Murder at Locke Abbey

by Winchester, Catherine

William Cole was one such man; raised by a strong mother and surrounded by sisters, he did not look down on women and girls, nor did he seek to use them for his own pleasure.

  It was that last fact that prevented Copley from overreacting as he entered the sitting room that morning. Had he found Thea cradled in any other man’s arms and worse still, in her night clothes… well, he would have made quite a scene.

  However uncharitable his initial judgments might have been, he paused to examine the scene before waking them. They were in their night clothes and robes but no clothing appeared to have been loosened. Thea’s hair was plaited for the night and not unduly mussed. Plus, they were both in the living room, where anyone could come upon them and had they engaged in nefarious activities, they would surely have sought privacy.

  Now that he had calmed down from his initial burst of indignation, he actually thought that they looked rather sweet.

  He approached and gently shook Cole’s shoulder. The other man roused quickly, but it took him a moment to realise the position they had been discovered in.

  To spare his daughter’s blushes, Copley uttered a low, “Hush!” before Cole could flinch. “Do not wake her until I have gone,” he instructed.

  “I’m sorry, Sir,” Cole hurriedly whispered. “We were both having trouble sleeping and I noticed light from under this door. We retrieved some slates from the old school room, then Thea confessed that the séance had spooked her somewhat, and that was the reason for her trouble sleeping. I meant to move her to her bed once she was sound asleep but I must have dozed off myself.”

  He had hoped as much. “Just be glad that I am an early riser. My valet will be here shortly though, so I suggest you wake her as soon as I have left.”

  Cole eagerly nodded his agreement and Nathaniel turned to leave, then something occurred to him.

  “I take it you now believe Thea’s regard for you?”

  Cole smiled. “We declared ourselves last evening, tentatively at least.” He turned his head to the side to gaze at Thea’s sleeping face. “I don’t know if she is ready to admit the same but after last night, I now feel quite confident in declaring my love for your daughter.”

  “Good man.” Nathaniel returned to his bedroom and once his back was turned, allowed himself to smile.

  Since his wife wasn’t here to keep him company and make life interesting, he had thought that this investigation was simply to be endured. It wasn’t that he found Thea dull or boring but the truth was, he didn’t enjoy being separated from Damaris for too long.

  He had not expected to find Thea a husband, especially one who seemed such a good match, so that alone was reason enough to enjoy this trip.

  The mysteries were yet another reason to enjoy it, rarely did they encounter such an impossible problem. The mystic also added a layer of interest; he had been to magic shows and visited skilled illusionists with his wife to learn some of their tricks, but Madam Davina was not admitting to performing tricks, she was passing her deceptions off as supernatural.

  He had sent and received a letter from his wife by messenger every day, and being confined to the house was doing little for her mental state, but she was putting the time to good use and catching up on her reading. Until now he had confined his correspondence to the details of the case and refrained from mentioning the budding attraction between Thea and Mr Cole; there was no sense in raising his wife’s hopes for a suitable match. Now however, he would take great pleasure in telling her this latest development.

  ***

  “Thea? Darling? It’s time to wake up,” Cole gently shook her.

  She issued a small groan as she roused, then she burrowed her head deeper into his shoulder. “Just a few more minutes, Evans...” her words trailed off.

  He almost let her sleep but the longer they stayed here, the worse the risk of being discovered.

  The devil inside him decided that if he had to awaken her he might as well enjoy it, and he began pressing gentle kisses to her forehead. It appeared to interest her and as she raised her head, his kissed trailed down her temple, over her cheek and onto her lips. Her eyes were still closed but the breathy sigh she uttered told him that she was awake.

  “We have to… move,” he told her between kisses. “Someone… will… discover us… soon.”

  A moment later, her eyes shot open and she reared away, her eyes darting to the windows and seeing the sunlight beyond.

  “Oh!” She scrambled from his lap. “What time is it?”

