Murder at Locke Abbey (5 page)

“What of the other guests, does that encyclopaed
ic memory contain any details of their lives?”

“Little of interest. The trial that Cole appeared at was for an altercation between his tenants.” She searched through her memories for the other guests.
“Mr and Mrs Buchan were mentioned in their son’s wedding announcement recently. Mr Buchan owns land in Ireland, while his brother, Lord Buchan is a Conservative MP in the House of Commons. Lord Grady is a magistrate in Wyndham. Lord Small is a Conservative sitting in the House of Lords. Mrs Dale recently married Mr Dale, a wealthy business man with cotton mills in the north of England. I believe he is much older than she is, which is perhaps why she is here and he isn’t.”

“A marriage of convenience?”

“Exactly. She is a distant cousin to Queen Victoria and her uncle is an Earl. Selena Cole is the daughter of a noble but rather impoverished family, so she likely married Mr Cole for the financial security; he is far older than she, five and twenty years I believe.” She didn’t believe it, she knew it, but her father had once schooled her that people were more receptive to others who appeared flawed, so she obliged when she could. “With an age gap like that, it is unlikely to be a love match.”

“Perhaps the lure of being a wealthy widow was the appeal,” her father suggested.

“Perhaps. Mr Garwood is new money; if memory serves, he owns a plantation in the Caribbean.”

“He owns slaves?”

“Very likely. His wife is-
was
from a respected family. They have been married for six years but they have no children yet. Does any of that help?”

“I’m sure it will prove useful.
Now you should probably go and start getting ready, we want to make a good impression on these people.”

“I don’t know why,” Thea complained. “It will all be for nought once I open my mouth. You know that ladies shouldn’t have opinions.”

“People are really not as bad as you make out,” he tried to comfort her.

“Tell that to Lord Small.”

“For someone with perfect recall, yours is sometimes rather faulty. You have made four new acquaintances today and only one has been in the slightest bit hostile.”

“You’re right,” she gave him the most heartfelt smile that she could. “I’m probably
just a little tired, we did ride quite a long way today.”

“And in the sun,” he reminded her.

“I’ll go and see if Evans is ready to do my hair.”

“Do try to be nice to her, doing your hair
is
part of her job.”

“I will.
Thank you, Papa.”

She entered her bedroom, which was decorated in earthy shades of brown, gold and red, which created a warm feeling. She wondered who had decorated it, Cole or his
mother? Either way, they seemed to be warm people.

Eva
ns was still unpacking.

“How was the journey?”
Thea asked.

“Very good, Ma’am. I’m still fascinated by trains, they go so fast.”

“They do.” Thea sat before the dressing table and Evans came up behind her and began unpinning the riding hat and her hair beneath.

“What
style would you like this evening?”

“Is a bun too simple?”

“Not on a travel day, Ma’am. How about if I braid the front, then it will look as if we’ve put a little effort in.”

“Whatever you think
is best.”

Evans began brushing her hair out.

“How is Cutler?” Thea asked.

“He’s very well, ma’am.”

Cutler was her father’s valet, and romantically interested in Evans.

“No proposal?” Thea had tho
ught he might use the privacy of their train journey to cement their union. It was perhaps a little soon, they had only been out together twice on their days off, but they had been working alongside each other for years and to Thea, they seemed perfectly matched.

“Not yet. He hasn’t said anything outright to me, but I think he’d like to save a little more before formalising our friendship.”

“He’s a very responsible man.”

“He is.” Evans smiled with pride. “And what about you, do you like your hosts?”

“I’m not sure yet. The father seems rather hostile but his son assured me it’s because of his infirmity and nothing personal.”

“What of the son?”

“I don’t know. He is pleasant enough, I suppose.”

“And the murders, have you made any progress yet?”

“Possibly. I believe the final death was natural causes but I am unable to prove that. As for the other two, well they were clearly unnatural and as yet, I have no solutions.”

“Well, its early days, Ma’am.”

“Yes…” she allowed her mind to wander over everything she had learned today. Tomorrow she would begin speaking to the other guests, and arrange to speak with the constable, magistrate and local doctor. Hopefully one or more of them would give her the necessary clues to begin unravelling this mystery.

She was actually looking forward to meeting the mystic as well, and discovering exactly how her tricks worked.

The next few days should be very interesting indeed, she just hoped that she was up to the challenge.

Cole arrived promptly at eight to escort them down to dinner and as he entered their sitting room, found
himself speechless for a moment.

Her dark hair had been parted in the middle and swept back from her face, although a few tendrils had escaped over her ears and nicely framed her
features. In the candlelight. Her dark eyes appeared even more dramatic and gave the impression that if he looked into them for long enough, he might glimpse her soul. 

Her gown was royal blue
silk, off the shoulder, with a low waist and full skirt, although the skirt was not as large as he had come to expect. It was a simple dress, which served to heighten her beauty, rather than detract from it. 

Her jewellery was as simple and complementary as her gown, consisting of a single strand of pearls, a pearl bracelet and a single pearl in each ear.

