Page 67 of Because I Could Not Stop for Death

A pained expression crossed his face. “What’s wrong? I can tell that something has happened.”

“I mended your coat. I’ll go get it now.” I spun on my heels and fled back up the stairs. If only I had left the hotel a minute or two before, I would not have seen him so soon after knowing that he was involved with Mr.Johnson.

I let out a breath as I went back into the room. I did not know that he was involved with Mr.Johnson. At the same time, I didn’t know he wasn’t. I supposed asking Matthew was the only way of knowing for certain.

I found Matthew’s coat where I had hidden it in the bottom of the wardrobe and left the room again. Letting out a breath, I walked up to the bellman at the coat check. “Please check this coat under the name of Matthew Thomas. He will pick it up this evening.”

The bellman nodded and took the coat from my hands.

“What I want to know is how you got Officer Thomas’s coat?”

I spun around to find Emily standing in front of me in her ball gown.

“Emily! What are you doing here?”

“I needed a break from the table. All those men want to do is complain about politics and gossip about their colleagues. It was interesting for the first thirty minutes.” She removed her pencil from her satchel and held it in her hand. “Are you going to answer my question?”

I didn’t say anything.

“Would you be the reason that Officer Thomas was late to the dinner party? That would be interesting to know.”

“I’m not.”

“Then how did you get his coat?” She rolled the pencil back and forth in her fingers.

“He gave it to me after his walk. He had a tear on the sleeve. I promised to mend it.”

This piqued Emily interest. “On which sleeve?”

“The right.”

Understanding filled Emily’s eyes. “Was he the man who met Mr.Johnson in the tearoom at the inn?”

“I—I don’t know.”

She stopped moving the pencil. “But I can tell from your face that you are afraid that he might be.”

I dropped my head. “I am.”

“You need to come to the dinner party and observe what is going on. Officer Thomas and Mr.Johnson aren’t anywhere near each other, but since you know Officer Thomas well, you might see something that I would miss.”

“I can’t come to the dinner party.”

“Not as a guest, no, but as a servant you can.”

“How?”

A butler was hurrying by with a tray of coffees, presumably for a group waiting for their rooms to be ready.

“Excuse me.” Emily stopped him.

He smiled. “Yes, Miss Dickinson, how can I be of service?”

“I would like my maid Willa here to assist with the dinner party.”

“But miss, we have everything well in hand. We don’t need any help at all. I must tell you the waiters at the Willard are the very best in the world. I trained them myself. I wouldn’t let a subpar servant on my staff.”

“I’m sure that is true. However, it would be a great help to me personally to have Willa in the room. Her presence will steady me.”

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