Page 117 of Murder at Donwell Abbey

“Ouch!” yelped William. “Mama, why did you hit me?”

“Because you’ve disgraced this family, you foolish boy! Whatever will your father say—you’ve ruined him!”

At that, Susan descended into full-blown hysterics and even Anne started to cry. Ignoring her daughters, Mrs. Cox continued to berate her son. He began to defend himself while also pleading with her not to tell his father.

The din was considerable.

Miss Bates grabbed Emma’s arm. “Mrs. Knightley, what should we do?”

“Use your smelling salts on Susan and try to calm her down.”

Emma rose and reached for Anne’s shoulder, giving her a shake. “Miss Cox, try to control yourself before the servants hear you.”

Anne’s dramatic sob ended on a prosaic hiccup, and her tragic expression transformed into a glare. “This is all your fault, Mrs. Knightley. We shall all be ruined.”

“You will be if you don’t cease acting like a henwit,” Emma ruthlessly replied.

Then she inserted herself between the brangling mother and son. Never had she thought to be in the position of protecting an impudent pup like William Cox from his own mother, but ithadbeen a very strange day.

And it wasn’t even noon yet.

“Mrs. Cox, you must let me speak with William,” Emma firmly said. “It will do no good to continue berating him.”

“He deserves a good scolding, and then a trip to the woodshed!”

“I’m a grown man, not a boy,” her son protested.

“What you are is a criminal, and I never thought to see such a day,” Mrs. Cox replied in a quavering voice.

Emma gently guided the poor woman back to her chair. “I’m sure William did think it was just a merry lark to begin with. Young men can frequently be foolish.”

Not that she’d had much experience in that regard, but William seemed typical of the breed.

“Mrs. Knightley, what are we to do?” Mrs. Cox dolefully asked.

Emma directed her attention to William. “First we will need the truth from you—all of it.”

The young man spread his arms wide. “I didn’t mean anything by it. You must believe me, Mrs. Knightley.”

“I shall if you tell me the truth. Do not forget, a man’s life is at stake.”

He blinked. “You mean Mr. Larkins.”

“Yes.”

“But everyone knows Larkins was involved with the smuggling,” Anne exclaimed. “And killed that maid, too.”

Emma narrowed her eyes on the girl. “Miss Cox, do you think that for one blessed moment you might behave like a rational person?”

Anne subsided with a sullen glare.

“Thank you. Now, William, do you know if Mr. Larkins was involved with the smugglers in any way?”

He shook his head. “I never saw him or heard tell of him. I never heard anyone else mention his name, either.”

Emma expelled a relieved breath. “You’re certain of that?”

“Yes, ma’am. I never heard anyone mention him or Donwell Abbey.”