Robin Paige: Death at Bishops Keep

"Oh, dear heaven," Kate said, laughing. She offered a tray of tea cakes to Charles, bending so close that he caught her scent, light and sweet. "I suppose I should apologize, but the gesture meant a great deal to Mrs. Pratt." She sat down again on the sofa, and began to pour the tea into bone china cups. "I am not in the least sorry I did it, whatever impropriety others might see."

Charles spoke with a teasing gravity. "It is not merely the impropriety that has caused such consternation," he said. "It is rather the example. If the Ardleigh cook can ride in the carriage, why not the Marsden cook? And if the cook, then why not the butler, the parlor maid, the tweeny, the gardener-" He chuckled dryly. "One simply cannot tell where all this frivolous carriage-riding might lead. The commons on wheels, Newgate thrown open, the Crown toppled. It could be the American Revolution all over again!"

Kate handed him a cup. "I do indeed see the difficulty," she agreed. She was straight-faced, but her eyes danced. "I would be chagrined to think that by acting nonconformably, I might have sown the seeds of the Empire's collapse."

Charles took the cup, reflecting that a few cooks in carriages might be a good thing for the commonwealth. Perhaps a revolution was in order.

"In my opinion, it won't be carriages everyone will be riding in," Bradford declared with great seriousness, "but motorcars. That is the coming revolution. The motorcar industry will change the world, and those who are trying to hold it back will lose everything."

Eleanor frowned. "Best not let Papa hear you say that, Bradford. He'll have you horsewhipped." To Kate, she said in a deprecating tone, ' 'Papa refuses to allow poor Bradford to mention motorcars at home, so he takes his revenge by talking about nodiing else while we are out."

"Papa can go hang," Bradford said fervently. He scowled at Eleanor's wide-eyed look. "By Jove, I mean it, Ellie! And he will, too-he and all those who insist on marching into the future with their heads screwed on backward! The ones who prosper will be those who boldly drive forward."

' 'It seems that Bradford has made a great success in a certain speculation in the motorcar industry," Eleanor explained. As she took her teacup from Kate, she held out her arm to show off a new bracelet. "His pleasure has made him quite generous. But we can't tell Papa. He really wouldn't approve, even though Bradford is in the way of becoming filthy rich."

Charles looked at his friend. With Bradford's expected wealth, the burden he had borne for the past several weeks appeared to have lightened considerably. The smile he gave Kate was quite a rakish one, and his gaze was warmly and openly admiring. The thought occurred to Charles that Bradford was flirting with her, and he frowned.

"Ellie is correct," Bradford said. "The company in which I have invested has acquired not one but two French patents, either of which will make its fortune." He turned to Charles. ' 'Too bad, old man, that you did not see fit to join me in the venture."

Charles shrugged. ' 'I am a great admirer of self-propelled transport," he said, "but my admiration does not extend to speculation. I'm no gambler."

Bradford hooted. "You've spoken the truth there, my dear

Charles. Too careful by half, you are. You could have made a bundle."

"I have begun to think of acquiring my own self-propelled transport," Kate said, settling back with her tea. "It is a great nuisance to wait for Pocket to harness the horses when I would much rather go on the instant. Moreover, it is impossible to travel with any degree of privacy when I must always be driven. And it is such a dreadful waste to require a driver to sit idly and wait for me to conclude my errands." She paused thoughtfully. "Of course, the purchase will require an investment."

Charles looked at her inquisitively. Really, there was no predicting the woman. What did she have in mind now?

Eleanor's face paled. "Kate, you wouldn't!'''

Bradford leaned forward. "Self-propelled transport, that's the ticket!" he exclaimed. His ruddy face was suffused with excitement. "My dear Miss Ardleigh, I am delighted. I too am planning to purchase a motorcar."

"Oh, dear," Eleanor said faintly. "What will Papa say? Bradford, he will forbid you to drive it onto the manor! Wherever will you keep it?"

Charles chuckled, thinking of the tantrum Lord Marsden would throw if he saw Bradford driving a motorcar. "You might try hiding it in a haystack," he suggested.

Bradford scowled at Charles and sat forward on the edge of his chair. ' 'Pay no attention to them, Miss Ardleigh. May I advise you on your purchase? I have made a careful study of the available models, and I am quite prepared to-"

"Thank you," Kate said, "but I have already made other arrangements. I have consulted with Constable Laken."

"Edward Laken?" Bradford asked, taken aback. "What on earth does the man know of motorcars?"

"I have no idea," Kate replied, offering him another tea cake. "But he certainly knows about bicycles. He is teaching me to ride, and has offered advice as to which one I should buy."

Charles chuckled again, louder. No predicting, and no taming. This was one Kate who would never be conformable.

Bradford frowned. Eleanor gasped. "A bicycle! Dear, dear Kate! Consider your position in society!"

"Not a motorcar?" Bradford asked, clearly disappointed.

"No," Kate said gently. "At least, not just now. When the invention has been perfected, I may be interested."

"If you insist on going about unaccompanied," Eleanor said primly, "you might ride. I am sure that Papa would be delighted to make a horse available to you."

"Thank you," Kate said. "But I believe a bicycle to be better suited to my temperament. Moreover, a horse requires feed and care, while a bicycle needs only a little oil and doesn't sulk when it is not attended to. It shall render me marvelously mobile. I shall ride to Marsden Manor, Eleanor, to have tea with you, and to Dedham to visit the vicar."

Charles looked at her. "I rather believe you are serious," he said, feeling ridiculously pleased.

"I am most serious," Kate assured him. "I plan to invest not only in the machine, but in a new sort of costume, for I have already found how difficult it is to ride in a heavy skirt. I discovered a picture of a French cycling dress yesterday, a variation on a very sensible fashion introduced in America some years back by Mrs. Amelia Bloomer."

"Bloomers!" Eleanor made a face of mock despair. "Kate, dear Kate, whatever shall I do with you? I came to invite you once again to travel to London with me, now that you have more time, and give advice on my trousseau. But perhaps I should think better of it." She shuddered. "Bicycles and bloomers, indeed!"

"What my sister and I actually came to do, Miss Ar-dleigh," Bradford remarked, "is to compliment you upon your identification of your aunts' killer. To be frank, the whole family was amazed. Papa and I were astonished that a woman should have the perspicacity to discover such a clever murderer, while Eleanor, Patsy, and Mama were amazed that a woman should have the courage to confront her."

"And all of us," Eleanor put in, "were absolutely scandalized that a woman could bring herself to commit three murders and attempt a fourth!" She shook her head in wonder and disbelief. "The story has been told to me several times,

but I confess that I still find it hard to credit Mrs. Farns-worth-whose newspaper picture shows her to be a slight, delicate woman-with such a voracious thirst for blood! I must congratulate you for apprehending her, Kate."

Bradford frowned. "Allow me to make a slight correction, Ellie. It was not Miss Ardleigh who apprehended Mrs. Farns-worth-that would have been beyond a woman's capacity, I fear." Charles glanced at Kate, who had opened her mouth as if to object. But Bradford was continuing. ' 'It was actually her servant Mudd who captured the woman. And as I understand it, Charles and two policemen arrived at the scene and effected her arrest." He glanced at Charles. "Is that not the case, Charles?"