Herald Of Death

If he hadn’t been so vehement in his disgust, Cecily would have smiled at the rather apt description of her seamstress.

“Still, she’s very good at handling the dogs. Caroline is quite the fanatic when it comes to her animals. She can’t bear to see them in pain. It’s almost as if she feels their agony herself.”

He gazed at the corner with a soulful expression, as if he missed the dog. “Yes, indeed. Rex will be well taken care of there. Funny thing about dogs. Old Thomas was cruel in his treatment of Rex, but Caroline told me the dog refused to leave the old man’s side when he died. Just sat there and howled. Sad, really.”

Cecily’s throat closed up, forcing her to cough. For a moment she fought to get her breath while Lester Salt watched her in concern.

“Would you like a cup of tea?” he asked, dragging a handkerchief out of his pocket to offer her.

She shook her head. “Thank you,” she said hoarsely. “It’s just a tickle in my throat.” She glanced at the door, wishing Nathan would get there with the slippers.

“Well, if you’re sure.” Lester leaned back. “I don’t suppose you have any news of the Christmas Angel? I would dearly love to see the brute who killed dear Thomas brought to justice and punished.”

Cecily swallowed hard. “No news yet, but we are getting close.”

“Oh? You have a suspect?”

“Perhaps.” She shifted on her chair, uncomfortable with the intense look on his face.

“Is it someone in the village?”

“I can’t be sure at this point, but I hope to bring the case to a close very soon.” To her relief, Nathan appeared just then, his arms clutching what looked like dozens of slippers.

Cecily pretended to study the styles, then hurriedly picked out the pairs she thought would fit and gave them to Nathan to wrap. After paying for her purchases, she bid a hasty farewell to a confused Lester Salt and walked briskly over to the carriage.

Samuel just about leapt on her as she approached. “I was worried,” he said, as he helped her into the carriage. “You were gone so long.”

She dumped her packages onto the seat. “We have a change of plan, Samuel. Take me to Mrs. Prestwick’s house and please hurry.”

Samuel’s face creased in worry. “You found out Lester Salt is the Christmas Angel.”

“Not exactly. I will explain once we get to Mrs. Prestwick’s house. Hurry, Samuel. We don’t have much time.”

“Yes, m’m.”

Samuel hurriedly slammed the door shut before she was properly settled. Her thoughts in a turmoil, she leaned back, her mind working feverishly. How could she have missed it? It was right there in front of her all the time.

There was only one way to resolve this. It would mean putting them all in danger, but if her plan worked out, it should all be well in the end.

Now all she needed was for Madeline to help her. It would be asking a lot of her friend, but with everything that was at stake, she was sure Madeline would agree.

“Where did you go?” Pansy demanded when Gertie dashed into the dining room. “Mrs. Chubb will have a fit if we don’t get all these dishes down to the kitchen. We won’t have time to get them washed and dried in time for the next meal at this rate.”

“Sorry. I had to talk to Clive for a moment.”

Pansy immediately brightened. “What for?”

“Never you mind.”

“Did you give him the wicks last night?”

“Yes,” Gertie said, as she hauled the pile of tablecloths into a basket. “I gave them to him.”

Pansy waited in vain for the rest of the story. When Gertie didn’t elaborate, she prompted her with an impatient, “Well?”

“Well, what?”

“And?”

“And, what?” Gertie nodded at the cupboard. “We need those serviettes, too.”

Frustrated, Pansy pulled the serviettes down from the shelf. “Didn’t he say anything?”

“Who?”

Now she was getting annoyed. “You know who. Clive.”

“Oh, him. Yeah. He said thank you.”

Pansy uttered a sigh of exasperation. “Is that all?”

Gertie frowned. “What was he supposed to say?”

Throwing caution to the wind, Pansy flung the serviettes in the basket. “Don’t you even know he likes you?”

Gertie picked up the basket and settled it on her hip. “Yeah, I know. I like him, too. So bloody what?”

“No, I mean like you. Like he’s in love with you.”

Gertie uttered a scornful laugh. “You’ve got your head too bloody full of Samuel, that’s what. Clive and I are just friends, that’s all. That’s all we want to be, so don’t go thinking there’s anything else to it, all right?”

She barged out of the room, shoving the door open with her elbow. Pansy followed, shaking her head. She knew Gertie. She knew all that blustering was to cover up what she was truly feeling and thinking.

It was going to take a lot longer than she’d thought to get those two together, but if Gertie thought she was going to give up this easily, then her friend was mistaken. Clive and Gertie were perfect for each other, and if it took Pansy Watson to prove it to them, then so be it.

Someday she would think of the right plan. A foolproof plan. Maybe she’d ask Samuel to help her. The thought brightened her considerably, and her step was light as she made her way back to the kitchen.

Cecily was relieved to find Madeline alone with her baby when she and Samuel arrived there. The doctor, it seemed, was on his rounds.

“He won’t be home until suppertime,” Madeline said, laying Angelina down in her cot. “I’m putting a joint of roast beef in the oven. That man has a voracious appetite for someone so slender.”

Cecily offered the baby her thumb, and smiled when Angelina grasped it with tiny fingers. “Kevin works a long day.”

“Yes, he does.” Madeline walked over to the settee and sat down.

Cecily sat down next to her, and beckoned Samuel to take one of the armchairs. “I’m glad he’s not here. There’s something I need to talk to you about and…”

“It’s something he shouldn’t hear.”

Cecily sighed. “I know he doesn’t believe in your powers, or agree with your methods of healing. It must be so hard to keep such an important part of your life separate from him.”

Madeline tilted her head on one side. “You came here to talk about my husband?”

“No, of course not.” Cecily hesitated, then added, “It was the way he looked at you when you left the other night. After you told us that Colonel Fortescue was in the woods. I worried there might be repercussions from that.”

Madeline smiled. “No, Kevin didn’t say a word. Would it have made a difference if he had?”

“Perhaps. I sometimes feel that I cause contention between the two of you by relying on your powers so much.”

“Oh, bosh!” Madeline flapped a hand at her. “Kevin knew about my interest in healing herbs and potions long before he asked me to marry him. We may not always see eye to eye on matters of medicine, but it’s not a huge conflict between us.”

“But what about… you know… the trances and other things like that?”

Madeline pursed her lips. “Ah well, the less he knows about that, the better. So far he has seen only glimpses of what I can do, and that’s the way I hope to keep it.”

“Well, I certainly shan’t enlighten him.” Cecily stretched out her feet and studied her boots.

“Is that what you want from me now? I told you I can’t see much beyond the darkness when I try to see the Christmas Angel.”