Page 124 of Murder at Donwell Abbey

And a suggestion it would remain, since she had no intention of having a footman trailing along while she snuck into the church.

Miss Bates also came to her feet. “I’ll walk back with you, Mrs. Knightley. I should like to see how Mr. Clarke is, too.”

Drat.

She didn’t need Miss Bates as a witness, either. It seemed, however, that she might have little choice.

As Hartfield’s front door closed behind them, Miss Bates touched Emma’s arm.

“You’re not really going to call on Mr. Perry, are you? You’re going to the church to investigate what happened to Mr. Clarke.”

Startled, Emma could only stare at her. “How did you guess?”

“So, youaregoing to investigate.”

Miss Bates looked so pleased with herself that Emma didn’t have the heart to contradict her.

“You mustn’t tell Father,” she warned. “He’d have a conniption.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it. The dear man’s peace is already cut up as it is. The less he thinks about these dreadful smugglers, the better. I only wonder what we can do about it.”

Emma slowed as they approached the turning into Vicarage Lane. “We could try to get to the bottom of it.”

Miss Bates matched her pace. “I’m not sure what you mean, Mrs. Knightley. Why else would Mr. Clarke be in the churchyard at night but for smugglers? They must have been the source of those strange lights—unless it was the ghost. Although it doesn’t seem likely, I suppose one must take the ghost into consideration.”

“What ghost? I’ve not heard any reports of ghosts in the church.”

Generally speaking, Emma didn’t believe in ghosts. Highbury had always been dreadfully dull in that respect, thank goodness, with nary a whisper of some idiotic spirit making a nuisance of itself.

Miss Bates fluttered a hand. “Some in the village still think Mrs. Elton’s ghost is haunting the church. Although why her ghost would be up in the bell tower is beyond me. I’m quite sure she never set foot up there.”

Emma sighed. “I’d forgotten about that.”

After Mrs. Elton’s murder, some locals were indeed convinced that her spirit was haunting Highbury’s church. Emma had been forced to deliver stern admonitions to a number of young people regarding the foolishness of such irrational and irreligious beliefs.

“Mrs. Cole said Mr. Gilbert also saw the lights one night, some weeks ago,” added Miss Bates. “She thought nothing of it at the time, but after last night …”

Emma scoffed. “Did Mrs. Cole think that Mrs. Elton’s spirit attacked Mr. Clarke?”

Miss Bates waved to a few children as they ran past on their way to the village school. “Such dear little children. What did you say, Mrs. Knightley? Oh, the ghost. I asked Mrs. Cole why she thought it might be Mrs. Elton’s ghost. She said that perhaps Mrs. Elton had a general opposition to paying customs fees and would therefore object to having a prevention officer on church grounds.”

Emma came to a dead halt. “Did she truly say that?”

Miss Bates, who’d walked on a few steps, turned back to address her. “I’m afraid so.” Then she sighed. “Poor Mrs. Elton. I’m very sure she would be happy to pay her customs fees now, if she were only alive.”

Emma had to bite her lip to hold back a laugh. “Indeed. Miss Bates, you missed the turn into Highbury. Won’t your mother be waiting for you?”

The spinster gave her a placid smile. “Mother is probably taking a little nap by the fire right now. Patty will see to her.”

“You intended to go to the church with me all along,” Emma dryly commented.

“It wouldn’t do for you to go alone, Mrs. Knightley. Not with such dangerous men lurking about the village. Whatever would Mr. Knightley say if I abandoned you in such circumstances?”

Emma couldn’t visualize Miss Bates in an encounter with hardened smugglers. “I think Mr. Knightley would object to either of us confronting dangerous men—which I’m sure won’t happen in any event.”

“I’m sure you’re correct. Still, who knows what you might find up in the bell tower.” She shook her head. “No, I have a responsibility to Mr. WoodhouseandMr. Knightley to be present should you should need me.”

In a surprising development, it would seem that Miss Bates was taking her duties as future stepmother very seriously— something quite sweet but also quite dreadful.