Chorus of the Dead

Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Fashion'd so slenderly,

Young, and so fair!

Miss Dawson's words of warning ringing in his ears, Ainsley made his way back to town, very aware of the social call he and Margaret were expected to make to the manor later that day. He had yet to recover from the shock of learning Josephine's true parentage and his mind was awash with possible motives for killing the poor girl. It was possible Mrs. Lloyd, consumed with hatred and anger at her husband's infidelity, killed the child as revenge. Possible, but highly unlikely as someone cunning enough to perpetrate such a crime would not kill the object of the anger first. No, Ainsley thought, Mrs. Lloyd would keep her husband alive so he could live through the pain of losing a child, just as she had with all those pregnancies lost thanks to him and his wandering eye. If Mrs. Lloyd had killed Josephine, why did she kill her husband first? Unless Walter had died of natural causes, pneumonia as Dr. Bennett said, and Mrs. Lloyd was no longer interested in caring for the girl who was not her own.

Ainsley reached the Inn by late afternoon, the sun hidden behind a veiled sky reminding everyone that winter loomed. Margaret was in a sour mood when he went to her room.

"Good, you're here ...finally." she said, her voice laced with indignation.

Ainsley stared after her for a moment, surprised at the tone of her voice and the quick, choppy movements she made as she went around the room. Her trunk took up the end of the bed and her valise was sitting, mouth wide open with a few of her belongings surrounding it. "Are you packing?" he asked, suddenly realizing her intentions. "Margaret, no, we have to call at the manor."

She laughed but did not waiver from her work. "You have to call at the manor. I have to try to catch a train." She wiggled her fingers at him and nearly snarled as she spoke.

"Train?"

"Jonas left! Good god Peter, you treat him like a pebble in your shoe and then you are surprised when he leaves?"

"We had a fight. We always fight, I didn't think he would leave."

Margaret raised her hand to her forehead, covering her eyes as she closed them, and regulating her breathing while she spoke. "I couldn't convince him to stay." There was a depression in her voice, a hopeless resignation that seemed to haunt her still.

Ainsley had been trying to ignore their apparent attachment, perhaps hoping Margaret would grow out of it and move on. No doubt Jonas was the first man to see her as anything but a child. "I don't think Father would approve of this attachment you are forming for Jonas. Quite frankly I cannot say I approve of it myself."

"He has been your dearest friend for years--"

"Exactly! My friend! I would know if he was not a good match for you."

"This has nothing to do with whether he is a good match. I am angry because you have wronged him just like you wrong me."

He had done wrong by Jonas. He sought his help with Dr. Bennett but when the stress mounted he lashed out at his friend who was trying to help him. He would run after Jonas if he could, if he knew his friend was not already half way to London. As much as he wanted to go to Jonas, he needed to go to Lillian first. He would have to deal with Jonas, apologize later. If Lillian died, Ainsley would never forgive himself.

Ainsley saw his sister, near tears, on the opposite side of the bed. She was looking at him, like she used to when they were children and he'd abandoned her game to chase down their older brother. She was always left behind, either because she was the youngest or because she was a girl. It must be hard, Ainsley thought, chasing after him, even now in their adult life.