T Kinsey - A Quiet Life in the Country (A Lady Hardcastle Mystery Book 1)

‘Yes, ma’am,’ said Mary and made for the door.

As unobtrusively as I could, I followed her out and we walked to the kitchen together. As soon as I thought we were safely out of earshot, I said, ‘That all got a bit frosty.’

‘It had been heading that way for some time, miss, that’s why your mistress sent for you, I reckon. Wanted to get out of there. The missus don’t like being shown up, see. What with the other Mr Seddon being a little tipsy, and him and our Mr Seddon joking about, then all that talk of Mr Pickering, our Mrs S. was just about ready to knock some heads together. There’s going to be skin and hair flying when the guests have all gone, I’d put money on it.’

By now we were back in the kitchen and Mary indicated to Daniel that he was required.

‘Do they fight often?’ I asked, as I put on my hat and gloves.

Mrs Birch laughed. ‘Now “fight”, dear, that’s a tricky word. See, for a fight you needs two, and their fights is a bit one-sided. She screams and shouts and throws things and he stands there meekly and takes it.’

‘Crikey,’ I said. ‘Well, I hope we’ve not made your lives any worse by our coming. Thank you so very much for your hospitality. That was quite the most enjoyable lunch I’ve ever had.’

‘It was our pleasure, miss,’ said Langdon. ‘And I hope we have the pleasure of your company again soon.’

‘Well, Flo,’ said Lady Hardcastle as we took off our hats and gloves in the hall, ‘that was . . . bracing.’

‘An unusual experience, to be sure,’ I said.

‘Disappointing not to get anything helpful about Mr Pickering. And lunch was lacklustre.’

‘That’s a shame, my lady,’ I said with a grin. ‘Still, it does mean we’re home somewhat earlier than planned. Perhaps I should use the opportunity to try to talk to some people in the village? Fetch out those thumbscrews?’

‘A splendid notion. I rather think your first task will be to get to the Dog and Duck and speak to the landlord.’

‘Joe Arnold, my lady.’

‘“Old” Joe Arnold, yes. Talk to him and see what he’s got to say for himself. Perhaps he saw something of the fracas between Pickering and Tressle. Or perhaps even something else.’

‘Right you are, my lady.’ I was secretly warming to the idea of poking our noses into the murder. I wasn’t used to all this rusticating.

The life of a circus child was lived in cheerful chaos. When my parents gave up the performing life and returned to look after my grandmother in Wales, we lived in a riotous house of boisterous noise and endless activity. When I left home to go into service, I never once had a quiet employer. There were dinners, parties, and endless toing and froing. Lady Hardcastle was quite the worst offender, always in the middle of something tangled and dangerous. Now, though, I was beginning to find the lack of mortal danger disorientating. Perhaps sleuthing was an acceptable compromise.

‘But first I want a cup of tea; there’ll be time for thumbscrews later. And you must tell me everything you learned from the Seddons’ servants.’

I nipped through to the kitchen and found Edna and Miss Jones taking their ease at the table. They looked slightly guilty.

‘Hello, ladies,’ I said. ‘Is everything under control?’

‘Fine, thank you, Miss Armstrong,’ said Edna. ‘To be truthful with you, there i’n’t that much for us to do with only Lady Hardcastle to look after. I’ve done the cleaning and you gave a hand with the washing. Young Blodwen here has baked you a ham in case you fancy some sandwiches for your supper – you did say you probably wouldn’t be eating, didn’t you?’

‘I did, yes.’

‘So that’s us pretty much done,’ she said with a shrug.

‘In that case, I don’t see any point in your hanging about for the sake of it. Why don’t you both toddle off home? I’ll make sure Lady Hardcastle doesn’t mind.’

‘Thank you, Miss Armstrong,’ said Miss Jones. ‘Our Ma does like a bit o’ company in the afternoons.’

I thought for a moment. ‘How would it be if perhaps we made the arrangement more formal, set it so that you were expected to work only half-days? I can see what Lady Hardcastle says.’

‘So long as it’s the same wages,’ said Edna, quickly.

She put me in mind of Euphemia Gilks, who looked after the monkeys in the circus and never gave a moment of her time for free. Ask her for so much as a hand holding a rope and she’d force you into a bargain for it. It was something in the set of Edna’s eyes.

‘Of course,’ I said, remembering this was Edna not Euphemia, and I held the purse strings. ‘But it would save you sitting about here wondering what to do with yourselves.’

They both thanked me and bustled about getting their hats and coats while I put the kettle on. By the time they were ready to leave, I’d made the tea and we said our goodbyes as I carried the tea tray through to the morning room.

‘How are they getting on?’ asked Lady Hardcastle when I returned.

‘Not too badly,’ I said. ‘I think they’ve got over their initial shock at seeing you treat me like an old chum. Neither of them actually said anything, but I could tell that they thought it more appropriate for a companion than a lady’s maid.’

She laughed. ‘I always thought “companion” was a rather odd job title – a little humiliating for both sides. On the one hand you have a lady who is so friendless that she has to employ someone to keep her company, while on the other there’s a servant who is paid to pretend she likes her employer. I much prefer “lady’s maid”. More dignified.’

‘Hmm, yes, my lady.’

‘It’s been so very useful over the years at getting you below stairs for snooping and skulduggery. Like today, for instance.’

‘I suppose so,’ I said. ‘Though most of the time I’d much prefer to be upstairs in a fine gown with the nobs.’

‘Only most of the time?’

I told her about the delicious lunch, and Mrs Birch’s reason for it.

‘You got champagne, you lucky thing? I didn’t get any flipping champagne. I had to make do with an indifferent white burgundy.’

I went on to describe the servants’ general contempt for their employers and Mrs Seddon’s stern ruling of the Seddon roost.

‘I definitely got the impression that he’s slightly in awe of her,’ said Lady Hardcastle. ‘She has a taste for the more expensive things in life, too, I noticed, white burgundies notwithstanding.’

‘Not perhaps the most elegant or refined things, though,’ I added.

‘Oh, Flo, you snob,’ she laughed. ‘But yes, you’re right. Opulence without elegance seems to be her motto. I’m glad to know the “shop girl” history, though. Her accent is atrocious.’

‘Who’s the snob now, my lady?’ I said.

‘ Touché .’

‘What happened before I arrived?’

‘Nothing of note. They twittered on about people they knew, dropping names and titles at such a pace that even I couldn’t keep up. As soon as I mentioned Pickering’s death, the whole mood of the table changed. Mrs Seddon feigned an air of delicately swooning propriety, but it sounded to me as if she wanted to avert a scandal.’

‘She does seem the type that wouldn’t want that sort of attention. Not quite the elegant sophistication she aspires to.’

‘Not at all,’ she said. ‘To be fair, I don’t think any of them wanted the firm to be dragged into a murder investigation. Understandable, I suppose. Reputation is everything in the business world.’

We drank our tea together in the morning room and it was with some reluctance that we left the table, with me still feeling far too full from lunch. But we hauled ourselves up, put hats and gloves back on and walked the half-mile into the village together. I left Lady Hardcastle to call upon Constable Hancock in search of new developments, while I made my way round the green to the village inn.