Page 49 of Murder at Hambledon Hall
“Do you recall the last nanny who left?” I asked.
“Miss Crippen? She was a pleasant woman; quiet, well-mannered. Pretty enough, but no beauty. I believe she was one of Mr. Shepherd’s conquests. She left when he moved on to a new girl.” Shetskedin irritation.
Her openness compelled me to be open with her in return. I suspected she would appreciate my directness as much as I appreciated hers. “I met Miss Crippen’s brother this morning. He told mehewas the one I saw arguing with Esmond Shepherd on the morning of the murder. It was he who stayed at the village inn then left suddenly. Mr. Crippen isn’t a poacher. He works in a solicitor’s office here in London.”
“I’m not surprised. I never believed there was a poacher. How clever you are to have found him, Miss Fox.”
“I wasn’t looking for him. I was looking for Miss Crippen.”
“Heisa suspect, I presume?”
“Of course.”
“And did you speak to Miss Crippen?”
“No.”
“Send her my regards if you do.”
We paused our conversation while the soup course was served. Once the waiters had dispersed again, I asked her about the candlesticks. “Did you notice they went missing during our stay?”
She lowered her spoon to the bowl and frowned at me. “Missing!” She frowned harder. “Which candlesticks are you referring to?”
“The large silver ones that sat on the dining room mantelpiece. They were there one day and gone the next.”
She scooped up a spoonful of oxtail soup only to watch a few drops spill back into the bowl. “Marion must have removed them. She never liked them. She called them ugly once, but never again after she saw my reaction. I was horrified. They’re family heirlooms.”
Valuable ones, no doubt.
Lady Elizabeth seemed upset to know they were missing, so to distract her, I asked her about the legend of Henry the Eighth’s visit to Hambledon Hall. “I heard he had his eye on one of the maids, but her beau rescued her from under the king’s nose.”
Despite the salacious nature of the tale, Lady Elizabeth seemed to enjoy retelling it. If it had been a recent occurrence, she wouldn’t have wanted anyone to know about the lascivious royal’s failed attempt at seduction. That’s the thing about scandals. They grow less hurtful and more amusing with the passing of time.
“Do you know the path the lovers used still exists?” she asked.
I couldn’t believe my good fortune that she’d been the one to introduce the topic of the bridleway. “I heard Lord Kershaw recently blocked it.”
She gazed down the table at her nephew, listening to something Uncle Ronald was saying. “He has, the silly fool. I can’t think why he would bother.”
“The villagers are upset. A man named Faine is leading them in the fight to reopen it.”
“I don’t blame them for being upset. To have something taken away from you after so long… Most upsetting indeed.”
She’d shown no recognition at the mention of Mr. Faine. If she knew him, he was of no consequence to her. “You have a great understanding of village life and its challenges, Lady Elizabeth. Having lived in Cambridge and then London all my life, I can’t begin to comprehend what it was like to grow up in the countryside.”
“Oh, it was a wonderful childhood,” she said dreamily. “I had a lot of freedom to do as I pleased. I was always scraping my knees or getting leaves tangled in my hair.” She chuckled. “I loved going into the village with my mother, too. I remember how colorful everything was. The ribbons and buttons in the haberdashery, the boiled sweets in the confectionery shop. There wasn’t much need for silks and satins, but the draper would order them from London especially for my mother once a year.”
“She didn’t have her clothes made in London?”
“She preferred to purchase everything locally, to help the Morcombe traders. My parents were conscious of doing their duty in any way they could, big or small. I do think they bothlikedsupporting the village. It wasn’t a hardship.”
“They sound like good people.”
“They were. My father was strict but fair, and my mother was gentle-natured. It was my privilege to take care of them as they aged.”
“They instilled that sense of duty in you, Lady Elizabeth. I heard the villagers praise you for all the good things you’ve done over the years.”
“I like to call many of the village women my friends, so it’s a relief to know the feeling is mutual.” She chuckled again. “Otherwise it would be awkward the next time I go.”
