for support, guiding her to the nearest chair. “Pour some more tea and a little brandy,” she said to Dominic. “And you’d better find her maid and tell her.”
Dominic hesitated a moment, swinging around to look at Mallory.
“What happened?” Tryphena demanded. “Mama? You look as if somebody hit you. Did you fall?”
“Of course she fell!” Clarice snapped. “Don’t be absurd! Who would hit her? Anyway, we’re all here.”
Tryphena looked around, her eyes wide, and suddenly everyone was aware that the only member of the family not present was Ramsay. One by one they looked back to Vita.
She was trembling violently now, sitting huddled up, her face ashen except for the darkening bruises around her eye and the scarlet slash oozing blood on her cheek. Charlotte held the cup for her; she was shaking too badly to hold it herself.
“What happened?” Mallory asked, his voice rising sharply.
Dominic stood by the door, waiting to hear before he would leave.
Vita drew in her breath and tried to speak, but gulped back a sob.
Charlotte put her arms around her very gently, not to hurt what else must surely be damaged in such an injury. “Perhaps you had better send for your doctor?” She turned to Clarice as being the most likely to be in command of herself and the situation.
Clarice stared back at her without moving.
Tryphena swiveled from one to the other of them, her eyes accusing.
Mallory made as if to move, and then froze.
“Please!” Charlotte urged.
Vita raised her head. “No …” she said hoarsely. “No … don’t do that! I … it is only … a little cut …”
“It is more than that,” Charlotte said seriously. “That bruising may be pretty unpleasant, and one cannot tell how widespread it may be. I am sure a little arnica will help, but I think you should call your doctor all the same.”
“No.” Vita was resolute. She was struggling fiercely to regain control of herself. Tears spilled over her cheeks and she ignored them. Her face was probably too sore to touch. Her whole body still shuddered. “No … I do not want the doctor to be informed.”
“Mama, you must!” Clarice insisted, coming forward for the first time and standing only five or six feet away. “Why ever should you not? He won’t think you foolish, if that is what you are worrying about. People do fall … accidentally. It is easy enough.”
Vita closed her eyes, wincing as the pain struck her. “I did not fall,” she whispered. “The doctor may know that if he comes. I … couldn’t bear it … especially now. We must …” She took a deep breath and almost choked. “We must show … loyalty …”
“Loyalty!” Tryphena exploded. “To what? To whom? When you say loyalty, you mean lie! Cover up the truth …”
Vita started to weep quietly, retreating into herself in misery.
“Stop it!” Dominic was back from the doorway, glancing at Tryphena. “Words like that are not helping anyone.” He knelt down in front of Vita, staring at her earnestly. “Mrs. Parmenter, I think you had better tell us the truth. We can then decide what is best to do about it. But while it is all imagination or suspicion, we are likely to make mistakes. You did not fall … What did happen?”
Slowly Vita raised her head again. “I quarreled with Ramsay,” she said huskily. “It was terrible, Dominic. I don’t even know how it happened. One moment we were talking quite agreeably, then he went to look at his letters which the butler had left on his desk, and without any warning at all he flew into a rage. He seemed to lose all control of himself.” She kept her eyes on Dominic’s all the time she spoke, but she must have been acutely aware of Mallory standing at the edge of the group, his shoulders tight, his face drawn into faint lines of anger and confusion.
Clarice made as if to interrupt and then stopped.
Vita was gripping Charlotte’s hand so tightly it was painful, but Charlotte did not pull away.
“He accused me of opening his letters … which is ridiculous. I would never touch anything addressed to him. But one must have been torn in the delivery, and he just lost his temper and started to say it was I who had done it.” Her voice was low and urgent, sharp with fear. Now that she had started she could not stop herself. The words were tumbling out full of confusion. “He shouted at me, not loudly …