by K E O'Connor
“How long do you keep the recordings for?”
“Thirty days. All these questions. What’s going on, Holly Holmes? It sounds like you’re investigating something interesting.”
I didn’t know how widely word had spread yet about what happened to Kendal. I didn’t want to be accused of being a gossip, but people would hear about the murder, eventually. “There was an incident at the castle. Somebody died.”
John took a step back. “I had no idea. When did this happen?”
“Two days ago. I was just wondering if anyone suspicious had checked into the hotel during that time.”
He leaned closer. “You don’t think the death was an accident? What are we talking here?”
I bit my lip. “I’d better not say any more. You must keep quiet about it, or no cakes for you.”
“You have to tell me more than that. Who was it? What happened to them?”
I backed away. “No! I’ll bring the cakes in soon.”
“Holly! Don’t leave me hanging.”
“I’m not. But if I get caught gossiping about what’s going on at the castle, I might lose my job.”
He huffed out a breath. “Oh, very well. But I want an extra big box of cakes for being kept in the dark about something so juicy.”
“I promise, you’ll get them.” I raced out of the hotel and grabbed the bike.
“Meatball, I think we’ve just unearthed Kendal’s killer.”
Chapter 12
“Holly! Watch the oven. The timer’s gone off and I don’t see you moving,” Chef Heston yelled.
I jumped, and raced to the oven, grabbing the oven gloves and pulling the cakes out.
My thoughts had been focused on what I’d learned at the hotel about Izzie Northcott. It couldn’t be a coincidence she was here. She had to be involved with this murder.
Chef Heston glowered over my shoulder. “You got lucky that time. Another thirty seconds and they’d have been overdone.”
“Sorry, Chef. It won’t happen again.” I placed the tray of date and pecan muffins on the counter and returned to beating more batter.
“What’s wrong with you this afternoon?” he asked. “You’ve been away with the fairies ever since you returned from the deliveries.”
“Oh, you know me. I’m always thinking about food.”
“Think about the food you’re currently working on, not one of your experimental cake designs.” Chef Heston stomped away to yell at somebody else.
I kept my head down and tried to concentrate on the work in hand, but it was hard to do when all I wanted was to find out more about Izzie.
The kitchen was getting quiet as it grew late in the day. The café closed, and the tourists made their way home on their coaches, happy after a long day exploring.
Once the final batch of cakes were out of the oven and cooling on the side, ready for the next day, I took a five-minute break.
I hurried out to Meatball’s kennel with a big bowl of food and patted him on the head as he began to eat.
I looked around the quiet garden and took a deep breath. I wasn’t sure what my next move should be. Should I tell Campbell about Izzie Northcott and what I’d overheard her talking about? If I did, he might think I was deflecting attention away from myself.
I hadn’t seen him since I’d gotten back from my delivery round, which meant he was most likely hard at work figuring out who’d killed Kendal.
The lack of new information on that front worried me. If he hadn’t found the real killer yet, his attention could still be on me and my not so excellent alibi.
I returned to the kitchen and studied the crowded white board full of information on the work tasks for each member of the kitchen staff.
My list of tasks was complete. I untied my apron, grabbed two cherry scones, and decided to brave a walk up to the east turret to see Lady Philippa. She’d been the one who’d predicted a death coming to Audley Castle. Maybe she had more insight into what was going on. Even if she didn’t, she wouldn’t judge me for looking into it.
I ran up the steps two at a time, making sure to ignore the cold spots and what sounded worryingly like a deep male voice telling me to beware. It was only my imagination working overtime. There were no ghosts in the castle. The legends about ghosts were played up for the tourists. There was no such thing as ghosts. Maybe if I told myself that enough times, I’d actually believe it.
“Who’s there?” Lady Philippa called as I walked along the wide stone corridor to her rooms.
“It’s Holly. I brought you a treat from the kitchen.” I pushed open the door, and my mouth dropped open.
She was dressed in a white fluffy unicorn onesie that came with a rainbow tail, a large rainbow colored horn poking out of the back of the hood.
“What do you think? Isn’t it fabulous?” She twirled in front of me. “I convinced Alice to lend me her store card. We had a wonderful few hours buying everything you can imagine online. I had no idea you could get such a thing. With the click of a button, everything is ordered and delivered the next day.”
I snapped my jaw shut as I walked closer. “Onesies are comfortable. I never had you down as a fan of unicorns, though.”
“Everyone’s a fan of unicorns. Although the horn isn’t all that practical.” She flipped the hood up and it almost engulfed her narrow face. “It’s such fun. Oooh. Is that for me?” She snagged a cherry scone from my hand.
“What else did you order?” I asked.
“Just you wait and see. This is my first delivery. I’ve got more coming.”
“I can’t wait to see it all.” If it was anything like the unicorn onesie, I’d be in for a treat.
Lady Philippa stared at me. “What’s wrong, girl?”
I let out a sigh as I settled in the seat she pointed at. “Have you heard about Kendal?”
“Of course I have. Alice was telling me all about it. And you discovered the body with her?”
