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Sherlock Holmes and the Persian Slipper (The Early Casebook of Sherlock Holmes 4), page 23
SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE PERSIAN SLIPPER
The Early Casebook of Sherlock Holmes
Book Four
Linda Stratmann
In memory of Thomas Simmons
1844–1885
Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
NOTE TO THE READER
HISTORICAL NOTES
HEAR MORE FROM LINDA
ALSO BY LINDA STRATMANN
From Memoirs of a Medical Man
by A. Stamford FRCS
1924
CHAPTER ONE
It is not often that I am seen strolling with an attractive young lady on my arm, so on a bright but chill spring morning in the year 1877 I thought it might amuse my fellow students at Barts to give my visiting cousin Lily a tour of those parts of the college which she might find interesting. Lily and I have known each other since we were babies, and we are as close as brother and sister. She is a kind, affectionate girl, who likes to think well of others, and we have always been able to confide in one another. It was during this tour that we chanced to encounter Sherlock Holmes on his way to the chemistry laboratory, and I greeted him and made the introductions. He was clearly much preoccupied with a new experiment, and unprepared to stop and talk for more than a few moments. His manner was even more reserved than usual, and I saw in his eyes the fire of a great mind at work on higher things. After uttering the customary politenesses, he abruptly bid us good day and continued on his mission.
A little later, Lily commented, ‘Your friend Mr Holmes does have such an intense stare, he quite frightened me!’ As she did so, she pressed her hand over her heart as if to indicate an anxious fluttering in that organ.
‘Oh, that’s just his way, you know,’ I said airily. ‘He is a decent enough fellow.’
After a moment or two she asked, ‘Is he a married or a single gentleman?’
Seeing the way things were going, I smiled and said, ‘I believe he is very devotedly married to his work and likely to remain so.’ My suspicions were correct as I saw her give a little pout of disappointment. Lily, although only a few months older than I, had already suffered two broken engagements, but undeterred, was clearly seeking another attachment.
It was soon apparent to me that the purpose of Lily’s visit was more than merely cordial, and she had more pressing matters on her mind than the towering figure and aquiline features of Holmes. I decided to take her to a nearby tea shop, where I thought the comfort of a steaming beverage and a plate of scones might encourage her to unburden herself. After abstractedly consuming all the strawberry jam provided, she at last spoke.
‘You remember Una, of course.’
‘Miss Kenrick? Yes, I do. I hope she is well.’
Una Kenrick was a former schoolfellow of Lily’s, and they had continued to meet and correspond over the years. She was a quiet, thoughtful, good-natured girl, and a gentle humourist in conversation. Her round, pleasing face was unfortunately marred by a large red birthmark, which crept up one side of her neck and extended over her jaw onto one cheek, where it rested like a gloved hand. Another girl might have been embarrassed by this and sought to cover it up in any way she could, but Una had a determined character and made nothing of it.
‘Her life has not been an easy one. She has been alone in the world since her mother died, but she is intelligent and very capable. She used to keep house for an elderly gentleman, but the position did not suit her. When he passed away, she resolved not to continue in service, and found better employment with a linens company, managing their stocks and orders.’
‘I am glad to hear she is settled,’ I said. There was obviously more, and I waited.
‘And then she had the most unexpected stroke of luck,’ Lily continued. ‘She received a letter from a solicitor who told her that a distant cousin, a man she had never even heard of, had passed away and since he had no direct heirs, she was the nearest relation. Of course, she was sorry to hear that he was no more, but all the same, there was good news to follow. This cousin had a property in Essex, in the village of Coldwell. And there was an investment in funds which provided a small income. Una was the sole inheritor.’
Despite this promising revelation, Lily continued to appear concerned.
‘And she has received all the proper documents?’ I asked. ‘I mean, was it a genuine legacy, with no unusual conditions attached?’
‘Oh, yes, everything was in order. She went to look at the house, and while it was tidily enough kept and there is a capable housekeeper, the furnishings are quite old, and the exterior has been badly neglected. She thought it too large for one person and made enquiries about either selling or letting it. And that —’ Lily made a meaningful pause — ‘that was how she was introduced to John Clark.’
I sensed that we had arrived at the nub of the problem.
‘It all happened so fast,’ exclaimed Lily. ‘Una had never thought of being married; she did not think that was to be her life. Gentlemen — well, you know how gentlemen can be. If they liked her, and I know they did, they saw her as a servant, a housekeeper, a governess — never as a wife, and certainly not a mother. But when she met John Clark, she found him highly agreeable, and he thought the same of her. He is a man of property, recently retired from business, and was looking for a new home in the country. Before a few weeks had passed, they were engaged, and then married. The house, or at least those parts which are fitted out for their use, is now their home. They intend to renovate the whole in time, and it should be very handsome when done.’
‘Did you attend the wedding?’
