The Silent Pool

Chapter Thirty-one

The news had come to the Vicarage whilst Jenny and Molly were eating bread-and-milk out of brightly coloured bowls with a pattern of cherries, their fair hair smoothly brushed, their rosy faces newly washed, and their blue eyes intent on the business of breakfast. They made a pleasant picture. Mary Lenton’s colour was not as fresh as theirs. She had slept and waked, and slept and waked again through what had seemed like double the number of hours the night should hold.

Ellie Page did not wake at all. She lay in a deep exhausted sleep with the sheet drawn up to her chin. Her breathing made no sound, and the sheet did not move. Mary had set a night-light in the wash-basin. It made a faint steady light in the room. Every time she waked and saw Ellie lying so still she felt a cold touch of fear. Sleep should not look so terribly like death. But each time, rising and tip-toeing to the bed, she knew that this was not death, but sleep.

She was pouring milk into the children’s cups, when John called her out of the room. He put a hand on her arm and took her into the study.

‘The baker has just been – I took two loaves. Mary, he says there has been another accident up at Ford House. It doesn’t seem possible, but he has just come from there. He says they found Meriel Ford in that pool – drowned in the same way as Miss Preston. He says the police are there now’

Mary Lenton turned very pale indeed.

‘She was drowned – in the pool?’

‘That is what he says. I don’t know if I ought to go up there.’

‘Not just now – not while the police are there.’

He said, ‘How is Ellie? Isn’t she getting up? I shall have to see her about last night. Isn’t she awake?’

‘I gave her some hot milk, and she went to sleep again. You can’t talk to her yet.’

The look on his face was not encouraging. Men must always do things the hard way. He said coldly,

‘If she is ill, you had better send for the doctor. If she isn’t ill, she can see me.’

She said, ‘Wait… No John, I think you must. Don’t you see we’ve got to be careful?’

‘Careful!’

‘Yes, John. You can’t have a scene with Ellie – not now. You really can’t! Mrs Marsh will be here any minute to do the cleaning. I shall tell her Ellie isn’t well and I’m keeping her in bed. Nobody – nobody must know that she was out of the house last night.’

He gave an angry laugh.

‘You’re locking the door after the horse is stolen, aren’t you? Half the neighbourhood seems to know she was getting out at night!’

‘But not last night. There mustn’t be any talk about that.’

He said in a horrified voice,

‘What are you suggesting?’

She took hold of his arm and shook it.

‘I’m not suggesting anything. I’m telling you no one must know that Ellie went out last night.’

‘We’re to cover up for her – tell a lot of lies?’

‘I’m not telling lies, I’m telling the truth. She isn’t well, and I’m keeping her in bed.’

He pulled away from her and went to the window, staring out. Presently he said without turning round,

‘The police say Meriel was murdered.’

‘John!’

‘He says he had it from Robertson. She was struck on the back of the head and pushed into the pool.’