“She’s gathering her things,” Grant said, as professionally as ever.
Sadie tried to keep her surprise to herself. “Her things?”
Just then Mrs. Land emerged from the servant side of the kitchen and all eyes went to her. She had a large duffel bag over her shoulder. No one seemed to know what to say for a moment. Finally, Grant cleared his throat. “The car is ready to take you to the train station,” he said to Mrs. Land. “Have a nice holiday.”
“Holiday?” Sadie couldn’t take her eyes off of Mrs. Land, who managed a smile that seemed legitimate even if it was nervous. “Grant is allowing me to go to London early,” she said. “To see my boy for the New Year.” Her face lit up when she talked about her son, solidifying what she’d said about her commitment to Rupert. However, Sadie didn’t miss how convenient it was that she would not be here for the duration of Sadie and Breanna’s stay. Had Grant pinned Mrs. Land as a weak link?
“Early?” Sadie asked.
“The staff takes two days off at New Year’s,” Grant explained. “Mrs. Land is simply leaving early.”
Sadie looked at the man, trying not to glare. Had he killed John Henry? He was probably strong enough to both stab the smaller man with a poker and drag his body away once she and Breanna had left the room. Is that what Mrs. Land had been about to unveil? And now Grant was sending her away before she’d have the chance to tell Sadie the truth. Sadie should never have asked Grant about Mrs. Land’s son. She’d given away their conversation and now Mrs. Land was leaving.
All these thoughts rushed through her mind but she only spoke one out loud, mostly in hopes of masking the direction of her thoughts; she didn’t want him to know what she was really thinking. “But who will do the cooking? Did Lacy come back?”
She caught Grant shoot a questioning glance at Mrs. Land, but Mrs. Land didn’t seem to notice. Had Mrs. Land told Grant about Lacy running out? Sadie didn’t think so, judging from his reaction.
“I don’t know where she is,” he said. “But since she usually does breakfast I’m hoping she’ll be back in the morning. It’s been a trying day for all of us.”
Sadie mentally kicked herself again for letting Lacy leave. She wished she could ask Mrs. Land more about Lacy and what would keep her from returning to Southgate. She still didn’t know who had warned Lacy to leave or why Mrs. Land had seemed protective of the girl.
“The kitchen is none of your concern,” Grant said. He smiled, but it seemed forced. “Dinner will be served shortly. Please return upstairs. As I told you before, only staff is allowed in this part of the house.”
Sadie ignored his emphasis. “I’d be happy to help out until you find someone else,” Sadie said, imagining how perfect that would be. They had a cook who didn’t cook, certainly having a guest who did cook wouldn’t violate any of their silly rules more than that. It would only be for a meal or two anyway, and it would give her something to do. Plus, she’d have this beautiful kitchen all to herself, and she had no doubt that if she were part of the inner workings of this house, she’d be privy to all the innermost knowledge as well.
“That won’t be necessary,” Grant said.
“Oh, it really wouldn’t be a problem,” Sadie assured him, wondering why no one would even consider it. She was always happy for help in her kitchen at home. Why was this so different? “I love to cook and am quite comfortable in any kitchen.”
“It just isn’t done, Mrs. Hoffmiller,” he said by way of explanation, though he sounded more sympathetic than frustrated, which made her question his position as potential suspect in her mind. Would a murderer be sympathetic toward her in regards to anything? He didn’t seem defensive, just trying to do his job. She wondered if Austin had committed him to making sure Sadie didn’t take on any responsibilities. “Please return upstairs.” There was a pleading tone to his voice that ignited her concerns even more. Yet it would be foolish to discount him all together. She made a note to watch him carefully, one way or the other.
Sadie looked between him and Mrs. Land, and felt she had no choice but to give in again. She did not want to suffer Grant’s poor favor any more than she already had, especially if Mrs. Land wasn’t going to be around to give her any more information. It killed her that Mrs. Land was leaving; she should have pushed harder when she’d had the chance.
