Murder at the Hunt Ball : A 1920s Historical Cozy Mystery

by Sonia Parin

Archie Arthurs hadn’t been at the ball. Had he been absent for longer than an afternoon and evening? Had he left Hillsboro Lodge in the morning? The detective had told them he’d left his luggage behind which suggested he would eventually return.

  Lotte persevered. “Do you remember hearing them talk about anything?”

  “No. However, Roy Chandler might be able to help you. He came in later in the afternoon and mentioned the men. Roy works in the store next door. He said they had asked about Linton House. That’s when we concluded they were here to buy a horse.”

  Lotte frowned. “Why did you think that?”

  “Because Linton House has fine stables and the owner is always selling horses.”

  “Where is this place?”

  “Not far from the village.”

  Evie leaned forward. “What about the lady and her maid. Did you happen to hear their names?”

  The young woman giggled. “Yes, the maid had a sarcastic tone when she called the other woman Lady. Let me think… Oh, yes. Lady Carolina.”

  Caro?

  “Are you sure?”

  The young woman nodded. “Well, perhaps not sarcastic. More like… mocking. Yes, I had the impression the maid was making fun of her.”

  That sounded like Millicent.

  What on earth had come over Caro and Millicent? Why had they come here?

  Shaking her head, Evie asked, “What happened after you told them about Mr. Arthurs?”

  “They left. In fact, they hurried out.”

  Had they returned to Halton House? “How long ago was that?”

  The young woman looked over her shoulder at the clock hanging behind the counter. “About an hour ago.”

  “And where exactly is Linton House?” Lotte asked.

  “You follow the road and at the first turn you follow that road and you’ll soon see an entrance on the right with red brick pillars. One has an urn and the other has a statue of a horse.”

  Tom dug inside his pocket and drew out some money. “For your troubles.”

  They all surged to their feet and hurried out of the establishment.

  Evie couldn’t stop shaking her head. “What on earth is Caro thinking?”

  “We’ll soon find out,” Lotte said in a determined tone.

  Evie worried they might be wasting time. “What if Caro came to her senses and returned to Halton House?”

  Lotte snorted. “Really? I’m more inclined to think your maid has been struck by a sudden need for adventure.”

  As they sped off, Evie growled under her breath. “I refuse to think something has happened to Caro and Millicent. Honestly, when I get my hands on them, I’ll… Well, I’ll be very cross.”

  “Relax, Countess. They have Edmonds with them.”

  “I need to get my house under control,” Evie fumed. “I’ve obviously been too lenient.”

  “Spare the rod, spoil the maid?”

  Evie shook her head. “This is not like Caro. She is constantly telling me to take care. Honestly, when I told her about my intentions to become a fully-fledged lady detective, I thought she would have an attack of nerves. What is she trying to prove? Oh, heavens. Do you think she is trying to prove something?”

  Tom laughed. “My apologies, Countess. I can’t stop thinking about Millicent’s mocking tone. I think she must have been unhappy about playing the role of lady’s maid.”

  Evie groaned and then laughed. “Yes, I can easily picture Millicent arguing and wanting a turn at being a lady.”

  Just as they cleared the village, they spotted a vehicle traveling at great speed and heading their way.

  “I don’t want to alarm you,” Tom said, “but I think that is a police vehicle.” He slowed down and the other motor car appeared to do so as well.

  When it reached them, the driver looked out the window.

  “It’s the detective,” Evie exclaimed.

  Everyone stopped in the middle of the road and Tom and the detective jumped out.

  Evie couldn’t hear the conversation. Had the detective changed his mind about spreading his investigation to Rosebud Green? Or had something unexpected happened? When she noticed he had come alone, Evie scooped in a calming breath. Perhaps he was on some sort of unofficial trip.

  Evie turned and saw Lotte patiently waiting to see what would happen next. Glancing over at Tom, Evie saw him give a stiff nod. He hurried back and before he could settle in, Evie demanded, “What’s happened?”

