All That Glitters: A Maggie Power Adventure (Maggie Power #2) *Unedited version*

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

It was three days later, I'm reliably informed by Blake, that I came out of my feverish state.

    When I awoke there was nobody in the room. On the bedside table was a glass of water, which I stretched to take, but my grip failed me and the glass fell to the floor, the water rushing outwards across the bare floor toward the door.

    Then I heard footsteps on the stairs, followed by a knocking upon the door.

    "Maggie, are you all right?"

    It was Blake.

    "Yes, I am fine," I replied.

    "May I come in?" he asked.

    "Indeed."

    He entered and picked up the glass from the floor, then took a towel and began to mop up the excess water. He then took the jug and poured a fresh glass of water and handed it to me.

    "I am glad to see you're much better," he said.

    "Much, much better, thank you."

    "We were worried for a while. Gave us such a fright to see you lifeless on the doorstep."

    "I was a bit tired, that's all."

    "Well you've certainly had a good, long sleep. Tell me, do you remember much of what happened?" he asked.

    "Most of it, unfortunately. Especially Mr Templeton-Wells' demise."

    Then I thought about the woman who called herself Mrs Morelle. "What happened out at Richmond?" I asked, as he finally sat down upon the chair.

    "We need not worry about those matters for now," Blake replied.

    "I wish to know. Did you speak with the mistress of the house? Was she still there? What of the money?"

    "Easy, Maggie. Gently does it, my girl. You have been through a great ordeal these past days. It's not right that you should worry yourself of such matters at present. The doctor says you should enjoy plenty of rest."

    "Please, I need to know," I said.

    He breathed heavily, took the small stool and sat close to the bed.

    "Well, we did go back out to Richmond. Alas, Mrs Morelle was no longer there. She had left shortly after we took her husband...Or rather, took William Templeton-Wells into custody. She took a number of heavy trunks, according to the butler, and told the staff she was following our vehicle to London, proclaiming she would stay in London until the dreadful matter was concluded. She then left in her carriage accompanied by her coachman – a man called Jenkins. And not a soul has seen her, nor the coachman, since."

    "Do you have any idea where she may have got to?"

    "I've put local men on the case, but we still have very little proof that she had full knowledge of the stolen money or the gold, or indeed the criminal activities at the bank. We have nobody to testify that she was fully acquainted with Templeton-Wells' plan. We still don't fully know who she is."

    "Why she's Templeton-Wells' ex-governess, Miss Strum. Of that I'm certain."

    "Yes, I think that's highly probable. But who Emma Strum is, I couldn't tell you with any certainty. We can find no record of this woman. We found an Emma Sturm, daughter of a German clergyman. Perhaps she changed her name to make it sound less foreign. Where she found the references to get herself accepted inside the house of somebody of William Templeton-Wells' standing is still something of a mystery. There's still much I need to find on this particular woman," he said.

    "You mean we?" I said.

    He laughed. "Perhaps. Now you must rest, Maggie."

    "This man, the coachman – Jenkins – he is surely involved  in this matter. He was very familiar with both Mrs Mor-, Miss Strum and Mr Templeton-Wells. I'm sure he too was involved somehow."

    "Perhaps, but as I have already warned you young lady, you need plenty of rest."

    "And what of Whitmore?"

    He laughed. "He was in such a rage, last I saw him. And, I expect, in pursuit of her as we speak. Along with that ignorant, reprobate side kick of his, I expect. Why he isn't in jail..."

    "I don't think he shall find her," I suggested. "She is far too clever for him."

    "And for the Metropolitan Police, too."

    "But we shall continue to look for her?" I said.

    "Don't you worry yourself no more. It's over for you. And I'm most sorry that I've dragged you into these dismal things, things that a young girl of your age should not have to see."

    I smiled. "Has Emily been at your again?"

    "No, these thoughts are all my own making, I can assure you. And she has been correct all along. I see that now."

    "So this is the end of our partnership? I asked.

    "Partnership? I believed you to merely be my assistant." He laughed, but only to try and disguise that he had truly meant what he said.

       Next dear Emily came up to see me.

    "I am so glad you are better, Maggie," she said. "I wish to apologise for the way I treated you before you left. "

    "You have no need to reproach yourself, Emily. We were both at fault. But I much more than you, I think."

    We embraced and before long our eyes were both streams of tears.

    Through all the difficulties I faced, Emily had always been thinking of my best interests.

    "You are staying here, with me?" she asked.

    "Of course," I said. "That is if you still wish me to stay."

    "Where else would you go, my dear?" she asked.

    I had no answer to that question; besides, there was still too many things about Emma Strum I wished to find out. But my illness, Blake's changed attitude to my role as his assistant and Emily's instructions to remain in bed for a while longer yet, meant that the urgency to capture her became a secondary concern.

    For a time, at least.

***

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