The Circle of Sappho Read Online Free Page B

am a patriot, Mr Swann, but first and foremost I am the guardian of my girls’ education and one day this war will end and if the girls have not learnt French, their lives will be the poorer for it. I would be doing a disservice to their parents, who have entrusted their daughters’ futures in my hands, if I did anything less. French is, after all, the language of Fénelon, Voltaire and Rousseau.’
    ‘I wholeheartedly agree with you, Miss Jennings, although I am not familiar with the first of those you mentioned.’
    ‘Fénelon? His most famous work is the book Les Aventures de Télémaque, fils d’Ulysse , which was published at the end of the seventeenth century. His views on education were ahead of its time and many of his principles I have adopted for my school.’
    Swann remained silent for a few moments.
    ‘Is something wrong, Swann?’ asked Lady Harriet.
    ‘It is just that I have heard of the book Miss Jennings mentioned, but could not remember its author. But as for the reason I am here,’ said Swann, now addressing Miss Jennings, ‘Lady Harriet has told me there have been two deaths at the school.’
    ‘Yes, Miss Leigh, the school’s classics teacher and one of the pupils under her tutorage, Miss Grace Templeton, were discovered yesterday afternoon.’
    ‘Where are their bodies now?’
    ‘They have been placed in our chapel. Lady Harriet said you might wish to view them before they are taken away.’
    Lady Harriet acknowledged Swann’s raised eyebrow as Miss Jennings led them through the maze of corridors that made up the main building of the school and outside into a small courtyard. Across the yard was a small chapel, outside of which sat a girl, sitting on a chair and reading. When she saw them, she stood up.
    ‘This is Elsa Timmins. She is head girl here at the school. The other girls are in lessons but I asked her to be here as a precaution, as the chapel is used for individual prayers if any of the girls so require it.’
    Swann nodded his approval.
    Miss Jennings addressed the girl. ‘Elsa, can you enquire of cook if the delivery of lamb has been made yet? With that mob outside, I want to make sure it has arrived safely.’
    Elsa curtsied and left.
    ‘What have the girls been told about the deaths?’ asked Swann as Miss Jennings opened the chapel door.
    ‘That it was a boating accident, which is what we also intend to tell the local authorities.’
    ‘They have not yet been informed?’
    Miss Jennings looked towards Lady Harriet.
    ‘We wanted your opinion before we made any announcement,’ said Lady Harriet.
    Swann entered the chapel and immediately saw the two bodies laid out on makeshift tables. He moved closer. The teacher was thirty-four, Miss Jennings said, while the girl had turned sixteen the previous year. The latter – Grace – had a beautiful face, Swann observed, with classical features which seemed not to have diminished in death. The older woman, though clearly showing signs of aging, nevertheless retained a youthful exuberance about her person. Swann leaned in to take a better look at a bloodied mark on her forehead.
    ‘Do you know how this wound happened?’ asked Swann.
    ‘From all indications,’ replied Miss Jennings ‘it looks like Miss Leigh killed the girl by stabbing her in the heart, but in the struggle Miss Templeton inflicted that wound with a sharp stone. There are no other wounds on either of the bodies. Miss Leigh then killed herself by taking poison. This was found beside her.’
    Miss Jennings handed Swann a small bottle, which had been on a shelf next to the bloodied knife and the stone used to inflict the wound to Miss Leigh’s forehead. He took it and held it to his nose. ‘Am I to assume this held the poison?’
    ‘That is what we believe,’ said Miss Jennings.
    Swann finished his examination. ‘I cannot see anything which would disagree with what you have told me, but I would like to see the place where the bodies were found,’ he said.
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