Thumper’s mouth on his return from the ravine.
He sat, looking up at me with sympathetic curiosity as I sank down in the desk chair and fitted the broken-off plastic back into the torch. Suddenly it was as though Suzanne were in the room with me, striving to tell me what she must have intended to tell Mrs. Spendlow. I felt her anger and grief pour into me. If only… if only fate had not brought her to Mucklesfeld. But it had, and all I could do was unmask her killer.
I now strongly suspected who had lured her down into the ravine with the torch. If I was right as to the who, the why stared me in the face. But if I were wrong, even a subtle change in attitude toward the person in question might be enough to give the tip that the game was up. Also, I risked besmirching the good name of someone who might never be able to convincingly prove innocence of both crimes-the murder of Suzanne and the attempt on Judy’s life.
After repocketing the piece of plastic, I returned the torch to the drawer and was on my way out into the hall when, as so often seemed to happen, I nearly collided with Lord Belfrey. He did not ask what I had been doing in his study. It was apparent that he was as preoccupied as I.
“How’s Judy?” I asked.
“Doing well, apart from the ankle. Your husband and I carried her into the drawing room, where Tommy is administering the required care. What a plucky woman she is. I admire her tremendously, more so I have to admit than the other contestants, fine and likable as they are.” He hesitated and I detected a change in him, a lightening of the heart and a barely restrained joy.
“I saw her, Ellie; something drew me across the lawn. Of course I had to greet those who had come to watch, in particular, Celia-whatever my feelings toward her-but there was a summons more powerful than required politeness. Before I could fully make out her form and features, my heart knew, recognized her despite all the years gone past… those,” he smiled, “those ridiculous glasses.”
“Nora Burton,” I said, “once and always the Eleanor you saw standing on those stairs,” looking toward them, “when you came to Mucklesfeld for the day.”
“You knew?”
“The likeness to her portrait was there, despite the attempt at disguise.”
“There was no time to say more than ask her to meet me at noon tomorrow at the end of the lane leading from Witch Haven. Ellie, I’m consumed with remorse about the contestants, but whatever happens, I realize now, my mercenary plan makes a mockery of marriage. I had increasingly come to know I couldn’t go through with it-mainly because of you. Your resemblance to Eleanor was the reminder I needed that love is worth the wait, even if it takes an eternity.”
“So it is,” I said. “I was lucky meeting Ben when I did. And you still have a long life ahead of you.”
“I’ll always be grateful you turned up out of the fog that night.”
“Thank you. Will you do something for me?”
“Gladly. What is it?
“Put down your foot as master of Mucklesfeld and insist that tonight Judy sleep in one of the beds in my suite. She is going to need some looking after and must not on any account be left alone.”
14
O ne other thing,” I said, on receiving Lord Belfrey’s agreement to my request, “suggest to Eleanor that she take a good look at every pair of your cousin Celia’s shoes. I understand she has a closet full of them, most still in their boxes. Perhaps Eleanor’s already done so, but if not, I think that’s where she may find what she’s been looking for over the past few months. Shoes make good hiding places because a lot of people are squeamish about handling those that aren’t theirs. Oh, and would you kindly,” looking sadly down at Thumper, “ask Dr. Rowley if he’d be willing to return my friend here to his owners?”
“Of course. As for…”
“Eleanor will explain. I’m going upstairs now. Perhaps another of your ties for a lead…”
Once in my room I endeavored by stripping down both beds to work off the jumble of troublesome emotions the day had brought. Fortunately Alice popped her head round the door a short time later to say that she’d heard from Molly, who’d heard it from Livonia, that Judy would be rooming with me that night, and did I need a change of sheets? I was relieved that Judy had agreed to my plan, and also grateful that I wouldn’t have to further enrage Mrs. Foot by asking her to supply fresh linens. Alice obligingly fetched them for me, apologized that she hadn’t yet mended the pillowcases, and got busy helping me remake the beds. I explained that both needed doing because Judy might balk at taking the one I’d been sleeping in.
“Awful what happened to her,” Alice plumped up the final pillow, “but imagine getting shot in the chest with an arrow and not at the very least ending up in the hospital. When you think it could have been the morgue, all I can say is whoever shot that arrow should be counting their lucky stars along with Judy.”
“Yes,” I said, straightening the cubbyhole bedspread.
“I don’t want to think it was your friend Roxie Malloy…”
“Then please don’t.”
“Of course you can’t bear to think it, but there’s no getting round it that she’s had her knife into Judy from the beginning. I doubt you’ll get Livonia and Molly to admit what they’re thinking but…”
“Alice, you’ve been awfully good about helping with the beds. I do appreciate it, but…”
“You’d like me out of here.” She paused in the doorway, bundling back up the forever falling hair. “Look, you’re the only one who really knows Roxie, so who’s most likely to be right? Why not get some shut-eye before Judy is brought up? I’m going to lie down myself and think about not becoming the next Belfrey bride. According to Molly, who heard it from Livonia, who heard it from Dr. Rowley, the Master of Mucklesfeld seems likely to make his pick the old-fashioned way.”
When the door closed behind her it hit me that I was holed up, skulking from Mrs. Malloy, who needed me more than at any time in our relationship. Three words into talking to her, she would have known for sure I was acting solo on a hunch. Something I would never have done, but for her being suspected by some of deliberately shooting Judy. Until I was proved right or wrong, it seemed kinder in the long run to keep my own counsel. And the same seemed true when it came to considering my obligation to warn Judy. I did not allow myself to focus on the entirely likely possibility that the killer would not obligingly step forward as I both hoped and feared. One thing of which I was confident was that Mrs. Malloy would not pay me a visit once Judy was with me. In fact, knowing what the situation was to be, as she had surely learned by now, would explain why she had not yet marched in upon me. Astute though she is, wounded feelings mount rapidly to unreasoning huffiness with Mrs. Malloy, which interestingly was one of the things that touched me most about her.
The person who came in next was Livonia, looking radiantly pretty, despite her opening words being an expression of regret over Judy’s ordeal, followed by the information she knew would hurt, despite my need to know.
“I went with Tommy,” the name curved lovingly on her lips, “to take dear Thumper back to his owners. Mrs. Spuds gave us directions-she seems such a lovely person, those kind blue eyes and beautiful white hair. Oh, Ellie, I do wish you could keep that dear dog. He so obviously believes he belongs with you. Tommy had tears in his eyes when we talked about it. He’s wonderfully sensitive. And terribly upset about the skeleton. But how could he have known how Georges would dress it up? Or that… that I would be one of those to see it?”
“I knew you shouldn’t be cross with him.”
“Oh, dear, dear, Ellie!” She perched on the bed in the main room. “He’s so caring of my feelings. I’ve never been this happy in my life. Don’t you think he’s the dearest man and such a clever doctor? Wasn’t it amazing how quickly he diagnosed Judy’s sprained ankle?”
“He is perfect.” Her joy was so contagious, all else fled my mind for the moment. “Perfect for you. And you and Mrs. Spuds will be the best of friends, and you’ll get a couple of cats you and Tommy will both dote on and have friends, including Lord Belfrey, over for Sunday lunch and everyone will say the Rowleys are what Grimkirk should be all about.”
“His lordship confided in Tommy-isn’t it wonderful to think of them growing close?-that he isn’t going on with