  “I’m not sure but if you return to your bed now, we might not be discovered.” He didn’t mention her father happening upon them, since Copley clearly wanted to spare his daughter’s blushes.

  “I have to go!”

  She ran into her bedroom and as Cole got up to leave, she suddenly reappeared. She ran up to him and kissed him on the lips, with little finesse and much haste. “Thank you.” And she ran off once more and then, to his delight, reappeared once more, with another hurried kiss.

  “I’ll see you at breakfast,” she told him, darting away once more.

  Cole stared after her in a stupor for a moment, wondering at the whirlwind that was Thea Copley. It was an apt description of her, for she had certainly blown into his life, turning it upside down in the process.

  Reluctantly he left as well, opening the door to the hallway a crack to check that no one was around to see him. The pug was his only witness however, and Ann would keep his secret.

  She darted into the room before he could stop her, so it seemed that he was not the only one enamoured by Thea’s charms.

  He rushed across the hall and into his room, before any reliable witnesses could see him.

  ***

  Thea was feeling quite giddy with pleasure as Evans styled her hair for her. Ann was sitting on her lap, enjoying being petted and if she had to keep still, stroking the dog was an enjoyable way to spend her time.

  The lady’s maid asked what had made her so happy but she would not tell. She couldn’t, until she understood it herself.

  It was an unusual combination of emotions that she felt, anticipation, hope and deep affection, as well as horrible nerves and decidedly impure (for an unmarried lady) thoughts and sensations.

  She could recognise now that her previous courtships had not been love. Well, not romantic love. She wasn’t certain that what she felt with Cole was love, she had little comparison for how she felt but although it felt vastly different, the depth of her feelings were on a par with how much she cared for her parents and siblings, which was an awful lot. Thea would rather face any danger herself, take any pain upon herself, than see those she loved hurt, and she thought that she could very soon feel the same way about Cole.

  She dressed in her riding habit again, both because they needed to visit the village at some point and talk to various people, but also because it was her preferred style of dress. The voluminous skirt, coupled with a distinct lack of petticoats and a looser corset, gave her a freedom of movement that most modern dresses did not. She opted for a russet shade today, since it would hide the dog hairs better than most colours.

  When she was ready, she made her way into the sitting room and picked up the slate tablets that they had retrieved from the school room, setting them on the coffee table. Ann jumped up on the sofa as soon as Thea sat down.

  She was examining them, copying the mystic’s actions last night, when her father came in.

  “Good morning, Papa,” she smiled.

  “You seem very bright today.” He observed.

  “I am. I believe I have already solved two of the mystic’s tricks.”

  “So soon? I’m impressed.” He came and sat on the opposite sofa. “I take it the slate writing still eludes you?” he asked, watching her put the slates together, then turn them over.

  “Actually, I believe this might be the easiest of all to perform, but harder to arrange. I may need to see if someone in the village can cut some pieces of slate for me.”

  “I believe that slate i
s relatively easy to cut, I’m sure one of the groundskeepers will have the necessary tools.”

  “That would save time,” she agreed. “I don’t suppose Cole will mind if I ruin a couple of tiles. Even if he does, I can just replace them.”

  “So, are you going to keep me in the dark?” he asked.

  “I can explain the disappearing coin, that was relatively easy to work out, but it requires a lot of practice to perfect. I did manage it a few times last night but I would rather practice it a bit more before showing anyone.”

  It seemed to her that people were always waiting for her to make a mistake or find any excuse to undermine or laugh at her and as such, she had developed something of a phobia of being unprepared.

  She was fairly confident about her knowledge, because she seemed unable to forget most things but when she had to demonstrate anything, she practiced as often as she could and would outright refuse if she felt unready.

  “The ring of hands is also slightly tricky to explain,” she said. “I would prefer to do a demonstration to prove how that works, since I am sure people might doubt me otherwise. Perhaps we might darken a room after breakfast and with a few volunteers, I can show you how it works.”

