Tea with Milk and Murder (Oxford Tearoom Mysteries ~ Book 2)

by H. Y. Hanna

  Devlin made a sound of irritation. “I blame myself, Gemma—I had my suspicions about Mrs Waltham but I didn’t act quickly enough.”

  “How did you suspect her? It never crossed my mind,” I said.

  “It was your question asking about Sarah’s life insurance, actually, that got me thinking.”

  “But she didn’t have life insurance! I remember you said that if people wanted her father’s money, they would have done better to marry Sarah since she stood to inherit most of his estate.”

  “Exactly.” Devlin snapped his fingers. “That got me wondering what would happen to the money if Sarah died—who got it instead? Unfortunately, Sexton, Lovell & Billingsley were a bit difficult about letting me have access to the particulars of Mr Waltham’s will. Duty of confidentiality and all that. I had to provide good reason for insisting on disclosure and I just didn’t have enough evidence on Mrs Waltham…”

  “You should have asked the Old Biddies,” I said dryly. “They could probably have told you everything in Mr Waltham’s will—and what he had for breakfast last week as well—in less than five minutes.”

  Devlin gave an exasperated laugh. “I just don’t know how they ferret out their information. I’m almost beginning to think we should give them an honorary position in Oxfordshire CID!”

  “I still find it really hard to believe that quiet, mousy woman turned out to be a murderer,” I said, shaking my head. “I mean, I know people get a bit desperate sometimes and do stupid things… but the way she was talking to me in the shed, she didn’t sound scared and desperate! She seemed so smug and self-satisfied.”

  “I don’t think this was an act of desperation,” said Devlin. “I’m going to get permission to exhume the body of David Waltham’s first wife.”

  I stared at him. “You think…?”

  He shrugged. “I think it’s worth checking. Psychopaths aren’t born overnight. I wouldn’t be surprised if this wasn’t the first time Mrs Waltham used poison to get rid of somebody. She certainly did very well out of the first Mrs Waltham’s death.” He stood up. “Anyway, it’s very late and I should probably let you rest.”

  I wanted him to stay but didn’t know how to say it. As he was about to slip through the curtains, he paused and turned back to me.

  “I’m sorry our date got cancelled the other night, Gemma.” He paused, then continued, “Things are going to be hectic for a few days now, with this arrest, and I imagine that you’ll need a few days to recover but… maybe next week we could try again? I heard that the Moscow City Ballet is coming to the Oxford Playhouse—fancy going to see that?”

  I could feel the smile spreading across my face. I was about to answer when my phone rang. Giving Devlin an apologetic look, I answered the phone and winced slightly when I heard the voice on the other end. It was the last person I wanted to call when Devlin was with me. It was Lincoln.

  “Hullo Gemma, I hope I didn’t wake you up,” he said.

  “No, no… I was awake,” I said, darting a look at Devlin and hoping he couldn’t tell who I was speaking to.

  “I just wanted to see how you were feeling. I popped in to see you earlier but you were sleeping and I had to leave at ten because I’d promised to drive my mother back from her bridge party. Her car’s being serviced at the moment.”

  “Oh, I’m feeling fine. The headache seems to be gone.” I darted another glance at Devlin. From the way his brows were drawing together, I had the impression that he knew who I was speaking to.

  “That’s great! Well, I’ll come see you in the morning before you’re discharged. Oh, by the way, I heard from my mother tonight that the Moscow City Ballet is coming to Oxford. I was wondering… would you like to go with me next week?”

  “Um…”

  This can’t be happening to me. It was as if Fate was having a joke at my expense. Or maybe forcing me to choose…

  “Thank you, Lincoln, that’s really sweet of you to ask…” I hesitated and glanced at Devlin. His blue eyes looked steadily into mine. I made my choice. “But… but I’ve actually already made plans to go with someone else.”

  “Oh.” Lincoln’s disappointment was tangible. Then he said cheerfully, “Well, some other time then. I’ll let you go now. Good night, Gemma—sleep well.”

