She speaks of all being destroyed, and of sacrificing herself rather than breaking her husband's heart. He finds an agitated woman in the room upstairs, and she says something about that "fiend", which Watson does not understand, as he cannot see how Mr Ferguson could be described as such.
Mrs Ferguson's maid announces that her mistress is ill, and Dr Watson offers to help. Holmes's trip to Cheeseman's is made simply to observe and confirm what he has already deduced. Indeed, in some ways, it is much more shocking. She takes Mrs Ferguson her meals.Įven before Holmes and Watson set off for Cheeseman's, Mr Ferguson's house, in Sussex, Holmes has deduced what is going on, and it has nothing to do with vampires. Only her Peruvian maid, Dolores, whom she has known for years, is ever allowed in. Ever since being found out by her husband, she has locked herself in her room and refused to come out. His name is Jack, and he has suffered beatings at his stepmother's hands, although Mr Ferguson cannot imagine why, as he is such a dear boy and she is otherwise a devoted and loving wife. The woman is Mr Ferguson's second wife, and by his first wife he has an adolescent son of 15, who suffered an unfortunate accident as a child and now does not have the full use of his legs, although he can walk. She offered no explanation, having only a "wild, despairing look in her eyes". Just then, however, there was a further incident, and the wound on the child's neck and the blood on his wife's lips were evident.
Indeed, Mrs Ferguson bribed her to keep quiet.Īt last, however, she became too concerned for the child's welfare and told Mr Ferguson about what had been happening, and he refused to believe it. Several times, she has been caught doing this by the nurse, who at first hesitates to tell Mr Ferguson about it. Mr Robert Ferguson, who comes to 221B Baker Street the next morning, has become convinced that his Peruvian wife has been sucking their baby son's blood. Holmes receives two unexpected letters which make reference to vampires. It is one of 12 stories in the cycle collected as The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes. "The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire" is one of the 56 Sherlock Holmes short-stories written by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
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