‘Then this lady may well be who she claims,’ said Mina. ‘But I am not sure that she still performs table tipping. I have been told that she has a machine that receives messages from the spirits.’
This was news to Mr Merridew. ‘Does she now?’
‘I would very much like to see something like that, but of course it is not possible at present. Perhaps — I hardly like to ask — but could you make some enquiries for me?’
‘But of course, I should be glad to do so.’
Mina reflected that an unfortunate result of her reputation for exposing mediumistic frauds was that many mediums refused to admit her to their presence, whether they were conducting a séance or not, and disguise was for her, not an option. Was Mrs Barnham sufficiently confident of her powers to admit a sceptic to her circle, or could she even be, and this was a possibility Mina did not dismiss, a genuine psychic? Time would provide the answer.
‘But I think it would be best if you did not mention my name. Yours opens doors, but in the world of the spirit mediums mine closes them.’
‘I understand.’
Mina had a new inspiration. ‘In fact — why not make it known that you are writing a book about life at the court of King William, and wish to consult her? Nothing is more probable, and she is bound to be flattered. You might even offer to dedicate the volume to her.’
‘Flattery is one of the great arts,’ said Mr Merridew with a smile. ‘The sign of a true master is knowing when to paint it thick and when to brush it thin.’
‘In fact, your book should be the whole of your story. When asked, its subject should come easily to your lips.’
‘Have no fear, I will know my part well and perform it to perfection. But tell me, do you know anything to the detriment of this lady? Do you think her a cheat?’
Mina paused, as she was unsure how much she ought to reveal of her true interest in Mrs Barnham’s circle. ‘As to that I have no information,’ she said. ‘I wish to satisfy my curiosity, not only concerning the lady herself and her unusual methods, but also those who believe in her. Think of it as a study to amuse me in these idle times. I am sure it will do me good to interest myself in something.’
‘Then I am content to be your eyes and ears.’
‘Only I would prefer it if we did not speak of this matter in front of Miss Cherry or Rose. They might consider the question likely to overheat my brain and cause a relapse, which is nonsense of course. And say nothing to Richard. Not a word, or he will only tell everyone about it, and then he will be very sorry he did so, and it will be impossible not to forgive him.’
Miss Cherry returned reporting that she had made a careful examination of Rose’s steeping of the linens and corrected her in her methods. She took her seat again. There was a look in her eye which suggested to Mina that she would be hard to remove a second time.
‘And now,’ said Mr Merridew rising to his feet in one elegant movement, ‘it is with great regret that I must take my leave of such charming ladies. But do not fear, I shall return!’ And so, with much bowing and gestures of appreciation, he departed.
Miss Cherry, still looking a little pink about the ears, although that might possibly have been the effect of the hot water steeping the linens, drew her book from her apron pocket and opened it. ‘The History of Butterflies’ she announced.
Mina leaned back on the pillows and allowed her mind to flutter pleasantly through speculation.
How, she asked herself, might someone alleviate the sufferings of Mrs Vardy and her son? Only one course of action came to mind. The situation stemmed directly from the disappearance of Mr Jasper Holt in 1864, and his unknown fate. The answer was therefore to discover the location and history of the missing man, thus putting an end to uncertainty, morbid fear and suspicion. The truth might prove to be mundane, scandalous or tragic, but Mina believed that if someone wanted the truth then they had to be prepared from the start to discover that it was not the one for which they had hoped. There would of course always be some people who even when faced with the undeniable truth would refuse to believe it and prefer their own creations, but she couldn’t help that.
Mr Jasper Holt, like Mina’s brother-in-law Mr Inskip, was either alive or dead, but unlike Mr Inskip it was possible for him to be both at once, since he was legally dead, but could be alive in fact. The combination of threatened bankruptcy and a recent and substantial policy of insurance strongly suggested that when he set out on his boat trip, he had intended either to end his life, or as the Brighton and Hove Insurance Company clearly believed, falsify his death.
Mina knew nothing about policies of insurance, but she thought it logical for a number of reasons that no payment would be made in the event of a death by suicide. If Mr Holt intended his family to benefit under the policy, therefore, his real or false death had to appear to be an accident. And he had to be demonstrably dead, rather than merely missing or he would be, as had been proven, a mystery without any solution other than a seven year wait.
The question therefore was how had Mr Holt planned to prove himself dead without actually being dead? A man in his profession would have had no bloated corpse easily to hand to impersonate him, so he was obliged to disappear under circumstances that led to the inevitable conclusion that he was dead. In other words, he needed a reliable witness to his demise. Enter Mr William Sutherland, experienced boatman, as either criminal accomplice or innocent associate to add veracity to the tale.
Mina reflected that she knew nothing about Mr Sutherland other than that in 1864 he had owned a small yacht which he was willing to sell and knew how to sail it. Mr Holt, if still alive would be in his fifties but she did not know Mr Sutherland’s age, occupation or place of residence. These facts might be discoverable, but there were other things she might never know. What was the true character of Mr Holt? What for that matter were the true characters of Mrs Vardy and Mr Sutherland? Were their innocent faces merely masks of deception?
When Miss Cherry had finished the history of butterflies she was about to embark on the subject of fancy needlework, when Mina asked if she might have her letters to read again. The letters had been placed in a box on her desk, one that contained her personal papers, and to which only she had the key. Miss Cherry brought the box, and Mina once more studied Mrs Vardy’s letter. What could she glean of the missing Mr Holt? His son was very attached to him, suggesting that he had been a kind father. His actions also showed that he was a man determined to support his family although whether from love, a sense of duty or both, was unknown. Not having the means to do so, he had undertaken a desperate plan to ensure their future comfort. If he had cared nothing for his wife and sons he would, as men sometimes did, have simply deserted them.
It could not have been any part of his plan for the insurance money not to be paid. Which left the question of what had the plan actually been? Had he intended a later return to his wife and children under another name? Was Mrs Vardy an accomplice?
The courts had been willing to believe that since nothing had been heard from him for seven years since his disappearance, he should be regarded as deceased. Would such a man, if alive, even if he was in hiding from fear of discovery and imprisonment for fraud, have found some means of contacting his family? Had he in fact done so?
Mina also meditated on the fact that young Franklin had received a good education, the kind his father would have wished for him. Yet without the insurance money the estate would have been worthless. How had the expense been met?