  “Good night.”

  I put the phone down and fumbled with it. Suddenly, for some reason, I felt incredibly shy and couldn’t meet Devlin’s eyes.

  “I’m honoured to be chosen over the distinguished doctor,” he said.

  I looked up quickly and saw that his eyes were twinkling.

  “Don’t get any ideas,” I said quickly. “You just happened to ask first and it was only polite…”

  He raised a sardonic eyebrow, then he leaned towards me. I caught my breath—was he going to kiss me?

  “You know what, Gemma?” he said softly, his lips inches from mine.

  “What?” I whispered.

  “You’re a very bad liar.” He smiled, brushed his lips across my forehead, then turned and was gone through the curtains.

  EPILOGUE

  I picked up my mug of tea from the kitchen counter, scooped up a couple of Jaffa Cakes from the jar by the toaster, and went to join my parents in the living room. From the sound of the TV, my father was probably watching one of his interminable cricket test matches again. Still, I felt a bit guilty that I hadn’t spent much “quality time” with my parents recently and I was determined to catch up a bit this weekend. I wasn’t supposed to do too much anyway. They had reminded me, when they discharged me from the hospital yesterday morning, that I should take things easy for a couple of days.

  I walked into the living room and stopped short at the sight that greeted me. My father, normally happily ensconced in his own special armchair, was perched uncomfortably on one end of the sofa, looking slightly baffled, whilst my mother sat on the ottoman by the coffee table, stirring her tea.

  “Dad… is something the matter?” I said, frowning. “Why aren’t you sitting in your chair…?”

  I trailed off as I came farther into the room and saw who was sitting in the pride of place on my father’s armchair: one little grey tabby cat who looked very pleased with herself.

  “Muesli! Get off Dad’s chair,” I said.

  “Oh no, leave her,” my mother said quickly. “She looks so sweet and comfortable there.”

  “But—”

  “It’s all right, darling, your mother’s right,” said my father. “I don’t mind sitting here for a bit, if Muesli likes my chair.”

  I rolled my eyes. I don’t believe it. She hasn’t been let loose for two days, and already Muesli is ruling the entire household! I sighed and made my way across the room, sitting down on the other side of the sofa.

  “Oh, wait—don’t sit there!” my mother said.

  I froze, my bum hovering over the sofa seat. “Why not?”

  “Well, sometimes Muesli likes to lie there instead of the armchair. That’s her second favourite spot. In case she fancies moving over in a minute.”

  You’re kidding me.

  Somehow I found myself sitting awkwardly on a stiff-backed chair while my cat lolled on a plush armchair next to me.

  “Don’t think you’re going to get away with this,” I hissed at her under my breath.

  Muesli yawned very wide, showing her little white teeth, then looked at me. I know animals don’t really smile, but I swear there was a little smile on her whiskered face.

  “Meorrw!” she said.

  FINIS

  Catch Gemma’s (and Muesli’s) next adventure in

  Book 3 of the Oxford Tearoom Mysteries

  COMING MAR 2016

  Sign up to my mailing list to be notified when it is released and for the chance to get FREE review copies: http://www.hyhanna.com/newsletter

  ***

  Glossary of British Terms

  * “in / to hospital” – in British English, this phrase is used without the article, for example, “take him to hospital�
� or “my sister is in hospital”

  999 – the number to dial for emergencies in the U.K.

  “a shambles” – a mess, a chaotic situation

  Barmy – crazy

  Bickkies – short for “biscuits”: small, hard, baked product, either savoury or sweet (American: cookies. What is called a “biscuit” in the U.S. is more similar to the English scone)

  Bloody – very common adjective used as an intensifier for both positive and negative qualities (e.g. “bloody awful” and “bloody wonderful”), often used to express shock or disbelief (“Bloody Hell!”)

