TRAGEDY AT FENELLA MANORBy Emaan Shah9B 6 (Equality House)

Lily Warbeck, the efficient parlourmaid, twisted the sparkling silver knob with one hand the other balancing a tray suffused with china; she made her way across the palatial study with an air of evident agitation for she had just caught sight of the back of that dreaded figure. Her mistress. The notorious, rich and successful Georgina Richards, queen of the financial aid empire continued to gaze out of the window into the depths of the stormy night; she made no notice of lily. The silence continued except for the platter of rain on the windows and the heavy chink of china being laid. “Madam”, lily finally addressed the pensive lady. “Your tea is ready would you like anything else?” Mrs. Richards slowly turned around, her shrewd green eyes focused on lily. “Call John and you need to serve tea for two.” “Sir has already had his evening tea with Miss Einora madam” Mrs. Richards glanced furiously at Lily “You shall do as I say, I am expecting someone else.” She spoke slowly and this seemed to make her words even more deadly. Of course, lily thought amused, that someone else was undoubtedly the infamous heartthrob of the nation William Blake. She has no idea, thought lily, how much she and Mr. Blake contribute to the local evening gossip or what rumors have raged the whole town. Lily felt sorry for the unfortunate husband of her dominating mistress, the timid John Richards. Lost in her own fantasies lily did not notice her mistress’s dreadful stern eyes penetrate hers furiously.A few seconds later Lily burst out of the room with relief.

Claire Mustgrove let her feet lead her way along the extravagant and isolated gardens of Fenella Manor, her mind was clouded by that one face ……John, miserable John Richards “She called me to her study to say she was going to divorce me, when I asked about Einora she said she was her child and will stay with her… ….Einora hates William, Georgina just wants to keep the social image, what ever is left of it I guess…… bitter laugh…..nothing here actually ever belonged to me it was all hers…….” Claire was oblivious to the storm that raged on and the fact that it was midnight. Her alluring crystal blue eyes filled with tears at his last words “ I have to leave” She was so dazed she never realized she was in an almost forbidden corridor. Georgina Richard’s corridor. Suddenly she awoke from her trance. Just as suddenly as a girl, no more than thirteen, ran into sight, trembling and gasping with a horrified expression on her face. Einora struggled at first in shock then screamed “Its mother, she’s…..she’s dead!”

In the sullen grey cabin meticulous Detective Inspector Brook listened to the autopsy’s report, his brow furrowed as he considered that, “What poisoning?” Dr. Earnshaw replied again in his monotonous voice, “Atropine poisoning, it’s lucky the victim was found almost immediately after consumption because atropine is untraceable later.” Inspector Brook thought aloud “So that suggests that Georgina Richards was murdered, she couldn’t have committed suicide, very tough lady, knew her personally, I was appointed to interview her staff for the Mexican diamonds that went missing from her vault last month” “And are still missing”, muttered Dr. Earnshaw sarcastically to himself. Inspector Brook replied nonchalantly “Well thank you I have to get back to the Manor, hopefully Michael will have finished interviewing all the family members.

In the grand quarters of Fenella manor, the loyal Michael enthusiastically began “I found a lot of ground to dig on sir as you said I befriended the head maid Miss. Lily Warback and she spilled all the family’s beans.” “Very good Mike” Inspector Brow praised his assistant who eagerly went on “On the

day of the murder all the servants had their day off except Lily, who last saw Mrs. Richards when she served her tea, it seemed as though she expected someone for she ordered for more. She also called for her husband John Richards via Lily. According to Lily, it seems she expected her new fiancé, William Blake. Mrs. Richards was recently under the process of a divorce and she and her husband were both seeking their child, Einora’s custody. But Lily says she had no interest in Miss Einora; John Richards raised her all by himself. Also the wills contents have been released, all of the capital and money now comes under the possession of William Blake and there is a considerable sum for her daughter and her sister Claire Mustgrove.” “Her sister?” “Yes her sister Miss. Musgrove’s house was destroyed a year back in the Blitz, so she was invited to live here, she teaches the child though, so everybody believes she’s the governess. Never admits she’s related, seems she never got along with her. Well sir the case seems clear; either it’s the husband or the fiancé, both were present that night. The husband has the motive, separation from the child and probably hatred resulting from betrayal. The fiancé greatly benefited financially from the death, after all Georgina Richards was one of the richest ladies of our country.”

