Disclaimer - I don't own Holmes and Watson - but yes, I do own the Throckmorton family, and Sir Jonathan.
Hi, thank you for reviews and such. Last few chapters have been rather depressing - so I'm going to try and make this chapter rather more amusing, or at least less depressing. Have to say though, if I was at Morton Manor when Lord Marcus was alive, Holmes would have to add me to the rather long list of suspects…
Chapter 8
December 24th, Lunchtime
"Holmes," I said, as we waited for Edward and Jane to join us in the Drawing Room, "Is there any chance I could have something more to eat before we carry on this interrogation?"
"Watson, for heaven's sake! Is all you think about food?"
"Yes, Holmes, it is when I have not eaten in at least twelve hours."
Holmes let out a long, rather annoyed sigh, and said "Well, I suppose I do not want you fainting away on the table just as I am questioning the suspects…"
"Your concern is most gratifying."
"Call one of the servants to bring some food up…"
"Thank you, Holmes." I did as he said, and the food arrived quickly, before even Edward and Jane did. "I wonder where they can be."
Soon after the door opened, and Jane entered, half carrying her husband, who, judging from his rather red face had been on the celebratory mulled wine rather early in the day. Holmes shot an amused glance at me, and I walked forward to help Jane place her rather tipsy husband in a chair. She looked rather embarrassed, but nevertheless used to having to deal with him in this state. He was coherent, just a bit worse for wear, and Holmes seemed to decide that Edward's present condition would be no handicap to him answering our questions.
Jane sat in a chair next to her husband, and smiled at us "My brother tells us that we are to answer any questions you might have, Mr Holmes. We are ready to do so."
"Thank you, Mrs Symonds."
Edward, who I noticed was swaying slightly, as if listening to some invisible band, gave a large nod and said, slurring, "E-sh-xactly Mishter Holmes, we will answer all of your…questions…won't we old girl…"
Jane looked rather embarrassed, but gave a quick smile at me. Holmes, handling himself admirably as usual nodded, and said "Thank you Major Symonds." He started on the questions "Now, I am afraid I must ask you were you were last night…"
"Do you know" said Edward, as he leaned in conspiratorially, and whispered "I don't know…I think I had rather a lot to drink last night, and I can't remember anything…"
I had began to chuckle, but had to turn my laughter into and ill-disguised coughing fit, and hid my face behind a handkerchief. Quietly, Holmes said to me "Watson, if you are going to choke to death, would you mind doing it outside?" I recovered myself and Holmes carried on his questions. "And you Mrs Symonds?"
"I'm afraid I fell asleep in the library until about three in the morning, and then went up to bed…"
"But I was so far gone, do you know, I can't remember it…" interjected Edward.
I bent my head over the paper I was taking notes on and tried my hardest not to laugh. Holmes noticed as he elbowed me in the ribs and shot me a scolding look. "Very well, Major Symonds. May I ask, Sir, where it was that you served in the army?"
"Of course, dear boy…I fought in South Africa at Rorke's Drift in…1879, and then also in India…Not that I remember very much…I was invalided out after an accident with a pistol in 1884, when I returned to England…"
"Ah…" Holmes said "Dr Watson too was invalided out of the army, although I doubt you would call his injuries 'an accident with a pistol'"
"I certainly wouldn't" I muttered.
"It was rather an accident…one of my Corporals shot me in the leg."
"Oh dear…" I said, my voice shaking slightly. I looked over at Jane, and noticed that she also seemed to be trying to hold back from laughter.
"Major Symonds" said Holmes, trying to steer back the conversation to the original point "May I ask your feelings towards your father-in-law?"
Edward seemed to be struggling with his memory "My father-in-law?"
"Lord Throckmorton, my dear…" said Jane softly.
Suddenly seeming to remember, Edward's voice rose confidently "Terrible man, terrible man!…Do you know, he used to call me a drunk? Told me I had no control over my children…shouted at my poor wife when she was pregnant…wouldn't give her an allowance for the children's clothes…insisted that they be educated here…" he stopped "I feel strange…I'm going to have a lie down…excuse me…" Before Holmes could say another word, he strode out, leaving the remaining three of us in rather a bemused silence.
"I'm terribly sorry," said Jane "I'm afraid he has rather a weakness for alcohol…"
"Er…yes…" I said, not wanting to be rude.
"Mrs Symonds" said Holmes, returning to the case in point "Can you tell me your feelings for your father?"
