by Jane Charles
“Well, that is good. I was afraid that he was completely wrapped up beneath that blanket.” Norbright turned to the servants. “Prepare rooms for Ashford, Keegan and Kilsyth as well.”
A maid bobbed a curtsey then hurried up the stairs while the footmen followed with the coffin.
Norbright turned to Henry. “I’m glad you’ve come to visit, but may I ask why?”
“He’s in love,” answered Keegan. “Now where is your brandy?”
“Love?” Norbright looked into Henry’s eyes. “You? In love?”
“Keegan exaggerates,” Henry answered. “However, I could do with a brandy myself, and then I’ll tell you why we are here.”
Chapter 21
Sophia, Eliza and Rosemary waited just out of sight of the entrance of Harrington Manor while Olivia and Victoria quietly entered. Nobody would question the twins calling on their brother, but they’d wonder why the other three were there. A moment later, Olivia stepped out and motioned the three forward and placed a finger to her lips.
They tiptoed into the foyer, then quickly crossed and climbed the stairs while Lord Norbright entertained two gentlemen in the sitting room. Victoria waited as lookout at the top of the stairs and when the girls gained the landing, she pointed right. In single file, they quietly edged along the wall.
“See that the bed is made up,” an older woman ordered as her shadow darkened the doorway.
“Right away, Ma’am.”
At the voices, the girls ducked into another chamber and out of sight and waited as Victoria peeked through a break in the door.
A moment later she motioned for them to follow again and they quickly crossed the corridor and ducked into the opposite room. On the floor, beside a bed stripped of its linens, lay the pine box with no lid. Trepidation skipped down Sophia’s spine and she pulled back from the others. Did she really wish to see a dead body? She understood Eliza’s morbid fascination, especially given her interest in horrid novels, but that didn’t mean that Sophia needed to participate.
Mind made up, she remained by the door as the others moved further into the room. When they glanced down, all four gasped.
“It’s a mummy,” Olivia whispered.
“Maybe it’s the Mayfair mummy,” suggested Veronica.
“Did Lord Kilsyth take it do you think?” Rosemary asked. “You said he was from Mayfair.”
While the girls speculated, Eliza was intent on her study.
Voices from down the corridor drew Sophia’s attention. “Someone is coming.”
“Into the dressing room.” Olivia pointed to the door on the opposite wall.
The five of them hurried to the door and closed it after they’d entered and Eliza sank down to her knees to peer through the eyehole.
“They’ve come to make up the bed,” she whispered.
“For a mummy?” Sophia asked.
“She’s gone,” Eliza said and began to rise, only to stop as she leaned to look once again. “Oh no.”
A moment later, high-pitched, blood-curdling screams reverberated through the chamber. They were startling enough to cause the five girls in the dressing room to jump, but they remained where they were hidden.
“Who is it?” Sophia asked.
Eliza moved aside so Sophia could look. On the opposite side of the room, clutching each other close in their fear were Mary, Abigail and Ruth. “They did follow us!”
“They are going to cause far more trouble than I ever did,” Eliza muttered with a chuckle.
At the screams, Norbright took off up the stairs, Henry following the best that he could.
“What are you doing in my home?” Northright demanded when he entered a chamber.
Beyond him were three girls standing beside the coffin that contained Ashford, who hadn’t been put to bed yet. Did the servants just plan to leave him there? The box was for transportation only. His friend needed a much more comfortable resting place if he was going to recover.
“Girls, why are you here?” a lady asked as she entered the room and walked past Henry. All he could assume was that this was Lady Norbright, whom he hadn’t yet met.
“Do you know them?” Norbright demanded. “More students from that school?”
Lady Norbright blew out a beleaguered sigh. “Yes, they are from the school, but they only arrived last week.” Then she turned to the girls. “Didn’t Mrs. Wiggons tell you that you are not to go on this property or any property belonging to any of the neighbors?”
All they did was stare at her. Their eyes wide and mouths open.
“Girls!” She said again, in a tone similar to his former tutor.
Then Henry remembered, Norbright’s wife had been a teacher until they married.
“Should I get Mrs. Wiggons so that you can explain to her?”
“No,” one of the girls blurted out. “We only followed the others inside.”
Norbright frowned. “What others? I only see you three.”
“Your sisters, and Lady Sophia, Miss Rosemary and Miss Eliza,” another answered.
“Well, they don’t seem to be here now and I suggest the three of you leave and forget what you saw,” Norbright ordered. “Be curious about something or someone else.”
“We might not see them…” Lady Norbright trailed off as she crossed the room and yanked open a door.
In an instant, a blonde student tumbled out, followed by a redhead. A brunette and Norbright’s younger sisters stood behind them.
“What is the meaning of this?” Norbright demanded.
Lady Victoria stepped forward. “We were out walking and saw the coffin arrive.”
“As it came to our brother’s home, naturally we wanted to find out who had died.”
“Naturally,” he grumbled.
“Who is it?” Victoria asked.
“Ashford,” Henry answered and turned to his friend. “Perhaps we should explain...”
