“Hand me that needle. Perhaps I can sew him up.” The physician winked.
Muffled moans came through the door. Apparently the ladies that awaited Evander’s return were in much distress. However, they were no more distressed than him, only for a different reason. The fool had gone and ruined the entire plan. The artwork hadn’t even been placed in the open yet!
The physician pulled out a jar containing a thick red substance and drizzled it around the slab, making the room look like a bloodied mess. Once he finished he grabbed a towel and wiped his hands. “Does it suit?”
Kenelm nodded.
“Are we ready?”
Kenelm nodded again, but he wrung his hands and sweat beaded his brow. Was the good knight concerned? Was it possible that he’d not known of Evander’s plan?
The doctor opened the door and held his hands up. “I’m sorry to say there was very little I could do for the fellow.” He lowered his head to his chin. “The gentleman didn’t make it.”
“H-he didn’t make it? B-but he was—” The young lady’s eyes rolled back into her head and she collapsed into the waiting arms of Liam Filbee.
Hesper’s eyes darkened. So that was the way of it. Hesper had feelings for Liam. Good. He didn’t want Hesper’s feelings on his conscience when he finally admitted his love for Magnolia.
Kenelm moved closer, his voice lowered. “That is Cicely Dryden. She is the daughter of the closest landowner and she is a bit overdramatic.”
“I see.” He didn’t really, but it didn’t matter. They had bigger problems.
“Now I fear there are preparations to be made.” The physician closed the door and turned to them.
“If my part is complete, may I remove these bloodied clothes? I’m sticky and starting to chafe.” Evander didn’t wait for an answer before he climbed from the slab and strode behind a folding screen.
Justin looked from the screen to the doctor to Kenelm. “Does anyone care to tell me what is happening?”
Sir Kennaway looked chastised. “Evander had the idea that a murder would work better than a theft.”
“B-but we never discussed it!” Keeping his voice low was a struggle.
Evander walked from behind the screen arrayed in a silken, colorful garb. “That is much better. Kenelm, help me please.”
Kenelm sighed and followed Evander to another door. Together they dragged a slain pig to the physician’s table and wrapped it in an Oriental rug.
“Must you waste such fabric?” The doctor’s brows had dipped dangerously low.
“Yes. We need everything to look spontaneous.”
Spontaneous, indeed. There was nothing spontaneous about Evander and Kenelm’s shenanigans. The two seemed very well-organized. How long had they been concocting this little plan? Had there ever been any art to share or had that all be a ruse to get them to Odell so Kenelm could impress Magnolia?
“Evander, take the back stairs to the attic. When the guests leave, I’ll secure your passage back to India.” His voice lowered. “Where you can be of no more trouble.”
Did the mumbled statement mean that Kenelm wasn’t happy with the turn of events? He found that hard to believe.
“Thank you, my friend. It will be nice to return home. My only regret is that I will be unable to become more familiar with Miss Quinn. She would have fit perfectly in India.” Evander winked in his direction.
Justin ignored the suggestion and the wink. He should be pleased that everyone found his ladylove attractive. He probably would be if they would stop trying to take her away from him.
Kenelm shoved Evander into a dark corridor and closed the door. Justin would have shoved a little harder.
A knock rattled the outer door. The physician shuffled over and opened it. “The gravediggers are here.”
Two burly men, presumably in on the charade, hoisted the rolled rug between them and hauled it into the hallway. Justin and Kenelm followed at the rear of the crowd.
“I can’t believe they aren’t giving the bloke a proper funeral. But I have always heard that the Kennaway clan are hard masters. They never care for their servants properly.”
Justin perked up. Such information might help him in convincing Mr. Quinn that Magnolia was better off with him than with the circumspect Sir Kennaway.
“Lydia—”
“It is Miss Mayne to you.” The young woman crossed her arms over her chest and turned away from Kenelm.