“Have a wonderful visit with your son,” she said, trying to hide her disappointment even while scouring her mind for a way she could steal just a few more minutes with this woman. “He’s lucky to have a mother who loves him as much as you do.” She wondered again what the lawyer was for. Just how much trouble was Rupert in? And who was paying for the lawyer—Austin?
“Thank you,” Mrs. Land said with a slight incline of her head. “I’m anxious to see him, that’s for sure.” Her eyes moved to the recipe book Sadie had forgotten she was holding. “Oh, good, you found your book.”
“Yes,” Sadie said with a distracted nod.
“I asked Grant to make sure you got your book back,” Mrs. Land said, looking at Sadie. “And your jacket.”
“Thank you,” Sadie replied, wishing Mrs. Land hadn’t said anything about the jacket. She might still need an excuse to visit the kitchen. She hurried to move past it. “Are you sure there’s nothing we can do to help?”
“Yes,” Grant said as Mrs. Land opened her mouth to answer. “Everything is taken care of.” He lifted a hand toward Sadie’s jacket. “Your—”
“So, you’re taking the train?” Sadie asked, cutting him off. Oh, what she wouldn’t do for even thirty seconds with Mrs. Land. “We took it when we went up to Northampton,” she said. “The transportation here is nothing short of amazing.”
“Yes,” Mrs. Land said with a confused nod as to why they were discussing the train system.
“Do you have many stops between here and London? We took a car, so I’m not familiar with the route.”
“Well—” Mrs. Land began.
“Please, Mrs. Hoffmiller,” Grant said, taking a step forward. “You really must return upstairs.”
“Alright, sorry to keep you,” she offered, then turned and led the way, walking right past her jacket in the process. No one stopped her. Good. And Grant didn’t follow her, which was even better.
Breanna reluctantly followed Sadie into the dish room. “Huh,” she said quietly. “That was weird.”
“I’d say,” Sadie agreed. She kept her voice soft so as not to be overheard. “Why let the cook go to London when you have a house full of people? Do they really give the staff two days off?”
“I remember Liam saying something about that,” Breanna said. “That’s one of the reasons we were supposed to leave today—because the staff was leaving anyway. His dad does it every year—two days paid leave for the New Year.”
Now that she thought about that, Sadie did remember Liam talking to Breanna about it during one of the meals they’d had in London. Sadie had been lost in her Beef Wellington and had only paid their conversation half the attention it deserved. “They come back on January second, right?”
“I think that’s what he said,” Breanna whispered as they made their way up the concrete steps toward the door that would connect to the foyer of the house. Sadie couldn’t be sure, but Breanna seemed relieved to be out of the kitchen. Was it just because Breanna didn’t like confrontation? Did Grant make her uncomfortable?
“So, to give Mrs. Land—the only person in the kitchen—an extra day off means that her not being here must be more important than her being here. Which must mean she knows something that would help us.”
“Or hurt someone else,” Breanna offered. Sadie looked to the side, smiling at her daughter. That was a good point. Perhaps the injustice of having Mrs. Land sent away had made an impact on Breanna—maybe she was catching the spirit. But the concerned look on her daughter’s face didn’t seem to reflect that at all. Rather, Breanna just looked worried. Sadie let out a breath, accepting that she might be in this alone after all.
The
y came out from the staff entrance and were coming around the Christmas tree when the sound of voices slowed their steps. They shared a look while Sadie stepped forward carefully, as close to the branches as possible without disturbing the needles of the tree. She crouched down enough to look through a space in the tree and could make out the profile of one of the chambermaids—Charlotte—standing to the side of the staircase, looking up into the face of someone Sadie couldn’t see. However, she recognized the voice.
“What time was this?” Austin asked. Sadie was surprised by the fact that his voice was not hard and cynical as it usually was; rather, he seemed quite calm—the kind of tone that would invite someone’s trust. Tricky.
“Around one-thirty,” Charlotte answered. “I had taken Master Liam his lunch around noon and was going back to pick up the tray. It wasn’t in the hall as I expected, and I was about to knock when I heard them through the door. Master Liam was very angry and told John Henry to leave.”
