CHAPTER 9
ALASTAIR
James took his beaver hat off and laid it on the table in Soothcoor’s cell. He sat down. “You told Mrs. Montgomery to contact Cecilia and me, which she did. She told us about you knowing each other growing up.” He summarized their conversation with Mrs. Montgomery. Then he leaned forward and clasped his hands on the table.
“Now,youtell me everything.”
Soothcoor carefully lifted his bad leg off the floor onto the bed and pressed his back up against the wall. He pushed greasy strands of black-and-gray hair away from his eyes. “Lilias was distraught at learning Malcolm was not dead,” he began slowly, “More for their children’s sake than for herself—though I should wish she gave more thought to herself and her own happiness. She was relieved to learn he had not committed suicide. That had weighed heavily on her soul.”
“She wondered what she might have done to prevent that?”
“Precisely. I did not know the extent of Malcolm’s illness until Lilias and I spoke of it. I suspected much when we were young men, but I lacked the life experience at that time to appreciate what he told me.”
“Why did you journey here to see him?”
“Lilias wanted to come; however, her youngest, Hugh, was just home from school, Aileen was engaged with a wedding looming, and Sorcha was distraught. She always felt jealous that Aileen had more of an opportunity to know their father than she did, and to learn he was alive and that she might have had time to visit him still distressed her. Lilias knew Malcolm would not have allowed that, afterall, how can you tell a young girl—a young woman—that she couldn’t see her beloved father?”
“So, you volunteered to come.”
“Of course. Malcolm had been my friend for years. We had grown apart when he married Lilias. That was my issue. I couldn’t visit them; my heart was too heavy to accept her marriage to Malcolm; it was best I stayed away, so our friendship faded. He did write to tell me there would be no more correspondence from him. This was when he first went into an asylum. I didn’t know that at the time and was perturbed. Nonetheless, that was Malcolm’s choice, and I honored it.”
“When did you arrive here?”
“Nine days ago, and immediately after leaving my bags at The New Bell Inn I went to Camden House.
“That first day was a day of reminiscences. I didn’t push him for an answer for why he put it about that he was dead. He had been genuinely happy to see me. And truthfully, I, to see him, too. We laughed and traded tales. I told him of what I do in London, and I told him about his children and Aileen’s engagement. He was happy. He promised not to say anything to Lady Stackpoole until her son did. That first day we didn’t discuss why he faked his death. It was a strange day.
“The next day, I walked around the village, thinking. Then, I rode into Stamford for a while. I was not doing anything that day except, maybe, avoiding what I had really come here to talk to Malcolm about. We both had been avoiding what we both knew we should discuss. Finally, I decided I had to see Malcolm again.My mind had been so fraught with ideas as to why Malcolm did what he did that I had to see him…The drive to see him became of great urgency, a need to begin to put a structure around the events of the past. To rationalize his actions. I rode from Stamford to Camden House. It was near the end of the day, and the sanatorium staff at first weren’t going to let me in, but I persuaded them otherwise.”
“What was his reaction on first seeing you again?” James asked.
Soothcoor sighed. “Sadness.”
“Sadness?”
He nodded. “He knew we had not discussed the reason for my visit the day before and that we needed to. He said he never wanted to hurt Lilias or their children. He felt that the knowledge of him residing in an institution would hang over them. He convinced Dr. Worcham that if he didn’t help him with his faked death scheme, he would, in truth, kill himself. Dr. Worcham said his father had to know the truth, or else he would not agree, and they would instead have to keep him in restraints to prevent him from killing himself—If for no other reason than to have someone continue to pay the bills. He sent a letter to Malcolm’s father, unfortunately, the elder Mr. Montgomery was very frail by this time. It was his cousin, Boyd Ratcliffe, who read the correspondence.”
“Why did a cousin read the correspondence?”
“Some months earlier, in the absence of Malcolm, his father had named Boyd, his older sister’s son, estate manager and let it be known he would be the executor for the Montgomery estate when he died. Ratcliffe had control over the Montgomery estate as long as Malcolm stayed in the sanatorium. This angered Malcolm, but, he conceded he’d set the path.”
“Why? He has to know someone had to take the reins of the estate, and he would not be allowed to do so while in an asylum.Did Malcolm think Boyd was too young for the responsibility or worried he would snatch up Mrs. Montgomery’s affections?”
“Yes, and he has, but not the Mrs. Montgomery you are thinking of. He married Malcolm’s mother on the anniversary of Malcolm’s father’s death.”
“Malcolm’s mother?”
“Yes, though it is not as scandalous as you might think. His cousin is nearer Malcolm’s father’s age than Malcolm’s age. Malcolm said he was furious. He said none ofthemliked Boyd Ratcliffe.”
“You mean these ‘other’ personalities?”
His brow furrowed. “Yes, at least that is what I inferred to be his meaning.”
James nodded in understanding. “Do you personally know Boyd Ratcliffe?”
One corner of Soothcoor’s lip kicked up. “I have that misfortune.”
James raised a brow.
