by Rebecca Kent
James’s face peered out at her from the middle of the mist, his lips moving soundlessly, his eyes staring into space.
Meredith decided to try being civil. “I thought you might return,” she said pleasantly.
One arm detached itself from the mist and the fist clenched in the air.
“Yes, I know you’re angry. But since I’m not the cause of your pain, I suggest you calm down a little if you want me to help you.”
Her words took an instant effect. The arm lowered, and the dark red swirls began to settle down into a lovely shade of pink.
She could see all of James now, from head to foot. He was dressed in a flowing white robe, and she was startled to see a piece of rope wrapped around his throat. No wonder he was always in a rage.
“I have one question to ask you,” she said, beginning to feel a little more secure. “If you tell me the truth, then I will try to find out what really happened the night your father was shot.”
The ghost stared back at her, unresponsive.
Meredith took a deep breath. “Did you, or did you not, shoot your father?”
James’s mouth opened in a silent roar of outrage. Once more the mist swirled around in deep red spirals, while both arms shot into the air, the clenched fists pounding each other as if in a fierce battle.
Meredith took a firmer grip on the clock. “I’ll assume you’re protesting your innocence.”
For a second or two longer, James’s eyes burned with fury, then as quickly as he had appeared, he faded into the mist. The pink swirls swallowed him up, then shrunk into a mere wisp of smoke before vanishing.
Meredith let out her breath. She would have liked to ask him a lot more questions, in spite of the fact he scared her to death. If only her powers were stronger.
Once more she tucked herself under the covers. One thing she could be certain of was that James had every intention of continuing to pester her. Besides, there were just too many questions that needed answering. She was now committed to finding out the truth about Lord Stalham’s murder and, perhaps, setting right a grievous miscarriage of justice.
She couldn’t give James back his life. All she could hope for was to clear his name and discover the real culprit. Maybe that would bring the poor man a measure of peace.
The following day Meredith found the students to be unusually subdued. Normally they were in high spirits on a Friday, anticipating the weekend. At first she put it down to the fact that they had been barred from enjoying their usual jaunt to the village, and would have to spend Saturday on the school grounds.
It seemed wherever she went that day, however, small groups of girls stood about whispering among each other, only to break off and scatter as she approached. By the time a rather tense midday meal was over, she felt compelled to voice her concerns to the other tutors.
Sylvia was already in the teacher’s lounge when Meredith entered, followed by Felicity and Essie. Meredith hesitated to mention her misgivings in front of the volatile tutor. Sylvia was apt to panic at the slightest hint of trouble. Nevertheless, if trouble was indeed brewing, then Sylvia should certainly be forewarned.
Meredith wasted no time in coming to the point. “I don’t know if any of you have noticed it, but the students are behaving rather oddly. I have reason to believe they might have something up their sleeves, though I have no idea what that may be. Have any of you heard anything that might possibly shed light on the subject?”
Essie shook her head, while Felicity merely looked blank.
“I have noticed it, too,” Sylvia exclaimed. “I caught a group of students in the lobby whispering to each other. The minute I got close to them they all dispersed.”
“Precisely.” Meredith glanced at the other two tutors. “Does anyone have any ideas of what they may be whispering about?”
“Not a clue,” Felicity said, flopping onto a chair. “I don’t pay much attention to them anyway. They are probably planning tango lessons or something.” She glanced at Sylvia, and was rewarded with a scowl.
“Well, I suppose we shall find out in due course.” Meredith sat down next to her. “I don’t think they can get into too much trouble, since they will be confined to the school for the entire weekend.”
“Except for when we go to church on Sunday,” Sylvia reminded her with a slightly accusing air.
“Of course.” Meredith curbed a sigh. “I did feel, however, that I should warn you all to be on your guard. The more prepared we are for trouble, the more likely we’ll be able to take care of it.” Bracing herself, she added, “Which brings me to a favor I must ask of you, Sylvia.”
The tutor turned her head, her expression wary. “I certainly hope you’re not expecting me to watch over these girls all by myself.”