  Tom waited for the detective to turn his vehicle around and then followed him. “After our lunch with the detective, he returned to the police station to see if there were any messages from Scotland Yard. Instead, he was given a message from Halton House.”

  Evie gasped. “Good heavens.”

  “Not knowing how to contact the detective, Edgar telephoned the local constabulary and they relayed the message. Your butler tried to stop Caro and when she insisted on driving out to Rosebud Green, he worried she might be getting in over her head.” Tom turned slightly and smiled at Evie. “You’ll be pleased to know the detective wasted no time in setting out here when he heard Caro might be headed for danger. He is beside himself with worry.”

  “A knight in shining armor?”

  “Indeed. I should add, he is not at all pleased with you.”

  “Me? What did I do?”

  “You let your servants run amok. He thinks you are too soft on them. Don’t be offended, but I believe I heard him murmur something about problems arising when titles fall in the hands of the wrong people.”

  “He thinks I’m not good enough to have a title? I suppose I must make concessions for him because he is overly concerned about Caro’s wellbeing.”

  “And that is your failing. You shouldn’t concern yourself so much with other people’s feelings. Remember, you are the Countess of Woodridge. Wield that rod with no mercy, Countess.”

  “I’m glad you find this amusing.” After a moment, she huffed out, “Thank you. For a moment, you managed to take my mind off this worrying business. I pray we don’t find Caro here. It’s been over an hour and she must surely be on her way back to Halton House. Yes, that’s what she must have done. I’m sure she did. For her sake, I hope she did.”

  Shuddering, Evie brushed her gloved hands across her face. So many things could have happened in an hour. She would throttle her maid. At least, she ought to…

  Pushing out a breath, she opened her eyes and stared straight ahead. “Why is he slowing down? Is he slowing down? He is slowing down. Why?”

  They all came to a stop. Evie looked over her shoulder and saw Lotte bringing her motor car to a stop too.

  The detective emerged from his motor and trotted over to them. Leaning in, he said, “We’ll need more people. We don’t know what’s up ahead.”

  Evie felt somewhat comforted by his inclusion. She would hate to feel the need to kick up a fuss if he told her to stay out of the way. Of course, she wouldn’t get in the way, nor would she remain behind. Especially not now. Did he think Caro had gone to Linton House? Evie insisted on believing her maid had more sense than that.

  Lotte joined them. “What’s happened? Why did you stop?”

  Tom looked up at her. “Someone needs to alert the local constabulary.”

  “I guess that someone should be me,” Lotte volunteered. She looked back toward the village. “Are they likely to have a police presence in that small village?”

  The detective’s voice filled with urgency. “Probably not, but that will be a good place to start. I’m sure someone will point you in the right direction.”

  Giving a firm nod, Lotte rushed back to her motor car and took off toward the village.

  Back on the road, they reached the first turn. Evie saw a house in the distance but then she lost sight of it. Her fingers curled into the palms of her hands. What would they find? Anything could happen in an hour. If Caro had set out this way, Evie prayed she had been sensible enough to go no further than the road. Her maid always warned her against taking
unnecessary risks. Why had she ventured out? Had Henrietta urged her on?

  “I have a riding crop I can use,” she murmured. “Yes, I’m going to start walking around with a riding crop. Henrietta has her umbrella, I’ll have my riding crop. They will come to fear me. I will be known as the wrathful Countess. She who must be feared.”

  Tom pointed ahead. “We’re here.”

  The detective brought his motor car to a stop, well away from the gate. He rushed toward them. “I will approach on foot and see if I can spot their vehicle. Do you have any idea what they are driving?”

  Tom nodded. “The Duesenberg. You won’t have any trouble identifying it.”

  The detective nodded. “Meanwhile, you two stay here.”

  “But what will you do if you see the motor car?” Evie asked. “From what we understand, Caro is in character and playing the role of Lady Carolina. I imagine she has contrived some sort of story to get inside and look around.”

  “Let’s hope that’s the case.” The detective rushed back to his car, retrieved something and then made his way along the entrance.

