Page 19 of The Mistress of Ashmore Castle (Ashmore Castle #3)

‘Not come across that one.’

‘We have it in the library. Anyway, it’s a joke, really, but it’s true all the same. You wouldn’t eat an animal with a name. Like Dolly – you wouldn’t eat Dolly.’

‘Dogs aren’t good eating. D’you want to see the rabbits, then?’

‘Yes, please.’

‘I got a barn owl, too. Young one. Hurt its wing. Been feeding it on mice.’ He smiled at her. ‘Never gave them names, so you don’t need to worry.’

She fell in beside him. ‘You think I’m silly.’

‘No. I think you’re female. Females think differently about things. That’s all right. That’s the way the world wags.’

After the rabbits and the owl, she went to see Della and Cobnut, and was entranced to find one of the cats, the tortoiseshell, couched on Della’s broad rump, white paw tips folded in, dozing.

‘She doesn’t mind,’ Alice marvelled.

‘Horses like cats. They know they keep the mice away,’ Axe said. ‘Always have a few cats around stables. Same as spiders. Never clear away spider webs from stables.’

‘Because they catch the flies that would bother the horses?’

He nodded. ‘’Sides, if you cut yourself, you c’n clap a handful of spider web on it, and it won’t go bad.’

‘Is that true?’

He nodded again. ‘Got something in it, spider web, that kills off germs.’

‘I never knew that.’ She was straightening Della’s forelock between her ears and combing it flat with her fingers. Della’s eyes were closed, her lip trembling with her half-asleep breathing. ‘It’s very fair, her mane. If she were a human, she’d be a beautiful blonde lady.’

He was amused by her fantasy. ‘What’d Biscuit be, then?’

She considered. ‘A grocer’s assistant. A little stout man in an overall coat, with a pencil behind his ear.’

He laughed. ‘You do say some things, Lady Alice! Want a cup of tea? I was just going to brew up.’

‘Yes, please. But not “Lady Alice”. Not here.’

‘It’s what you are,’ he said, meeting her eyes. The enigmatic smile was there, but it didn’t touch his eyes. She felt a little thrill of something, like danger.

‘I don’t want to be.’

‘Can’t escape from what you are,’ he said, and turned away. She followed him. What did he mean? Was it a warning? She wasn’t sure she liked it.

In the cottage, she sat at the table and watched him while he moved about making the tea, laying the table, fetching down the biscuit tin, filling the milk jug.

She loved to watch him – whatever he was doing, his every movement was spare and perfect, no fuss or bustle, just things getting done as smoothly and without effort as a fish swims.

‘Heard there’s trouble up at the Castle,’ he said, bringing the teapot to the table and sitting down opposite her.

‘Oh, you mean William – our footman?’

‘’S right. You can be mother.’ She wrinkled her nose at the expression. ‘Let it mash a bit first.’

‘I know. There’s biscuits?’

‘Shortbread. Our Esther made it for me.’

‘I love shortbread. How do you know about William?’

‘Everybody’s talking about it.’ He looked at her seriously. ‘Murder’s a hanging matter, you know.’

‘Oh, but he didn’t do it. And the law would never hang an innocent man.’

‘Don’t you be so sure.’

She was perplexed. ‘Richard was talking about it. William’s so silly – he won’t say where he really went.

And because he was out that night, and won’t say, the police think it must have been him that killed Speen.

Why won’t he say? Richard says, whatever he was doing, it can’t be worth hanging for. ’

‘You just said the law won’t hang an innocent man.’

But she was worried now. ‘I know, but – well, you think it might.’

‘Tea’s fit to pour now.’ While she was thus occupied, he said, ‘There’s a female, lives down Warner’s Rents.’

‘Those cottages in Ashmore Carr?’

‘Name of Tabby Mattock. Used to be barmaid at the Dog and Gun.’

‘What about her?’

‘She had a baby, back in Feb’ry. A boy. Her ma talked to rector last Sunday, asking about baptism. That’s how I heard about it. She’s living with her ma.’

‘Oh, is her husband dead?’

‘She’s not married.’

Alice looked up at that, and blushed slightly. ‘Oh.’

‘Was supposed to be marrying your footman, William, but he called it off.’

Now she looked indignant. ‘Did he? After getting her in the family way? How horrid! I would never have thought it of him. Perhaps he’s not as nice as he seems.’

‘’Twasn’t him as got her that way.’ He looked at her steadily.

‘I wouldn’t normally talk about this sort of thing to a lady, it’s not seemly.

But a man’s life’s at stake. So you should tell your brother, like – Mr Richard – to talk to Tabby Mattock.

Cos according to what I heard, it was her as William went to see that night.

That was the very night he broke it off.

And that’s all I’m saying. Have a bit of shortbread. ’

She took a piece absently and nibbled it, thinking. At last she said, ‘But why wouldn’t she tell the police that? She must know he’s been arrested.’

‘I can’t answer for other folk. Maybe she’s got her reasons.’

‘Then why don’t you tell the police?’

‘They wouldn’t listen to me. No, it’d come better from your brother. If there’s anything in it.’

She shook her head. ‘It all seems very rum to me.’

‘People are rum,’ he said. ‘There’s nothing queerer than folk. Unless it’s cows.’

‘Cows?’ She was startled out of her thoughts.

‘Mysterious animals, cows. Horses, now, they’re straightforward, you always know what a horse is thinking. But cows . . . They live in another world.’

She stared a moment, then laughed. ‘You’re teasing me again.’

‘Not a bit,’ he said, smiling. ‘Maybe they come from another planet. Think Mr Wells’d like to write a story about cows?’

‘Animals all do strange things in Through the Looking-Glass . I think you’d like it. I’ll bring it next time I come.’

‘So there’ll be a next time, then?’ he said, offhand, looking at the level in the teapot.

‘If that’s all right,’ she said politely.

He didn’t answer directly, but he smiled as he topped up her cup. ‘When you’ve finished your tea, d’you want to come up the top end with me and Della? We’ve got a tree to fetch out.’

‘I’d love to,’ she said.

Richard frowned. ‘Who told you all this?’

‘Axe Brandom,’ said Alice.

‘The blacksmith?’

‘He’s our woodsman now.’

‘Oh, yes, I’d forgotten.’

‘You know him – you know he wouldn’t make it up.’

‘How did you come to be speaking to him?’

‘I met him when I was out driving,’ Alice said. Well, that was the truth, wasn’t it?

‘And where did he hear it?’

‘He heard Tabby’s mother talking about her at church.’ Well, that was also the truth, if not all of it. Alice surveyed her brother’s face anxiously. ‘What will you do? Will you tell the police?’

‘It could just be gossip,’ Richard said.

‘I don’t know this Tabby woman. I don’t want to stir up trouble for her if she’s respectable – though everyone must know by now that William’s been arrested, so why wouldn’t she come forward to clear him, if she could?

Hmm. I think I’d better talk to her first, before saying anything to the police.

And you won’t say anything either,’ he added sternly to Alice. ‘Not to anyone.’

‘Of course not. But you do think William’s innocent, don’t you?’

‘I really hope he is.’