Page 25 of Miss Morton and the Missing Heir (A Miss Morton Mystery #4)

“My son was a great comfort to me when my husband, Septimus, died,” Mrs. Frogerton said. “My daughter was far too self-absorbed and rather cross that being in mourning curtailed her social activities.”

“Mary and her mother had their disagreements, but I never thought they’d fight over Mr. Brigham,” Miss Smith said. “Albert’s such a charmer.”

“Perhaps Mrs. Scutton saw through his charm and feared, quite rightly, for her daughter’s safety,” Mrs. Frogerton said. “Did Jude like Mr. Brigham?”

Miss Smith considered the question, her gaze directed out of the window.

“I’ve never thought about that, but now that you mention it, they were never close.

Jude wasn’t one for clever words or jokes at other people’s expense, and Albert liked to tease.

Jude put up with Albert only because he cared for Mary. ”

“It is always difficult when a beloved family member finds a mate.” Mrs. Frogerton set her cup down. “I had to rely on my own wits to decide which gentleman was fit to court my Dotty.”

“And you did very well, ma’am,” Caroline reminded her. “Viscount Lingard is a fine gentleman from a respected family. I think Dorothy will be very happy.”

“I hope so, but even if she isn’t, she’ll have little to complain about,” Mrs. Frogerton said. “I tied that marriage contract up so tightly in her favor that he won’t dare misbehave on her.”

Caroline set down her empty cup. “Perhaps I should ask Collins to bring in Mary’s bags. Did she have a bedchamber where we can place them, Miss Smith?”

“Yes, I’ll show you where it is.” Miss Smith went out of the kitchen into the wide front hall and pointed up the shallow oak stairs. “Mary’s room is the one of the far left of the landing.”

“Then we’d better get started,” Caroline said. “We have a long drive back to London.”

She left Mrs. Frogerton and Miss Smith chatting happily in the kitchen and oversaw the bringing up of the bags.

While the other women were occupied, she took a quick look around Mary’s bedroom.

Half the drawers and the wardrobe were empty, indicating where Mr. Brigham had removed his clothes.

There was nothing worth noting in Mary’s remaining possessions and no sign of any other jewelry boxes.

There was a small desk in the corner of the room. Caroline tried the lid, but it appeared to be locked, which was somewhat annoying. She could hardly go downstairs and ask Miss Smith for the key.

She went back out onto the landing and called down the stairs. “Mrs. Frogerton? Do you have the keys for Mary’s trunk? I don’t want to accidentally take the keys away with us.”

Her employer came up the stairs, her expression hopeful, her voice lowered. “Have you found something, lass?”

“No.” Caroline drew Mrs. Frogerton into Mary’s bedchamber and closed the door. “I do want to make sure we leave the right keys behind, but I’m also wondering if you might know of a way to get into Mary’s desk.”

“Is it locked?” Mrs. Frogerton set the keys to the trunk on the lid and walked over to the desk.

“Yes,” Caroline said.

Mrs. Frogerton removed one of her hairpins and inserted it into the lock.

“What on earth are you doing, ma’am?”

“If you are ever blessed with a daughter, Caroline, it’s very useful to read locked-away journals to prevent any catastrophes.”

“Isn’t that an invasion of their privacy?”

“When your daughter is set to inherit a fortune, I’d call it a necessity.” There was a slight click, and Mrs. Frogerton smiled. “Ah, that did the trick.”

She opened the drawer. “There is some correspondence in here. Do you want to help me look through it?”

“Should we?” Caroline glanced back at the door.

“Seeing as we’ve come all this way, lass, I’m loathe to leave with nothing to show for it.” Mrs. Frogerton took out a pile of paper and leafed through it. “Most of this appears to be her personal correspondence.” She paused. “Now, why would she be speaking to a priest?”

“Perhaps she really was intending to convert to Catholicism,” Caroline said.

“This appears to be an answer to a theological question.” Mrs. Frogerton set it aside. “I can’t understand a word of it.”

Caroline helped her sort. “And this is her marriage certificate from the local parish church.”

“I wonder why Mr. Brigham didn’t take that with him?”

“Perhaps he didn’t have the key to the desk, either,” Caro line suggested.

“Or he knew it was no longer important.” Mrs. Frogerton sighed. “I wish she’d written a daily journal. That would’ve been most helpful.”

“There’s a letter here addressed to her mother,” Caroline said. “I wonder if that’s the one Jude brought back here for her?”

“I do wish it wasn’t sealed.” Mrs. Frogerton made a face. “I’m very interested in what Mary had to say to her mother, but I wouldn’t feel quite right about opening it.”

Caroline was glad her employer had some principles left. …

“Shall we put everything back?” Caroline suggested.