  Bugger! – an exclamation of annoyance

  Bum – the behind (American: butt)

  Cake slice – a utensil with a flat, triangular shaped head used for cutting and serving slices of cake

  Carpark – a place to park vehicles (American: parking lot)

  Chum – close friend (American: buddy)

  Chuck – throw

  Ciggie – short for cigarette

  Cuppa – slang term for “a cup of tea”

  Elevenses – a break for a snack taken mid-morning, usually around 10:30a.m. to 11a.m., also known as “morning tea”

  Fib – to tell a lie (usually small, white lies), also used as a noun

  Hot toddy – an old-fashioned drink made of liquor mixed with water and honey or sugar, and sometimes herbs and spices

  Jaffa Cake – a quintessential round British biscuit (cookie) named after Jaffa oranges. It consists of a Genoise sponge biscuit base, covered with a layer of orange-flavoured jelly, which is then covered with a coating of chocolate. They are absolutely delicious, especially with a cup of English tea!

  Jumper – a warm, often woolly garment, which is worn by being pulled over the head, similar to a sweater. Contrast this with a cardigan, which has buttons down the front. (NOTE: this word has a different meaning in the United States, where it refers to a type of girl’s dress, a bit similar to a pinafore)

  Interval – a break between acts of a performance (American: intermission)

  Loo – toilet

  Natter – to gossip, have a friendly chat

  Plonker – an annoying idiot

  Poncy – pretentious, affected

  Prat – idiot, often a superior, condescending one

  Pub grub – food served in a pub

  Pudding – in the U.K., this refers to both “dessert” in general or a specific type of soft, jelly-like dessert, depending on the context.

  Row – an argument

  Scupper – to spoil, often used in the context of plans

  Shattered – very tired, exhausted

  Shandy – beer mixed in equal parts with a soft drink, usually lemonade, ginger beer, apple juice

  Sodding – am adjective used as an intensifier, usually in a negative context

  Take a punt – to take a gamble at something, make a guess, give it a go

  Tosser – a despicable person

  Twit – an idiot, often used in an affectionate context

  Works a treat – works very well, very effectively

  ***

  Special terms used in Oxford University:

  College - one of thirty or so institutions that make up the University; all students and academic staff have to be affiliated with a college and most of your life revolves around your own college: studying, dining, socialising. You are, in effect, a member of a College much more than a member of the University. College loyalties can be fierce and there is often friendly rivalry between nearby colleges. The colleges also compete with each other in various University sporting events.

  Don / Fellow – a member of the academic staff / governing body of a college (equivalent to “faculty member” in the U.S.) – basically refers to a college’s tutors. “Don” comes from the Latin, dominus—meaning lord, master.

  Formal Hall – three-course formal evening meal in the college dining hall, with a dress code: gowns must be worn, together with jacket and tie for men, smart outfit for women. The meal is preceded by the banging of the gravel and the reading of college grace in Latin. Some colleges have Formal Hall every evening whereas others only have it on certain nights of the week.

  Fresher – a new student who has just started his first term of study; usually referring to First Year undergraduates but can also be used for graduate students.

  Gown – formal black academic robe worn by students and staff, particularly during Formal Hall, Examinations and during Matriculation and Graduation. There are various types of gowns: the simplest is the short, sleeveless Commoner gown which all Freshers start with; if you have shown outstanding achievement in your first year, you then receive a University scholarship and can change to the longer, bat-winged Scholar’s gown.

  Matriculation – the ceremony at the Sheldonian Theatre when a student is officially conferred membership of the University of Oxford. Usually takes place in the student’s first term, at the end of the first week in Michaelmas Term—however there are additional ceremonies at the end of Michaelmas and also Hilary and Trinity Term. You must matriculate within two terms of starting your course, otherwise you will be unable to take a University examination.

  Quad – short for quadrangle: a square or rectangular courtyard inside a college; walking on the grass is usually not allowed.

  “Read” a subject – at Oxford, one “reads” a subject, one doesn’t take it—for example, someone might ask what subject you took and you would say, “I read History at Magdalen.”