“No!” Lady Norbright interrupted. “It’s bad enough they snuck in here, again, thus setting a bad example for younger students. They do not require or deserve an explanation.” She pointed to the door. “All of you, go back to the school, now.”
“Yes, Lady Norbright,” they murmured, heads down, chastised, and walked from the chamber.
“I’m very sorry, Lord Norbright,” an older woman said as she stepped into the room. “I was so busy directing the maids to prepare rooms and then set to locate footmen to help get Mr. Ashford settled, that I didn’t realize we had intruders.
“It’s not your fault, Mrs. Whipple,” Norbright assured her. “When the three instigators of mischief are afoot, there is little any of us can do.”
“Yes, well, I suppose you are correct.” She sighed as four footmen entered the chamber.
“Please see that Mr. Ashford is settled comfortably in bed and then I’d like someone to sit with him until he awakens,” Lady Norbright ordered.
They nodded and the three quit the chamber, closing the door behind them.
“Are you going to tell me what happened?” she asked her husband.
“Of course, down in the sitting room.”
“And, I also assume you are going to introduce me to your friends.”
Lady Norbright was still very much a teacher, but Henry held back a grin.
“Of course, dear. You simply haven’t given me much time.” He kissed her forehead. “Where have you been, Darling.”
“Oh, doing this and that. It doesn’t really matter, and not nearly as exciting as what’s been happening here.”
“Claudia, I’d like to introduce you to my good friend, Henry Cochran, the Earl of Kilsyth.”
Her eyes widened for a moment. “Lord Kilsyth, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Did she recognize his name?
Then he brushed the question away. Chances are it may have come up in conversation since both Ashford and Keegan had been guests at Harrington Manor previously. However, did she know that her husband had once been a member of the Devils of Dalston? That was a qu
estion Henry would not ask, as Norbright may not want to explain if she had no knowledge of the group.
“Now, why don’t we all relax with a cup of tea and you can tell me how the four of you came to be injured and what prompted your visit to Harrington Manor.”
This was the second time since she woke this morning that Eve walked along the beach with her sister. Lady Norbright had joined them at the beginning, but returned to the manor a short time ago. She was a nice lady and Eve envied her sister for having, not only a position, but friends as well. Of course, before Eve had ever traveled to Cornwall, she was well aware that her sister had formed close friendships with the teachers and former teachers of the school. And, even though it reminded Eve of how lonely she truly was, she was happy for her sister.
Though the loss of her brother still rested heavily upon Eve’s heart, the burden wasn’t so heavy now that she was with Cait and they’d been able to spend these two days together.
“Do you remember how we used to play in the surf?” Cait asked.
They’d been only girls then. “Until our governess decided that it wasn’t becoming.” Cait had been thirteen and Eve all of eleven.
“It’s probably still not becoming.” Cait grinned, a scheming gleam in her green eyes.
Eve glanced back and up to the top of the cliffs. “What if someone were to see us?”
“We are beyond Harrington Manor and the school is in the opposite direction. Who is to know?”
It would be heavenly to feel the sand in her toes and the waves against her legs again. “Let’s do it,” Eve giggled, and for the first time felt light, as if a heavy burden had been lifted. She hadn’t felt this free since…since right before Father died.
The two hurried over to a boulder where they sat to remove their boots and stockings, then set them up high so they wouldn’t be ruined by water. Then they grasped their skirts, pulled them up to their knees and walked toward the water’s edge.
As the cold water touched her feet, Eve scampered back, then moved forward again. She knew from experience that it wouldn’t take long to adjust to the temperature and it truly wasn’t so cold. She simply wasn’t used to the ocean as she’d once been.
“I’ve been doing some thinking,” Cait said after a moment.
“About?”
“I need to find out if I have a dowry. Father may have put the restriction on yours, but what if he didn’t on mine?”
“Then I shall share mine with you, once I gain my majority, of course.”
“I couldn’t ask you to do that.”
Eve took her sister’s hand. “We are sisters. We only have each other. Ten thousand pounds could help us both out a great deal.”
“I suppose,” Cait finally said.
“I think I’ll speak with Lord Norbright and ask his assistance in speaking with Father’s solicitor. I’d go to London myself, but I shouldn’t be gone from the school longer than a few more days.”
“What if you have the same dowry as mine? Are you going to remain teaching?”
Cait nodded as if she didn’t even give herself a chance to think on the options. “First, I’ll use it to help you.”
“No, Cait, ye cannot.”
“Hush!” her sister ordered. “I know that you will try to find a position and most likely you will. I just pray that it is in Cornwall. But, if ye don’t, I can rent a small place where you can live and I’ll support you so that you have food and clothing until you find a position or inherit.”
“I can’t have you spending your dowry on me,” Eve argue.
“You were willing to do the same for me,” Cait reminded her.
Eve stared into her sister’s eyes. “As long as you allow me to pay you back, I’ll agree.”
“We’ll worry about that when the times comes,” Cait dismissed. “Besides, it’s not like I’ll need it to make a grand marriage,” Cait grumbled as she waded further into the surf, the water coming nearly to her knees.