  “Heavens, I think he is now armed.” Evie closed her eyes and, after a moment, she asked, “What’s happening?”

  “He just cleared the gate. Give him time.”

  Nodding, she forced herself to focus on Archie Arthurs. Had he left Hillsboro Lodge on the day of the ball? To do what? Why had he come here? This couldn’t be a coincidence.

  The young woman at the tearooms had said the owner sold horses. Could his trip have been about the purchase of a horse? If not for the fact someone had been killed, Evie would be inclined to think they were barking up the wrong tree.

  “This can’t be a coincidence,” Evie murmured. “And, yes, this is what Detective Inspector O’Neill would say.”

  They kept their eyes peeled on the pillared entrance.

  “How long are we going to wait before we decide we have to do something?” Evie considered pulling her glove off so she could nibble on the tip of her thumb but if she wanted to wield a riding crop and restore order to her household, she would have to curtail the habit. That made her laugh.

  “Did I miss something?” Tom asked.

  “I’m trying to distract myself.”

  “It’s obviously working.”

  Not for long, she thought. “If Archie Arthurs came here yesterday, he is now long gone.” Evie hoped that was the case. “Now I’m thinking this will cast a bad light on Caro. The detective came to her rescue. With Archie Arthurs not here, the detective will have wasted his time.” She stared ahead and prayed Archie Arthurs had returned to Hillsboro Lodge only to realize her prayer wouldn’t be answered. The man had come here yesterday and, this morning, he had yet to make an appearance at Hillsboro Lodge.

  Tom smiled at her. “But he will have won Caro’s heart.”

  It took a moment for Evie to understand what he meant. She managed to smile but it quickly faded. Telling him about her thoughts, Evie shivered.

  “That’s the problem with playing around with ideas,” Tom said. “Your hopes and expectations intrude and thwart reality.”

  “We should go in and see what’s happened. He’s been gone long enough.”

  “What happened to not interfering in police business?”

  “I lied. Besides, this involves Caro.”

  “We should at least wait for Lotte to return.”

  Evie’s finger shot out. “He’s coming.”

  Instead of heading for them, the detective went straight to his motor car and signaled for them to follow him.

  Evie gasped. “My heart is thumping all the way to my throat.”

  “Yes, mine is beating the same tune.”

  The driveway cut through the parkland and led them straight to the manor house. The Georgian building looked well maintained. Evie knew only too well what it cost to keep these houses from crumbling. She’d heard of some owners being forced to close rooms because they couldn’t afford to repair the roof. If not seen to, from one year to the next, the damage incurred after the rain and snow would be enough to exacerbate the situation, increasing the cost of repairs. Many houses had met their end that way. This one had clearly evaded that fate.

  “There’s Edmonds.” He stood by the motor car. Evie watched for any signs of uneasiness and saw none.

  “I have no idea what to expect.”

  “Nor do I.” Tom stopped the motor alongside the Duesenberg.

  Ambling toward them, Edmonds gave Evie an uneasy smile. “My lady. They are unharmed.”

  “Edmonds, what on earth has been going on here? From what we understand, you came here an hour ago.”

  “Yes, however, we spent some time at the gates debating what to do. In the end, Caro suggested we should pretend the motor broke down. I had to push it all the way up the driveway. The owner offered Caro and Millicent refreshments while I fixed the motor.”

  “I take it you managed to fix it,” Evie said.

  Edmonds looked confused. “There was nothing wrong with it, my lady.”

  Turning to Tom, Evie said, “So, how are we going to explain our arrival with the detective, no less.”

  “Begging your pardon, my lady. Caro has already thought of that. She is pretending to be a runaway bride being forced into marriage against her will and has been on the road traveling to a distant relative’s house to seek refuge and support.”

  Evie and Tom stared at him, their mouths gaping open.

  “Since we didn’t know what we would find here, she even thought to bring along some luggage.”

