A Death by Arson (12 page)

‘Oh, lass, you've become weak and pallid among the fine folk,' mocked Rory.

Bertram fairly bounced on the balls of his feet with frustration. Rory took pity on him. ‘This way,' he said, and he led us, always staying three paces ahead like a good footman, back through the baize door and towards the back of the castle.

‘He can't do this,' whispered Bertram to me. ‘He's a valet. He will arouse suspicion.'

‘As you well know, he is actually a butler by trade and, I suspect, by temperament. He could look down his nose at a Duchess, if she used the wrong fork, and get away with it. I'm betting that no one will interrupt our passage.'

‘Unless we come across someone we all know,' muttered Bertram darkly.

Rory had us quickly at a small saloon, decorated startlingly in yellow and green tartan. No one was in there for the simple reason that it was as cold as an icehouse. There was no fire, so I helped Rory start one. Bertram looked on in awe, as if we were conjuring the flames with mystical powers. Within a very short time, we had a roaring blaze. Then the three of us drew chairs around the hearth and settled down to talk.

‘This is rather nice, isn't it?' I said, thinking aloud. ‘Companionship by the fireside and not a murder in sight.'

Rory threw me a strange look. Bertram said, ‘Do not tempt fate, Euphemia. It is only by the grace of God that Richenda was not more badly hurt.'

‘Bertram, have you ever considered that perhaps we look too hard for mysteries? Could this not only be an unfortunate accident?'

Bertram opened and closed his mouth several times, but no sound emerged.

‘I, for one, do not believe it to be an accident,' interrupted Rory, ‘and that is the reason I wished to speak with you. I am not comfortable about that Susie Ellis.'

Bertram found his voice. ‘McLeod, we should call her Ellie like Amy does, to avoid confusion.'

Rory shrugged. ‘If you wish.
Ellie
appears to me to be most distracted. On more than one occasion I have found her some distance from the nursery suite, in areas of the castle I believe she had no cause to be.'

‘Was she lost?' I asked.

‘That was, indeed, what she would have had me believe,' said Rory.

‘But you don't?' said Bertram.

‘I cannot put my finger upon it precisely,' said Rory, ‘but she doesnae feel right. I have worked with many servants now and there is something that's not quite right. Not in the same way as I knew from the first that there was something wrong with Euphemia.'

‘I am sitting right here,' I protested. ‘Besides, there is nothing wrong with me.'

Rory looked at Bertram. ‘I knew she was hiding secrets from us all.'

I paled slightly. It was true: Rory had been the only one to doubt my persona as a bona fide servant, from almost the moment he met me. I knew his judgement to be acute when his feelings were not too deeply involved.

‘Did you ever get her to tell you what they were?' asked Bertram curiously.

‘I am still here,' I said, pronouncing each word with considerable weight.

‘No,' said Rory. ‘I did not.'

‘Did you know her mother is about to marry a bishop?'

Rory raised an eyebrow. ‘Interesting.'

‘So are you suggesting Ellie is hiding something?' I asked, desperate to draw the attention away from myself. Their tone had been jocular and I knew in their own way they only meant to tease, but I was not ready to reveal to either of them my true ancestry. Although I feared if my mother got her way they would, all too soon, know all my secrets.

Rory shrugged. ‘I don't know that I can say, more than she feels wrong.'

‘Have you ever found her outside the castle?' I asked, a thought striking me.

Rory shook his head. ‘No. She might be able to convince me to give her the benefit of the doubt if she has lost her way in the corridors, but were I to come across her in the castle grounds I would have to draw Mr Muller's attention to it.'

‘And you have reason to go back and forth to see to the automobile?' I asked.

‘It's not a horse, Euphemia,' said Bertram. ‘It doesn't need feeding. Besides, Rory is acting as my valet.'

‘I do go out from time to time,' interrupted Rory. ‘In this weather it is not a bad idea to turn the engine over every now and then, and tomorrow – if you can spare me, Bertram – I thought I might have a look at the spark plugs. The trip up here being her first run, I'd like to take a proper keek under the bonnet, make sure it's all fine. The last thing I want is to break down when we are on our way home,' he finished, leaving us all with the thought of how little we would like to be stranded at the castle.

