Loving & Beloved – Competition Week 4

Can you believe that we are at week 4 of another mini-epic competition from Monaghan’s 4th largest workwear store ?

Each week we will offer a clue and then you have to put them together to determine the answer.

The first prize will be €500 cold hard cash plus €500 worth of Brix workwear.

Second prize will be €250 cash and €250 worth of workwear.

And third prize will be a…………..mystery prize !!!!

There will be a bit of a story each week and the clue will be within it……

Loving & Beloved #4

Abraham was lost in thoughts of the Lady in Black as he sat beside the fire in his office, sipping his tea . The sound of a cup and saucer rattling as Francis returned brought him back to reality. Francis stood awkwardly, the cup and saucer still rattling, not knowing if he should pull up a seat, pour his own tea or wait to be invited to sit. It was highly unusual for a superior to share tea with a clerk, most of the barristers. Judges and inspectors he dealt with simply barked orders at him.

“Have a seat Francis, and give me that cup before you drop it. Would you like milk in your tea ?”

“Yes please “ Francis replied as he brought a chair close to the fire “ And three sugars, please.”

Abraham looked up and smiled “Three ? “

“Yes , Sir.”

Abraham handed Francis his sugary tea and let him settle into his seat for a moment before he began. “ This is an odd situation that I have yet to encounter anywhere else and on the surface it would appear to be a serious breach of regulations. Serious for you, Constable Williamson and Dr.Waddell,”

“Sergeant,” Francis interjected, “he’s a sergeant now.”

“Is he indeed ? Well , one step at a time. The files from November are missing, or at the very least, not where they are supposed to be . You are the clerk responsible for their maintenance and if I have to report that they are missing you will be reprimanded and , as this is a serious transgression, dismissed. There would then be an enquiry where Constable, sorry, Sergeant Williamson would be demoted at the very least and Dr.Waddel would lose his position. But for our purposes here, Francis, let’s see if we can focus on keeping your job, shall we ? “

Abraham was still smiling as he finished but from his tone Francis was under no allusions as to the gravity of his situation. He was holding the saucer with both hands so that it didn’t rattle and spill his tea on his lap.

“May I speak frankly Sir ?”

“You may”

Francis put the cup and saucer back on the tea tray sitting on the small table between them , looked into the fire for a moment and then turned and faced Abraham.

“I’m and honest man, Sir, been here twenty years without a single report or caution against my record. I take pride in my position and follow the rules and regulations, but ultimately I answer to the Constabulary and the coroner.”

Abraham raised his hand “I’ll just pause you there for a moment Francis. In this courthouse, or any other you act as a clerk of the court and therefore you answer to me, no one else.”

“Yes, Sir. I do understand that, but in my day to day life I regularly deal with constables and coroners and if they ask to see a file, as part of their official duties, I am in no position to refuse.”

Abraham shifted his position slightly in his chair, leaning forward a little. “Let’s be clear Francis, we’re not having this chat because you allowed someone to view a file, you are here because a month’s worth of files have been taken by persons not authorised to do so. I am giving you the courtesy of explaining yourself before I make an official report. This is your only opportunity. Are we clear ?”

Francis dropped his head a little and staring into the fire began.

“Sergeant Williamson, or constable as he was then, approached me sometime in December 1871 requesting to view files relating to the beginning of the previous month. I set out all of the November files in a room downstairs and supervised Williamson as he started to look through them. I asked if I could help direct him to the one he was looking for but he ignored me. After an hour or so he seemed to settle his attention on one in particular and was studying it intently when Dr.Waddel burst into the room. I do not want to repeat what they said to each other Sir, as I would risk offending you, but the gist of it was that they were each accusing the other of betrayal.

Williamson told Dr.Waddel to ‘Shut up’,nodding towards me. Waddel composed himself and asked me to excuse myself that he wanted a private word with the constable. I tried to explain that I was obliged to remain with the files and perhaps they could both excuse themselves instead. They both glared at me in that moment with such a look of malice that I hurriedly left the room. I was waiting in the hallway when I was asked by a magistrate to carry his case upstairs and when I came back down I waited again outside in the hall for a few moments but couldn’t hear any voices so I knocked on the door and , hearing no reply enterd the room. Williamson and Waddel were gone and so were the files.

I was frantic with worry , but felt that these two gentlemen were trustworthy and I knew that I would meet them again soon in the course of my work and could address the matter with them directly. Williamson was in court the following week and at lunchtime I made it my business to get him on his own to find out what was going on. He told me gruffly that he had half the files and Waddel had the other. When I asked why he simply said ‘Insurance’. I told him that I’d get in trouble and he said that if anyone other than himself or Waddel ever came looking for two of the November files that then we’d all know what trouble really looked like. And here you are. And now I know what trouble looks like. Sorry, Sir.”

Francis sat back in his chair and sighed. He looked like a man who had just unburdened himself. Abraham had been listening with increasing alarm and thought carefully before he asked :

“You’ve mentioned two files from November a couple of times. Do you know which files in particular they were after ?”

“Yes Sir. They were after the coroners inquiries into the deaths of the poor Wilde girls.”

Abraham waited a moment to compose himself before asking his next question, he’d been a bit thrown by mention of two deaths but it was something else that worried him. “ You mean, the coroners inquests, inquiries are held into minor matters, a full inquest would be required for two deaths in one family.”

“No Sir, they were definitely inquests. Nobody wanted too much scrutiny over that particular instance if you know what I mean.”

“No, Francis, I most certainly do not know what you mean. What instance are you talking about ?”

“The deaths of Sir William Wilde’s two saughters, Sir. “

Abraham went white , first in shock and then with rage, “ The Wilde’s are personal friends of mine. I was at Trinity with Sir William’s sons,  Willie and Oscar in 1871. There was no mention of any sisters, let alone a tragedy. You’re on very thin ice here Francis.”

“I’m sorry Sir, but whether you’re friends or not, Emily and Mary Wilde died 13 days apart from each other in November 1871 following an incident in Drumaconor House on HallowE’en night. I read the inquiries and heard all the stories locally, there is no doubt. I’d swear it on the life of my children, Sir. Why even to this day a lady all dressed in black, tightly veiled , bearing a rose visits the girls graves every year.”

Abraham felt dizzy, the room seemed to spin, everything went dark…………….

Quiz

How many sugars does Francis like in his tea ?

Toodles ,

Paul