THE HEIRESS (Sample)

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  The Family Doctor looked from Vera’s face to Lord William’s with sorrow written all over his face as he gently closed the Duchess’ blank opened eyes with his old wrinkled hands.
“She’s dead!”

Vera gasped, her hands flying over her opened mouth and she began to sob in pretence. “No! no no no... this can’t be true...”

Lord William hung his head in grief, his hands behind him. “Maybe you should check her again.” He suggested, feigned hope in his eyes. “She can’t be dead, she might just be unconscious.”

The doctor pulled his stethoscope from his ears and hung it around his neck. “I found no pulse. She is cold already, so it’s obvious she died hours ago. According to what her lady-in-waiting testified, she found lady Catherine this way when she came in to clean the room up. Milord, there’s nothing I can do.” Stated the old doctor who had been the family Doctor ever since the Duchess’ marriage to the late Duke. “Apparently, I’m not God and there’s nothing I can do to bring her back to life. My job is to cure and try to nurse my patients back to good health, God’s job is to heal and resurrect.”

“Save the sermon for later, Doctor!” Lord William impatiently stated. “This is my Aunt we are talking about here!”

“...And an old bosom friend of mine too!” replied the doctor. “I have lost someone special today. I’m sure many hearts will grieve for her. She was so kind-hearted and generous, what a drastic end befell her.”

Lord William raked his hand through his hair, sorrow clouding his face. “Of course, she was the most kind-hearted woman I have ever known. All will indeed grieve our loss. I will inform the guards to put it in the papers about Lady Catherine’s unfortunate passing away, that she died in her beauty sleep.” He mentioned the end with a bit of unnoticed sarcasm.

The doctor turned to look at the Duchess still-pale face before Vera finished covering her up with a white sheet. “May I ask you  few questions, Milord?”

“Yes you may...” he answered hesitantly.

“Was the duchess ill before she passed away?”

Lord William hid the shock the question gave and exchanged quick glances with Vera who was beside the bed but behind the Doctor’s back, she looked white with fright already.

“Of course...so I heard.” He replied uneasily.

“And why wasn’t I informed?” continued the Doctor.

“It was just a minor ailment.” Lord William nervously cleared his throat. "I didn’t see any need for your services then, and besides, she was recovering before this suddenly happened.”

“Hmmm...” the doctor thought for a while then said. “I would like to perform an autopsy on her corpse if you don’t mind milord?”

“Why?” Lord William irritably asked "Because...” the Doctor raised a finger as he approached the Duchess’ bed. “I don’t believe the Duchess died in her sleep or of a natural cause.”

“What!” Lord William’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean, Doctor? Are you insinuating that she was murdered?”

“Apparently yes!” he answered. He took the Duchess hands and with the tip of his pen, he indicated. “...Look at the tips of her nails, they have a shade of black in them and I didn’t fail to notice that they have light strands of  clothing in them.”

“So?” Lord William inquired with a frown.”

“I’m implying that she must have been involved in a kind of unexpected struggle before she breathed her last.”