The Deadly Curse (12 page)

‘I
see no reason why they should not,’ I said. ‘At least for the foreseeable future. Of course in the next hundred years or so, who can say what will transpire? By the twenty-first century London may have turned into the type of city imagined by Mr H G Wells, with Van Helsing’s peaceful garden the foundation for a towering glass and steel structure dozens of stories high.’

‘Let
us hope not!’ Mina said with a shudder. ‘Although, if such a hideous transformation does occur, we’ll have the satisfaction that neither you nor I will live to see it.’

If you enjoyed reading
The Deadly Curse
you might enjoy
Devil May Care
by Tony Evans, also published by Endeavour Press.

Extract from
Devil May Care
by Tony Evans

Chapter One

After our train left Exeter St. David’s Station the urban landscape of busy roads, terraced houses and gasworks was soon replaced with the fields and farmhouses of the rolling Devonshire countryside. I settled back in the comfortable window seat of our first class carriage and smiled contentedly at my wife, who sat opposite me.

‘You’re
looking particularly pleased with yourself this morning, Jonathan,’ she observed. ‘Is it the prospect of remaining
incommunicado
for a week or two which gives you such pleasure? Let us hope that your colleagues do not write to you every day with reports of legal matters needing your immediate attention. Perhaps we should have told them we were going to Paris rather than Cornwall.’

‘You
may be looking forward to a break from your labours, my dear Mina, but don’t forget that in my case our expedition is intended to be work, not pleasure. If anyone in the office attempts to distract me, he will get a frosty answer, believe me.’

Mina
chuckled. ‘I do not intend to be entirely idle. As the last two chapters of
The
Secret
of
Lady
Connaught
have still to be written, I may well devote some of my time to completing them. Mr Stebbins has asked for my manuscript before the end of next month.’

I
nodded. When Mina and I had returned to Exeter from Transylvania almost two years ago, we had been in a state of nervous exhaustion following the violent and horrifying adventure which had concluded in the final destruction of Count Dracula. Our good friend Professor Van Helsing, now resident in London, prescribed the following remedy for both of us: a month’s complete rest, followed by a return to the rigours and discipline of work. Whilst I had been more than happy to return to the solicitors’ office where I was now a junior partner, Mina was reluctant to resume the occupation she had held before our marriage – that of a schoolmistress. Indeed the general prejudice against married women in that role would probably have disbarred her. Instead she announced that she would be taking up the profession of a writer of novels. Any well-concealed scepticism on my part was soon replaced with admiration, as some twelve months later
The
Ambassador’s
Daughter
was published with considerable success.

‘It
sounds as if you may be working harder than I. Of course if all I have to do is to assist in the drawing up of a marriage settlement, then that will occupy a day or two at most. But a circumspect investigation of Mr Haywood’s concerns could take a good deal longer. His letter to Mr Joplin seems to raise more questions than it answered.’

Mina
lent forward. ‘As you have already taken me into your confidence, would it be possible for me to read Haywood’s letter? I assume you have brought it.’

I
knew my wife well enough to trust her discretion. ‘Of course. It’s here in my valise. I thought it best to keep it with me, rather than in the rest of our luggage.’

I
retrieved the letter and passed it across to Mina. She removed it from the envelope, which had been marked “Private and Confidential”, and read it through.

Mr
Nathanial
Haywood
to
Mr
Maurice
Joplin
,
Esq
.,
Joplin
,
Kaplan
and
Penfold
,
Solicitors
at
Law
:
7th
October
1895

Dear
Mr
Joplin
,

You
will
I
am
sure
recall
acting
for
me
just
over
five
years
ago
,
when
you
drew
up
my
last
will
and
testament
:
a
document
which
I
am
happy
to
say
has
yet
to
prove
its
worth
.
I
am
writing
to
you
in
this
instance
to
ask
for
your
professional
services
concerning
another
matter
.

The
first
part
of
my
request
can
be
simply
stated
.
As
you
may
remember
,
my
wife
and
I
have
an
only
daughter
,
Flora
,
who
is
now
twenty
years
of
age
.
She
will
be
twenty
one
next
January
.
Flora
is
engaged
to
be
married
to
Sir
Owen
Velland
,
Bt
.,
a
local
landowner
who
lives
at
Carrick
Manor
,
near
the
village
of
Gwithian
about
six
miles
from
St
Ives
.
We
would
like
your
firm
to
ensure
that
her
marriage
settlement
is
correctly
drawn
up
according
to
our
wishes
,
and
in
consultation
with
Sir
Owen’s
own
solicitors
,
the
well
-
established
St
Ives
practice
of
Penning
and
Makepiece
.

The
second
part
of
my
request
will
require
a
good
deal
of
delicacy
and
discretion
:
qualities
which
I
am
confident
your
practice
will
be
able
to
provide
.
Sir
Owen
is
forty
five
years
old
,
and
for
that
reason
alone
Nellie
and
I
are
less
than
enthusiastic
concerning
the
engagement
.
He
has
been
very
recently
widowed
under
tragic
circumstances
,
and
it
hardly
seems
proper
for
him
to
marry
again
so
soon
.
Furthermore
,
for
some
time
he
has
been
the
subject
of
gossip
and
speculation
of
an
outlandish
and
bizarre
nature
,
even
to
the
extent
of
suggesting
that
the
baronet
has
unnatural
powers
and
abilities
.
Of
course
isolated
communities
such
as
ours
are
understandably
prone
to
superstition
,
and
it
may
well
be
that
the
rumours
which
have
circulated
are
without
foundation
.
However
,
I
would
be
most
grateful
if
your
firm
could
undertake
an
investigation
into
the
baronet’s
background
and
character
.
If
this
task
could
be
combined
with
overseeing
Flora’s
marriage
settlement
,
I
dare
say
it
could
be
concealed
from
Sir
Owen
,
whom
we
have
no
wish
to
offend
.

Can
I
add
that
my
wife
and
I
consider
your
junior
partner
,
Mr
Jonathan
Harker
,
to
be
entirely
suitable
for
this
commission
.
I
am
of
course
aware
of
Mr
Harker’s
dramatic
adventures
in
the
Carpathian
Mountains
,
culminating
in
the
destruction
of
the
notorious
Count
Dracula
almost
two
years
ago
.
Whilst
I
have
no
suspicions
that
any
comparable
dangers
await
him
in
St
Ives
,
Mr
Harker
will
by
necessity
be
more
open
to
consideration
of
the
unusual
and
outré
than
many
of
his
legal
colleagues
,
and
has
already
proved
his
courage
and
capability
.

If
Mr
Harker
agrees
to
my
request
–
and
of
course
if
you
are
willing
to
release
him
–
can
I
suggest
that
he
lodges
with
us
at
Chevin
Villa
for
a
week
or
two
,
arriving
as
soon
as
he
is
able
.