  “Then I shall leave you alone to practice,” he said, getting to his feet. “I need to write to your mother, then I must speak with the butler; I want to talk to all the household staff alone for a few minutes, and I’m sure he will be much more amenable if I give him some notice. Shall I see you at breakfast?”

  “I’ll be there,” she assured him.

  Her riding habit had only very slightly flared forearms, which would make aiming a little trickier. With practice, she was sure she could manage it. She had an hour and a half before breakfast was served, which should allow for two thirty minute practice sessions with the coin and time in between for her to request the assistance of a groundskeeper in cutting the slate.

  It had always been her experience that when learning something new, short bursts of practice followed by a break, allowed her to become proficient far sooner than one longer practice or study session did. Taking a rest from the activity seemed to allow the knowledge or skill to be learned with far more efficiency.

  She pushed all thoughts from her mind for the time being, and focused only on hitting the coin into the sleeve of her jacket.

  ***

  Knowing that he wouldn’t be seeing Thea until breakfast, Cole had taken his time getting ready this morning. He wasn’t normally given to paying undue attention to his appearance but today, he wanted to look his best. He took a bath, took care in shaving, and spent longer than usual discussing his wardrobe with his valet. Truth be told, they didn’t often discuss what he wore at all, Cole was usually happy to wear whatever was laid out for him.

  He didn’t particularly enjoy wearing bright colours or the patterns that were becoming common among gentlemen, but he did have a pinstripe suit and silver waistcoat which he liked.

  Since he had plenty of time, he dressed himself, letting his valet go so he could choose his own accoutrements.

  He was threading his cufflinks when someone knocked on his door.

  “Come,” he called, assuming it was his valet.

  It wasn’t. As bold as brass, Eliza Buchan walked into his dressing room.

  “Miss Eliza! What are you doing here?”

  “I wanted to talk to you, William.”

  “This is neither the time nor the place.” He knew she had been making a play for him, and that her parents had tried to push them together a time or two, but she was too young for him, still as innocent as a child in many ways. She was very pretty and were he not biased, he would probably say that she was prettier than Thea, whose dark colouring and bold features were considered unfeminine by many.

  Eliza’s light blonde hair and almost chalk white skin, was considered preferable by most beauty standards, and she had clearly taken time and care over her appearance. Her cheeks and lips had been pinched to produce a healthy pink glow. Her hair was so curled that she must have slept overnight in rags, as opposed to the simple braid that Thea had worn to bed last night. Eliza’s curls had then been pinned into an elaborate style that appeared relaxed and feminine, with curls carefully left loose around her face to frame it, unlike the small strands that sometimes worked lose from Thea’s more utilitarian styles, but were as natural and unfettered as Thea herself.

  Were he to choose a wife like her, she would be little more than decoration to his arm, not his equal nor his partner. She would no doubt devote her time to keeping his home and herself looking good, but what time would she devote to their relationship? She wasn’t someone he would feel free to confide in or share his burdens with, let alone someone who could help him find solutions for problems. Even if she had wanted to be his confidant, she was largely innocent in the ways of the world; she knew little of politics, current affairs or the social problems that plagued the country.

  Her innocence prevented him from being blunt with her however, and he now feared that his attempts at kindness might have given her the wrong impression.

  “I need to speak to you on your own. Please, William, this is very important.”

  Her use of his Christian name felt odd, not only because a young lady should not refer to him in such a manner, but because no one called him that, save for the servants, who still called him Master William. Thanks to his father’s nickname, his friends all called him Cole, and his acquaintances referred to him as Master or Mr Cole.

  Eliza seemed very sincere and a little worried however, so he ceased his task with only one cuff fastened, took hold of her shoulders and guided her over to a chair, pulling another chair closer for himself.

  “What’s troubling you?” he asked.

