Free Deadly Inheritance by Janet Laurence Page B

broken, rather badly sprained.’ He bound the foot and advised her to rest it as much as possible. ‘If an ice pack was available,’ he said to Mrs Parsons, ‘it might help reduce the swelling.’
    ‘Of course, Doctor. I will see to it.’
    ‘And keep the rest of yourself warm, Miss Grandison. You have had a bad shock.’ He took a small bottle out of his bag and placed it on the night table beside the bed. ‘If you have trouble sleeping, or your ankle pains too much, take a dessertspoon of this.’
    Ursula nodded and thanked him; she had, though, no intention of resorting to the laudanum she was sure the bottle contained. She needed to keep a clear head.
    As soon as the doctor and the housekeeper had left, she removed her still damp dress and underclothes, sucking in her breath as she saw the livid bruises beginning to emerge, and dragged on her nightdress. Then, with the help of a crutch, she limped over to the chest of drawers and found a wrap for her shoulders.
    Underneath the bedclothes, warmth gradually began to penetrate her bones.
    Soon there was another knock on the door and Mrs Parsons reappeared, followed by a footman carrying a tray. On it was an icepack, a stone hot water bottle and a bowl of hot soup.
    Mrs Parsons took the tray. ‘Thank you, Albert, that will be all.’
    The icepack was applied to the ankle, the hot water bottle, wrapped in a piece of flannel, was slipped into the bed, and the bowl of soup was given to Ursula. ‘It’s chicken. I am sure it will do you good.’
    As Ursula started on the soup, the housekeeper placed a dessertspoon beside the bottle the doctor had left.
    ‘Thank you, Mrs Parsons, you are very kind.’
    The housekeeper remained standing beside Ursula’s bed. She seemed suddenly to have aged.
    ‘Miss Grandison,’ she said finally. ‘Is it certain that the poor body you found is that of Polly Brown?’
    For a moment, Ursula laid aside the soup, which was delicious, and said gently, ‘I cannot say, Mrs Parsons. Even if I had known Polly Brown, I would not have been able to recognise her, too much damage had been done by her immersion in the water.’ A brief shudder went through her.
    ‘Then how …?’
    ‘While the Colonel was fetching the horses, I had time to think. I had heard that a nursemaid had left here quite suddenly. Mrs Comfort told me this morning that the path through the wood was regularly taken by staff to the village. I thought it seemed just possible the nursemaid may have had an accident there – that she’d fallen down into the river and drowned. I asked the Colonel to obtain a piece of fabric from her dress. When he showed it to Mrs Comfort, she said that Polly had a garment of just that pattern.’
    Mrs Parsons’s mouth pursed. ‘That girl’s off-duty dress was most unsuitable. She could be a disruptive influence in the house.’ She seemed to sense that a different attitude was expected of her. ‘Mind you, she was a splendid help in the nursery. His little lordship loved her.’ Again there came a suggestion that a slice of lemon had been placed between her lips. ‘If it is Polly who ended up where you found her – and I have to say, Miss Grandison, we all regret that you should have been put through such an unpleasant experience – well, if it is Polly, that is a tragedy, one we will all find difficult to come to terms with. Bad enough that she should up and leave like that but to have such an unfortunate accident and meet her end in that way, well, it is a sad day.’
    Ursula wanted to question Mrs Parsons about Polly’s ‘disruptive influence’. But Belle rushed in.
    ‘Dearest Ursula, what happened? Are you very injured? Was it so awful? We have only just returned from our visiting – and to hear such a terrible tale. Oh, please tell me you are all right.’ She sat herself down on the bed and passionately embraced Ursula, who had difficulty in preventing her soup bowl from ending on the floor.
    Mrs Parsons took it from her and