[MaC] "I didn't know..." responses (Oswald and Lucinda too)

[Mel Mason]

> She fought - oh, how fiercely she fought that silent battle for life.
> But her hairs fell forward over that face that was lovely no more as she
> slowly grew still, and limp in his hands. And then there was no
> movement, no more hoarse breath. She was resting against him, as she
> should always have rested, gentle, biddable. A moment, an eternal
> moment, when she was utterly his.
>
> Then the record came to an end, and Philip was once again in the here
> and now, with Anton's cigarette still smouldering in the ashtray and
> Nola dead in his arms.

"Dear God," Arabella murmured, almost under her breath. Her heart went out, 
in a brief, instinctive moment, to all of them... to Nola Diamond, who had 
died too young, too brutally, as so many were dying, to this poor, 
anguished, young man, maimed in both body and soul, to Esme Fitzroy, to her 
own daughter, who felt so trapped by duty and tradition... to all of them. 
Instinctively, her eyes went to Michael's face, searching for something - 
perhaps wisdom, perhaps simply understanding...

Michael's eyes offered strength and support as he offered her a
handkerchief, his hand touching hers and lingering a few moments.


She allowed the touch, took comfort in it... indeed their little secret 
seemed as nothing compared to the torments that had swirled around them in 
Mortmain Mansions... then brushed the handkerchief lightly under her eyes, 
which had become moist. She looked for Pamela... "What happens now?" she 
asked.

Oswald, who was standing and watching, glanced at Michael, and then shook 
his head.  "He's confessed to murder," he said quietly.  "In front of us 
all.

James looked shocked, amazed, and most of all, saddened by the tragedy
described.  He looked down at the ground for a moment, and then back
at everyone else.

"The endgame." he said softly.  "The fall of knights, bishops and
rooks, leaving just a few of us pawns on the board, alone, to carry on
after the blood and fire."

In the background, Cyril nodded and his blue eyes behind the spectacles
looked tired and sad.  He stood with his arms around Florence, who was
weeping quietly into his shoulder.

Pamela put down a soiled cloth with which she had been cleaning
Fitzroy's face. "If we can... keep him alive," she said to her mother,
"it's a reduced sentence, I think... but I don't know how much... and I
do hope the ambulance gets here soon, because..."

Arabella nodded her understanding and agreement. She gave Michael back his 
handkerchief, and this time allowed her hand to stay in his. She didn't know 
what the future would bring, but now, more than ever, she understood the 
importance of the moment. She smiled slightly at her daughter, wanting her 
to know how proud she was of her...

"I don't know if they will, with the UXB outside," Warren said, his
voice hushed.

Lucinda and Oswald exchanged glances at Pamela's words ... and Oswald shook 
his head very slightly.

Nicola moved her ear from the door to the kitchen and
shook her head sadly. She had heard it all and was
overwhelmed with sadness... and anger.

"Oh, Nola," she sighed for the second time that
evening. "Why did you have to be so cruel?" She walked
towards the settee and sat down. One hand
absentmindedly made its way up to her hair and
fingered the combs holding it in place. Expensive.
Classy. Useless. She pulled hard, removing the combs,
looked at them momentarily and then let them fall from
her hand. She didn't care if she ever saw them again.
A few tears fell from her eyes, splattering onto her
velvet dress. Never before had she wanted so badly to
just be home.

"I think," said Lucinda, "that the cruelty was Mr Fitzroy's, in holding back 
the letters.  If he hadn't ... Officer Powell would probably have stood by 
her.  She wouldn't have needed to get that abortion from ... was it your 
sister, Mrs Fitzroy?  In Bethnal Green?"

Esme nodded.  "She'd almost given it up," she said, dabbing at her eyes with 
a small lace handkerchief.  "But Marty ... Marty would still send her girls 
who got into trouble."

Perhaps Esme was labouring under a slight illusion her about the scale of 
her sister's continuing career.

"And Nola was one of them," said Lucinda.  "And when she was so angry and 
bitter tonight ... perhaps it was a combination of the pain she must have 
been feeling ... I wonder if she took anything to alleviate that.  A 
combination of the pain, and a sense of betrayal at seeing the man who - she 
thought - had ignored her.  Abandoned her.  All because Marty Fitzroy 
decided to hide those letters ... and keep his client."

"So... did you poison Mr. Fitzroy, too?" Marjorie asked
Philip from where she stood awkwardly by the other evidence.
"Cause of Nola?" she said, not looking directly at Philip.