Page 79 of The Affairs of Ashmore Castle (Ashmore Castle #2)

‘No.’ The dark stare was like a vortex; it drew words out of you into it.

‘He was a strange man. A difficult servant, clever, but satirical. Had an odd sense of humour. And secretive. No one knew anything about him. Frankly, I’m not surprised he took off.

He wasn’t suited to country-house life. He was a town person. ’

‘That’s what you think, is it? That he just took off?’

‘I’m sure that’s it.’

Holyoak nodded massively. ‘Very well. If you think of anything else, you’ll be sure to let me know, won’t you? And now I’d like a word with Mr Richard Tallant – Speen valeted for him, didn’t he?’

‘I shall enquire whether Mr Richard is at home, and can receive you,’ Moss said, being massive himself, now he was back in his own sphere. ‘Wait here, please.’

Richard received Holyoak in the morning-room, and answered his questions, though there was little he could tell him.

‘He never mentioned any family to me. I always assumed he was a lone wolf. I’ve no idea what he did in his time off.

I suppose he had friends, but it’s not something one discusses with a servant. ’

‘Was he a good servant?’

‘Satisfactory. I wouldn’t say he was a born servant – hadn’t the attitude for it.

Too independent. But I don’t need much looking after, and I was used to soldier-servants, who don’t have the attitude either.

I imagine he just got bored with life out here.

He was a Londoner, probably missed the bright lights.

But what’s brought you out here, constable?

You’re not suspecting foul play, surely? ’

‘I received an anonymous note, suggesting that one of your footmen, William Sweeting, knew something about Edgar Speen’s disappearance, and it was my duty to follow it up. Sweeting had scratches on his hands and face, and a black eye, suggesting he’d been in a fight.’

Richard’s eyebrows rose. ‘Dear me, you can’t be thinking William beat Speen to death? He’s as soft as a blancmange. Besides, we’d have found the body – we’ve searched the whole estate, just in case Speen had had an accident and was lying hurt somewhere.’

‘Quite, sir. I didn’t say I thought anything of the sort, but it was my duty to make enquiries.

Sweeting says he got scratched falling into a ditch in the dark, and there seems no reason to think otherwise.

Unless any other information comes to light, we must assume Speen has absconded voluntarily.

’ He closed his notebook, gave Richard one more thoughtful look, and departed.

Richard did not propose to waste any more thought on his former valet, for whom he had never developed any fondness.

It did just cross his mind, though, that the moon had been almost full on Wednesday night – full moon was in fact Thursday the 5th – and it had been a clear night: he remembered there had been a sharp frost on the Thursday morning.

So it was a little odd that William said he’d fallen into a ditch in the dark.

Still, most people got flustered when the police asked them questions, and said the first thing that came into their heads.

He didn’t propose to waste any more thought on William, either.

Mrs Albertine Crane turned out to be a brown, hard little nut of a woman, the widow of a doctor of the more lowly sort, not a grand physician to the carriage class, but the kind that just made ends meet tending the needs of the less well-off, and running a free clinic for the really poor.

She was neatly dressed in clothes bought to last, and made an odd contrast with Lady Clemmie, but they were obviously old friends.

And when she talked, it seemed to make the air crackle as though with electricity. Nina was held rapt the whole time. It was interesting, she thought, that Bobby was evidently impressed, to the extent that when they gathered round afterwards with cups of tea, she was largely silent.

In fact, it was Nina who said, ‘I do think you ought to hold a public meeting, Mrs Crane, and address a larger audience.’

Mrs Crane twinkled. ‘What a splendid idea, Mrs Cowling. And indeed I should like to, but it must be when I pass this way again. I am off to London tomorrow, for some very important meetings. But I shall return.’

‘And you will stay here when you do?’ Clemmie said.

‘Thank you, I shall. Meanwhile,’ to Nina, ‘I see I have lit a spark – don’t let it go out!’

‘I won’t,’ Nina said. ‘You’ve given me so much to think about.’

The trunk was corded and labelled and sitting in the hall.

Tiger and Isaac circled it unhappily, then Tiger lay down as close to it as he could manage, while Isaac wandered about the hall as if he had lost something.

Upstairs, in his room, Giles was packing the last few items into his leather Gladstone, while Kitty watched.

‘How will you manage without a servant?’ she asked, for something to say. She wanted to hear his voice while she still could.

