His wife nodded. “Unfortunately, as all this became known, many people lost respect for Mrs. Jones, which quite distressed me. She was a woman worthy of respect. I quite liked her. She treated everybody well. She tended the ill and the indigent, making care packages and medicines and the like. She was quite dutiful in her rounds as a vicar’s wife. Like she was made for that role!”
“I always thought so,” said Cecilia.
“As she was also a talented herbalist, it is said Georgia Inglewood went to her to get rid of the baby she carried. I don’t know if anybody knew who the father was, but evidently, it wassomebody that the Inglewoods would not have been happy to accept as their son-in-law. Mrs. Jones refused.”
“So we have heard.”
“They had quite a row. It was heard by several in the village. It is said that Miss Inglewood was heard throwing crockery at Mrs. Jones. Three days later, when Georgia died, it was the gossips that said Mrs. Jones played a role in her death.”
“Gossip is the lifeblood of Mertonhaugh,” drawled Cecilia darkly.
“Didn’t they declare her death to be due to iliac passion?” Sir James asked.
Lord Mortlake nodded. “Yes, that is what they recorded. However, it was a closed inquest. Not many people were there, and particularly, the doctor was not there. It has been rumored since that Miss Inglewood might have actually committed suicide.”
“Well,” Lady Mortlake fairly tittered, “that was something that Inglewood would not want to get out at all, because that would mean his daughter would be buried unshriven and not be in the church’s consecrated graveyard.”
It is obvious that Lady Mortlake does not like Squire Inglewood, Cecilia mused.
“But more are of the mind that Mrs. Jones relented and gave her a potion to rid her of the baby. An abortifacient that did not work, but instead caused her death,” Mortlake added.
“I see,” said Cecilia. “Do you feel that Mrs. Jones would have done that?”
“Absolutely not,” stated Mortlake. “Clementina, what are your thoughts?”
“No, I do not believe so, either. She was a very good woman. I’d become quite fond of her in the time since we’ve been here.”
“Father,” began Viscount Kendell, pushing open the drawing room doors. “Oh, beg your pardon, I didn’t realize you were entertaining,” he said, turning to leave.
“Don’t go. Please come in and join us,” Mortlake called out to his son. “You might be able to assist us. Do you know anyone who might have wanted to kill Mrs. Jones?”
“Probably anyone who thought she’d procured pennyroyal for Miss Inglewood.”
“What do you mean?”
“From my understanding, it’s an herb women use to get rid of unwanted pregnancies.”
“Good gracious, how did you come to know such things to even talk about it?” his mother asked.
He laughed. “I’m not a little boy any longer, Mother; such things are well known in my circle of friends.”
“That’s disgusting,” his mother protested.
“Do not be naïve, Mother. You know Father got Mrs. Jones enceinte when he was at university.”
“Yes, but he did not encourage her to rid her body of the babes. I wasn’t aware you knew.”
Her son laughed. “Father told me a long time ago. And if he hadn’t, I would have heard it from many others in town; it isn’t exactly a secret, particularly since you and father moved here after the fire to our house in Sussex while I was at university. I’ve always regretted being away at school and not being able to meet my sisters before they took positions elsewhere. It would have been nice to get to know them after growing up as an only child.”
“I agree,” said the Earl. “Unfortunately, they were quite angry to learn that the Vicar was not their father and felt their mother betrayed them by not telling them. They left the area due to that anger and I don’t believe they have been reconciled.”
“The vicar said he doesn’t know how to communicate with them to tell them of their mother’s death,” Sir James said.
“I do,” said the Earl. “I have already undertaken to inform them. Hope is not far away, as Lady Falsworth is currently in London; however, Faith is farther away, in Devon.”
“Father, what if I take a letter to Faith? I can get there faster than by post.”
“I don’t think that is the best way for you to meet,” the earl said dryly.