Sadie lifted her eyebrows. Liam certainly hadn’t said anything about that.
Chapter 15
~
How did the argument end?” Austin asked.
“John Henry came storming out of the room,” Charlotte said. “I knew he’d be angry if he knew that I’d heard the argument, so I stepped into a doorway. Then Master Liam slammed the door. I waited another half an hour before I went and picked up the tray.”
“Did you tell any of this to the investigator?” Austin asked after a moment.
Charlotte shook her head. “I felt that it would be best to tell you, and proceed as you saw fit. I only told him what I told everyone else—that I took the tray at noon and picked it up at two.”
“I appreciate that, Charlotte,” Austin said. “Have you told anyone else?”
“No, sir,” Charlotte said. “Also, no one has seen Lacy—not since those ladies ran into the kitchen and Mrs. Land went upstairs.”
The ensuing pause lasted a few seconds, causing Sadie to strain toward whatever he might say next.
“I’ll look into it,” Austin told Charlotte. “It’s nearly time for dinner so you better go.”
Sadie took a step back. She had little doubt that as soon as Austin dismissed Charlotte she would head for the staff entrance. Sadie grabbed Breanna’s arm and pulled her around to the other side of the tree—the side pushed up against the staircase. Breanna didn’t resist—thank goodness—and they both crouched down, pressing into the branches as much as they dared. Sadie was glad that the tree also cast most of the corner in shadow, but she held her breath anyway, willing the maid not to see them. Moments later Charlotte appeared, and any fears Sadie had of being seen were extinguished by the fact that Charlotte was intent only on the door, a troubled look on her face. She moved quickly, making Sadie wonder if she’d been on her way downstairs when she’d run into Austin and took the opportunity to tell him the truth. It seemed a very dangerous protocol to approve of staff lying to the police in favor of their employers. Sadie and Breanna listened to Austin’s steps on the stairs above them, shrinking down so that he couldn’t see them through the highly-polished mahogany railing.
Charlotte pushed through the staff door; Sadie and Breanna waited a few seconds before standing up and moving around the tree, proceeding into the foyer carefully as they anticipated running into someone at any moment.
Once assured they were alone, Sadie turned to look at Breanna, fully expecting to discuss this new discovery. However, the guilty look on her face showed everything for once, causing the words to fizzle out on Sadie’s tongue.
“Liam and John Henry had an argument,” Breanna said.
Sadie glared at her. “Oh, really?” she asked sarcastically.
“I was going to tell you,” Breanna added.
“No, you weren’t,” Sadie replied. “If you were going to tell me, you’d have told me already.”
Breanna clenched her jaw slightly and when she spoke, her words had a bit of an edge to them. “Okay, maybe what I meant was that if I’d thought you wouldn’t totally freak out about it and suppose all kinds of horrible things about Liam, I’d have told you.”
“That’s not fair,” Sadie said, narrowing her eyes at her daughter. “I have a very open mind about things, but I can’t make the proper determinations without all the information. I can’t believe you would keep this from me. I’ve told you everything I’ve discovered. It never crossed my mind that you wouldn’t do the same.”
Breanna let out a breath, giving up the fight under the weight of Sadie’s guilt trip. “I’m sorry,” she said, the sharpness no longer in her tone. “It wasn’t that big a deal—he and John Henry just disagreed with something in regard to the earl’s care.”
Sadie wasn’t buying it. “Then why didn’t you want to tell me?”
“Like I said, I worried you’d freak out.”
“Did Liam tell the inspector about the argument?” Sadie asked.
Breanna shrugged and met her mother’s eyes. “I don’t know.” She glanced up the stairs. “I need to tell Liam he was overheard by the staff, though—he thought it had been between him and John Henry.”
“And then John Henry ended up dead,” Sadie continued.
Breanna nodded. “Right, so you can see why he didn’t want to make the argument public knowledge.”
“What was the argument about?”
“The earl’s care,” Breanna said, her words slow and careful. “Liam has some concerns.”
“So, then why was John Henry in the sitting room?”