Seeing her now, he found it difficult to believe that he had ever thought her appearance simple or plain and as he drank in her image, she pressed her lips together in a nervous gesture, making them flush a deeper shade of red for a few moments.

Suddenly he found
himself feeling rather stunned, and unable not to wonder what her lips would feel like should he touch them.

He coughed, afraid that if he spoke immediately he would betray his thoughts.

“You look lovely, Thea.”

“Thank you.” She
replied, dipping her head. “You look very fine this evening also.”

Although he had changed, his wardrobe was very similar to what he had worn all day, with the exception that he had
replaced a dark grey cravat with a white one. Only other men usually commented on his appearance however, but he liked the compliment. Idly, he wondered if female praise was the reason dandies were so fashion conscious.

“Thank you. Is your father nearly ready?”

“He assured me that he would be done in a few moments.”

They nodded at each other and Cole racked his brain, trying to
find something interesting or witty to say to her, but sadly coming up blank. She stepped over to a table which held her reticule, bringing her closer to him, allowing him to smell her perfume, a light and fruity concoction, with something like cinnamon and sandalwood undertones.

Cole breathed deeply but froze as she looked his way, worried that he had been caught behaving improperly.

“Is your room acceptable?” he asked as he exhaled.

“Yes,” she smiled. “It’s lovely, thank you.”

“And… is there anything you are waiting for?”

“I don’t believe so.
You have taken very good care of us.”

“Good
, that’s … good.”

She looked into his eye
s then and he found himself quite unable to look away. Seemingly she was as trapped by his gaze, as he by hers.

“
Ah, there you are,” Lord Copley said, exiting his room and fiddling with the cuff of his shirt. “I apologise for my tardiness, a misplaced cufflink is to blame, dratted thing fell from my fingers and rolled for a good few feet.”

“Quite understandable
,” Cole assured him, pleased of the interruption which saved him from appearing like a fool.

“Would you like some help?” Thea said, stepping towards her father.

“No, no, I’ve got this. Escort Thea, would you, Cole? I don’t want to make us any later.”

“My Lady?” Cole held his a
rm out and she placed her hand on his.

He noticed that her demeanour had suddenly changed and while she had seemed shy
before, she now appeared nervous, with a slight tremor in her hand. He wondered for a moment if she were frightened of him but eventually concluded that she was probably fearful of facing a large party at dinner.

“Don’t trouble yourself,” he said as they left the room. “They will not bite, with the possible exception of my step-mother’s dog.”

She smiled. “Oh, I have quite a way with animals,” she assured him.

“Oh? You must tell me your secret.”

“Bribery,” she said with a smile. “While it may be considered cheating, I find that almost all animals can be easily persuaded to like you with a little edible inducement.”

“I must remember that. Tell me, does this trick work on people?”

“Only the gluttonous but I have been told that women are inclined to those who flatter them, and men to ladies who flatter them.”

“Have you tried that?” he asked conversationally.

“I have, but it seems I have little skill for flattery. I become nervous around new people and inclined to say whatever is on my mind which unfortunately, is usually honest but not always welcome.”

He wondered how he could ease her mind about this evening.

“You seem so confident in your ability to charm dogs, I wonder if you might accept a small wager?”

“I am not usually inclined to betting, other than on cards.”

“Then we will wager something else, perhaps a dare?”

“What kind of dare?”

“Well, that’s where the risk lies. Should you win, I will perform one errand of your asking. Should I win, you must do whatever it is I ask of you.”

“And what if your
, or my, for that matter, dares are too risky, perhaps improper or unsafe?”

“Then we shall ask your father to approve of the dares first.
I make this suggestion not because I hope to embarrass you with a dare, but rather to enliven what will surely be a dull and superficial evening. Besides, if you are right, then you are risking nothing.”

“Very well,” she smiled. “How long do I have to accomplish this?”

“Until bed this evening.”

“Then we shall need to stop by the kitchen.”

“No matter, my step-mother likes to serve canapés before dinner.”

Thea frowned. “Couches?” she asked with such sincerity that it took effort not to smile at her.

“No, small bites of food served with the apéritifs, although in fairness, they are named for the French word for couch as not only does the idea come from France, the food sits atop a slice of bread or toast, much as one sits upon a sofa.”

“
I look forward to trying them. Very well, I accept your challenge, but we must tell no one before the bet is over.”

“Why ever not?” he looked askance at her.

“I wouldn’t want to lose on a technicality, if you were to, for example, ask your step-mother to keep the dog away this evening.”

“You pay attention to the
details,” he smiled. “Good to know. Do you have any more conditions?”

“No, I believe
the terms are sufficiently fair, I must only be careful that I do not distract myself with dreaming up ridiculous challenges for you when I win.”

“When, not if
,” he noted. “Let’s hope your confidence is justified.”

They had reached the parlour and he was pleased to note tha
t her tremors were gone. He turned to see her father behind them, perhaps ten paces back, still playing with his cuff.

