“I’ll try to be better about staying in touch,” he told her. “But you should ring me more often as well. Ring whenever you like.”
Janet wondered if that meant she could ring every day, but she didn’t ask. Instead, she nodded and then gave him one last hug. “Come again soon,” she told him.
“You could come and visit me in London,” he suggested. “Or maybe we should have a holiday together somewhere.”
“I’m not sure I’m ready to go away with you,” Janet said, blushing.
“I wasn’t suggesting anything improper,” Edward assured her. “Maybe we should all go and visit your friend Bessie or something. I think I’d like to meet her after everything you’ve told me about her.”
“Joan and I are hoping to spend a week on the island in the late spring or early summer,” Janet told him. “I’ll let you know the dates as soon as we’ve booked them.”
“Do that.” Edward gave her a quick kiss and then picked up his bag. “Take good care of yourself and Aggie,” he said. “I’m rather fond of both of you.”
Janet watched as he walked down the front steps and loaded his case into the boot of his car. She waved as his car pulled out of the car park and disappeared down the road.
“Well, that was sad,” she told Aggie, who looked up from her chair and meowed softly. “I’m going to miss him, that’s all,” she explained.
Aggie jumped down and walked over to Janet, who picked her up and cuddled her close. “You understand, don’t you?” she asked, rubbing Aggie’s head.
“Merrowoww,” Aggie told her.
Janet wandered into the kitchen, feeling out of sorts. Joan was putting together their lunch.
“I hope you don’t mind sandwiches for lunch,” Joan told her. “I’ll cook something nice for dinner tonight, but for now I thought sandwiches would suffice.”
“That’s fine,” Janet said, not really interested in food.
“And I thought maybe some apple crumble for pudding would help,” Joan added.
Janet perked up slightly. “After dinner, you mean?”
“No, I thought maybe we could have some after lunch for a change.”
Janet smiled at her sister. “That sounds wonderful,” she said truthfully. Edward was exciting and intriguing, but no one knew her as well as her older sister, Janet thought.
In the end, both Cynthia and Clifton were arrested for planning the fire. I believe Peter will be in less trouble than either of them, or at least I hope that’s the case. He was just doing a job he was hired to do, even if it was not legal.
Simon has filed for a divorce and I don’t think Cynthia is going to get a penny of his money, which is good for Simon, I suppose. He still keeps talking about rebuilding the shop, but nothing has been done as yet.
Edward has rung me nearly every day since his last visit. He’s meant to be in London in about a fortnight and he’s promised to find that combination for us when he’s there. We’ll see if he remembers.
I’ve taken to calling the entire affair “The Hampton Case,” in honour of Simon and Cynthia. It was strange that nearly all of Edward’s visit was tied up with the investigation, but Edward seemed to enjoy it, and you know I didn’t mind getting involved.
Joan and I are considering booking a holiday for late spring or early summer in the lovely cottages down the beach from you. I’ll let you know if we manage to agree on a date and we can actually get a cottage. Of course, you are always welcome here. Please let us know if we can book a room for you.
All my best wishes,
Janet Markham (and Aggie)
Glossary of Terms
bin
trash can
biscuits
cookies
booking
reservation
boot
trunk (of a car)
car park
parking lot
chemist
pharmacist
chips
french fries
cuppa
cup of tea (informal)
fizzy drink
carbonated beverage (pop or soda)
fortnight
two weeks
high street
the main shopping street in a town or village
holiday
vacation
jacket potato
baked potato
jumper
sweater
lie in
sleep late
midday
noon
pavement
sidewalk
pudding
dessert
puds
puddings (informal)
push chair
stroller
queue
line
saloon car
sedan
shopping trolley
shopping cart
telly
television
till
check-out (in a grocery store, for example)
torch
flashlight
Other Notes
In the UK, dates are written day, month, year rather than month, day, year as in the US. (May 5, 2015 would be written 5 May 2015, for example.)
When telling time, half six is the English equivalent of six-thirty.
A “full English breakfast” generally consists of bacon, sausage, eggs, grilled or fried tomatoes, fried potatoes, fried mushrooms and baked beans served with toast.
A semi-detached house is one that is joined to another house by a common center wall. In the US they are generally called duplexes. In the UK the two properties would be sold individually as totally separate entities. A “terraced” house is one in a row of properties, where each unit is sold individually (usually called a row house in the US).
Car boot sales are similar to US garage or yard sales. Often they are held in a large car park (parking lot) where sellers drive their cars to the site and then sell things out of the boot (trunk) of their car.
An “en suite” is a bathroom attached to a bedroom.
Acknowledgments
Thanks are always due to my editor, Denise, who does her best to fix my mistakes! Also thanks to my beta readers, Janice and Charlene, whose suggestions are invaluable. Mostly, thanks to you, readers, for all of your support.
Coming June 16, 2017
The Irwin Case
A Markham Sisters Cozy
Mystery Novella
Guests at Doveby House don’t usually pay by credit card, but when one tries and his card is refused, Janet Markham can’t help but wonder if there’s something more going on that a simple glitch in the credit card machine.
As more stories of troublesome cards spread through Doveby Dale, Janet gets more curious, but unexpected guests keep her too busy to do much. As she and Joan work on clearing out the carriage house, a new mystery presents itself.
Can Janet work out what links the credit card cases together? Will she be able to help Constable Robert Parsons solve the case or just get in his way? Who was Alberta Montgomery? And why were boxes of her letters and books of poetry left in the carriage house?
Also by Diana Xarissa
The Markham Sisters Cozy
Mystery Novella Series
The Appleton Case
The Bennett Case
The Chalmers Case
The Donaldson Case
The Ellsworth Case
The Fenton Case
The Green Case
The Hampton Case
The Irwin Case (release date: June 16, 2017)
The Aunt Bessie Cozy Mystery Series
Aunt Bessie Assumes
Aunt Bessie Believes
Aunt Bessie Considers
Aunt Bessie Decides
Aunt Bessie Enjoys
Aunt Bessie Finds
Aunt Bessie Goes
Aunt Bessie’s Holiday
Aunt Bessie Invites
Aunt Bessie Joins
Aunt Bessie Knows
Aunt Bessie Li
kes
Aunt Bessie Meets (release date: April 14, 2017)
The Isle of Man Ghostly Cozy Series
Arrivals and Arrests
Boats and Bad Guys
Cars and Cold Cases (release date: May 19, 2017)
The Isle of Man Romance Series
Island Escape
Island Inheritance
Island Heritage
Island Christmas
About the Author
Diana Xarissa lived in Derbyshire, and then on the Isle of Man for more than ten years before returning to the United States with her family. Now living near Buffalo, New York, she enjoys writing about the island and the UK.
Diana also writes mystery/thrillers set in the not-too-distant future under the pen name “Diana X. Dunn” and fantasy/adventure books for middle grade readers under the pen name “D.X. Dunn.”
She would be delighted to know what you think of her work and can be contacted through snail mail at:
Diana Xarissa Dunn
PO Box 72
Clarence, NY 14031.
Or find her on Facebook, Goodreads or on her website at www.dianaxarissa.com.
You can sign up for her monthly newsletter on the website and be among the first to know about new releases, as well as find out about contests and giveaways and see the answers to some frequently asked questions.
The Hampton Case (A Markham Sisters Cozy Mystery Novella Book 8) Page 9
