The Mermaid in the Basement (16 page)

He moved out of the doorway and led her back to where the crowd seemed to be thinning out. The woman who had played Ophelia turned away from some of her admirers and saw Dylan.Her eyes fell on Serafina, and she paused. Dylan moved forward, saying, “I would like for you to meet one of your admirers, Elise. This is the Viscountess Serafina Trent. Viscountess, may I introduce Elise Cuvier.”

Elise stared at Serafina and said calmly, “It’s an honour,Viscountess.”

“I enjoyed your performance very much.You gave a poignancy to the role that I didn’t think possible.”

“Thank you very much. Have you seen
Hamlet
performed many times?”

“No, not at all.”

Elise hesitated, then said, “I am so sorry about your brother’s trouble.”

Serafina did not know how to answer this, but the words almost leapt to her lips, “I’m convinced that he is innocent,Miss Cuvier.”

“I pray that it may be so.”

“The viscountess is going to join our group tonight, Elise,” Dylan said. “Perhaps after you change, you would introduce her to some other members of our cast.”

“Certainly. Excuse me, Viscountess.”

“She doesn’t seem like a woman who could commit murder,” Serafina said, watching the actress leave.

“You’d be surprised who could commit murder. From the words of Hamlet, ‘I myself am indifferent honest, but yet I could accuse me of such things that it were better my mother had not borne me.’” The words flowed from his lips with such vigor that Serafina could only stare at him with astonishment. He smiled and said, “Now excuse me, Viscountess, while I change.”

“Where shall I wait?”

“There’s a chair over there. If you would just take it, the cast will be ready soon to go out.”

The cast had gathered at a large public house called The Blue Parrot. Inside, pipe smoke mingled with the smell of cooked meat and alcohol. The troupe moved to a large room off of the main area. A long table that would seat the entire cast was centered in the middle. The proprietor, obviously proud of having such distinguished company, hustled about taking their orders. Before their meals arrived, everyone drank rather heavily—mostly wine, but several drank strong ale and other beverages.

Dylan had seated Lady Trent next to himself. At her right sat the new leading lady, Elise. Serafina’s eyes roamed around the table, studying the cast carefully. She had been introduced to them, and they stared at her strangely. She saw that there was a close-knit quality in the group, yet a tension hung in the air—as if they were on the verge of opening a dark, malodorous box of fatal troubles. She leaned toward Dylan to ask in an undertone, “Are all these people close friends?”

“Bless you, Lady, no! They are in this play together, but when the run is over, they’ll separate and go to different productions. You’ve noted that there’s, more or less, a rigid air under all the laughter.”

“I did notice that.”

Claude Douglas was seated across from Serafina. He had played the role of Polonius—or had overplayed it, in Serafina’s judgment. His voice had blared out and he had sawed the air with his hands as if he were cut ting though a tough oak tree. He was staring at Serafina with a pair of small, rather suspicious eyes.He had given her only a brief greeting when he met her, but now he leaned forward and asked, “Did you like the production, Viscountess?”

“Very much indeed, Mr. Douglas.”

“Have you seen a great many Shakespearean plays?”

“As a matter of fact, this was the first one I’ve ever seen.”

“Do you tell me that? I’m shocked that a lady of your quality has neglected the art of drama.”He lifted a huge mug of ale and drained it off, and when he slammed it down on the table, he glared around, saying, “You’ve seen the good and the bad as far as dramatic art is concerned,Viscountess.”

Elise said quickly, “You’re drinking too much, Claude.” She turned to Serafina and smiled. “I am a little surprised that you’ve not seen a single play of the Bard’s.”

“I follow scientific pursuits,Miss Cuvier. I haven’t had time for lighter things.”

Something like shock ran around the company, and Ashley Hamilton, who sat at the right hand of Douglas, said, “You must have led a sheltered life. I thought the aristocracy entertained themselves more royally.”

Elise smiled. “I think, Ashley, there are people who don’t go to the theatre, but have other things to do.”

“Why, that’s heresy!” Malcom Gilcrist said. “Everyone goes to the theatre.”