“Yes, we should,” Mrs. Frogerton agreed. “But I have thought of a way that we might get another look at that letter.”

They locked the desk and went downstairs to the kitchen, where Miss Smith was taking loaves of bread out of the oven and putting more in to bake. The kitchen smelled delicious.

“Would you care for a slice of bread and cheese?” Miss Smith offered. “To see you on your way?”

“Yes, please.” Mrs. Frogerton sat back down at the table. “I can’t think of anything I’d like better.”

A thick slab of yellow butter appeared on the table, and Miss Smith skillfully cut the still warm bread into substantial chunks. After she topped up the teapot, she sat down again and asked, “Have the police caught Albert yet?”

“They believe he’s still in Ireland.” Caroline managed to speak around a mouthful of the best bread she’d ever tasted. “They did arrest his brother, George.”

“George was in on it, too?” Miss Smith shook her head. “I still can’t believe it. Mary didn’t want to go to London with her brother because she was waiting for Albert to come and collect her. She trusted him absolutely.”

“I thought he was still in prison at that point?” Mrs. Frogerton murmured discreetly.

“Mary said it was all a misunderstanding engineered by her mother and that Albert did have the money to pay off his debts,” Miss Smith explained. “She went to London only when Thomas begged her to accompany them.”

“I did notice that Mr. Scutton and Mrs. Brigham appeared to be close,” Mrs. Frogerton said. “I have a son and a daughter myself, and it’s always nice to see brothers and sisters getting along.”

Caroline couldn’t quite recall Dorothy and her brother being together without a lot of arguing, but she couldn’t deny their affection for each other.

Miss Smith nodded. “Thomas and Mary were always very close, which was why she was so upset when Thomas went along with his mother about the earldom.”

“Mary did mention that she had some doubts about the validity of his claim,” Caroline said. “Did she express such doubts to you?”

“Many times. She even asked Jude for his thoughts on the matter.”

“And what did Jude think?”

“I know he was worried. I think that’s why he decided to go to London with them in the first place.” Miss Smith sighed. “He’d be alive today if he hadn’t gotten involved.”

Mrs. Frogerton sipped her tea. “One has to wonder what Mary was so worried about.”

“She wouldn’t tell me exactly what was bothering her,” Miss Smith said. “She liked her secrets, and having something to hold over her mother probably appealed to her.”

“Mayhap she told her husband,” Mrs. Frogerton mused. “Perhaps he didn’t appreciate what she had to say.”

“He was in a good humor when I saw him,” Miss Smith said. “But perhaps that was because he’d silenced her secrets for all eternity.”

Caroline shivered, and Mrs. Frogerton reached out to pat her hand.

“It’s all right, lass. Whatever Mary’s secrets were, she paid a terrible price for them.

” She turned to Miss Smith. “You mentioned Mary had left some correspondence for her mother’s attention.

Would you like us to take it to Mrs. Scutton? ”

“Yes, that would be an excellent idea.” Miss Smith stood up. “I’ll go find the letter.”

Caroline glanced at Mrs. Frogerton as their hostess went up the stairs. “I do hope you relocked that desk.”

“Of course I did.” Mrs. Frogerton wasn’t perturbed at all. “I’ve had plenty of practice.”

Miss Smith returned with the letter and set it on the table beside Mrs. Frogerton. “I did think of something when I was looking for this.”

“And what was that?”

“It was only after her marriage that Mary changed toward her mother and no longer supported Thomas’s aspirations to the peerage.”

“Was Mr. Brigham a bad influence on her, do you think?” Mrs. Frogerton asked.

“I’m not sure.” Miss Smith pursed her lips. “Perhaps she simply saw things differently when she was with him.”

“It’s a mother’s worst nightmare that her daughter will marry someone who takes her away from her family,” Mrs. Frogerton commented.

“But I can sympathize with both of them.” She put the letter in her reticule.

“We should probably be getting back to London, Caroline. Thank you so much for seeing us, Miss Smith.”

“It was a pleasure, Mrs. Frogerton, Miss Morton.” Miss Smith sighed. “I’m still not used to the quietness in this house. It used to be filled with family, and now—if the Scuttons succeed in their bid for the earldom—I’ll be all alone.”

“Perhaps Mrs. Scutton will require your company in London?”

Miss Smith shook her head. “Oh, I couldn’t live there. But she’ll sell this house, and then where will I be?”

“If such a thing comes to pass, please write to me. I would be delighted to assist you,” Mrs. Frogerton said.

“That’s very kind of you, ma’am, but you are under no obligation to help me.”

Mrs. Frogerton rose to her feet, and so did Caroline. “Miss Smith, you have been very good to us. I shall repeat my offer—if you are in need, please write to me, especially if you think of anything that might help regarding Mary.”