  ***

  Velvet Cheesecake Recipe

  This is a really simple, easy cheesecake to make and tastes delicious.

  INGREDIENTS:

  For the filling:

  • 1/2 pound of double cream cheese (eg. Philadelphia)

  • 1/2 pound of curd cheese (if you cannot find this, you can substitute it with Philadelphia Light, which works perfectly. Be careful about the "curd cheese substitute" suggestions you find on the internet, such as ricotta cheese—these are too runny and cause the cake to fall apart!)

  • 2 eggs

  • 1 cup caster sugar

  • 1 tablespoon flour

  • juice of 1 lemon + some finely-grated lemon peel

  • a few drops vanilla essence

  • a pinch of salt

  For the base:

  • a small packet of digestive biscuits (U.S.: graham crackers)

  • 2 oz of melted butter (U.S.: half a stick)

  • 1/4 cup sugar

  For the topping:

  • sour cream

  • fruit to decorate, e.g. strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, or you can cover with a fruit glaze

  INSTRUCTIONS:

  1) Pre-heat the oven to 205C / 400F.

  2) Crush the biscuits (eg. in a mixer) and mix with the melted butter & sugar. Press this mixture into the bottom of a collapsible cake tin (where the sides can be removed) and put in freezer for 10mins.

  3) Put all the ingredients for the Filling into a blender/mixer and combine until smooth.

  4) Take cake tin out of freezer and pour filling onto biscuit base.

  5) Bake in oven for 30 - 45mins (until cake filling firm)

  6) Take out, remove the sides of the tin and allow to cool slightly - then put straight into the fridge.

  7) When cake is cold (a couple of hours later), take out from the fridge and pour the sour cream on top & over the sides. Return to fridge to let it "set"

  8) Once the sour cream has set, you can decorate the top with fruit, icing, etc.

  Enjoy!

  ***

  ALSO BY THE SAME AUTHOR:

  See all H.Y. Hanna’s books at:

  http://www.hyhanna.com/amazon-authorpage

  Classic romantic suspense mystery set in sultry Singapore

  – a perfect escapist read filled with intrigue and sizzling tension!

  TENDER DECEIT

  He was her first love…

  Now he could be the man who wants her dead.

  When her estranged fa
ther is murdered, Leah Fisher is forced to return to her childhood home of Singapore and face up to the past she left behind. She's never forgotten Toran James, the boy who had broken her heart, and now he's back - a handsome, dangerous stranger. She knows he's hiding secrets from her. Can she unravel the mystery surrounding her father's death before it's too late? But someone is out to silence Leah. And that someone might be the man she is rapidly falling in love with...again.

  Here is an excerpt:

  CHAPTER 1

  It was the phone call Leah had been dreading for years now. Somehow, at the back of her mind, she had always been expecting it—and yet still, she couldn’t quite stop her heart giving a little kick of shock when she heard the news.

  “Something wrong?” Her flatmate, Aimee, stood in the living room doorway, holding two mugs.

  “My father,” Leah said slowly, replacing the receiver in its cradle. “They rang from Singapore. He… he’s dead.”

  “Oh.” Aimee put the mugs on the coffee table and looked at her uncertainly. “Leah, I’m so sorry.”

  Leah shut her eyes briefly. She had always known that she would have to go back some day. “I’ve got to go to Singapore,” she said, plucking the edge of the sofa cushion restlessly. “Sort his stuff, arrange the funeral, see his lawyer…” Leah gave a laugh that sounded slightly high-pitched, even to her own ears. “Do lawyers have lawyers?”

  “What happened?” asked Aimee. She hesitated. “Was he ill? You… you hardly ever mention him, but I remember once you said… something about his liver?”

  Leah gave her a wry look. She knew that her flatmate was fishing. “Don’t beat about the bush, Aimee. You know he was a chronic alcoholic.” She sighed. “But it wasn’t that. He was hit by a car. Hit and run.”