Ignoring Essie’s gasp of dismay, Meredith smiled. “Only for a short while. Felicity, Essie, and I have been invited to a friend’s house for supper. The students will all be in their rooms or in the library. I shall ask Mr. Platt to remain here until we return. He will assist you should anything untoward happen.”
Sylvia’s face registered stark horror. “I can’t possibly rely on that young man! Why, he is usually the one to instigate trouble. You must know that.”
“Please don’t fret about it. I’ll have a word with him before I leave.”
“I really don’t think—” Sylvia began, but Meredith cut in with a raised hand.
“It’s all settled, Sylvia. I trust that you will rise to the occasion with your usual competence and fortitude. I have every confidence in your ability to handle whatever problem may arise.”
“Well, I fully intend to speak to Mr. Hamilton about all this on his next visit.” Sylvia marched to the door, her chin jutting out in defiance. “He should know that your assistant is nothing but an insufferable troublemaker.”
“I do believe he’s aware of that,” Meredith murmured, but her answer was lost in the slamming of the door.
“Ouch.” Felicity winced. “I have an idea Miss Montrose is a little miffed about something.”
“Nothing more than I expected.” Meredith sat down on the nearest chair. “It can’t be helped. I need both of you to come with me if we are to get to the bottom of this murder.”
Felicity gave her a look full of curiosity. “You certainly seem dedicated to the cause.”
“I am.” Meredith paused, then added quietly, “James came to visit me again last night.”
Essie gasped, her hand covering her mouth.
“Oh, here we go again.” Felicity shook her head. “What did he tell you this time?”
Meredith gave her a withering look. “You know quite well he can’t speak to me. I asked if he had killed his father.”
Glancing at the clock, she rose to her feet. “He made it quite clear by his actions that he was outraged at the question. We must leave. Reggie should have the carriage at the front steps by now.”
Felicity sighed and climbed to her feet. “Then let’s get this over with before I faint from hunger.”
Meredith rolled her eyes. “We shall be back here soon after our normal supper time. Mrs. Wilkins has promised to have soup and sandwiches waiting for us in the kitchen when we return.”
“Then lead on.” Felicity stomped across the room and opened the door. “Our enemies await.”
Essie looked startled. “Our enemies?”
“Just a phrase, that’s all.” Felicity walked out into the hallway, and Essie, seeming only partly reassured, followed her.
Meredith stepped out after them and closed the door. Although she refrained from saying as much, she couldn’t help wondering if perhaps Felicity’s words might prove prophetic. She had seen something in the aloof butler’s eyes that had made her most uneasy, and she could only hope that she wasn’t leading them all into jeopardy.
Chapter 10
Some time later, as they all marched up the steps of the Stalhams’ mansion to the tune of the barking dogs, Meredith still harbored a feeling of apprehension. She had prepared her sp
eech and was well versed in what she would say. Even so, when the door opened to reveal the steely-eyed butler, the skin on her arms prickled.
“Good afternoon.” She smiled, though her lips felt stiff and unresponsive. “I was so enchanted with this beautiful estate I brought my sister, Miss Felicity Cross, to look at it. I trust her opinion, and I just know she is going to simply love it, as I do.”
Smithers looked at her as if she’d just crawled out from under a stone. “You have an appointment?”
Meredith was about to answer when Felicity stepped forward.
“We are here to decide whether or not we wish to purchase this property. Please inform your superiors that we wish to look around.”
“I am the superior here.” Smithers’s eyes burned with resentment. Meredith almost expected steam to rise from his head.
Felicity looked him up and down. “Really. Well in that case, my good man, you will have no objection if we come in.” Without waiting for him to answer, she stepped over the threshold, forcing the butler to retreat.
Glancing over her shoulder, she signaled with her eyes for Meredith to follow. Essie seemed frozen to the spot. Meredith took hold of her arm and propelled her forward, then followed her into the vast entrance.