“I suspect,”Dylan said quickly,“that the viscountess leads a very busy life. Her father is a very famous scientist, and he’s trained and educated her to do the same. I believe you spend most of your time in your work with your father, do you not, Viscountess?”

“Yes. Ever since I was a child, my father trained me in the ways of science.”

“I’m interested in how someone who knows nothing of drama feels about actors and the theatre—someone from your world, Viscountess.” Irene Gilcrist was an attractive blonde woman, apparently in her mid-thirties. She had played the role of Gertrude, the mother of Hamlet, well, and her chair was drawn close to her husband’s as if she wanted to be able to keep control of him.

“I was very moved by it, Mrs. Gilcrist,” Serafina said at once. “I must admit I was greatly surprised. I had read the play, of course, but that’s nothing like seeing it. I’ve now discovered that I’ve been missing a great deal.” She turned and asked, “Was it very difficult for you,Miss Cuvier, to step into Miss Fairfield’s role after the tragedy?”

No one had mentioned the death of Kate Fairfield, at least in Serafina’s presence, but now Serafina was aware of a web of increased tension that ran around the table. Ashley, who had already emptied his glass several times and was obviously well on his way to being drunk, said loudly, “It wasn’t at all difficult. Elise has been lusting for the chance to step into Kate’s shoes ever since the production started.”

Serafina saw that Elise’s face had suddenly hardened. She turned to face Ashley.“If you’re hinting that I had anything to do with her death, then you should know better. After all,Ashley, you hated her worse than anyone. No one can hate a woman like an ex-lover.”

An alarm touched Serafina’s nerves, and she felt Dylan’s elbow touch her slightly—a warning for her to conceal her surprise. The thought came to her that Ashley was terribly immature, a thirty-year-old teenager. And his hatred for Kate was reflected in his eyes.

Now that the subject of Kate Fairfield’s death had been opened, they all began to talk. Claude Douglas said, “The police were here. Some inspector called Grant, Viscountess. He questioned us all as if we were suspects.”

“I thought that was ridiculous,” Irene said stiffly. “I don’t want to be at all disrespectful, but all the evidence points to your brother, Viscountess.”

Ives Montgomery, who played Horatio, was lolling back in his chair, a thoughtful look on his lean face. “That fellow Grant is a tough one. He pinned me down like a bug, wanted to know where I was after the performance the night that Kate was killed. If he didn’t suspect me, I’d be surprised.”

“Did you have a good alibi, Ives?” Dylan inquired with a smile.

“Not a bit of it. No more did you, I take it.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Did Grant question you, Mr. Tremayne?”

“Very closely indeed.”

“He questioned all of us,”Claude snapped. “I think we’re all suspects.”

“Why is that, Mr. Douglas?” Serafina asked quietly.

Claude was almost as drunk as Ashley and glared at her as if she were not sound. “We all despised the woman, that’s why.”

“Speak for yourself.”

“Why, Irene? You hated her as much as the rest of us. You’d watched your husband chasing around after her like a dog with his tongue hanging out.”

“Shut your mouth, Douglas!”Malcom Gilcrist shouted. He half rose as if to attack Claude, but his wife pulled him back into his chair.Her face was fixed in a furious expression, and she whispered forcefully, “Don’t be any more of a fool than you can help!”

Angry words began to fly across the table, and each one seemed to be insulted that Grant had pressured them about their movements on the night of the murder.

Ashley obviously despised Malcom and his wife, Irene. “You had a motive for killing her, Irene. Your husband was in love with her. Where were
you
on the night she was killed?”

“Shut your foul mouth, Hamilton!” Malcom said. “You hated Kate more than all of us.”

“No.”Ashley shook his head, and a sadness came to his eyes.“No,” he whispered, “I loved her.”

The dinner, from that point on, was a disaster. They all changed the subject quickly, and Serafina felt stares of dislike. Finally, when the party broke up, Malcom came and said, “I apologise, Viscountess.We’re like a family, don’t you see? We have our spats, but afterwards we make it up. I’m sure you understand.”