  Evie could only imagine the sudden upheaval at Halton House with everyone rushing around trying to prepare things for Caro’s departure.

  Tom smiled. “And, here we are, chasing after her and without a spare change of clothes. What are we to do if we don’t succeed in convincing her to return with us? We have even taken the precaution of bringing the police. But that might not be enough.”

  “I’m glad you find this amusing.” Evie stared at the house and tried to imagine the scene inside. “That won’t do at all. The detective will have to play another role.”

  Shaking his head, Tom said, “I’ll leave it up to you to tell him.”

  Chapter 22

  The end of the road

  On the doorstep of Linton House

  “Caro could be in danger,” Evie urged. “Detective, you have to pretend to be a concerned relative.”

  Even as they stood at the door ready to make their presence known, the detective didn’t look convinced.

  “My lady, do I need to remind you this is a murder investigation? Perhaps I should pretend to be here to arrest Lady Carolina.”

  Evie studied him. He’d sounded serious so she assumed he had to be serious.

  The detective looked up and pushed out a breath. “Actually, you might be right. Yes, it will be best to avoid the truth. For all we know, the owner of the house might be involved in George Stevens’ death.”

  “Marvelous,” Evie exclaimed.

  The detective adjusted his tie. “So, Caro is running away from a forced marriage and I’m playing the role of…”

  “Knight in shining armor. You don’t need to worry about Caro. She’ll pick up on our ruse and play along. By the way… What is your first name?”

  “Henry.” The detective adjusted his tie again. “I’m just not sure what I’m supposed to do.”

  “Jump to her defense, of course. Promise her the moon. Trust me, she’ll take it.”

  “She’ll think I’m mad.”

  Evie gave him an impish smile. The fact he cared what Caro thought of him said a great deal. Probably more than he wished others to know.

  Tom cleared his throat. “Just remember, we are here to extricate Caro and Millicent from whatever trouble they have landed themselves in. I’m sure Caro has been asking questions that might have triggered some suspicions.”

  An elderly butler answered the door, his bushy eyebrows rising a notch as he took in the trio standing at
the door. After a moment of silent deliberation, he showed them through to a drawing room.

  Millicent sat by the door, her lips pursed, her eyebrows drawn down, while Caro sat near the fireplace enjoying a cup of tea.

  A man with a wild mop of graying hair sat opposite her.

  When the butler announced their presence, Caro’s cup rattled. She turned and nearly sent the cup crashing down.

  “My heavens, what are you doing here?” Caro asked, her tone clipped.

  “Dear Cousin Carolina,” Evie walked up to her. “Thank goodness we have found you. We have come here to talk sense into you.”

  The man rose to his feet and introduced himself as Mr. Buckton.

  Evie apologized for the intrusion. Tom and the detective stepped forward and she introduced them. “This is Mr. Tom Winchester and this is Mr. Henry Evans.”

  Caro had only half turned. When she heard the detective’s name, her cup rattled again. Evie thought she saw her mouthing the detective’s name.

  “We are glad you haven’t come to any harm,” Evie continued. “Everyone has been so worried.” As she spoke, Evie studied the man. He didn’t strike her as someone who would be involved in the criminal world. Then again, George Stevens hadn’t looked like a criminal either.

  “Mr. Buckton has been kind enough to entertain me while Edmonds fixes the motor car. He was about to give me a tour of his house.”

  “I’m sure you have imposed on his kindness long enough, Cousin Carolina. We really should be on our way.”

  “But I’m not sure I’m ready to return.” Caro’s eyebrows hitched up slightly.

  Evie sent the man an apologetic smile. “I’m sure Mr. Buckton does not wish to hear about our family squabbles.”

  “Oh, but it’s too late. He knows all about our dirty laundry. Besides, he has promised to show me his stables.”

  Would Caro insist on seeing the stables if she didn’t think it would be safe to do so? She had always been quick to object to anything that might put her in danger.

  “I would be more than happy to show you the stables, my lady. Your cousin has been telling me you have developed an interest in racing horses.”