Scene 7
(Enter HOPE.)
SOUND EFFECT: Clinking of cosmetics on dressing table
HOPE:
Agnes? Agnes, is that you? Fetch my dressing gown, please, I'll be retiring for the night.
(Enter MRS. HUDSON.)
MRS. HUDSON:
Beg pardon, Miss Hope, but it's not Miss Agnes.
HOPE:
What? Who are you? However did you get in here?
MRS. HUDSON:
Martha Hudson is my name. As for how I got in, well, that was easy. I walked up here. Right up the main staircase, in front of everyone. It's a funny thing, you see— put on an apron and carry a broom, and not a body pays you a second glance. Indeed, most of them look right through you.
HOPE:
Well, whoever you are, you'll turn about and leave just the way you came. Or I'll scream for the policemen downstairs. You're not permitted to be in here.
MRS. HUDSON:
Certainly you could do that, Miss Hope. But if you do, I'll tell them what you did with the duchess's jewel.
HOPE:
I beg your pardon?
MRS. HUDSON:
And I'll beg you not to play the fool. It's unbecoming of a lady.
HOPE:
How dare you barge in here and make such an accusation?
MRS. HUDSON:
Spare me the huff, if you please. I thought it was odd that your name kept coming up. Miss Hope borrowed her grandmother's jewel. Miss Hope brought Mr. Gerard in to do the desserts. Miss Hope called for a fresh kettle when there was still tea in the teapot. That's an awful lot of insistence from Miss Hope, now, for her to have had no hand in things.
HOPE:
But every eye was on me in the parlor that evening! The police searched this house from top to bottom! How could I have smuggled the gem out of there if I'd had it?
MRS. HUDSON:
Simple, miss. Because you never had it on you to begin with.
HOPE:
What? Are you mad?
MRS. HUDSON:
You lobbied right hard for Mr. Gerard to cook for the party. Had him take over the whole kitchen to do it, tossing out the regular staff in the process.
HOPE:
He's famous for his sugar work!
MRS. HUDSON:
Indeed; from what I saw, he's a master. Why, I'm sure he could whip up any little gossamer creation you could dream up. Even, I might guess, a decent mockup of a famous pigeon's blood ruby. Small wonder Mr. Gerard didn't want to leave his kit and his colors lying about the kitchen. Might have set folks to wondering. What did you do, work the real Heart of Bombay out of its setting and pop in the sugar craft piece in its place?
HOPE:
You can't prove that!
MRS. HUDSON:
Thought you'd gotten rid of the evidence, did you? I'd wondered why you sent Miss Kirkwood out for hot water when you hadn't gone through your first pot of tea. But it was so you had a way to dispose of the false ruby when you needed it to go stolen. Slip it into the hot kettle in the chaos and make it disappear without a trace. Well— not quite without a trace. Sure enough, it left the water bright red, and sweet as candy to the taste.
(Pause.)
HOPE:
However did you manage to find all that out?
MRS. HUDSON:
Like I said. You lot barely notice when the help's about. We notice a long sight more than you think.
(Pause.)
MRS. HUDSON:
Why'd you do it, Miss Hope? To nick some jewelry off your grandmother, what does a lucky girl like you need so badly?
HOPE:
Not quite so lucky as you think!
MRS. HUDSON:
Quite so from where I stand.
HOPE:
Oh, yes? You have no idea!
MRS. HUDSON:
Then tell me, miss. Let's start with how you got Mr. Gerard to make the fake for you— and keep his mouth shut to boot? Did you pay him? Or is he sweet on you?
HOPE:
I'll have you know we mean to be married.
MRS. HUDSON:
You and the pastry chef?
HOPE:
Don't you scoff at me like that! You sound just like the rest of my family!
MRS. HUDSON:
I suppose they weren't about to pay for a girl to wed a jumped-up house chef.
HOPE:
As if they had anything left to pay!
MRS. HUDSON:
Fallen on hard times, have you? I thought the place was looking a bit worn.
HOPE:
It's practically crumbling down around our ears. My father would see me married off to some rich old tradesmen if that meant a dowry to restore the family coffers. And yet they sneered at Achille as if he were no one!
MRS. HUDSON:
Is that why you did it? To pawn the jewel and run away with the money?
HOPE:
You don't understand. They wouldn't have given us a penny. Achille is only just coming up in the world; he hasn't made his fortune yet. What else were we to do?
MRS. HUDSON:
I don't give two hoots if you and that pastry chef want to nick the ruby and run away to Sheba. Only you'll not be leaving the blame on Susan Kirkwood, that's certain.
HOPE:
If the stone never turns up, they'll have to let her go!
MRS. HUDSON:
Neither you nor I can be certain of that.
HOPE:
So what do you mean to do? Turn me in?
MRS. HUDSON:
It's no more than you deserve, for tossing that poor girl to the wolves.
HOPE:
I never meant for it all to fall on Miss Kirkwood!
MRS. HUDSON:
Oh, aye? Then why'd you go to the trouble to see that you plowed right into her when she was carrying tea in the parlor?
(Pause.)
MRS. HUDSON:
But I'll speak only if I have to, miss. Either you fix things for her, or I'll be fixing you.
HOPE:
How do you expect me to do that? I'd have to give over the ruby!
MRS. HUDSON:
If that's what it calls for.
HOPE:
Then the whole business was for nothing!
MRS. HUDSON:
By now, you'll be lucky if it all comes to nothing. Now see that you do the right thing.
HOPE:
Without that money, what are we to do!?
MRS. HUDSON:
I don't know, miss. Perhaps you should learn how to keep house like the rest of us.
TRANSITION MUSIC.