William Blake walked into the dark alley with ease, a gust of wind set his jet black hair into disarray. His dreamy grey eyes sparkled and his lips curled into an attractive smile as he finally found his man. He addressed him with an air of urgency “I did it! Meet Lonnie. The police are keeping an eye on me.” The man looked concerned “You’re brilliant Blake but be careful circumstances have changed.” With this they parted.

John Richards walked into the market, his shoulders hunched in great agony and desolation. He tried to hide his torment from his daughter but he knew the whispers that bore into his back would have already given him away. He was always oversensitive, his weak character and a dominating wife proved that to him. As much as he tried he couldn’t ignore the shameless way people pointed at him.After the inquest there was no doubt who the police considered their prime suspect. Who now the town’s folks openly admitted was responsible for his wife’s cruel end? Einora spoke “Daddy aren’t we going to buy bread?” “No Einora we’re going home.”As he turned round the corner he could read it in their eyes “We know you’re a murderer.”

Inspector Brook finished reading the odd diary and repeated to himself, “Unbelievable! Yet possible.” He picked up the infinitesimal bottle in a gloved hand and passed it to his assistant “send this to Dr. Earnshaw and ask him if this is probably the source. When you finish with that get everybody to assemble in the lounge I think I have solved two cases at once.”

It was a cold and exceptionally uninviting evening. Claire watched the staff and family (who murmured between themselves nervously) gathered in the lounge with grim eyes that continued to linger along John’s face. She couldn’t shake the suspicion or his voice away that remain imprinted on her from that last and only conversation before Georgina was found…..I wish she would leave Einora and me alone, I wish she’d die, God help me… “You shouldn’t have done it John” she thought miserably, she was interrupted by the sudden arrival of Inspector Brook. He cleared his throat, “Mr. William Blake you have to come with me you are under arrest” but he was interrupted by Blake’s booming denial “ Are you out of your mind, do you actually believe I murdered Georgina?” Inspector Brook was in his element, he calmly replied “Of course not, I am not charging you for the murder of Georgina Richards but for the robbery of the Mexican diamonds that belonged to the deceased and went missing about a month ago!” William Blake stood still in evident shock.” “You made acquaintance with Mrs. Richards to get closer to the vault, after several days of trial you opened the

vault and hid the diamonds very cleverly in the same room for no one would think of finding stolen diamonds in the room they belonged to if they believed them to be robbed. You gave it a month for the heat of the search to cool in the market and found a buyer. The night of the murder you came under pretence and took the diamonds. We have been following you and as for evidence I think you should know Lonnie is under our custody.” Blake said nothing and then made the run for it. “Be calm we have our officers waiting outside for you.”Everybody was silent for they were stunned at the unexpected news. Inspector brook continued “After further investigations I decided the best way to get to the bottom of this is to find the source of the poisoning.” Inspector Brook held out a tiny bottle in his hand .Somebody gasped but no one paid attention for they were all concentrating on every word with utter concentration. “These are regular eye drops, but as for those who didn’t know eye drops contain atropine sulphate that if taken orally can cause death. I decided to find who would use eye drops and so had to talk to the local doctor who said John was recommended these for his eye infection and he had also alerted him on their fatal use.” Claire’s heart thumped unevenly. “ But when I went to find the bottle I did not find it in his room so I thought he may have disposed of it but after searching the whole house to be sure I finally found it” Everybody let out an exclamation of surprise. “And stumbled upon this diary in the room.” He picked out a page and read aloud; poor Einora was sobbing. “Yesterday night I murdered mother…….”

Claire sat in front of Inspector Blake her fingers intertwined with John who sat next to her in an unconscious state. She repeated for a thousandth time “ I don’t understand” “ Dear Claire she was going through a lot of trauma the prospect of never seeing her father the only one who loved her and having a stepfather she hated and a mother she never knew was unacceptable. She must have leant from her father himself about the drops.” “But she’s just a child!” “That is the reason why children are so ingenious; sometimes they are even more creative than adults who have accepted the word impossible. Never underestimate a child.”