Eve’s heart hitched with sadness. As much as she might have wished for Kilsyth, she knew it was impossible, yet she couldn’t imagine wanting anyone else and therefore, she was destined to be alone. “At least we have something to help make our life a bit more comfortable.” She held out her hand to Cait. “And, we have each other.”
“Yes,” her sister smiled sadly. “But I have a feeling that you’ll make a grand match.”
Why had she told her sister about Kilsyth? Cait had now gotten it into her head that the two should be a match no matter how much Eve had tried to discourage her.
“I’ll be a spinster in Cornwall,” Eve insisted. “I also think I prefer it that way.”
“Eve Doyle, how can you say such a thing?”
“It’s what you plan,” Eve argued back.
“Because I have little choice. You have more options. You could return to London—,”
“—No!” Eve cut her off. She would not go back to Kilsyth. She would not put her heart at further risk of being broken. Eve was little more than a ward, secretary, maid and someone used to win wagers, or perhaps advise on bets at Ascot. That was all she had ever been to Kilsyth and all that she’d remain.
“Did it ever occur to you that you may not have a choice,” Cait said after a moment. “He is your guardian and could order you back to London.”
For two years Kilsyth did have that power. However… “He is probably glad to be rid of me,” Eve suggested. As much as it hurt to think that he’d be happy she was gone, it was better than holding on to any hope that he’d miss her. It also made it easier to decide what to do with the rest of her life without her guardian ordering her about...except, he didn’t always order. He didn’t exactly ask, either. He simply told her what he required or what he needed and she did it, for the most part. He was her teacher, and instructor.
Besides, it was his way—gruff and without artifice, and she rather admired that about him. She’d much rather have that than flowery or overly polite speech.
They’d dealt honestly with one another, even though he could aggravate her to no end. He was still an honorable gentleman.
Eve shook her head. If she continued to think about Kilsyth, she’d never recover her heart.
“There is one matter that we must attend to, however,” Cait said after a moment.
“What would that be?”
“We haven’t anything appropriate for mourning.”
“Nor any funds to purchase the proper attire,” Eve reminded her sister. They should mourn their brother. But, had he followed in their father’s footsteps, she and Cait would be in Ireland and would have the funds for proper clothing. And, they probably wouldn’t have needed them because her brother wouldn’t be dead. He was the one who had brought them all to this and even though it might be cruel to think poor of the dead, he had wagered her in a game of chance. Had she been lost to anyone else…
Eve didn’t even want to consider where she’d be right now, or what she’d be required to do for her new guardian.
It’s not a thought that would have occurred to her when they still lived in Cork, but having spent the good part of a year in Covent Garden, she had learned quickly what could happen to misses without the protection of a male relative. If Brendan had lost her to anyone else, these last weeks could have turned out much differently and she could very well be ruined. Thank goodness it had been Kilsyth who had made the wager.
Chapter 22
“It’s the mummy and the curse,” Sophia heard Abigail wail from inside the sitting room.
They hadn’t been back at the school above half an hour and waited in the corridor with Rosemary and Eliza for their turn to be chastised by Mrs. Wiggons.
“It’s not fair that they aren’t in trouble,” Eliza grumbled.
“Victoria and Olivia?” Sophia questioned. “It was their brother’s manor. They are allowed to be there.”
“It still isn’t fair,” she argued again.
“It has to be the curse. Oh, why did we follow them?” Abigail cried
again.
Sophia looked over at Eliza, who rolled her eyes.
“Do you think it’s a curse?” Rosemary whispered.
“No, of course not,” Eliza answered. “There are no such things as curses.”
Sophia’s eyes widened and she stared at her friend. “Are you feeling unwell?”
“I’m perfectly well, I assure you.” Eliza frowned. “Why?”
“The mummy, curses...this is something you’d normally believe in and investigate no matter how much I tried to deter you.”
A smile pulled at Eliza’s lips. “Because it wasn’t a real mummy,” she offered smugly.
Sophia leaned forward. “How do you know?”
“For one, even though there were bandages all around his neck and head, there were openings for his mouth, nostrils and eyes. If the journals that Rosemary’s mother sent are true—.”
“—They are,” Rosemary interjected.
“Then the entire head of the mummy would be wrapped and we wouldn’t be able to see any skin.”
“Was the rest of his body wrapped up as well?” Sophia asked, wishing that she’d taken the chance to look herself.
“Blankets covered the rest of the body, so I don’t know.”
“It has to be the mummy’s curse,” Abigail cried again. “First the carriage accident that hurt Lord Norbright’s friends and now I have spots.”
“Spots?” Rosemary questioned in alarm.
“I’ll summon the doctor, but I’m fairly certain the explanation will be reasonable and have nothing to do with curses.”
“I hope that whatever Abigail has isn’t contagious.” Eliza rubbed her arms.
“How did they know there was a carriage accident?” Rosemary asked. “We didn’t even know that.”
Eliza shrugged.
“They came in later than us. Maybe they overheard Lord Norbright discussing the events with his companions,” Sophia offered.
Rosemary looked at Eliza with narrowed eyes. “Are you certain there isn’t a curse involved? Carriage accident and spots. We were all around the mummy. What if something happens to us?”