Kenelm touched her arm and the woman reluctantly faced him. “Miss Mayne, the servant was under a bit of scandal and there is no church that would allow him entrance. My family will be providing him a plot here—on the grounds.”
Joanna Edmonds, a favorite amongst single males for her charm and beauty, twittered a fan before her face. “How interesting.”
“If you ask me it is foolish. Who puts a dead servant in a family grave?”
Miss Edmonds smiled coyly. “Mr. Blake, you surprise me. I would have thought you’d be impressed. I heard that every dog that perishes at Blakewood receives the high honor of a spot in the ground beside their master.”
Usher Blake, a man of various monetary wealth but no truly known talents, replied, “My hunting dogs were useful. Not like that fellow. Why, all he did was serve drinks and become familiar with the guests. The female guests. He was hardly the finest servant.”
Justin sensed Magnolia’s presence. Her gaze was heated as she stared at Mr. Blake. His ideas of superiority and his insults to the dead man had riled the girl. Good to know some things could be depended upon.
“It doesn’t matter to me because I’m not staying.” Cicely moved from the crowd and grabbed her pelisse from a bench in the foyer.
“Stop right there, miss.” Roskin’s voice boomed. “There has been a murder at Odell and someone in this room is the perpetrator. No one is leaving until we find who did it. No one.”
****
“Sir Kennaway, is there a room where we can gather everyone? I have some questions to ask the guests.”
Magnolia couldn’t garner the knight or Justin’s attention as they led the attendees to a parlor off the foyer. She was forced to stand with the others and await the outcome. Perhaps it was for the best. Hushed whispers might draw attention.
Women settled on the sofa and in random chairs while the men stood and either leaned against the walls or the furniture. Magnolia found a seat alone in a high-backed wooden chair that looked handcrafted. Scrolled details engraved in the arms matched the family’s symbol and she wished she had time to study it further. From her brief glance it appeared as a sideways eight.
“Each of you will state your name and reason for being here.”
Chuckles raced around the room. Basil Thornton, the banker from London who had recently had a family heirloom stolen, shouted, “We were here for a party, or did you already forget?”
Usher Blake slapped Thornton’s shoulder in agreement. Constable Roskin’s expression fell. Magnolia actually felt sorry for the gentleman. Perhaps control of him didn’t reach to his everyday life. Perhaps he was trying to conduct his employment in a proper manner and they had been mistaken.
“Yes, well, I knew that. S-so state your name and location during the stabbing.”
They went around the room. Each person had lost an item to Tyrrel, although not all had been formally reported. Justin had discovered the information through private conversations with Lady Sybil Peppercorn. She was lonely and loved to talk, especially about London gossip.
Although everyone had been in the room, proximity to the victim was hard to determine.
“Why don’t you start with the ones covered in blood?” Hugh Mason, an inventor, although no one knew of what he’d invented, spoke up and all eyes turned to him. His clothing was outlandish with little round goggles attached to a top hat and a long black overcoat that dangled longer on one side than the other.
The gent did have a point. Several people had blood splattered on their clothing while others were clean.
�
��A brilliant idea, Mr. Mason.”
Magnolia had no idea who agreed with the gent, but she was in agreement herself. That bothered her. Especially since her cohorts seemed to have the most evidence on their persons.
Roskin bowed to the pressure. “I will take each of you to another room for questioning.” He faced Sir Kennaway. “May I have another room, sir?”
“Of course.”
Roskin left with Kenelm. While they were gone Justin arrived by her side. “I presume I’ll be questioned.”
She looked forward. “I assume so. You are covered in blood, after all.”
“Indeed.” He leaned closer. The scent of iron mingled with his natural musk.
She swallowed. “What happened?”
He sighed. “It seems that our overly helpful servant took it upon himself, maybe with help from Kennaway, I’m not sure on that yet, to enact their own scheme. They didn’t seem to think that the theft idea would help ferret out the culprit we seek.”