‘But it's the wedding!' protested Bertram.

‘Aye, I ken,' said Rory, suddenly going very Scotch. ‘I wasnae aware I was invited.'

‘Well, you're not, but…'

‘I'll make sure you're all kitted out and then I thought I'd away to the garage. One of the kitchen maids has said how she'll bring me out sandwiches.'

I raised an eyebrow at this and Bertram, catching my eye, coughed loudly, ‘A good plan, McLeod. The house will be in chaos.'

‘Does that mean we need extra eyes on Richenda?' I asked.

‘I think Richard will be too caught up with his new bride to worry about Richenda tomorrow,' said Bertram.

‘And tomorrow night,' added Rory.

‘Quite,' said Bertram shortly, ‘I think if Richenda takes reasonable precautions she will be perfectly safe. As Lucinda has decided she wants to embrace the Scottish tradition of walking to the local church, Richenda won't even be attending. She'll wait at the castle for the congregation to return for the wedding breakfast.'

‘We are meant to walk down to the village church?' I asked. ‘I mean, that is a sweet custom, but it's not as if the Staplefords are known here.'

‘Hardly the Laird, you mean?' said Rory. ‘Maybe not the historical Laird, but they've brought a guy lot of employment to the area. Stapleford's even convinced the Laird's son, who lives in a big house in the village to come. He wanted his father to come too, from what I've heard, but the old man must be pushing ninety. Still, you're right in thinking
that
is the local family here. Stapleford is merely the banker.'

‘The old family did not move away after the fire?' I asked.

‘From what I have learnt …' said Rory.

‘I do not pay you to gossip with the servants,' said Bertram hotly. I suspected he was beginning to feel left out.

‘I thought, seeing as this is Sir Richard's house, it was worth seeing the lay of the land,' said Rory softly.

Bertram huffed. ‘I suppose you are right.'

‘As I was saying, the old Laird and his family moved into the largest house in the village. The servants believe he speculated on the stock market in the hopes of raising the funds to rebuild the castle, but did not have much luck.'

‘Is he bankrupt?' I asked. ‘Did he have dealings with Richard's bank?'

‘That is not impossible,' said Bertram. ‘That may be how Richard heard about the castle in the first place. But it would have to have been the son, not the old man.'

‘Yes,' said Rory. ‘It seems the family tried for the better part of two generations to hold on to the land, but Stapleford's generous offer came at the right time. I would not be surprised if Stapleford sold it as being best for the local people too. He learnt a lot from his dealings at his Highland lodge.'

I shivered, remembering my unfortunate experiences there.
¹⁵

‘I think,' said Bertram suddenly, ‘that Euphemia should stay with Richenda.'

‘And miss the wedding?' said Rory. ‘Oooh, man, ye have a nerve to ask that of a lassie.'

‘I am not a man,' said Bertram. I saw Rory suppress a smile. ‘I am a gentleman!'

Before the serious bickering could commence, I interrupted, ‘I would much rather not have to gaze on Richard's face as he takes his bride to be his wife. There seems no harm in Lucinda and I feel rather sorry for her.'

‘Euphemia,' said Rory warningly, ‘I hope you're not going to interfere.'

‘It might surprise you to know that only last night I was asked to help persuade the young woman to go ahead with the wedding – and I did.'

‘Euphemia!' gasped Bertram.

‘She has few options,' I said defensively, ‘and we have seen Richard show her nothing but kindness.'

‘If you are about to say you think he has changed –' began Bertram.

‘No, of course not. I believe him to remain the dangerous, greedy, self-centred murderer we all secretly think him to be – but I suspect all of us would be in much greater danger if he felt himself crossed.'

‘I don't know if I should be impressed by your practicality,' said Rory, ‘or depressed by your flexible morality. Ye were always such a defender of the weak and innocent.'

I blushed furiously, ‘I hope I still am, but I am now wise enough to know that one must work within the confines of society – especially if one is a female – and … and … and I don't think she's actually in danger from him, do you?' I finished weakly.

‘Frankly, I have no idea,' said Bertram.