A deep sadness was reflected in the eyes of the man, and Serafina found herself pitying him greatly. “Of course. Don’t trouble yourself about me, sir.”

“I’m—I’m sorry about your brother.”

“Thank you, Mr. Gilcrist.”

As Malcom turned away,Dylan said quietly, “If you’re ready to go, I’ll take you to your carriage, Viscountess.”

As Dylan walked with Serafina toward where Givins was waiting in the carriage, he asked, “What did you think of the cast?”

“They’re not what I expected.”

“They’re a pretty vindictive crowd. It’s a profession that breeds jealousy. Everyone wants to get to the top. But that’s the way of the world, yes?”

“Why, you’re exactly right. I know women who would kill to get their daughters married to an earl.”

“The one that I suspect more than any other wasn’t there tonight.”

“Who was that, Dylan?”

“Sir William Dowding. The producer, he is.”

“Why do you suspect him?”

“Difficult to say. It’s really more of a feeling. He is a powerful man, very possessive. He hates to be crossed, and he holds what’s his very tightly.”

“And he was . . . in love with Katherine Fairfield?”

Dylan turned to face her, and she was caught by the intensity of his light blue eyes. “If you are having my opinion, not love it was he had for her. It was all flesh—and love is more than that. Many who talk of love know nothing of the real thing. He was having an affair with Kate, and that’s not love. And a selfish, grabbing man he is too! If he found out that Kate was seeing another man, he could be very violent. I’ve seen it in him—anger jumping out like a snake striking. I suppose most powerful men are like that.”

They reached the carriage, and Dylan opened the door. He handed her in. She leaned out and said, “I need to think about this, Dylan, but we need to talk. Can you come and see me tomorrow?”

“Yes indeed—but it should be early. Am going to start looking for that missing witness, I.”

“Come for breakfast, then. You can meet my family, and we’ll have time to talk.”

“Your family—they may not like an actor coming for a meal.”

She shook her head and seemed to be lost deep in thought. “I must tell you something, Dylan.”

“Yes, what is it?”

Her voice was very low, and he had to lean forward to catch her words. She didn’t face him but looked fixedly at the other side of the carriage. “I—I still don’t believe that God told you to help Clive . . . but I find I need your help. I don’t know how to function, and I know that there are things that you can do that I can’t.We can’t sneak around and hide that, Dylan. Come tomorrow. I’ll make my family understand.”

“I’ll be there early, ay? May the good God go with you, Lady Serafina.”

The carriage moved off, and Dylan watched as it went. He had seen a glimpse of a woman he did not know. There were two Serafina Trents. One was proud and rigid in her thinking, but he had seen another side of that same woman in her broken words—and he smiled at the thought that brushed against his mind.

NINE

S
erafina stood before her dressing mirror brushing her hair. She knew that Louisa felt this was her job, but Serafina was not thinking of that. She had spent a restless night, troubled with very bad dreams, and her face was puffy from lack of sleep. She was thinking of how best to bring Dylan into her family’s sphere, and was not certain that it could be done smoothly. Actors were not suitable houseguests in the world of high society, and Serafina knew that bringing Dylan into the tightly knit union of her family would not be easy.

With a quick movement, she put the brush down, turned, and left her bedroom. She moved quickly down the hall and descended the stairway—but as she reached the first floor, a loud female voice caused her to stop dead still.With a grimace she murmured, “Oh no! Not Aunt Bertha! Not
now
of all times!”

But no one had such a strident voice as Lady Bertha Mulvane. Her voice was loud, demanding, and easily overwhelmed any other voice in the Western world. She was the older sister of Alberta Newton, and a widow.

Her husband, Sir Hubert Mulvane, had been knighted for something rather unimpressive, but in Bertha’s eyes, the
Sir
before his name was the mark of royalty. Such a knighthood died with the man, so Bertha had no right whatsoever to the title Lady Mulvane, but this never troubled her. She was a selfish, overbearing woman of some sixty years who often invited herself for too-long visits with the Newtons.