Grave Mistake

‘I had no reason whatever to suspect that, beyond symptoms of nervous exhaustion which had markedly improved, there was anything the matter,’ he said. ‘I feel I must add that I am astonished that she should have taken this step. She was in the best of spirits when I last saw her.’

‘When was that, Dr Schramm?’ asked the Coroner.

‘On that same morning. About eight o’clock. I was going up to London and looked in on some of my patients before I left. I did not get back to Greengages until a few minutes after ten in the evening.’

‘To find?’

‘To find that she had died.’

‘Can you describe the circumstances?’

‘Yes. She had asked me to get a book for her in London – the autobiography of a Princess somebody – I forget the name. I went to her room to deliver it. Our bedrooms are large and comfortable and are often used as sitting-rooms. I have been told that she went up to hers late that afternoon. Long before her actual bedtime. She had dinner there, watching television. I knocked and there was no reply but I could hear the television and presumed that because of it she had not heard me. I went in. She was in bed and lying on her back. Her bedside table-lamp was on and I saw at once that a bottle of tablets was overturned and several – five, in fact – were scattered over the surface of the table. Her drinking glass was empty but had been used and was lying on the floor. Subsequently, a faint trace of alcohol – whisky – was found in the glass. A small whisky bottle, empty, was on the table. She sometimes used to take a modest nightcap. Her jug of water was almost empty. I examined her and found that she was dead. It was then twenty minutes past ten.’