Cole might not possess the sharp intelligence of Thea, but he could recognise a father’s attempts to give his daughter some privacy, without leaving her unsupervised. 

“Here, Father, let me.” Thea let go of his arm and stepped towards her father, clearly she had not seen through his ruse.

“No matter, it is done,” he looked up and smiled.

“Then let me introduce you both to our guests,” Cole suggested. “Or perhaps I should call them, our suspects.”

He opened the door and with his hand unconsciously resting in the small of Thea’s back, ushered her into the room and began the introductions. He noticed that while her father paid attention to the
people and small talk, Thea was distracted by his step-mother and her annoying little dog.

People were spread throughout the room and by the time
they made it to the sofa where Selena and Mrs Dale were holding court, he had seen Thea palm two foie gras canapés.

Focusing on their bet and the task to come had relaxed her quite a bit and after introductions were made,
she bent forward and held her fingers out to the pug, who was barking at them, with Selena making no attempt to stop it.

“What an adorable creature,”
Thea told Selena. “What’s his name? Or her name?”

“Her name is Ann,” Selena practically beamed. “But you must be careful, she’s very choosey who she likes, and I would hate for you to get bitten.”

“I’m sure she won’t hurt me, will you, Ann?” Thea’s fingers had touched the pate and as such, the dog sniffed, then licked them with interest.

“Would you look at
that!” Mrs Dale remarked with wonder. “You are honoured indeed, Lady Athena, Ann hardly likes anyone.”

Thea withdrew her hand, “How old is she?” she asked, as her fingers pressed into the pate canapés in her other palm.

“She is six now, and quite the prettiest dog in the land.”

When Thea held her hand out again, the dog once more licked her fingers and when finished, she
slipped a hand behind the dog’s head and scratched behind her ears, making Ann lean her head into the hand.

“Might I hold her?”
Thea asked.

“Well, I suppose, if you are careful with her.”

“Oh, of course. She is too precious to be handled with anything but the greatest care.” She discreetly placed the canapés into her reticule before reaching for the dog, who settled into her arms as she once again scratched behind its ears.

“You are far more formidable than I had given you credit for,” Cole said, taking care to keep his voice low. Thankfully Selena and Mrs Dale seemed content to talk with Lord Copley for a few moments.

“Nonsense, as I told you, animals are easier than people.”

“For you, perhaps.” To demonstrate his point, he reached out to pet Ann, and received a snarl and snap as his reward.

Ann also looked surprised when Thea shook her and called in a stern voice, “No!”

“I say, what’s going on?” Selena asked. “Are you upsetting Ann aga
in, William? You know she does not like you! It’s not good for her to be worked up!”

“It’s not good to allow a dog to snap at anyone,”
Thea countered. “Dogs must be respected but that does not mean coddled and you cannot let them have free rein. Imagine how dangerous she would be if were she the size of a lurcher?” 

“Give her to me! She isn’t
a lurcher, is she? She is a small dog, a pet and companion, not a working dog.”

As Thea handed the dog back, Cole was surprised by how quickly a pleasant conversation had turned to an argument but he finally understood what Thea meant, when she said that she spoke before thinking. She did speak the truth but of course, Selena did not want to hear the truth.

“Come, Lady Copley, let me introduce you to Lord Grady.”

With a hand once more on her back, he guided her away.

“You have made an enemy for life there,” he informed her. “My step-mother’s favour, once lost, is lost forever. Or until she wants something from you, whichever comes first.”

She realised he was trying to cheer her and she smiled.

“I am well used to being unpopular,” she said. “I shall take some cheer however, in thinking up your dare.”

“Do be gentle with me,” he pleaded. “
I must remain here once you are gone and I should hate to be the talk of the town.”

“I could not be so cruel,” she assured him. “I shall however, give this
very careful consideration.”

He smiled, enjoying her pleasure, even if it was at his expense.

The rest of the hour went well, until Miss Eliza Buchan approached their party. Eliza had been rather flirty with him since her arrival, and seemed displeased with the attention he was showing Thea.

“Your skin is a marvellous shade of caramel,”
Eliza remarked to Thea. “And those freckles, quite pretty in certain lights.”

“I enjoy spending time outdoors, especially riding,” Thea answered, taking the words as a compliment, rather than the subtle insult that
they were.

“I
’m surprised you spend so much time outdoors without a parasol, given how unappealing many say dark skin is. It perfectly suits you, however.”

“
I find the fresh air is invigorating, for both body
and mind
.” She had finally noticed the implied insult. “Besides, my primary purpose in life is not to look as someone else deems I should, but rather to broaden my mind and try to leave the world a better place than I found it.”

“I su
ppose that is just as well then.” Eliza apparently did not take kindly to having her intellect or superficial nature questioned.

“I think she looks very well,” Cole came to
Thea’s defence, since her father was engrossed in a conversation with Lord Buchan. “I have always thought that a pale face speaks of frailty and sickness.”