‘No, it was a small affair as they are not yet able to entertain, but once they are, there will be a very grand wedding party.’
‘Are you concerned that she may have made too hasty a decision?’ I asked.
‘I was, of course, but she wrote to me about her new life, and how happy she is, and how kind her new husband. And then, the letters stopped for a while. I waited to hear from her again. I hoped to receive an invitation to visit.’ Lily took an unusually large gulp of tea that almost caused her to choke and dabbed her lips with the napkin. I refreshed the pot and poured more tea, and she returned to her cup eagerly. ‘When I did receive another letter, it struck me as strange. Una said they were nicely settled, and making new acquaintances in the village, but intimated that her husband was more secretive about his past than she might have liked. She felt sure he had some sorrow which he did not wish to share with her. She did not like to press him on the subject and hoped he would enlighten her when he felt ready. In her next letter, she revealed that he was in the habit of going out on long walks in the countryside, alone. On one occasion she had found buttons missing from his clothes — not just lost, they were actually torn off, in a quite violent manner — which she had had to replace, and there was dirt clinging to his garments which had an odd smell she could not identify. She did mention it to him, but he brushed her enquiries aside, saying he had simply stumbled. As her letters continued, it was evident that she was becoming still more concerned about what he was doing, and the reasons for his continuing secrecy. She began to look amongst his effects for clues but found nothing. There was a drawer which he usually kept locked, but one day she found it open. What she saw inside shocked and frightened her. It was a pair of Persian slippers, one of which was stuffed with paper to keep it in shape, but the other had something in it.’ Lily took a deep breath. ‘Arthur — it was a gun. She dared not touch it.’
I decided not to mention that many men, including Holmes, own guns. In my friend’s case, he was aware that his habit of delving into crimes placed him in danger from those who sought to put an end to his enquiries. Men who have served in the military often retain their service revolvers when they return home. Sportsmen might own several. Others simply like to collect them.
I did my best to soothe her anxiety. ‘Perhaps it was simply an antique — a curio.’
‘She didn’t know. She did think of going to the police, but then she realised she had no proof of any kind of crime.’
‘She may be worrying unnecessarily,’ I said. ‘I expect he will eventually confide in her.’
‘Perhaps, but she also said that there were other matters concerning her husband which worried her, and she
‘You must have replied to her?’
‘I did, of course, expressing my anxiety on her behalf, offering my help, and asking if I might pay a visit, but here is another thing.’ I waited expectantly as she took a lace handkerchief from her glove and pressed it to her forehead and cheeks, as if to cool her emotions. I detected a powerful scent of rose petals. ‘Una told me not to send letters to her at the house in future. I had to send them to the post office in the high street to be held until called for, and address them not to Una Clark, but Jane Dalton. That is her mother’s maiden name. And she told me that I was not to visit her until she wrote to let me know that all her concerns were settled. And she also — she told me to burn all her letters.’
‘Did you?’ I asked.
Lily shook her head. ‘I still have them.’ Lily delved into her bag and drew out a bundle of letters tied with a piece of ribbon. ‘I was going to show them to someone who could advise me. Would you take a look?’ She bit her lip. ‘Do you think it was wrong of me to keep them?’
‘I think,’ I said, cautiously, as I glanced through the pile of letters, ‘that you may have done the right thing. And I have a suggestion to make. As you are so worried, might I have your permission to put the matter before my friend Sherlock Holmes, and show these to him?’
Lily gave a little gasp and looked suddenly more cheerful. ‘Oh, do you think he would help me?’
‘I can’t promise it, but he has a remarkable mind, and can solve mysteries that baffle others. If he thinks there is something to be looked into then I will certainly undertake to visit Mrs Clark myself, and I hope that Holmes will agree to accompany me.’
CHAPTER TWO
Lily had some calls to make but agreed to visit me at my lodgings later that evening, and I went to see Holmes. As expected, he was inhabiting the chemistry laboratory. I found him engulfed in a powerfully acrid vapour, which gushed from a complicated arrangement of glass vessels and rubber tubing that occupied most of a bench. The threat of an imminent and catastrophic conclusion to his labours from liquid seething over the flame of a gas burner, was sufficient to ensure that he was not disturbed by other students, and he was alone.
I told him all I knew about Lily’s concerns, and he listened politely. I often found it hard to discern how much attention Holmes gave to tales of woe. I sometimes received the impression that he had heard nothing at all or was listening only out of duty, while most of his concentration was directed elsewhere on subjects which he found much more interesting. Just as I was tempted to remonstrate with him for his inattention, it always turned out that not only had he heard and absorbed everything I had said, but he had developed fresh insights.
As I stopped speaking, Holmes stepped back from the bench and took out his pocket watch. ‘I can give you a few hours this evening if your cousin wishes it,’ he said.
