Page 57 of Because I Could Not Stop for Death

Emily made a face like she felt ill. “You think that we are asking after him because we consider him a potential suitor? Nothing could be further from the truth.”

Miss Abigail blew out a seemingly relieved breath, and the single curl on her forehead fluttered into the air. “I’m quite glad to hear that. Quite glad. I would hate such nice girls like you, who love my tea so much, to be caught up with a man like him.”

“Have you seen anyone with him since he’s been staying at the inn?” I asked, speaking up for the first time.

Miss Abigail looked at me like she had just become aware I was there. It was little wonder why. Although I was wearing my very best dress and had set my hair with my mother’s single hair comb with a pearl inlay in the back, it was clear of the three of us visiting the tearoom, being a guest anywhere wasn’t something that I was used to.

After a moment of hesitation, Miss Abigail said, “He met two men here for lunch yesterday. It was during the busiest time of the day. Several large groups had stopped in the tearoom after visiting the mansion. I didn’t hear much of what they were saying, but they all appeared to be very unhappy.”

Emily sat up a little straighter. “What did you manage to hear?”

Miss Abigail’s brow wrinkled. “I don’t think I should talk out of turn about the men’s conversation. I don’t even know who the other two men were.”

“What did they look like?” Miss Lavinia asked.

It seemed that Miss Lavinia either knowingly or just out of curiosity was joining in our investigation.

“One man was older than Johnson by at least ten years, I would say. He had silver in his hair. They both were dressed nicely, but in a way that made me think they didn’t come from money. The younger man’s coat sleeve had clearly been mended a time or two. There was a tear on the right sleeve just a few inches up from the cuff that still needed fixing. The silver-haired man had a deep Southern accent. I would even say he was from Georgia by the way of his speech. The first man with the mended coat had an accent much like yours.”

Miss Abigail’s description of the two men really could have been of anyone, and in such a large city, I didn’t know how we would find either one of the mystery men. We hadn’t even found Mr.Johnson yet and we were sitting in the tearoom of his inn.

“Did you hear their names?” Emily asked.

“I’m afraid I didn’t,” the inkeeper said, shaking her head. “And when I came to refill their coffees, Mr.Johnson didn’t make introductions either. Not that I expected him to. As I already told you, he was quite a sour-faced man.” She looked at each of us in turn. “I think it would serve the three of you young ladies well to stay as far away from him as possible.”

“We won’t be able to avoid him completely,” Emily said. “My father is a congressman and is having a dinner party. Since Mr.Johnson is a constituent, he is invited.”

“Mr.Johnson is not the type who strikes me as an enjoyer of dinner parties. I would be surprised if he goes.” The innkeeper glanced at the clock on the wall. “I really must go clean the kitchen so that everything is ready for tomorrow’s breakfast service. Was there anything else you girls needed?” She discreetly set the bill for our tea on the table.

“Not at all,” Emily said.

When Miss Abigail had gone, Miss Lavinia scowled at her sister. “Are either of you finally going to tell me what’s going on? I know something is happening, and Willa is not here with us in Washington because we need the extra help. There is plenty of staff in the hotel who could assist us if need be.”

Emily and I shared a look. I shrugged. I would leave it to Emily to decide if she would tell her sister what we were up to. I would hate if this investigation became a wedge between the two sisters.

Emily set the still full and still very cold teacup onto the blue linen tablecloth. “If you really must know, we are trying to solve a murder.”

“You’re what?” Miss Lavinia shouted so loud that I would be surprised if Austin hadn’t heard her back in the Willard Hotel.

Chapter Twenty-One

Emily Elizabeth Dickinson, you have had some outrageous ideas in your time, but this one is taking it too far. Who are you to believe you can solve a murder?” Miss Lavinia folded her arms and sat back in her seat.

“Logic,” Emily said. “I have just as much intelligence as anyone at the Amherst Police Department, if not more.”

Miss Lavinia rolled her eyes. “Now, I know what this is all about.” She pointed at me. “And why you’re here. This is about your brother who was killed at the town stables. That is why you are looking for Mr.Johnson and are so curious about his whereabouts. You both think he’s the killer.”

“We have not made that determination yet,” Emily told her younger sister coolly, “but he is a suspect. There are rumors about him in the village, and you just heard the innkeeper. He’s not a very nice man to anyone. Seems to me that makes him a prime suspect for the murder.”

“Some would say Father is not nice because he is stern. Does that automatically make him a murder suspect too?” Miss Lavinia asked.

Emily rifled through her small clutch and set several coins on the table for our tea. “You know Father’s unfriendliness and being a coldhearted killer are completely different.” She stood up. “It’s time we went back to the hotel. If we did not find Mr.Johnson today, we certainly will when he comes to Father’s party in two days’ time.”

I jumped out of my seat. I was eager to leave too. It was never comfortable to be the third party of Emily and Miss Lavinia’s verbal sparring matches.

It was a short walk from the inn to the boat dock where we could travel back down the Potomac River to the city proper.

Emily and Miss Lavinia walked ahead of me while I lagged behind. It had been a lovely day, one that I never would have expected to have. My mind was full of the fine furnishings and well-designed rooms of Mount Vernon as well as the general majesty of the house. I was so grateful that I was able to see it. In all probability, I wouldn’t see another home so grand in my lifetime. But, the reason that I went there, to find out what happened to my younger brother, had not been fulfilled.

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