  “It’s, well…” now she seemed hesitant, so he reached out and took her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. When he tried to withdraw his hand, her grip tightened, so he simply waited patiently for her to find her courage.

  He was surprised to find himself feeling annoyed with her. It seemed that in the space of a few days, he had become accustomed to Thea’s bluntness, to the point of wishing that more people were as guileless as she.

  “It’s all right, Miss Eliza, you can tell me anything.”

  “I- I- I’ve- I-” She stopped and took a few deep breaths.

  “It’s all right, you can speak freely.”

  “I came here to tell you that, well, I think I love you, William.”

  Damn. “Miss Eliza, I appreciate your honesty in this matter but… I’m afraid that I do not return your feelings,” he said as kindly as he could.

  Tears began to form in her doe-like eyes and spilled over.

  “Here,” he used his free hand to pass her a handkerchief. “Please don’t upset yourself.”

  “Don’t upset myself!” She cried harder so he tried flattery, that usually worked to cheer up a young lady.

  “You are a beautiful young woman. You are poised, polite, the picture of elegance and grace, not to mention, a delight to converse with.” His flattery seemed to be working, so he continued. “Please, Eliza, do not fret, this is just a small bump on the road of life, not the final destination. You are young, beautiful and any man would be honoured to have you on his arm.”

  “But you prefer Athena to me.”

  Her tears had slowed and he began to wonder how real they had been, however he wasn’t about to change tactics since this seemed to be working. Besides, what could he say about his relationship with Thea? They hadn’t exactly become engaged, nor were they even courting.

  “Lady Thea is different to you but that does not make her better. You are a very special woman in your own right.”

  ***

  Thea brought four of the schoolroom tablets to the head groundskeeper, Mr McCall, but after she had explained what she required, he replied that he kept sheets of slate for roofing repairs and would be able to cut her exact sizes from that, without needing to damage the other tablets.

 
; He assured her that it was not a long nor arduous task. He thought that it would take an hour at most to do as she asked, and he would leave the tablets with the butler for her. She thanked him profusely and returned to the house, Ann trotting at her heals.

  She had done well with the coin trick and was confident that she would be ready to perform it after breakfast.

  As she returned to her room, she heard voices coming from the room opposite, Cole’s rooms. ‘Curiosity killed the cat’ was a well-known saying but the Devil made her press her ear to the door and try to hear what was going on. She hoped that perhaps he was telling his valet about her, his feelings for her or his intentions perhaps. After last night, just hearing his voice as he discussed the weather would be welcome.

  The door was too thick for her to hear anything other than the fact there were voices, so she returned to her room and fetched the glass that accompanied her water jug. By placing the hollow of a glass against a door or wall, the glass amplified the sound, making it easier to understand.

  She felt a tiny bit of unease at spying on him, but her eagerness to hear his voice soon quelled such qualms.

  “… a beautiful young woman. You are poised, polite, the picture of elegance and grace, not to mention, a delight to converse with. Please, Eliza, do not fret, this is just a small bump on the road of life, not the final destination. You are young, beautiful and any man would be honoured to have you on his arm.”

  She still couldn’t make out the words that his guest was saying, but she knew from his words that he was with Eliza Buchan.

  “Lady Thea is different to you but that does not make her better. You are a very special woman in your own right.”

  “Oh, William-”

  Thea reared backwards, not wanting to hear another word. She had called him William, showing a startling lack of formality which suggested intimacy.

  But why?

  Hadn’t Cole defended Thea when Eliza tried to make disparaging remarks? So now why was he placing Eliza above her? Last night… well she didn’t really know what last night meant, but it clearly meant a lot more to her than to him.

  Even Thea, with her poor understanding of human nature, could see that Eliza was making a play for Cole, a blind man could have seen that, and if Cole was interested, why was he pursuing Thea? Was she just a distraction? An interesting dalliance before settling down to marriage? He wouldn’t be the first man to do so, but why choose Thea to dally with?