Smithers fixed his menacing stare on Essie. “And pray, who is this?”
“Oh,” Meredith said hurriedly, “this is . . . ah . . . my niece. Miss Esmeralda Pickard.”
Essie still wore that petrified expression, and Felicity gave her a hearty nudge with her elbow. “Smile, child. Remember your manners.”
Essie drew her lips back over her teeth. “Pleased to make your acquaintance,” she murmured.
The butler’s gaze lingered for a moment longer on her face, then traveled back to Meredith. “I will see if Mrs. Parker is available.”
“Please do so,” Felicity said cheerfully.
Smithers dismissed her with another of his chilling glances and stalked off down the hallway.
“Hmmph!” Felicity muttered. “He’s a bit of a snob if you ask me.”
“He scares me.” Essie shivered. “I don’t think he’ll even talk to us, much less tell us anything.”
“He’ll talk to you.” Felicity gave her an encouraging smile. “Just bat your eyelashes at him and flash those dimples. He’ll be bleating like a lamb in no time.”
Meredith had to laugh. “I’m afraid Essie might be right. I can’t see that man melting in the face of the sun. But it’s worth a try.”
Essie frowned. “Well, if you say so, but I really don’t think it will do any good.”
The sound of footsteps turned her head, and Meredith followed her gaze. Mrs. Parker was hurrying toward them, her face creased in anxiety.
“Mr. Smithers asked me to be as quick as possible,” she said, when she reached them. “So if you’ll come this way, Mrs. Llewellyn, I’ll take you to the drawing room.”
Following the housekeeper down the hallway, Meredith leaned closer to Essie. “At the first opportunity, slip away and try to find Smithers. You know what to ask him.”
Essie nodded as Mrs. Parker paused in front of a pair of large doors. Throwing them open, she announced, “This is the drawing room. It was recently renovated, as you can see by the embossed wallpaper and satin curtains. The carpet is an Oriental, sent over from China, and is largely silk.”
Apparently Lady Clara favored flamboyance in her furnishings, Meredith thought, as she gazed upon the dazzling colors of the red, green, and yellow carpet. She had to admit, it was rather striking. Not to her taste, however. She preferred something a little more subdued.
Mrs. Parker had walked over to the windows and was tugging at the curtains to open them. Meredith glanced over at Essie and nodded. The young teacher nodded back, then quietly slipped out into the hallway and disappeared.
Having won her battle with the curtains, Mrs. Parker turned. “As you can see—” She broke off, staring around the room. “Your niece! Where is she?”
Meredith looked around as if noticing Essie’s absence for the first time. “She isn’t here? Oh, she is probably looking around on her own. She’s rather independent, I’m afraid.”
The housekeeper passed a worried hand over her hair. “Oh, dear, oh, dear, Mr. Smithers won’t like that at all. He’s very strict about who’s allowed in the house.”
“I’m sure she will cause no harm.” Meredith looked at Felicity. “So what do you think of this room? Do you think it would suit us?”
Felicity creased her brow in a thoughtful expression. “It’s very grand, to be sure. I’d need to see more of the house, however, before passing on my opinion.”
“I’ll be happy to show you the library.” Mrs. Parker crossed the garish carpet to the door. “Though Mrs. Lewellyn has already seen it.”
“I would like my sister to see it, too,” Meredith said, giving Felicity a meaningful look.
“Oh, is that the room where the late Lord Stalham was shot? Felicity followed the housekeeper out into the hallway. “My sister told me all about it. What a terrible tragedy. It must have caused a tremendous upheaval in the house.”
“Oh, it did, indeed.” Mrs. Parker opened the door to the library and led them inside. “As I told your sister, it upset everyone.”
“A terrible shock,” Meredith said, addressing Felicity. “Mrs. Parker told me everyone in the house was asleep when it happened.”
“That we were.” The housekeeper shook her head. “The minute I heard the dogs barking that night, I knew something was wrong. They were barking at the constables, of course. That’s what woke me up.”
