The engagement…drifted into it…very pleasant to marry someone you had known all your life….
“Not, perhaps, what might be called a passionate affair?”
(Passionate? Oh, Roddy…)
“Well, no…you see we knew each other so well….”
“After the death of Mrs. Welman was there a slightly strained feeling between you?”
“Yes, there was.”
“How did you account for this?”
“I think it was partly the money.”
“The money?”
“Yes. Roderick felt uncomfortable. He thought people might think he was marrying me for that….”
“The engagement was not broken off on account of Mary Gerrard?”
“I did think Roderick was rather taken with her, but I didn’t believe it was anything serious.”
“Would you have been upset if it had been?”
“Oh, no. I should have thought it rather unsuitable, that is all.”
“Now, Miss Carlisle. Did you or did you not take a tube of morphine from Nurse Hopkins’ attaché case on June 28th?”
“I did not.”
“Have you at any time had morphine in your possession?”
“Never.”
“Were you aware that your aunt had not made a will?”
“No. It came as a great surprise to me.”
“Did you think she was trying to convey to you a message on the night of June 28th when she died?”
“I understood that she had made no provision for Mary Gerrard, and was anxious to do so.”
“And in order to carry out her wishes, you yourself were prepared to settle a sum of money on the girl?”
“Yes. I wanted to carry out Aunt Laura’s wishes. And I was grateful for the kindness Mary had shown to my aunt.”
“On July 26th did you come down from London to Maidensford and stay at the King’s Arms?”
“Yes.”
“What was your purpose in coming down?”
“I had an offer for the house, and the man who had bought it wanted possession as quickly as possible. I had to look through my aunt’s personal things and settle things up generally.”
“Did you buy various provisions on your way to the Hall on July 27th?”
“Yes. I thought it would be easier to have a picnic lunch there than to come back to the village.”