The Fourth Mistress - Chapter 31：Return of the Case File

“I found it in one of the rooms in the right wing that we don’t use,” replied Louise, spreading the wedding gown to its full length so that they could see it properly. Then she asked, “Whose wedding gown is this?”

Before Graham could answer, Gilbert, who had returned from outside, heard Lady Viola’s high pitched voice, “Get Alison and Agatha here. Now!”

Gilbert returned with Alison and Lady Agatha to the hall, where Louise and the others stood. Alison was about to ask her mother why she had asked them to come here, but her eyes fell on what Louise was holding, and her eyes widened.

“Is that Lisa’s wedding gown?” asked Alison. Her eyes slowly moved up to meet Louise’s eyes. Louise was satisfied seeing how shocked the women looked. “What is it doing here?”

“It is something even I would like to know,” said Lady Viola sharply, and she stared at both the women before her eyes came to settle on her daughter. “I thought I was very clear when I said before that I wanted this gown to be returned. Didn’t you both go and give it back to Mr. Burnel’s?” she demanded an answer.

“Alison did,” responded Lady Agatha with a frown on her face. “I didn’t accompany her till the shop as I had to go and meet Mrs. Hodgson that day. But after she returned it to the shop, we headed back together as Alison had come to Mrs. Hodgson’s house.”

Lady Viola’s eyes further hardened, and she questioned, “How is the wedding gown here in the manor then?”

“I have no idea, mother,” replied Alison, who continued to look shocked. “You can check with Mr. Keaton Burnell and he will tell you the same.”

Hearing the exchange of words between the three women, Louise’s eyebrows knitted together. She said,

“Mr. Burnel told me that a woman had come to his shop, looking for a wedding gown for her daughter. Did someone buy it back from them and bring it here?”

To this, Alison replied, “Mother didn’t want the wedding gowns to be in the manor because she is superstitious about some things. I would never bring the gown back and go against her wishes,” worry clear in her tone.

“Why would we even bring the gown back, Viola?” questioned Lady Agatha, staring at the gown.

“If it isn’t both of you, who else in the manor would have brought the wedding gown back?” questioned Lady Viola, looking at the woman and then her eyes fell on Graham.

“I didn’t,” replied Graham, slightly annoyed seeing his mother making a big deal of a simple wedding gown. “A few days ago, when Louise saw it, someone shifted it to the right wing’s room to make it look like she was seeing things. Who was it trying to play games with her? You went close to calling her insane,” his eyes looked at his aunt.

“That was because we didn’t know the wedding gown was even here, Graham,” replied Lady Agatha.

“That won’t be needed,” interrupted Graham and Louise noticed Lady Viola’s jaw clenched at her son’s intervention. “We can keep the wedding gown with the rest of Lisa’s belongings. Earlier you had sent it back, but this time it stays here.”

Everyone who stood there witnessed the mother and son glaring at each other, while none of them were ready to back down from their decision. FinallyLady Viola gave up and said, “Do what you want, Graham.” Turning around, she walked from there, and soon the other two women followed her. Gilbert was the next to bow his head, and he went back to continue his work in the manor.

Louise turned to look at Graham, who had a grim expression on his face. She wondered if the wedding gown reminded Graham about the time when he had been married for the third time. Now that the women in the manor had seen the gown, no one could accuse her of losing her mind.

Wetting her lips, she raised her hand towards Graham to hand the gown.

“No,” said Graham looking at her, “Keep it with you. It might come in handy to find something. I don’t think mother or the other two had any hand in bringing it back here to the manor.”

Louise stared at the white gown and said, “Father Edward said he sensed something dark in the manor. And also that he was going to take a look at the Warlington’s manor where your family used to live. He has offered his prayers, and placed the cross, in the hope that it would bring back peace.”

Though she didn’t believe in the existence of the ghosts earlier, she had believed in God’s blessings, and she hoped their lives would get back to normal.

“I apologize on behalf of my family’s behaviour,” said Graham.

“That’s fine,” Louise exhaled while a look of concern appeared on her face. “Who do you think brought the gown in here?”

“It is hard to guess now after the others have strongly refused. Maybe we check with Mr. Burnell,” offered Graham, and Louise nodded her head.

Both of them headed to where the reputed tailorman’s shop was located. Mr. Burnell’s shop was already open and ready to welcome customers. When Mr. Burnell saw Graham and Louise, he bowed his head in greeting.

“A very good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Reed,” he walked around the desk, the tape hanging around his neck. “Are you here to stitch a customized gown again?”

“Again?” questioned Louise.

The man had a faint smile on his lips, and he looked at Louise before his eyes shifted to look at Graham. “A few years ago, Mr. Reed had stepped into our humble shop with his bride to be, to get the wedding gown stitched. They seemed so in love and it is just unfortunate to think about it now,” said Mr. Burnell with a thoughtful look on his face.

