‘But he was able to take out insurance, was he not? In a large sum, so the newspapers said. He must have paid the first instalment at least.’
‘Yes, just the first one. I suppose you want to know how he paid it.’ Mrs Vardy gulped. A tear escaped one eye and trickled down her face before she could prevent it. She blotted it carefully with a handkerchief. Mina allowed her as long as she needed to recover. ‘He took my jewellery, Miss Scarletti. Some of it had belonged to my mother and my grandmother. He told me he was having it valued for insurance, but that was a lie. He pawned it. How could he do such a thing? I suppose he thought that in time I would have the insurance money and be able to retrieve it, but of course that never happened. I have it back, now, through the kindness of my family. In fact, if it had not been for my brother, I would have been destitute. He and his wife gave a home to me and my children. They have not been blessed with a family of their own but are godparents to Franklin and Matthew. My boys have had a good education and want for nothing.’ Despite this proud statement she looked dejected. ‘Have I wasted your time? I had so hoped…’
‘Not at all,’ Mina reassured her. ‘You said you employed a detective?’
‘Yes. I have all his reports if you would like to see them.’
‘I would.’
‘In fact, I will show you all the papers in my possession. Letters, newspapers. I kept them all.’
‘That would be most helpful. I will write to you when I am able to come and see you once more.’
There was a knock on the door, and Rose peered in. ‘The doctor is here to see you.’
Mrs Vardy rose. ‘Then I will trouble you no further. Believe me, I would be so grateful for any advice you could give me.’ She left quickly before the tears began again.
Once her visitor had departed, Mina looked in Page’s Directory for a Doctor Crosier but found nothing.
CHAPTER TEN
Dr Hamid drew a chair near to Mina’s bed and opened his medical bag. ‘I hardly need to ask if you are feeling better as I can see it for myself. More colour in your cheeks, brighter eyes. So now you can see what sensible behaviour and plenty of rest can do for you.’
‘I can indeed,’ said Mina.
‘And Rose tells me that your appetite is improved.’
‘My appetite is as good as cook will allow it to be,’ said Mina. ‘Rose has been instructing her and she has studied your book on invalid diet, the result being that I have been presented with dishes which assume that I am either toothless or too weak to chew. Perhaps you could reassure her that she is mistaken in both suppositions. Not all meat has to be boiled for quite so long.’
He smiled. ‘I will do so. As long as your digestion proceeds well.’
‘My digestion is good, provided I take small meals, and no-one thinks I need to be fattened up.’
He extracted the stethoscope from his bag. ‘Who is the lady I passed on the stairs?’ he asked. ‘She looked very upset. Was she visiting you? Her face looked familiar, but I couldn’t quite place her.’
Mina could not avoid a slight hesitation before she replied. ‘She is a representative of a porcelain company. I was looking at their catalogue of mourning brooches.’
Dr Hamid was about to don the earpieces of the stethoscope but stopped abruptly. A series of increasingly worried expressions crossed his features. ‘Rose also tells me that you have been visited by Mr Phipps the solicitor.’
‘Yes,’ said Mina calmly, ‘I thought it was about time I made a will.’
It was his eyes that first expressed alarm, and he swallowed convulsively, but then he quickly recovered himself. ‘Of course,’ he said steadily, in his most professional manner, ‘that is a wise thing for most people to do, but they are usually at a greater age than yourself. I do hope that you are not becoming despondent. I have known patients who have concealed their unhappy thoughts and show to the world a good humour they do not feel. If you are in low spirits then I can reassure you that many patients who suffer from fever and breathlessness as you have done, will experience something of that nature, but I promise that it will pass as you become stronger. You are young. You must not give up on life.’
‘Thank you,’ said Mina, ‘but I am simply being sensible. I do intend to recover my health.’
He did not appear entirely reassured. ‘I am glad to hear it. But if you have any worries or concerns, anything at all that troubles you, you must tell me about it at once. I know how much of a support you are to your family when you are well, but there are times when you need to take care of yourself or have someone take care of you.’
Mina could only nod agreement.
‘Now,’ he went on, donning the stethoscope, ‘breathe as evenly as you can.’ Whatever the instrument was telling him seemed favourable. He gave a nod of satisfaction and made some notes before preparing to take her pulse.
‘Speaking of my family,’ said Mina, ‘it has occurred to me that when I am well again, I should purchase some insurance. I would like to do something to assist them.’
‘Insurance?’ he queried. ‘What kind of insurance?’
‘I meant a policy on my life. Unless you think I am not worth insuring.’
‘That is not for me to say.’ He pressed his fingers to her wrist, which she thought, looked very thin and bone pale under his strong brown grip.
‘I suppose if I was to do so I would be obliged to obtain a certificate of good health from a doctor.’
‘That is usual, yes.’
‘Would that be from yourself or another?’
‘Insurance companies often prefer to appoint their own men.’
‘Someone recently mentioned a Dr Crosier. Is he suitable?’
Dr Hamid paused. ‘Crosier? Where did you hear that name?’
‘I — er …’
He released her wrist. ‘Miss Scarletti, what are you doing? Because if your pulse rate is anything to judge by this is no innocent enquiry.’ A thought crossed his mind. ‘Porcelain mourning brooches, you said? Of course! Saltmire and Vardy. That was the new Mrs Vardy I passed on the stairs. She is an occasional client of my sister. That is where I have seen her before.’
‘Yes, she brought a tray of mourning brooches for me to look at.’
There was no disarming Dr Hamid’s growing suspicions. ‘Did she now? What a curious coincidence that the very person whom all the town is discussing should happen to come and see you.’
Mina said nothing.
Dr Hamid completed his notes and closed his medical bag. ‘Miss Scarletti, I know you far too well. I think that you are engaging in one of your adventures, even from your bed of sickness, despite all my warnings. I also fear that if I was to beg you to be sensible and stop, you would disobey me. Where is Miss Cherry? I need to speak to her.’
‘She is not here; she has another appointment.’
‘Really? How convenient for you that her appointment coincided with Mrs Vardy’s visit. And I happen to know that if she had been here then Mrs Vardy and Miss Cherry would have recognised each other.’ He pressed a hand to his forehead. ‘Of course, I see the connection, now. I sincerely hope that Miss Cherry has not been saying things she ought not to.’