“That’s right. And ... I’m worried.”
She nodded sagely. “I did warn you that death was coming to the castle.”
I leaned forward, my scone forgotten. “How did you know?”
Lady Philippa adjusted her tail and took a bite of scone. “Call it a gift, if you like. It’s an old family ability.”
“To predict the future?”
“It’s not so much being able to see what will happen, but it’s more like a feeling. I get it in the pit of my stomach. It’s like bad indigestion. It stays there until the prediction comes true. Sometimes, I simply have a vague feeling that something bad will happen and keep thinking about particular people.”
“You were very specific about a death happening in the castle.”
“That’s true. But there are other times when I just feel out of sorts. As if I’m coming down with a cold. That’s never a good sign. If ever you hear me complaining about having a sniffle, you’ll know that trouble isn’t far behind.”
That still didn’t explain how she knew somebody was going to die. “Did you know it would be one of Lord Rupert’s friends?”
“No, I’m rarely that exact. If I could predict something bad happening to a specific person, and that does happen now and again, I’d warn them. Well, I’d warn them if I liked them.” She ate more scone and chuckled to herself.
“That’s quite some ability. You could become famous by making predictions about the future.”
Her nose wrinkled, and she plucked the second scone from my hand and took a bite. “I’m famous enough already. Besides, people might fear the family if they learn of this ability. And when you add in the love curse, well, we almost sound like a family of witches.”
“Love curse?” This was the first I’d heard about any curse.
“Oh, yes. The Audley family history is riddled with tragedy and troubles. It’s all to do with a fourteenth century wise woman who cursed Nicholas Audley. He ordered the woman to be thrown out of her cottage because she was squatting on his land. He threatened to have her killed. In ret
urn she cursed him and all future generations of Audleys and anyone related to them, so they would never have a happy ending when it came to love. It’s certainly true of my relationship with William.”
“But you were happy with your husband, weren’t you?”
“Of course! But he died.”
“Well, that happens to everyone, eventually. That doesn’t mean there was a curse involved. And you’re a Carnegie, not an Audley.”
“But my daughter married an Audley. That’s when the troubles began for us. You should consult Alice’s family tree. She’s been working on it for months and is always asking questions about some obscure relative. It’ll show you the unnatural deaths that have happened. There was Matilda and the husband she lost at sea. Then there was Elizabeth, whose husband died when he was only thirty. Now, we’re talking hundreds of years ago, and I realize that disease and poor health were common, but there is always a tragedy linked to a great love in this family. It’s because of the wise woman’s curse. It needs to be broken. Otherwise, Alice and Rupert will suffer the same fate.”
I didn’t believe in curses or ghosts, but Lady Philippa seemed so serious. “Is that why Princess Alice is so reluctant about getting married?”
She tipped back her head and laughed. “Of course not. Alice would love to be married; she simply doesn’t want to marry any of the weak-willed sycophants her mother keeps pushing on her. She’s got a good head on her shoulders, despite trying as hard as possible to convince people she’s as daft as a brush. She’ll find somebody eventually, fall hopelessly in love, and have her heart broken when he dies tragically because the curse kicks in. I hope you’ll be around to comfort her when that happens.”
“I really hope it doesn’t happen. But of course I’ll be here if Princess Alice needs me.”
She regarded me shrewdly. “Alice considers you a friend, Holly. Living the lives we do, it’s hard to make real friends. You can never be certain who wants to be your friend and who wants to take your money and use your position for their own advantage.”
“I’d never do that! I consider Princess Alice a real friend.”
“That’s good to hear. You have an honest way about you, and I sense a kindness that’s often lacking in people. Alice will appreciate you being around when her time of need comes.”
I glanced around, not comfortable with how intense the conversation had become. My gaze landed on the binoculars Lady Philippa always kept on the window ledge. “Have you been doing much birdwatching?”
She chuckled. “After a fashion. In fact, I spotted a common blonde socialite creeping around on the night of Kendal’s murder. A very common sight. Not at all rare.”
My pulse quickened at that news. Could that have been Izzie? “What time did you see her?”
“Around nine o’clock in the evening. I spotted movement outside. A woman approached the castle. She was trying to be stealthy, but I could see her blonde hair tucked under a black hood.”
I recalled the night I’d served Lord Rupert and his friends. I’d also seen something outside the castle, just a flash of movement. Could that have been Izzie trying to find a way inside to get to Kendal?
“It was definitely a woman?” I asked.
“Oh yes. Those binoculars are top of the range. Campbell got them for me. She kept her head down, so I couldn’t get a good look at her face. She was very small, far too skinny to be healthy, and had long blonde hair that kept sliding out from under the hood. I lost sight of her as she grew close to the castle walls. That’s one disadvantage of being up so high. When someone gets near the castle, you can’t see what they’re doing.”
I nodded. That fitted with what John told me. Kendal must have seen Izzie that night. Somehow, she’d gotten into the castle. Maybe Kendal had snuck her in and hidden her in his room so they could have fun together when the party broke up.