‘I’ve no need for a proper valet out there. I never had one before, you know, just a native servant to keep the tent tidy and wash my linen. We live very simply.’

‘But what if you get ill? Who will look after you?’

‘I shan’t get ill,’ he said. ‘And I have a good medical kit in my chest.’

‘Why do you need that, if you’re not going to get ill?’

He snapped the clasp closed and went over to her. She stood as though frozen. She seemed very pale, too. He half thought that if he touched her she would shatter like ice. ‘I’ll be all right,’ he said kindly. ‘I’ve done this before.’

She looked up at him intently, as though memorising his face. ‘You will come back?’

He tried to smile. ‘What sort of question is that? Of course I will. I’ll just be a few weeks. I have to get away, Kitty. You understand, don’t you?’

‘No,’ she said. Everything she loved was here. She had no need to go anywhere else. ‘But I know you will go. Just promise me—’

He didn’t want her to complete that sentence. There were things she might ask that he couldn’t promise. He took hold of her by the upper arms and stooped to kiss her. Her lips were eager under his. When the kiss ended, the words had stopped, and there were tears on her eyelashes.

Alice appeared in the doorway. ‘The carriage is here, Giles.’

Giles looked down at Kitty. ‘We must go down,’ he said. It was almost a question.

Kitty released herself. She looked around. ‘My hat,’ she said vaguely.

‘No,’ he said. ‘Don’t come to the station. No more goodbyes. It’s only for a few weeks, goose!’

‘A few weeks?’ Alice asked from the door. ‘Does that mean you’ll be back for Christmas?’

‘Well, perhaps not that few,’ Giles said. ‘Remember it takes a couple of weeks to get out there. And then there’s—’

‘He’ll come back when he’s ready, Alice,’ Kitty said loyally. ‘It’s not for you to question.’

Sebastian had asked Kitty if he could borrow Dory again.

They travelled separately on the train, as was proper, but Sebastian directed her into his cab from the station to Wisteria House.

‘I expect you’re wondering what task lies ahead of you,’ he said.

‘I’ve made some changes, and I’d like your opinion on the result.

And perhaps to ask you to arrange things nicely – whatever it is women do to make a house look like a home. ’

‘You mean, provide a woman’s touch?’ she asked, amused.

‘Precisely.’

‘I will, of course, do anything you like, sir, but don’t you think she’ll have her own ideas?’

‘Who?’ he said vaguely.

‘The lady you’re doing it all for,’ she said. He looked at her with one eyebrow raised. ‘You’ve lived in that house for years and been content with it. And you wouldn’t have needed to consult anyone about your own taste, would you?’

‘No, I wouldn’t. That’s logical.’

‘Then perhaps you should wait and let her do it when she comes.’

He thought a moment. ‘Well, she can change things round if she doesn’t like them. In fact, I expect she will, anyway. Don’t ladies like to rearrange everything on a regular basis?’

‘Depends what else they’ve got to do,’ she said. ‘I think it’s mostly bored ladies who have the furniture moved about.’

He smiled, and turned away to look out of the window, ending the conversation.

At Wisteria House, Dory was greeted warmly by Mrs May. ‘We’ve had so many changes since you were last here, dear,’ she said. ‘The house done up from top to toe. I’m sorry there’s a smell of paint still. I’ve done my best airing the rooms, but it does stick. Does it bother you?’

‘It’s rather nice, in a way – a clean smell.’

‘I’m glad you think so. I must have used a gallon of lavender wax but it doesn’t cover it. No Mr Crooks this time?’

‘Apparently not. I suppose Mr Sebastian’s not staying long.’

‘Oh, well, he’s always managed before. Quite an old campaigner, I always say.

What does he want you for this time, dear?

’ Dory told her. She looked blank. Then she shrugged.

‘The gentry have their funny ideas, don’t they?

Time for a cup of tea first? I hear your master has gone off to foreign parts,’ she said, when they were sitting at the kitchen table.

‘How did you know that?’ Dory asked.

‘Our rector’s a friend of your rector, and mentioned it in a letter.

And our rector’s maid is first cousin to our Olive, so she heard it from her.

A bit of a surprise, isn’t it, his lordship going off like that to dig up old bones and such, and in them nasty foreign places, all flies and dirt and disease? Whatever does he do it for?’

‘It’s not old bones, as I understand it, but vases and statues and so on, and lots of gold and jewels.’

‘Oh, well, that’s different, then. How does her ladyship like it?’