightening up, talking loudly now.

He held her hand. ‘Will you come back tomorrow?'

‘I can't,' said Emmeline. ‘I'll be with the twins. Samuel has them today. Celia could.'

‘I don't think we're allowed to come here every day.' The guard was nearing them. ‘But listen, Arthur, is there anything else you can tell us? Anything at all. I will speak to the solicitor.'

Arthur shook his head. ‘Just find him,' he whispered. ‘I need us to find him. And—'

‘What?'

‘I need money. A lot of it. I need a defence. But I've also run up a lot of debts.'

‘How much?'

‘Probably three thousand pounds.'

Celia heard the words, didn't quite understand. ‘That's a lot,' said Emmeline. ‘How did you manage that?'

Arthur shook his head. ‘It just happened.'

‘But what about Louisa's money?' Celia burst in.

‘I can't have any of her accounts. Her solicitors asked for that. The estate wants it back, they say, whatever happens. Even though Matthew is dead.'

‘What do you mean, whatever happens?' said Emmeline.

‘If they find me guilty or not. Tell Papa I need money. A good solicitor. One from London. I need the best.'

‘I'll tell him. I'll go and see them.' Celia felt ashamed for even thinking about Louisa's money.

‘
Now
you agree to visit our parents,' said Emmeline. Celia ignored her.

The guard was there. Celia nodded to him. ‘We're going now.' ‘You have to find him.' Arthur said.

‘Visit's up, ladies,' said the guard. ‘Time to go.'

Celia picked up her skirt. Then she turned back to Arthur. ‘This man. Can you remember when she started to say he was following her?'

Arthur pondered. ‘It had to be London. But I don't know when. Perhaps not long after we arrived.'

‘Off we go, please, ladies.'

Celia strode ahead. They hurried to the door, where the guard let them out. Another was waiting for them on the other side. Celia expected to see the same man who had taken them there, jumped a little when it was not him.

‘Afternoon, ladies,' he said. ‘Find what you were looking for?'

‘We found our brother, yes,' said Emmeline, haughtily. ‘Now we wish to leave. I need to get back to my children.'