“What’s on your mind, girl?” Lady Philippa asked. “Do you know who killed Kendal?”
“I’m not certain. I have a few suspects in mind. And there’s one person who needs to be at the top of the list.”
“Then go and arrest whoever it is. We can’t have an unsolved murder on the castle grounds. We’ve already had enough of those.”
That jerked me out of my thoughts. “What do you mean, unsolved murders?”
“Why do you think there are so many ghosts floating around? They’re not here for their own entertainment. They have unfinished business. And some of that business involves their murders that were never solved.”
“Oh! I don’t know about that. I mean, ghosts? Are you sure?”
She leaned forward and patted my hand. “I’ve been alive a lot longer than you. I’ve seen it all. Ghosts, curses, and more. They’re very real and very much here. We can’t help those ghosts, but perhaps you can do something to help with the Kendal issue. The sooner this is cleared up the better.”
I worried my bottom lip with my teeth. She was right, and I needed to tell Campbell everything I’d discovered. But if I did that, I’d reveal that I’d been secretly poking around when he’d specifically told me to stay out of this. I doubted many people went against a direct order from Campbell and lived to tell the tale.
I shook my head. I couldn’t worry about that. It didn’t matter if Campbell was angry with me. The killer had to be stopped, and I was certain it was Izzie Northcott.
“I should go,” I said.
“Yes, you should. You’ve got a mystery to clear up.”
I smiled at her. “Thanks for your help.”
“You can thank me by getting this matter resolved swiftly and discreetly.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“Those scones were delicious. Thank you. This will be the only meal I’ll get tonight. My daughter always forgets me.”
I shook my head. That wasn’t true. Lady Philippa could dine with everyone else. She simply chose not to and had her meals brought to the turret.
“And you might like to watch yourself on the way out,” Lady Philippa called as I hurried along the corridor.
“What do you mean?” I yelped and leaped backward, slamming against the cold stone wall as a looming figure stepped out of the shadows.
Laughter drifted through the open door. “I warned you.”
“Oh my word!” My hand pressed over my racing heart. “Campbell! Don’t do that! I nearly died of fright.”
His eyes narrowed, and he shook his head. “We need to talk, Miss Holmes.”
I lifted my chin and nodded. “Yes, we do.”
Chapter 13
My stomach fluttered with nerves as I walked ahead of Campbell to the kitchen. I’d resolved to speak to him about what I’d discovered, but he’d gotten the jump on me. Now it would look like I’d been hiding things.
“Cup of tea?” I asked as we reached the kitchen. I was grateful to find it quiet.
“No. What are you playing at?”
I took a deep breath and turned toward him. “I’m not playing. I’m trying to help.”
“Helping by interfering with a murder investigation.”
“I haven’t interfered.”
“You were seen questioning Izzie Northcott in the village today.”
I gulped. “That was by accident. I overheard her talking on her phone about Kendal. I thought it might be useful to see what she knew.”
“And was it an accident that you followed her to the hotel?”
“Oh! Well, no. I was just curious about her.”
“And then you proceeded to ask the desk clerk, completely by accident I’m guessing, everything he knew about her and if there was any CCTV in the hotel?”
Oops! I’d been well and truly found out. “Have you got someone following me?”
“It’s my responsibility to keep the residents of this castle safe.”
“Does that include keeping me safe?”
“No, but you are a suspect in a murder investigation, and therefore you need to be scrutinized.”
“Are you still doubti
ng my alibi?”
He glared at me for a long uncomfortable second. “I no longer consider you a suspect. But you are ringing alarm bells by poking around in this murder.”
“I wasn’t doing it to cause trouble. And I was just about to tell you what I’d discovered, after I’d spoken to Lady Philippa.”
“Why bother her with this matter?”
“I thought she might help me gain a new perspective on what I’d learned.”
“I’m sure she did. When she’s not filling your head with misinformation about family curses.”
“I don’t believe in curses. And you shouldn’t be eavesdropping on a private conversation.”
“I’ll eavesdrop on any conversation I care to if it helps to solve a murder.” He stared at me without blinking. “What happened to my cakes?”
My forehead wrinkled. “What are you talking about?”
“Weren’t you making me cakes so you could sweeten me up?”
Was there no secret I could keep from Campbell? “I wasn’t exactly trying to sweeten you up.”
“So, it was a straightforward bribe?”
“No! I had no reason to bribe you.”
“At the time, you were considered a suspect in this murder.”
I sighed. “Maybe I did think the cakes would make you warm to me. I know I’m innocent, but by the way you glared at me every time we met, you considered me trouble.”
“I still do consider you trouble. So, what happened to the cakes?”
“They went to a much better cause. The gardeners ate them. They’ve done amazing work on their herb memorial garden. I figured they deserved them.”
“Do you consider the work I do not amazing?”
I snorted out a laugh. “I’m sure you always get a gold star from the Duke every time he does your appraisal.”
A smirk slid across his face. “The Duke doesn’t do my appraisals.”
“The Duchess?”
