Page 29 of Murder at Hambledon Hall
Mr. Faine sniffed. “The staff at both houses and the villagers protected him. They weren’t going to turn over one of their own.” He swiped up his tankard, all the while glaring at the publican. “That’s what we do in Morcombe. You wouldn’t know. You’re a newcomer.”
“I’ve lived here forty-three years!”
“Is there any documentation stating the public was granted the right to use it?” Harry asked.
“If there is, it’s probably in the house and his lordship won’t give it up.”
“What reason does Lord Kershaw give for blocking the bridleway now?” I asked.
Mr. Faine shrugged. “He doesn’t give one. He doesn’t have to discuss his plans with us. He’s the important man in the big house and we’re just lowly folk from the village. One thing I do know is, his father would never have blocked the bridleway. Now,hewas a good man.”
The publican nodded agreement. “Maybe now Shepherd’s gone it will be reopened.”
Mr. Faine had been about to take a sip of his ale but lowered it again and glared at the publican. “What’s it to do with him? It was his lordship’s decision to block it, not the gamekeeper’s. Shepherd may have worked for him, but he was on our side in here.” Mr. Faine tapped his chest.
The publican rubbed his chin. “I don’t know. I don’t want to speak ill of the dead, but Shepherd wasn’t liked by some.”
“Who?” I asked.
The publican must have realized he could cause a great deal of trouble to friends, neighbors, and customers, so he turned his back to us, pretending not to have heard my question.
Mr. Faine answered for him. “He had a reputation as a womanizer. Some husbands didn’t like him because their wives swooned in his presence.”
I couldn’t be sure, but I thought I heard the publican grunt. “If he had a reputation, why didn’t Lord Kershaw stop him?” I asked. “The actions of his staff reflect on him. He should have threatened to dismiss Mr. Shepherd if he didn’t mend his ways.”
Grunts came from both Mr. Faine and the publican this time.
Harry and I exchanged glances. “Are you suggesting Kershaw wouldn’t try to curtail his gamekeeper’s behavior?” Harry asked. “Why not?”
“Don’t know,” Mr. Faine said. “Lord Kershaw has always overlooked Shepherd’s indiscretions. So did the previous lord.”
“He died five years ago, didn’t he?” I asked, feigning ignorance.
“That he did, and his wife a few years before him.” He leaned forward and lowered his voice. “The old folk around here have a theory that Lord Kershaw’s grandfather had a liaison with Esmond Shepherd’s mother, Mabel, and Esmond’s sister Susannah was the result.” He winked at Harry.
“What happened to Susannah?” I asked.
“Died of a fever back in the fifties. She being the fourth Lord Kershaw’s daughter explains why the fifth and now the sixth have always treated the Shepherds well. There’s a strong connection between the two families.”
“What about the rest of the Wentworth family?” I asked. “How well do you know them, Mr. Faine?”
“I’ve never met the current Lady Kershaw, but I haven’t heard a bad word about her. Same with the aunt, Lady Elizabeth. She’s respected around here. She used to come into the village a lot, until old age made her unsteady. Real lively and friendly she was in her younger days. She got involved in village life, helping at the annual fair and delivering care baskets to the needy. She didn’t come into Morcombe as much when she had to take care of her elderly parents, but after they died, she resumed her duties in the village with good cheer. Shame she can’t get out much anymore,” he added wistfully.
“What about the Brownings? You must have known Mrs. Browning from before she married. Was she as respected as her brother, his lordship?”
“I never had anything to do with her. None of us did. When she was a girl, she was always accompanied by her mother or aunt. They never let her out of their sight. Then she married young and moved away. Not far, mind, but she only ever comes back to Hambledon occasionally and rarely into Morcombe. None of us really knows her, or her husband and daughter.”
Harry and I thanked Mr. Faine and the publican and rose to leave. I stopped before exiting the inn, however, and approached Mr. Faine’s booth again. “Do you know if the women of the family ever participate in the shooting parties?”
He blinked in surprise. “No, I—” He cut himself off and scratched his beard. “I remember now. I used to help out on the estate sometimes when I was younger. Mrs. Browning was allowed to join in the shooting parties. She was a good shot, even as a girl. I hear her husband doesn’t think women should participate in shooting or hunting, so he forbids her to join in now. He’s probably worried she’ll bag more birds than him.” He chuckled.
I expected Mr. Faine to connect my question to the shooting of the gamekeeper, but if he did, he didn’t point out that Mrs. Browning should be considered a suspect because of her skill.
“What do you think?” Harry asked as we walked along Morcombe’s High Street.
“I think we haven’t narrowed down our list of suspects. In fact, we’ve added one. Mr. Faine wears a gray cap. He could have been the man I saw arguing with Shepherd near the gamekeeper’s cottage. I never saw that person’s face.”
“Gray caps are common. Besides, the publican confirmed that a man wearing a gray cap left the inn in a hurry after the murder. That’s suspicious behavior.”
