“Persuaded her to put it into action, I suspect. It suited your plans for revenge.”
“How well you understand! Yes, naturally I was intrigued by the idea.”
“So you helped her make up her mind. You showed her how it could be done.”
He lifted his shoulders. “She fervently believed … at the start … that it would change his feelings towards her. It was what she wanted more than anything. She was ready to go to any lengths to reach that end. I suggested this as a place of refuge … She was enthusiastic about the idea. She smuggled a few essential clothes out of the house. I brought them here. She told her maid she was giving them away to some cottagers. I made this place habitable for her.”
“What a terrible thing to do!”
“Yes. Quite ingeniously worked out, though. But it’s over, and we have to get her out of here. We have to have a plausible story. Not easy … but if you will help, we could achieve that. I know I can trust your discretion. I have thought of a plan and when you see the wisdom of it, you will agree to it, I am sure. We have to think of the press who will be avid for the story. She can’t stay here as the work is to start on the building very soon.”
“When can I see her?”
“When I have told you the plan. You are staying with the Cartwrights. Go back to Benedict’s house and stay a night there. Say you had something to do in your room there … some things you want to sort out … something like that. In the morning, Celeste will return there. She will be dazed and uncertain. She will not know what has happened to her because she has lost her memory. She walked out of the house on that night but she did not know where to. She must have had money in her pocket … enough to enable her to buy a rail ticket to London. She got into conversation with someone on the train … a woman who by chance had a boarding house. She told her she could not remember where she was going. The woman befriended her and she stayed with her some time … she cannot remember how long. She was obviously of good family and the woman believed that in time she would be rewarded—in fact, Celeste had told her this would be so. She merely wanted a temporary refuge while she was trying to remember who she was. She used to walk round the streets looking for her home. She knew she had one … somewhere. Then suddenly, passing Benedict’s town house she recognized it and some memory came back to her. So she presented herself and you happened to be there. You are overcome with joy. You get her to bed. You send for the doctor. As you talk to her some memory comes back and she knows you, of course. You send for Benedict. He comes. Happy reunion. Celeste is back in the family circle and this damning mystery is over.”
I listened with incredulity to all and said: “It is very wild. No one will believe it.”
“You can make it plausible enough.”
“Surely …”
“It is the only way, Rebecca. Imagine the press getting their hands on this. Do not bring more scandal on Benedict. Lost memory is the only answer. Play it carefully as you go along. She has been ill. They’ll probably say it was through his neglect of her, but that will pass, when he shows himself to be the devoted husband. It’s easily done. Loving looks in public … a little pressure of the hands …”
“Take me to her.”
“Follow me.”
He led the way to the stairs and we started to climb. It was a long way up. Right at the top of the tall building we came to a landing. He went to a door and knocked. It was opened immediately and there stood Celeste. She looked pale, thin and very distressed.
She flew at me and we were in each other’s arms.
“Oh, Celeste,” I cried. “I’m so happy to see you.”
“Rebecca … it’s been so terrible. I should never have done it.”
“Never mind,” I said. “It’s over. Oliver has been explaining tome.”
He stood by watching us.
“Now we must be practical,” he said. He turned to Celeste. “Rebecca has agreed to help us.”
Celeste smiled at me pathetically and I felt great sympathy for her. I wanted so much to make her life a happy one. I wondered if she and Benedict would be able to forget all that had gone before. I did not know whether that was possible, but at least we could hope.
“Oliver has been telling me how and why you left. We’ve got to forget that, Celeste. You’ve got to come back. Dreadful things have been said in the papers.”
Oliver broke in: “Now we are going to work this out so that our plan is perfect. It must sound right.”
He produced a bottle from his pocket. “There are glasses here,” he said. He went to a cupboard and brought out three. “A little sip of brandy is what we need. Yes, even you, Rebecca. You have had a shock.”
We sat at a table and he poured a little of the spirit into each glass.
He gave me his tender smile. “Celeste,” he said. “Rebecca is going to help us sort this out. I aim for you to get back to your husband’s roof, and there will be a happy reunion. Rebecca wants you all to be as one happy family and as we are fond of Rebecca we must give her what she wants if that is possible. Now listen closely. Rebecca is going back to your husband’s house. Tomorrow I shall take you out in a cab and drop you two streets away. You will then walk to the house and ring the doorbell. Rebecca will let the maid answer it but she will be close at hand. She will show great amazement at the sight of you. She will be a little tearful and very emotional … and certainly bewildered. The house was familiar to you … you were trying to remember … you began to recognize it as your home …”
“I hope this will work,” I said. “It does not sound natural to me.”
“We will make it work. They are not difficult roles to play. It is very important that this should work out. If the press got hold of the truth there would be the most horrific scandal … and great trouble.”
“Trouble for you?” I suggested. “Goodness knows what the penalty would be for hiding someone whom the police are trying to find.”
“I think I could extricate myself with some plausibility. A lapse of memory leaves everyone innocent. It is the way to get the smallest amount of press coverage.”
“Celeste,” I burst out. “I am so happy to have found you!”
“I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to do it or not,” she said. “Sometimes I hated him. I wanted to have my revenge on him … and then I wished I hadn’t. What did the papers say?”
“The police are looking for you, Celeste.”
She shivered.
“Yes,” said Oliver. “And on second thoughts I think we had better leave here at dusk. We will not trust to a cab. There would be the driver to consider. He might remember something. I hadn’t thought that we might be seen. I will bring my own carriage and drive it myself. Celeste will arrive at the house just as it is getting dark … this evening. You must go back at once, Rebecca. Tell them you have to stay at Benedict’s house for a night or so and leave as soon as possible. You must be there when Celeste arrives. You have to help her through this. Just get her to bed … send for Benedict … and make sure you stay with her. She’ll show that she wants you there. It is imperative that you play your parts right.”
“Then I must go at once,” I said. “I have to make arrangements to go to the other house and there is not much time if Celeste is coming back this evening.”
He nodded.
I turned to Celeste. “It is going to be all right. It must be there. I’ll be there when you come. Don’t worry.”
“Benedict.
“He will be so glad to see you.”
“He doesn’t want me.”