"My father was…as you have probably guessed…not the most pleasant of men. He was cruel, mean and a bully. I suppose though, you could say that I managed to be ignored by him mostly. As a woman, he saw me as relatively unimportant, and due to the fact that unlike Meredith, I have a rather more quiet nature, he did not pay much attention to me. When I was a child, he beat me, although not as often as the others, due to the fact that I kept myself to myself most of the time, and was so afraid of him, I would obey his commands to the letter, whereas the others to some extent would have to be beaten into submission. After my mother died when I was fourteen, I, like Gwendolyn, became almost a mother figure to the younger children, although I could not protect them…"
"And what of your marriage?" I asked.
"My marriage was my only defiance to my father. I met Edward when he once was out riding on the estate, after getting lost. I know that he does not seem a very dashing figure, but as a nineteen year old girl, he seemed to me, as a thirty-four year old war hero, a very good catch. We courted for a while, and one day, I snuck away from the manor and we were married secretly at the local church."
"How did your father receive the news?" I questioned her.
"Well, he was not pleased. He saw it as a direct threat to his control of me, 'the good one' as he used to say. He did, however, let us come and live in the house, although that was more of a curse than any thing else…Father treated Edward horribly, taunted him like he taunted Gwendolyn, because of his small stature and his weakness for drink…He only started to drink heavily when father bullied him…"
"And your children?" asked Holmes "How did he treat them?"
Jane sighed "I should have taken them from this place…but I couldn't…when I was pregnant, father shouted, screamed at me, that I was to have a boy…like that would do any good! When I did have a boy, father calmed down, but the children…he soon started to treat them just as badly as he did us…I wished we could leave…but neither of us had any money, and Edward couldn't work…"
"Will you leave now?" I asked.
"Heaven knows. Not until after Twelfth Night anyway…I intend to make this a Christmas that my children will remember happily."
Holmes nodded "Mrs Symonds, did you enter your father's office last night?"
"No. I knew better than to do that."
"Thank you, Mrs Symonds. Would you please ask Sir Gregory to come and speak to us?"
"Of course. Thank you both for being so kind to my husband and myself. Edward may not seem it, but he's really quite insecure…and despite everything, I do love him…"
Holmes smiled, and the lady left. "Well, Watson, what did you think?"
"Another two people with no real alibi."
"Yes…strange in a house with so many inhabitants…"
"You think there is an underlying reason?"
"I have a feeling that something is being hidden from us…there is somewhat a conspiracy of silence, perhaps."
I felt the strangest need to defend the people of Morton Manor "You are being paranoid, Holmes."
"We shall see."
"It is perhaps perfectly natural…Gwendolyn had to sleep by the fire…Edward was, well, rather…"
"There are many terms we can use for his state, Watson, but for the sake of propriety, we shall call him tipsy."
"A little more than that, perhaps…"
"Watson, you need to be a little more removed from this case. I cannot work on it with you and the family working against me."
I looked at him with some surprise, and then smiled. I reached over and patted his forearm "My dear Holmes, nothing could make me work against you. I confess that I do have a large amount of sympathy with these people, but I assure you, my loyalty to you overrides any feelings I have for them…"
"Thank you Watson." Holmes' voice was quieter, and did I imagine a flash of shame in his eyes?
All of a sudden the door burst open, and Sir Jonathan walked in, followed, shortly after by Sir Gregory, who stood by the door, watching. "Mr Holmes! I will see you now! I will not be kept waiting!"
"You will wait until I am ready to see you, Sir Jonathan, not before."
"I will not be spoken to in such a manner. I wish to see you now, to tell you what I know now. And then I will leave this god-forsaken place, and these weak and feeble minded inhabitants and go home…"
"Thank the Lord for that," said Gregory "We've been trying to get rid of you from ten o'clock this morning."
"Unfortunately," said Holmes "That will be impossible. Sir Jonathan, you cannot and will not leave until this case is settled, or I will be forced to place you under my own custody. Do you understand?"
"I will not stay!" Jonathan shouted.
"Sir Gregory, Watson, would you mind?" We both glanced at each other, and rather happily made our way towards Sir Jonathan.
"Alright! Alright!" said the coward "I will not be handled in such a way."
Holmes smiled and turned to Sir Gregory "Do you mind, Sir, if we call you back in a few minutes?"
"Of course, Mr Holmes," he eyed Jonathan somewhat suspiciously, but also there was an almost worried look in his eyes. "Are you sure you will be alright with him?"
"I believe that we will manage." Holmes said "But thank you for your concern."
Sir Gregory nodded and left the room. Jonathan watched him go before turning to us "Now look here, you two hired snoops. I intend for the both of you to get to the bottom of this case. I have information…I believe I may know who killed Lord Throckmorton…"