Meredith stood in the middle of the room, while Felicity wandered about, finally coming to a halt in front of the gun cabinet. “Which one of these is the gun that killed Lord Stalham?”
Meredith held her breath at her friend’s audacity, but the housekeeper seemed ready to answer as she hurried over there.
“That one,” she said, pointing at it. “They say it used to belong to Jesse James, the American bank robber, though I don’t know how true that is.”
“Really.” Felicity leaned closer to get a better look. “It certainly must have put quite a hole in him. It looks really heavy.”
This time Mrs. Parker seemed at a loss for words, and Meredith hurriedly intervened. “We heard the dogs when we walked up the steps earlier,” she said, sending Felicity a warning scowl.
“Oh, they bark at everyone, coming and going.” Abandoning Felicity, the housekeeper drew closer to Meredith. “That’s how I knew someone else was in the house that night. I heard them barking earlier in the evening. Twice. So someone must have came and went before I went to bed.”
“Before the constables arrived, you mean?”
Mrs. Parker nodded. “Oh, yes. Quite a while before that. I was in my room reading at the time. Then I got ready for bed, and I’d been asleep for a while after that when the dogs woke me up again.” She shook her head. “Making such a racket, they were. Like I said, I knew at once something was wrong. I fell out of bed, threw on my dressing gown, and rushed right down the stairs.”
“Did you see him?” Felicity came forward, her face alight with interest. “The dead body, I mean.”
“Oh, no.” Mrs. Parker shuddered. “Mr. Smithers met me at the bottom of the stairs. Told me the master had been shot and to go back to my room. I was that upset I did exactly what he said.”
“Did anyone else come down with you?” Meredith asked, as Felicity wandered over to the fireplace.
“Winnie was in the hallway when I came down. Her room is next to mine at the front of the house. The other maids all sleep in the back.”
“Do you have any idea who the dogs might have been barking at earlier?”
The housekeeper hesitated, obviously burning to tell Meredith something yet wary of saying too much. Finally, her gossiping nature got the better of her. “Well, I don’t know for sure, of course, and even if I did, it’s not my place to say, but . . .” Her voice trailed off as she waite
d for reassurance from Meredith.
“I swear we won’t repeat anything you tell us,” Meredith promised. “I’m just curious, that’s all. If I’m to buy this estate I’d really like to know what happened here that night. It’s the not knowing that’s so worrisome. One tends to imagine all sorts of things.”
“Of course.” Seemingly satisfied, the housekeeper looked around as if she expected someone else to be in the room. “Well, like I said, I can’t be sure of anything. But Jimmy, the new stable lad, told me he heard horse’s hooves that night. He lives over the stables, you see, so he’d be able to hear if one came into the courtyard. Only no one summoned him to take care of it, so he didn’t bother going down.”
“Did he see who it was?”
Meredith held her breath as the housekeeper hesitated once more. Finally she lowered her voice to a whisper. “He said he peeked out the window and only saw her face for an instant, but he thinks it was a friend of Lord Howard’s, Miss Pauline Suchier.”
Across the room Felicity uttered a quiet gasp. The housekeeper looked at her in surprise and Felicity quickly picked up a figurine from the mantelpiece. “Exquisite,” she murmured. “Simply exquisite.”
Mrs. Parker’s eyes narrowed. “You are acquainted with Miss Suchier?”
“Oh, not at all,” Meredith said quickly. “We have never heard of the lady.”
Mrs. Parker sniffed. “I don’t know so much about her being a lady. She was the reason Lord Howard came down here on the weekends. Without his wife, if you get my meaning.” She sent Meredith a sly look. “Though I did hear as how the master was planning on getting rid of her. Miss Suchier, I mean. Mr. Smithers happened to hear a conversation between Lord Howard and James, and Smithers said we wouldn’t be seeing much of her in the future. I—” The door opened just then, cutting off whatever she was going to say next.
Essie sailed into the room, her smile letting Meredith know that she’d managed to learn something from the dour butler.