Breanna shook her head. “I have no idea, and neither does Liam.” She glanced up the stairs again. “I really need to talk to him.” She looked back at her mother. “I know it makes him look bad, Mom, but will you please keep it to yourself for now?”
Sadie’s hesitation must have shown on her face.
“You believe Liam’s a good man, right?” Breanna asked imploringly. She waited expectantly for an answer.
“Yes,” Sadie said. “Except that he—”
“And you know he’s dealing with a lot right now, right?”
In spite of herself, Sadie reviewed everything that was sitting so heavy on Liam’s shoulders right now: his father was sick, likely dying, his girlfriend had dumped him, he was facing a drastic change in circumstance and lifestyle whether he liked it or not, and the man he’d argued with that morning had wound up dead. “Yes, he is dealing with a lot, but—”
Breanna cut her off, looking relieved that Sadie was agreeing with her. “I promise you that he will tell the inspectors everything tomorrow, okay? But give him tonight to make some sense of everything and get up to date with his dad’s care. The fact that someone killed John Henry has Liam terrified for his father—please help me give him the time he needs to come to terms with all of this.”
“You’re not telling me everything,” Sadie said, narrowing her eyes slightly. “I can feel it.”
Breanna let out a breath. “I’m telling you what I know, okay? Liam kind of downloaded on me earlier—and not all of it made sense, but I promised him I’d wait until tomorrow to tell the inspectors.” She paused a moment before continuing. “That means you have one more night to figure out what you want to figure out too. I did give you permission, remember.”
That’s right, Sadie realized. It was wrong not to tell the inspectors everything, and yet security was in place, there was no body to convince anyone they were telling the truth, and Sadie still had far more questions than answers. She knew she was being manipulated, but if it helped her get what she wanted, maybe it was worthwhile.
Finally, she nodded under the pleading look of her daughter. Breanna noticeably relaxed. “Thank you, Mom,” she said, smiling slightly. She put one foot on the stairs and glanced back at Sadie one last time. “I’ll see you at dinner, okay?”
Sadie nodded again, and watched Breanna climb the stairs. Dinner was in twenty minutes, but that meant she had twenty minutes to get herself lost wherever she felt she had the best chance of getting
more information. The question was where to start.
She was in the process of scanning the foyer, considering her options, when she heard a voice coming from the east hallway. Before even considering the reasons why she did it, she ducked behind the east Christmas tree—on the opposite side of the stairs that hid the door to the kitchen. She crouched down and held very still as the voice got closer.
“Yes, Charlotte took care of it, but I feel it would be better if you came down here—Liam kicked him out of the earl’s room. . . . I had managed to stay out of their way until today. . . . He’s been with the earl nearly every minute since then.” She was pretty sure she recognized the voice, but moved so she could see through a gap in the branches. It was Austin, talking on the phone—currently listening to whoever was on the other end of the line. “No, things are not going to be okay,” he said sharply as he reached the stairs and started taking them two at a time. “Liam agreed they should head to London tomorrow . . . around nine I think, but that’s not going to solve this . . .” His voice tapered off as he walked out of range and she pursed her lips at the missed opportunity to eavesdrop a little longer. Who was he talking to? Then she remembered that his father was the earl’s doctor. Maybe Austin was talking to him. If it was Dr. Melcalfe, he didn’t seem like he wanted to come to Southgate even though the earl’s nurse was missing. Maybe he had plans for the holiday. She made a mental note to write it all down when she got back to her room.
After a few seconds, when no one else came by for her to overhear, she casually stepped out from behind the tree, looking around to make sure no one was watching her even while making up the excuse of a lost earring in case anyone asked what she was doing behind the tree. She took one of the small, silver snowflake earrings out and put it in her pocket to lend credence to her story just in case. She glanced toward the hallway Austin had come out of—the one leading to the library as well as the smoking room, the trophy room, and the billiard room. She wondered why Southgate didn’t have a TV room and a talk-on-the-phone room and a gift-wrapping room—those seemed a lot more practical, but who was Sadie to judge?
English Trifle Page 11