Louise’s eyes fell on Graham, who held a serious expression on his face, and he didn’t comment on what Mr. Burnell said. So he was here, helping Lisa with the gown, thought Louise in her mind. He said, “We were here to inquire about the wedding gown.”

“Oh?” asked Mr. Burnell.

Louise brought the bag forward in which the wedding gown was kept. Taking it out, she spread it on the table. She asked the old man, “Mr. Burnell, the last time I was here, you told me that someone brought this gown from you. Were you able to find who it was?”

Mr. Burnell shook his head, “I don’t think so, milady. The names of the customers have faded in the register which you had seen the last time you were here.”

“Do you think it is alright, if I take a look at it again?” Louise asked for his permission, and the man gave her a nod.

“Why are the names faded?” questioned Graham.

“The writing faded over time,” replied Mr. Burnell. He bent in front of the desk, pulling out the drawer. “How did you get hold of the wedding gown?”

To this question, neither Graham nor Louise had an answer it. Louise said, “We don’t know, which is why we decided to come here to see which family bought the gown and who brought it to the Reed’s manor.”

“How strange,” murmured the man, placing the register on the table he said. “Here it is.”

When they opened the register, Louise was greeted back with three blank pages, and after that, the measurements and the customers’ information were clearly written down.

Graham questioned, “Do you remember how the person looked? Who bought this gown, maybe it would be easier to find the person,” while he spoke to Mr. Burnell, Louise looked more closely at the blank pages.

“Let me try to remember, hmm,” hummed Mr. Burnell in deep thought. “With so many customers, it is hard to remember. But this was one of the best gowns I have had the pleasure to make. The buyer was a woman in her forties. At least that is how she looked, but her face felt familiar. She appeared to be from a lower-class family. Of course, people who can’t afford it are the ones who buy second-hand dresses and gowns. She was very excited, I remember how she admired the gown when she took it from here. But I didn’t see her again here afterwards.”

Louise’s eyes widened when she noticed the light indentation on the pages. Looking up at Mr. Burnell, she asked, “Could I borrow your pencil? It looks like your assistant has the habit of putting pressure when he writes.”

“He does,” agreed Mr. Burnell.

“Permission to use these pages,” said Louise. She took the pencil from him and started to shade the entire page from top to bottom. “It is very faint, but you can read it because of the indentation in the page. Mrs. Haddock’s blue floral gown. Lady Dorothy’s nightgown,” she muttered under her breath as she tried to read them carefully.

Graham came to stand behind Louise, watching her shade through the next two pages with the pencil. She then said, “Found it! Lisa’s gown… it was purchased by Lady Marlow Saltonstall. The last page has her address,” the name left a certain ring in her mind as she noted down the address on a piece of paper.

“That was very smart of you, lady,” Mr. Burnell looked impressed with Louise.

And Graham, who stood next to her, complimented her, “She is a smart woman.” This had Louise grin. “Thank you for your assistance, Mr. Burnell. We will come back if we need anything more.”

Louise bowed her head and stepped out of the shop with Graham. Getting inside the carriage, they instructed their coachman Harvey to drive them to the address that Louise had written.

The address was located between Midville and Warlington, and when they reached the place, they looked for the houses. Finding it hard to find, they stopped a gentleman who had worn a hat, walking past them.

Graham asked, “Excuse me, Sir. Do you know where house number eleven is?”

“House eleven?” asked the man. “It should be on the left side of the street,” he said, pointing his finger in the direction.

Thanking the man, they walked towards the street where they had been directed to. But when they came to check the house so that they could speak to Lady Marlow, instead of the house, Louise and Graham were greeted by an empty plot that was barren.

“There’s no house here,” whispered Louise, staring at the empty plot which was between the houses numbered ten and twelve. “Did the family move?” she asked Graham.

“We might find an answer from the neighbours, unless the woman gave a wrong address to Mr. Burnell,” replied Graham, and they walked to house number ten. Knocking on the door, they waited for the door to open.

When an old man opened the door, Graham introduced them to him, “Good afternoon. I am Graham Reed and this is my wife Louise.” Louise offered the man a bright smile when his eyes shifted to look at her. “We were wondering if you knew what happened to the house that is next to yours,” he politely asked.

The old man’s gaze shifted to look at Graham with a small frown and his lips set in a thin line. He said, “That place has been vacant for the last seventeen years. The property has been seized by the town council and no one has bought it since then.”

Hearing this, Louise frowned.

Her eyes looked away from the older man to fall on the barren land, and suddenly realization hit her. Oh no, whispered Louise in her mind. Wasn’t Saltonstall one of the case files she had come across in Mr. Winkle’s office?