Page 22 of Linenfold (The Alice Chronicles #4)

W ith infinite caution, Jeremy Tillotson steals along behind the section of rush fence, his man Len equally stealthily follows.

Both keep a wary eye for twigs underfoot.

The slightest crack will give away their presence.

The breeze in their faces is just right for approaching their quarry.

For over an hour they have been waiting and working the ducks into position, tracking them through spy holes in the rush screens, tossing just enough grain into the water from behind the screens to encourage the ducks forward, moving alongside them and throwing again, each time drawing them further along the narrowing tunnel of net-covered hoops over the water.

On the previous approach they were well down the decoy pipe when the wind suddenly changed, the ducks took fright, and all their effort was reduced to a shiver of water and a drift of feathers.

Even the handful of ducks Jeremy keeps to attract the wild ones joined the general panic, and for ten minutes the pond was empty of waterfowl.

But the tame ones like the easy life, the familiar pond, the worms, the waterweed.

They were the first to return. Their calls gradually brought in a few wild ducks, and Jeremy and Len started the run once more.

This fresh attempt has been slow, the ducks still wary, their caution countering the attraction of food.

But they are close now. Another screen, another throw and they will be trapped and can easily be driven to the end and netted.

Someone calls from the house. Len looks at his master.

‘They’ll go away soon,’ Jeremy mouths.

The voice calls again, nearer. ‘I think that be Sir Malcolm,’ Len murmurs.

‘All the more reason to stay here,’ Jeremy whispers.

‘Come on, Tillotson, you must be somewhere!’ Sir Malcolm bawls and strides down the slope towards the duck decoy. ‘Ah, Tillotson!’

A frenzy of flapping flight. Jeremy sighs. Len’s shoulders sag.

‘Didn’t you hear me? That woman of yours is as devious as they come. You should watch her. Said you were out.’

‘I am out,’ Jeremy says. ‘Out here trying to bring food to the table. Thanks to you I’ve just lost three brace of duck. What’s so urgent it couldn’t wait?’

‘A woman is missing, that’s what’s urgent. I’ve just come from High Stoke. There’s been a death and the whole jury are out looking for her.’

‘Mistress Jerrard?’

‘Oh, so now you’re interested. What’s Mistress Jerrard to you? I thought you fancied the other sort.’

‘For God’s sake Wipley, is she all right?’

‘The Jerrard woman is in stout health, as ever. She’s got a dead guest and now this Frenchwoman’s missing.’

‘What Frenchwoman? Who’s dead?’

‘A man called Hardcastle. Lord. Ever heard of him? Nor me. The woman is one of two Huguenots he brought back from Paris. She’s absconded, probably for London, and we’re all out looking for her. Stupid callet.’

‘Terrified of being suspected, probably,’ Jeremy says, adding under his breath, ‘by narrow-minded bigots.’ He moves up the slope to where the coroner stands, feet apart, hands on hips.

‘Scheming, more like,’ Wipley says. ‘She’s French, Tillotson. What would you expect of that race?’

‘More and better than you would, I believe. Now if you don’t mind, I’d like to get back to working the ducks. Apart from maligning the French, why are you here, Wipley?’

‘Have you seen a foreign woman wandering about the countryside?’

Jeremy rolls his eyes. ‘From High Stoke?’

‘Who else would harbour Frenchies?’

‘Well, she’s likely to have come in this direction, isn’t she? Way south of the road to London, not within sight of High Stoke. Is she partial to roast duck or something? No, I haven’t seen anyone out here this morning, apart from Len.’

‘Has your grandmother seen anyone?’

‘I wouldn’t know, you’ll have to ask her. She might be up and about by now.’

‘What about him?’ He gives a jerk of the head.

‘His name is Len. If you ask politely, I expect he will answer you to the best of his ability.’ Jeremy turns away.

‘Well?’

‘No, Sir Malcolm. I see’d nobody. I bin ’ere with Master Jeremy.’

‘Find out if your household have anything to report, Tillotson,’ the coroner calls over his shoulder. ‘Send word to Poyle immediately.’

Olivia Egerton rides into the kitchen court some while after the coroner’s jury have set out in search of Louise. Freemans’ head man Robert accompanies her. With Joe still out working on the choked ditch, Allan emerges from the woodshed to attend her mount just as Alice opens the kitchen door.

‘I can’t stop but I had to come over,’ Olivia tells her. ‘They called to ask if we’d seen a lone woman on or near the road, and then Robert told me that Allan came earlier asking for Jack. He’s not likely to be back for a few days yet. Is this to do with your guests? Tell me how I can help.’

Ox-eyed Maureen hurries forward with a mug of October ale for Robert and an invitation to await his mistress by the kitchen fire.

Robert accepts the drink but elects to remain outside and exchange news with Allan.

Alice beckons her friend in and takes her through to the winter parlour which is not only private from the household but warm with the fire lit.

‘Sir Malcolm has been here and adjourned.’ Alice tells her the bare details of the murder of Lord Hardcastle.

‘Whatever Sir Malcolm declares, His Lordship was smothered in the mud of my potager .’

‘Dear God, poor man,’ Olivia murmurs. ‘Poor you. I imagine Sir Malcolm will not be making life easy for you over this.’

‘You imagine correctly. But at least Oliver Sanderson was here and let me know something of their proceedings. The court is adjourned until Louise the Frenchwoman is found, so I suppose they will all return here at some point.’

‘What is happening with these other guests of yours?’ Olivia asks.

‘I suggested they stay here – partly because I foresee Sir Malcolm making something blameworthy out of it if I let them go and stay in one of the Guildford inns.’ Alice sighs.

‘I just want this resolved, Olivia. That this can happen on my own land is bad enough. It’s so unsettling.

My household are innocent and yet they’re caught up in something they never asked for.

I invited these people to billet here and now I feel responsible.

Wipley stains everything with his insinuations. ’

‘None of this is your fault, Alice, especially faced with the circumstances of that terrible fog. Of course, I cannot change what has happened, but I think it a good thing Sam stays with me until things are back to normal. It’s not right for him to be anywhere near the inevitable speculation.

Children hear such things when you have no idea they’re listening. ’

‘Olivia, you’ve had Sam for several days. I cannot keep leaving him with you like this.’

‘You know it’s no trouble. I will make sure Cicely is not burdened with extra work. Indeed, they all come over to us in the hall each day for midday meal and it makes a very happy family party.’

‘You make it sound so effortless, and yet I am his mother. I should be with him. I want to be with him.’

‘Then come over for meals when you can. And bring that nice young man.’ Olivia smiles. ‘He and Juliana will divert each other.’

‘If yesterday is anything to go by, they will sit silent at opposite ends of the room.’

‘I suspect her disdain was rather too well feigned.’

‘It had the quality of ice to me.’

‘Bring him over and you will see. Then you and I can discuss your day, the things you need to talk about.’

‘Olivia, Philip could be a killer.’

‘All the more reason Sam stays at Freemans. In any case, I don’t believe it. Do you?’

Alice shakes her head. ‘His face when he saw his uncle lying there! He couldn’t have feigned that.’

‘That’s decided then.’

‘It could be for several more days.’

‘As long as you need, Alice. Stay over when you want to. High Stoke can cope without you for a while, you know that.’