It went without saying that we would meet in my rooms and not his, where there was a permanent fog of tobacco smoke. ‘Thank you, Holmes, I will let Lily know. She is coming to me for supper at six o’clock. Do you think it might be a serious matter?’
‘I cannot say at present,’ he said lightly. ‘There are some features which are suggestive, but I will not come to any conclusion until I have examined the letters. Kindly ask your cousin to bring them and, if she still has them, any letters she received from her friend in the months before her marriage, in particular those which describe her unexpected good fortune.’
He returned to his labours, and I perceived that our interview was at an end.
That evening Lily duly arrived at my rooms close upon the hour. Her complexion, on which she prided herself as being fashionably pale, was somewhat heightened either from the nipping breeze or the anticipation of seeing my friend again.
Holmes, who arrived bearing a volume of the Essex County directory, was calm and detached. He did no more than greet my cousin in a formal manner and request the letters. He did not, however, examine them at once, but placed them to one side, and asked Lily to tell him everything she knew about Mrs Clark while we made our simple supper.
Poor Lily tried to engage his closer interest without result. Throughout the conversation he barely glanced at her. It has often been said that Holmes did not like to associate with women, and to a degree this was true. Women were an unwanted distraction from the intellectual pursuits which dominated his existence. He was not impervious to female beauty, any more than he was to music or art, but music and art may be appreciated in a concert hall or gallery, as a welcome diversion from the toil of a busy life. A woman, had he joined his future with hers, would have been a constant intrusion which he would have found intolerable. An all-male company held no such dangers.
‘We met at school,’ said Lily. ‘We were no more than seven years old. Poor Una has a port wine stain on her face, and while she does not allow it to affect her, I always feared it might influence her prospects. Some of the other children were cruel, and tried to make sport of her, and I came to her defence and told them they should be ashamed of themselves. That was how we became friends. Her father was a commercial clerk. He died when she was twelve years of age, and she was an only child. Her mother died about two years ago. But Una was determined to make her own way in life. She is intelligent, with clear, neat handwriting and an aptitude for figures. I was happy for her when she found a position with good wages.’
Holmes nodded and once the remains of our supper were cleared, he untied the ribbon binding the letters. He laid them out on the table, taking care to arrange them in date order, each resting by its envelope, then he took out his magnifying glass and examined them closely. ‘You have no doubt in your mind that every single one of these letters was written by your friend?’ he asked.
‘None at all,’ said Lily confidently. ‘I know her writing very well, and it is more than that — there are little expressions she uses. And she has replied to the letters I sent her at the post office, so I know she received them.’
‘This one,’ said Holmes, tapping a paper with a long finger, ‘is dated three months ago, and advises you of the unexpected inheritance.’ He ran his glass carefully over the lettering. ‘Her late cousin was called Roderick Brampton, and he was the headmaster of an elementary school in the village of Coldwell, Essex. A widower, with no living descendants.’ He moved on. ‘And in this next letter, we see that the initial anticipation at inheriting a cottage in that place has been somewhat dimmed by her visit, and the discovery that it is rather a run-down property. She has prudently taken advice from a solicitor in Ilford, a Mr Philpott. Mr Philpott introduced her to a Mr Clark, a retired gentleman who had had a business dealing in fine furniture and whom he thought might consider purchasing or renting the cottage, as he believed it could be made very comfortable. Hmm.’ The glass moved on. ‘And here, scarcely three weeks later, we learn that Mr Clark is so enamoured of the young lady as to make his declaration. In another three weeks they are married. How extraordinary.’ Holmes shook his head, though whether he was responding to the situation in particular or the general vagaries of human nature, it was not entirely clear. ‘And now we come to the letters written after the marriage. It is the same handwriting, clear, firm, and without hesitation. A month passes without incident, only the usual commentaries on village life, and then the tenor changes. Yes, how very interesting. Of course, there are a dozen possible explanations for her observations and concerns, many of them quite unimportant.’
‘What should I do?’ asked Lily. ‘I suppose I oughtn’t to go there, as she has told me not to.’
‘She has not told anyone else not to go,’ I said. ‘I am sure I could find some pretext to visit her.’ I opened the directory. ‘Is there anything of interest in that part of the county?’
‘I really couldn’t say,’ said Lily. ‘I think it is all farmland, and market gardeners. At least, there is nothing remarkable to speak of in Coldwell.’
My examination of the volume entirely confirmed that statement. ‘I shall think of something,’ I said. ‘I have no further lectures to attend this week. I will go tomorrow morning. Holmes, would you be so good as to accompany me?’
‘My laboratory work precludes me from doing so.’ He looked at his watch. ‘In fact, I must depart, as the next stage is due to commence soon, and I might be engaged most of the night watching over it. The warden of the college has already made known to me his opinion on broken glass and explosions, which is a considerable impediment to my endeavours.’ He rose to leave. ‘But do go, Stamford, by all means, and when you return kindly report to me all you have discovered.’
