Page 86 of Lies in Little Sutherland
Crispin’s eyebrow rose.“Is there a particular reason I might not be allowed to leave?”
“None that I know of,” Tom said, which didn’t really answer the question.And Crispin must have realized it, although he didn’t pursue the subject any further.He did catch my eye for just a second, though.
“On that note,” I told Christopher, “let’s go, if you’re seeing me up.”
“We’ll all go,” Francis said, and got to his feet.“Up you come, Connie.”
He extended a hand to his fiancée, who allowed herself to be assisted to her feet.Crispin offered his elbow to Laetitia, who latched on with a clear look of ownership, and we headed for the door, with Tom bringing up the rear.
The Marsdens and Uncle Harold called it a night at the same time—it was hard to say whether it was because of our discussion, or whether they had simply finished their game at the same time we were leaving—but the three older adults headed up the main staircase while Geoffrey attached himself to our party as we made our way down through the west wing.Behind me, I could hear Geoffrey making inquiries of Tom as to what was going on, and Tom repeating the advice about keeping the bedchamber door locked overnight due to the recent murder on the premises.
Geoffrey blanched, I saw, when I glanced over my shoulder as we entered the staircase.
The servants’ stairs are narrow, so we had to proceed up two by two.Christopher and I went first, followed by Francis and Constance, then Crispin and Laetitia, and finally the two unattached gentlemen.
Had there been any justice in the world, of course Tom would have been escorting Christopher—I’m certain Christopher would have liked that—but that would have left me prey to Geoffrey, so it was just as well that he didn’t.Besides, I was equally sure that once we got upstairs, Christopher would deposit me in my room, wait for the door to close, and then Tom would find an excuse for walking my two cousins and Crispin to the other wing.
And right on schedule?—
“I’ll see the three of you to the other side of the Hall,” Tom told Christopher—and by extension, Francis and Crispin—as the three of them saw their various charges to their various bedroom doors.Geoffrey hesitated in his for a moment, but ended up going inside without a word to anyone.He hadn’t even looked at me.We heard the key turn in the lock and then the scrape as it was removed to, I presumed, a safer spot on the bedside table.
Tom nodded approvingly.“Make certain you all do that.”
I fully intended to.I also planned to wedge a chair under the handle, to ensure that no one could break the door down and come in.Or not without making a lot of noise, at any rate.
But first— “We’ll have to visit the facilities before bed, you know.”
“We can wait,” Christopher offered dutifully.
I shook my head.“Don’t be silly, Christopher.If anyone accosts me in the next five minutes, I’ll scream loudly enough that you’ll hear me, even on the other side of the Hall.”
He looked doubtful, and I added, “Besides, whoever is doing this seems to have set me up as scapegoat, haven’t they?They aren’t likely to kill me.”
Unless my death was set up as a suicide, of course, wherein I ostensibly killed myself and left a convenient note taking the blame for it all, the way Aunt Charlotte had done.
Or not done, as the case may be.
“I have no plans of committing suicide,” I announced, preemptively.“If I’m discovered dead in the morning, with a note taking responsibility for all the murders, know that I didn’t do it.”
Christopher snorted.“As if I would ever believe something like that.”
“Nor would I,” Francis added, and Constance nodded.
“We’ll avenge you, Pippa.”
“Hopefully that won’t be necessary,” I said, “but thank you.”
“Would you like me to fetch you something from the gunroom?”Crispin wanted to know, solicitously, and I rolled my eyes.
“No, St George.I’m not worried.”
Christopher nodded.“Very well, then.Good night, Pippa.See that you survive until morning.”
I promised I would do, and then I watched the four men wander down the hall toward the central wing.
“If you’d like to use the loo first,” I told Constance, “I’ll stand guard.”
She nodded.“I’ll just fetch my sponge bag.”