‘Oh, don't look at me as if I have disappointed you,' I snapped back. ‘I will stay back with Richenda. If you feel you have a strong objection to the marriage, Bertram, you can jolly well speak up at the ceremony!'

 

¹⁵
Although to be fair, Rory's had been far more deadly and here he was speaking about it all quite calmly.

Chapter Eighteen
Richenda denied cake

The next morning found me sitting with a grumpy Richenda in her suite, drinking coffee and eating savoury pastries. We were devoid even of Amy's friendly chatter, as at the last minute Lucinda had asked her to be a flower girl. ‘Are you certain she did not mention me when she proposed the walk to the church?' asked Richenda, for the hundredth time.

‘As I keep telling you, I knew nothing about it until Bertram told me last night.'

‘It is solely to ensure I do not attend,' moaned Richenda.

‘I do not think Lucinda has a malicious nature.'

‘No, more likely it is my brother,' said Richenda, her face contorting in a fearsome scowl. ‘You do not know how lucky you are not to have a twin, Euphemia. He has brought me nothing but trouble.'

As I considered this to be perfectly true, there was nothing I could say. I offered Richenda a plate of sweet pastries that appeared to have escaped her attention. She waved them away brusquely. ‘Can't abide the sight of 'em,' she said.

‘But there are custard-filled horns here. Your favourite.'

Richenda's colour suddenly became tinged with an unflattering shade of green. ‘Oh, Euphemia,' she wailed. ‘It is terrible. I cannot abide sweet things. They make me as sick as a dog!'

‘Good heavens!' I was amazed. Cake had always been the way to improve Richenda's temper. If I was to be denied this weapon, I was unsure how we would all survive the mood swings of her advancing pregnancy.

‘I know,' said Richenda. ‘I thought I was seriously ill; that something terrible had happened during my fall.'

My mind boggled trying to fit this together.

‘But the doctor said it is quite normal for ladies in delicate situations to take some foods into aversion during the latter stages of their confinements. But why,
why
did it have to be cake?'

I felt Richenda's pain or, more to the point, I anticipated our pain to come. ‘Did Lucinda find Amy a dress?' I asked, hoping that talk of her daughter would distract her.

Richenda picked up a pastry filled with tomato and some green herb. ‘Very exotic,' she murmured.

‘The dress?'

‘No, silly, this thing,' she said, waving the foodstuff at me. ‘The dress was rather simple for my taste, but Amy thought she looked like a fairy princess. Apparently Richard has hired a seamstress for Lucinda, so she can have anything she wants made up at any time.'

‘Hans hired one too,' I pointed out.

‘Hmm – but ours has no style or taste.'

I cast around desperately to change the conversation again. Richenda's taste, particularly her green and orange designs, is not to most other people's tastes. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, she is married to a gentleman of impeccable taste and sartorial elegance. ‘McLeod told me he has met Ellie in unlikely places,' I said.

Richenda shrugged. ‘She might consider him a good prospect. You met her brother. She is doubtless wishful to change her situation. McLeod has a good career ahead of him. She could do worse.' She eyed me keenly. ‘Unless you wish me to dismiss her?'

‘I have no further interest in Rory McLeod,' I said, although in my heart I was unsure if this was true.

‘Good,' said Richenda. ‘It's all very well him working for Bertram, but Hans could not possibly have him in our household. Despite the obligation we both owe him, Hans finds him a difficult man to tolerate. And I would hate to lose you.'

‘I think being forced to live at Bertram's ever-crumbling estate in the marshy fens would put most women off marrying Rory!' I said with a snort.

‘I keep forgetting you spent some time there,' said Richenda. ‘Was it very bad?'

‘One of the least eventful days was the morning when the kitchen floor gave way.'

‘Oh dear, Bertram is so impulsive. He should never have sunk all his money into that terrible place.'

My eyes pricked up as I remembered something Rory had implied and then, annoyingly, refused to elaborate on. ‘All?' I asked. ‘I thought Bertram was well-situated.'

‘Hans tells me it is not proper to talk about money, but I do believe Bertram is now struggling for funds. He was meant to be helping Hans meet business people here, but Richard's cronies are not as familiar to him as he had hoped. I would not be surprised if it was Hans who ended up helping Bertram with his investments.'