Magnolia bit her lip. Changing the plan in the middle of things only served to complicate matters, but perhaps all hope was not lost. She needed to look for other avenues to find answers to their questions. She tilted her head to the side. “Who do you notice that is particularly clean?”
“Mr. Thornton, Mr. Blake, Mr. Cunning, practically everybody because I don’t think they had anything to do with the charade.”
“Precisely. Which is not good because suspicion will be thrown onto you and Sir Kennaway.”
Justin raked his hands through his hair. One of his actions that showed he was worried. “Why didn’t Kennaway tell us what he had planned? I should never have agreed to let him help.”
Magnolia’s stomach tightened. The only reason she could think of for ruining their plan was to protect oneself. But Kenelm couldn’t be Roskin’s master…or could he?
Chapter Seven: We Need Help
Questioning the guests took the rest of the evening. By the time Justin retired to bed he could barely keep his eyes open. If he’d had a real dagger he would have considered plunging it into Evander’s back himself. The fool’s ploy had ruined their chances of catching who controlled Roskin. Now the constable was convinced that either he or Kenelm had performed the murderous act then helped with the body’s removal to cover up the fact. If he wasn’t so angry he would have been impressed by Roskin’s deductive skills. The gent even seemed to be enjoying himself.
Justin yawned and snuggled deep beneath the down comforter. The fire crackled in the hearth, but the warmth didn’t spread throughout the room. Drafty castles. He would much rather be in his bed in his modest home. But what about Magnolia? Was she impressed by the pomp and ceremony they’d witnessed? Would she rather strut around on the arm of a knight than be saddled with a moderately wealthy, untitled businessman such as himself?
He threw his arm over his eyes. The tap of a pacing guard outside his door still rankled. That guard and his family honor had been the only thing keeping him from the gaol. And perhaps the washed-out road.
He sighed. Promising to stay put had been the hardest thing he’d ever done. He desperately needed to speak with Magnolia. Why had she not given him an alibi during the stabbing? Where had she been when it occurred? This would be the last time he allowed another to help with their plans.
He punched the feather pillow and sneezed. In the morning he would need to speak with Kenelm and Magnolia privately. They needed to get their plan back on track. Everyone in attendance needed to be a suspect not just them. Their involvement in Evander’s death had ruined their chances to find the thief. Constable Roskin was supposed to be seeking out his master to protect, not trying to catch them in a criminal act.
A squeak caused him to jump. He narrowed his eyes as a piece of the paneled wall slid apart. He grabbed for the candlestick, prepared to douse the flame and use it as a weapon.
“Who goes there?”
“Keep your voice down. I don’t want the guard to know I’m here.”
He lifted the candle higher. Magnolia, followed by Kenelm, entered the room.
“What are you doing here?”
“Sir Kennaway retrieved me.” She moved to the side of the bed and took his hand. Her hold tightened as if she tried to communicate. Was something wrong? “This is the only way we could speak privately.”
The candle flickered over her concerned expression. His worry mounted as he pushed up in the bed. Did she have new information? Information that implicated him even further? This entire situation was ridiculous. He would call Sir Kennaway to task.
“I fear Evander’s desire for the outlandish has thrown our plan out of kilter. The fool. We are now the suspects.” Kenlem flopped ungracefully into an armless chair.
Magnolia’s eyes widened and she blinked. “You’re right, you and Justin are suspects.”
She continued with the attention-getting actions. What was he missing? He patted her hand, only vaguely aware of his nightly attire. “Don’t despair; we can still salvage our plan. We just need someone else to expire while we are about other business.”
Kenelm groaned. “Another death? But whom? Won’t that seem quite illogical?”
Magnolia stood. “It won’t work because whoever you convinced to murder Evander is not who we’re looking for. No, we need to go back to our original plan. We need a theft.”
“Are you suggesting that even after the servant is buried that we bring out the art and show it around like nothing has happened?” He hoped that was what she meant, because he thought it was brilliant.
“Precisely, Justin. No one will think it out of the ordinary since the entire area has such a low opinion of the Kennaways.”
