Blood From a Stone Read Online Free PDF Page B

Mrs Paxton. Dr Mountford picked up the bottle. His face altered. ‘Bless my soul!’ He was struggling for words. ‘God bless my soul! This is the bottle I prescribed yesterday. It’s empty!’
    â€˜She must’ve drunk it all,’ said Florence. ‘Shouldn’t she have done?’
    Doctor Mountford had gone pale. ‘Of course she shouldn’t, girl!’
    Mrs Welbeck gave a muffled cry and slumped against the wall. Dr Mountford quickly strode across the room, put his arm round her and sat her gently on the bed. ‘Easy now. Easy.’
    â€˜What happened, doctor?’ asked Mrs Welbeck fearfully.
    Dr Mountford took a deep, ragged breath. ‘I’m afraid she must have taken the entire bottle.’
    There was a little whimper from Mrs Welbeck. ‘The poor thing must’ve made a mistake.’
    That was the kindest theory. For a brief moment Dr Mountford nearly agreed, but he simply couldn’t bring himself to do it. He shook his head slowly. ‘I don’t think so. The dose is written on the bottle. One teaspoonful, that’s all, not the entire bottle.’
    â€˜Could she have got it wrong?’ whispered Mrs Welbeck.
    â€˜I’m afraid not. Facts are facts, and we must face them.’ He turned to look at Constance Paxton and sighed deeply. ‘The poor, silly woman. I’d have said she was the last person in the world to do such a thing.’
    Mrs Welbeck covered her face with her apron and broke into hard, dry sobs. Dr Mountford squeezed her shoulder comfortingly.
    â€˜I’m sorry, doctor,’ she said after a little while. ‘I was dreading something like this, but this is worse than I thought. Poor lady! To see her there and in her night things, too! She’d have been absolutely mortified, at the thought of you seeing her like this. There doesn’t seem to be any sense to it!’ She gulped noisily, gathered up her apron in her hands once more and buried her face in the cloth.
    Dr Mountford glanced up to see Florence staring at him.
    â€˜Did she do it herself? Deliberate, like? Are you saying she killed herself ?’ asked Florence with goggling eyes.
    â€˜That’s enough from you, my girl,’ said Mrs Welbeck with an attempt at sharpness. ‘Can’t it be a mistake, doctor?’
    â€˜I honestly can’t see it can,’ said Dr Mountford. ‘Did you see her take the sleeping-draught?’
    Mrs Welbeck shook her head slowly. ‘I’m trying to remember. No, I don’t think I did. As often as not, she liked me to get everything ready and then she’d sit for a while, reading or what have you. That’s what happened last night.’
    â€˜Fancy her doing herself in,’ said Florence with barely suppressed excitement.
    â€˜Will you be hushed, girl!’ snapped Mrs Welbeck.
    Florence tossed her head petulantly, then gave a little cry. ‘Why! There’s the key. It’s on the floor, look!’ She picked it up and handed it to the doctor. ‘She must’ve locked herself in. She’d want some peace and quiet if she was going to do herself in. She shouldn’t have done it, should she? It’s wrong, that. She went to church regular, too. She should’ve known it was wrong.’
    Dr Mountford had a sudden mental picture of Mrs Paxton in her Sunday best and off to communion service.
    â€˜It’ll be in the News of the World ,’ said Florence. ‘It always is when someone does themselves in.’
    â€˜It’ll be nothing of the sort!’ said Mrs Welbeck in a harried way. ‘Tell, her, doctor.’
    â€˜As a matter of fact, she’s right,’ said Dr Mountford reluctantly. ‘I’m afraid there will have to be an inquest.’
    â€˜An inquest?’ repeated Mrs Welbeck, horrified. ‘Surely not. Mrs Paxton wouldn’t have approved of that at all .’
    â€˜It’s necessary, my dear lady, I’m afraid.