Heirs of the Body(48)
She didn’t find out till bedtime. “Well?” she asked, as Alec closed the door.
“He still hasn’t made up his mind.”
“Samuel? About what? How do you—?”
“Not Samuel, Raymond. I must say I’m impressed by Geraldine and Edgar’s ability to dodge his questions. He’s remarkably persistent. Though why he thinks I know—”
“Darling, you know that’s not what I meant. The phone call—What was that about? News of Martha’s Sam? You said you’d ask someone in America to make enquiries.”
“I said I’d consider doing so. But yes, I did, and I asked Mackinnon to keep an eye out for a response, whether cable or letter, while we’re away. Strictly unofficially. The Yard has no conceivable official interest.”
“It arrived today? Sunday—it must have been a cable.”
“A long one. But there’s a limit to how much one can cram into a cable, and,” he added ruefully, “a limit to how well I can interpret American telegramese.”
“News of Sam, though.”
“Sort of. Possibly. I can’t be sure.”
“Why on earth not?”
“Because when rumrunners are caught they don’t give their real names if they can possibly help it.”
“He was caught? Oh no!”
“Let me tell you the story as I understand it. A black ship, the Sunny Susie, was taken off Florida after an exchange of shots. She was escorted into Key West. On arrival, the crew reported that the captain had been wounded and fallen overboard, whereupon the mate, a Jamaican known as Samson Dalloway—”
“Who must be Sam Dalrymple!”
“People who use false names do frequently choose the same initials.”
“The same nickname, too. And Martha was told he shipped on the Saucy Sally.”
“Easy to change one to t’other with a spot of paint.”
“Oh, Alec, I’m sure it was him. I bet he jumped overboard to try to save the captain. Did you know he got a medal after the war for saving several lives when his ship was torpedoed? He can’t have drowned now, in peacetime!” She studied his expression. “No, you’d be looking grim.”
“The crew claimed they both drowned. The captain being a local man and Key West being on the whole anti-Prohibition, there was talk of lynching the coast guard who ordered the shots fired. At least, that’s what I think my informant’s cryptic abbreviations are saying. The ship was confiscated, but most of the cargo had already been sold. Yet they found no money.”
“Sam and the captain must have taken it with them. What happened to them?”
“The captain was found a couple of weeks later, at home with his wife. He had plenty of witnesses to swear he’d never been away.”
“And Sam?”
“Nothing certain. Rumours that a stranger had been staying at the captain’s house. That’s all.”
“Blast, what are we going to tell Martha?”
“That’s up to you. I’ve done my part.”
“Very much above and beyond the call of duty. Thank you, darling.”
Some time passed before she was able to consider the question, being otherwise happily engaged, but once Alec had fallen asleep it nagged at her. On the one hand, she didn’t have any real news of Sam, even if Samson Dalloway was indeed Samuel Dalrymple. On the other, if Martha found out some day that she had not passed on even such vague information, she might be very upset. She still hadn’t decided when she, too, fell asleep.
* * *
The morning was misty with a promise of warmth by afternoon, perfect for the fête, as forecast last night on the wireless. By the time Daisy went downstairs, the children had all dashed off to see what was going on at the site, taking rolls and hard-boiled eggs to sustain them.
After breakfast, Edgar considered it his duty as lord of the manor to see that all was well with the preparations. Alec decided to go with him, to stretch his legs and to make sure the children weren’t getting in the way. Daisy and Martha went up to the nursery to play with Oliver and Miranda. Daisy wasn’t looking forward to informing Nurse Gilpin that she intended to take the twins to the fête.
Mrs. Gilpin, as expected, was not pleased. “There’ll be all sorts there,” she objected. “Nasty ragamuffins from the village, full of germs, and dirty farm workers, maybe even a wise woman who’ll put a spell on my babies.”
“Don’t talk nonsense,” Daisy said sharply. “I won’t have you putting such silly ideas into their heads.”
“And poachers and tinkers, like as not,” the nurse muttered, sulking.