Her enthusiasm for his plan delighted him. Perhaps she hadn’t completely thrown him over for the knight. And she’d notice that his family wasn’t well-revered—that was helpful for him.
Kenelm fisted his hands together. “But who will participate in such a ploy willingly?”
Justin’s voice was strong and sure, Magnolia’s was low and weak as they answered in tandem, “Hesper.”
“Miss Rotherham? Why would she help?”
He shrugged. “She has helped in the past.”
“And she loves the attention.” Magnolia’s knuckles whitened as she clutched her gown.
His partner’s tense posturing meant she wasn’t happy about Hesper’s involvement, but it had to be done. She was the only one who could remove suspicion from him and place it back where it belonged. On the unknown individual who was pulling the constable’s strings.
“Very well. I will take Magnolia to her room and—”
“I should go as well.”
Magnolia inhaled. Did she dislike Hesper so much that the thought of him visiting her caused such distress? He would have to analyze that more when he didn’t have so much on his mind.
“But for you to enter her bedchamber—” Kenelm sounded aghast.
He folded his arms over his chest. “As you did Magnolia’s?”
“Touché. Dress, and I’ll escort you there. But we must be quiet. Some of the walls are thin.”
He didn’t like the knight taking charge, but it couldn’t be helped. He was the only one who knew how to reach Hesper’s room and it was imperative that they do so. She would help them enact the theft. He was sure of it.
****
Magnolia and Kenelm waited in the secret hallway while Justin changed. Bile rose in her throat at the plan to involve Hesper. She should be a suspect, not their partner. She had been the only one to lose and retrieve her stolen object from Tyrrel. Magnolia had always wondered if it was because the brooch was so newly stolen or if it was something more. Justin would not be pleased if she investigated Hesper, but did he really need to know?
“I’m ready.”
The door opened and Magnolia bit her lip. Justin had changed into fresh breeches, a white pressed shirt, and even tied a cravat around his neck. The polish from his Hessian boots was almost blinding. Is this really what he wore to meet women in
the middle of the night? Did he do so often?
Kenelm nudged her side and she followed him. Justin kept pace behind her. The corridor was dank and musty, making her throat even drier. If she coughed, the sound would echo throughout the entire castle and alert the guards and everyone else.
She covered her mouth and barked behind her hand.
“Are you all right?” Justin’s cool hand touched her shoulder. She wished she’d had room in the narrow tunnel to shake it off. His touch was a reminder of his love for another.
“I need to leave here.” Another tickle assaulted her throat.
“Kennaway, we should deliver Magnolia to her room first.”
“I fear it is in the opposite direction, however, I can take her to my room.”
Her eyes watered. She couldn’t hold the cough much longer. But if her father realized she’d spent time in Kenelm’s room, then he would arrange the church and the minister before she arrived home.
Light filtered through an open panel. “Wait here and we’ll return for you.”
Kenelm barely gave her time to get her skirts through the door before he closed it. The faint scurrying of feet echoed along the secret path.
****
Justin didn’t comment on Kenelm’s less than gentlemanly behavior. He’d just booted Magnolia into his room without even a by your leave. Why was he in such a hurry? Was it because he wanted the night to end or because he wanted Magnolia in his quarters? The last thought made Justin ill.
“Hesper’s room is just up ahead. When we arrive you may enter and I will stay within the corridor. No reason to scare the young lady with us both barging through her wall.”
Kenelm pulled back the panel and the scent of lavender pervaded the space. The drapes had been drawn and the candles doused. The room was bathed in darkness. He’d seen Hesper’s room before. She wasn’t the cleanest woman. Getting across the obstacle course of her room could be the death of him.
He took a step forward. Boards creaked beneath his feet and he stalled.
A shadow rose upright in the bed. “W-who’s there?”
The Case of the Puppet Constable (A Justice and Miss Quinn Mystery Book 2) Page 5
