Page 152 of One More Christmas at the Castle
‘Ihope so, too, though some may not agree,’ I said. ‘But yes, I’ve made my mind up which will to sign and which to destroy.’
I finished my cocoa and then leaned forward towards her and said, ‘And now, dear Nancy, you can tell me whatever it is you’ve been hiding from me, which I suspect is something to do with the lost and found earrings. Andyouaccusedmeof keeping secrets!’
‘There is something I haven’t yet told you, but at the moment it’s just suspicion and conjecture on Dido’s part,’ Nancy said. ‘She had no idea what to do about it, but we agreed that I should lay the matter before you after Christmas, so as not to spoil the day.’
‘Well, you’ve done that – so now, spill the beans!’
She did, carefully presenting the facts and not drawing any conclusions, though I drew a few of my own, especially after she pulled some folded printouts from her bag and showed them to me.
‘I never got a good look at the ring,’ I said regretfully. ‘But it sounds as if Dido is sure in her own mind that it’s the same one her friend’s mother lost.’
‘Yes, though of course that could easily be proved by comparing the photographs and the hallmarks with these,’ Nancy said, indicating the papers. ‘Of course, even if itisthe same one, she may have a perfectly innocent explanation for how she came to have it.’
‘Perhaps …’ I said absently, thinking it all over. ‘What has Dido told this friend of hers?’
‘Only that she might know where the ring is now, but needed the details to be sure.’
‘Then that’s what we’ll do tomorrow. And if, as seems likely, it is the same ring, then I’m inclined to think Sophie stole it – and even more sure than before that she also took my earrings, even if she did return them later.’
‘Yes, I think you’re right,’ Nancy agreed. ‘I also suspect that poor Timothy knows she takes things.’
‘Poor Timothy nothing! If the girl is a kleptomaniac he should have at least warned us!’
‘But if she is, then that’s an illness, isn’t it? And he might have hoped she’d stopped doing it,’ Nancy said charitably. ‘But anyway, youwillbe tactful tomorrow, won’t you? And, if it’s the same ring, proceed on the lines I suggested, so that she can say she bought it somewhere, and then it can be quietly returned to the rightful owner.’
‘Tact is my middle name,’ I assured her.
‘Not that I’ve ever noticed,’ Nancy said drily.
41
Exit, Pursued by a Bear
Xan took Plum up to the top of the drive first thing next morning and, when he came in to give him his breakfast, said that the road was still solid ice, ridged, rutted and refrozen, and nothing was moving along it.
‘Not that muchwouldat this time of the morning, anyway,’ Henry pointed out, turning sausages to brown the other sides, while I took a tray of hash browns out of the oven.
‘We’re going down-market with breakfast today,’ I said. ‘Hash browns and baked beans are on the menu, but mushrooms off, since we’ve run out.’
‘I like fried bread, too,’ Xan said hopefully.
‘I’ll make you some after all the other guests have left,’ I promised. ‘But don’t blame me if your arteries immediately fur up.’
‘Plum loved wearing his new coat,’ Xan said, ‘though I still had to dry his tummy and legs.’
Plum looked up for a moment and then, as soon as his bowl hit the floor, nosedived into his breakfast.
Dom wandered in, yawning and with his dark, spiky hair standing on end, and sat on the table while I fried eggs. ThenNancy came in, too – it was starting to feel like Grand Central Station.
‘Sabine’s on her way down,’ she announced, ‘andshe knows about Sophie and the you-know-what. She was suspicious about the earrings anyway and guessed I was keeping something from her, so she made me tell her last night.’
‘Whatdoyou mean?’ demanded Dom, intrigued. ‘Tell her what? Henry, haveyoubeen keeping secrets from me?’
‘Of course – I want to retain a little mystery,’ Henry said. ‘Nancy, what’s she going to do? Did she say?’
‘No, except that she’d deal with it … tactfully, I hope. And probably today.’
‘Now I feel nervous!’ I said, sliding the eggs into a stainless-steel dish. ‘Xan, Dom – can you help Henry take these through? And Nancy, perhaps you could carry the plates of sliced ham and cheese?’
