Chapter Seventeen #2
“What do you plan to do about this?” Colonel Blackwood asked Selena and Dr. Scott. “We’re snowed in. And even if we weren’t, it’s not as though we could go to the constable. We have no real case. At present, this is all speculation.”
“True.” Dr. Scott glanced at Selena, who nodded in silent encouragement. “We intend to discreetly question the people we mentioned, to find out about their backgrounds and such. If one of them is here under an alias, perhaps they will let something slip.”
“An excellent plan,” the colonel replied. “I’d offer to help, but if I’m on their list, that doesn’t seem prudent.”
Dr. Scott nodded. “Leave this to Miss Taylor and me. And,” he advised, “I urge you to be alert and vigilant at all times.”
“Duly noted.” Colonel Blackwood sat up straighter and puffed out his broad chest. “But don’t worry. I spent thirty years in the Royal Army. I can take care of myself. No one is going to sneak up on me unannounced.”
“I pray you’re right,” Selena said as worry coursed through her veins. “But do be careful. And please keep this between ourselves. We don’t want anyone to get wind that we suspect them.”
Mrs. Hillman shook her head. “Believe me, I will say nothing to anyone. This Christmas party has been marred enough by two tragic and quite accidental deaths.” She stood with a scowl. “We will have to finish our game at another time, Colonel. All of this has given me a nasty headache.”
As Dr. Scott opened his mouth to speak, she cut him off by adding, “Don’t offer me something for the pain, Doctor. After what you’ve just insinuated, I may never take another drop of medicine again.”
*
“I feel bad that we gave Mrs. Hillman a headache,” Selena said moments later, when she and Dr. Scott had been left alone in the drawing room. “That’s why I’m always afraid to tell her anything.”
“I’m sorry about that, too.” Dr. Scott leaned forward in his chair. “But I’m glad to see that Colonel Blackwood, at least, took our advice to heart.”
A thought occurred to Selena, and she sighed. “This was the first time I’ve had a quiet moment with Mrs. Hillman in days. I meant to ask her if there are any dragon motifs at Darkmoor Park.”
“She probably wouldn’t have been in the mood for such a weird question, anyway,” Dr. Scott said. “Considering that she thinks us both mad.”
“Good point.”
“Next time.”
“Next time,” she agreed.
Now that it was just the two of them, Selena was suddenly aware of how close she and the doctor were sitting to each other.
His eyes sought hers, and his direct look sent sparks cascading through her.
She took a deep breath, commanding herself to focus.
There were dire matters at hand. She and Dr. Scott were partners in two investigations—a treasure hunt and a murder inquiry.
There was no time nor was this the place for romance, and in any case …
there was no future in it for either of them.
“I have a thought as to how we might proceed,” she offered quickly. “I hate to bother the servants on their day off. But the library is next door.”
He bobbed his head. “Let’s see if any members of our party are in there.”
Moments later, they entered the library to find Miss Thompson within. Selena’s pulse rattled. How fortuitous—here was one of the very people they were seeking. Seemingly unaware of their presence, Miss Thompson was pulling out books a few at a time and barely glancing at them before replacing them.
Dr. Scott cleared his throat. “Good afternoon.”
Miss Thompson jumped with a sharp gasp. She shoved the books in her hands back onto the shelf and whirled around. “Dr. Scott. Miss Taylor! How are you?”
“We are well, and here seeking a book to read,” Dr. Scott remarked.
“So am I.” Miss Thompson gave them a brief smile. “After the events of the past few days, I’m in the mood for something light to read. Perhaps a novel? Can you recommend something?”
Selena’s mind buzzed. Had Miss Thompson really been seeking a book?
Or had they caught her snooping? Whether or not the young woman was Maisie Webster, might she be interested in the hidden money—and checking to see if it had been stashed behind the books on the shelves?
“You can never go wrong with Miss Austen,” Selena told her brightly. “Have you read any of her works?”
“Only Pride and Prejudice, which I greatly enjoyed.” Miss Thompson clasped her hands. “I have longed to read another.”
“I recommend Persuasion,” Selena offered. “It’s about a second chance at love. And being shorter than many of Miss Austen’s novels, you will hopefully have time to finish it during your stay at Darkmoor Park.”
“That sounds lovely,” Miss Thompson replied. “Where would I find it?”
“I’ll show you.” Selena headed towards a bookcase across the room, with Dr. Scott and Miss Thompson following. She considered her next words, seeking a way to direct the conversation to Miss Thompson’s background. “Have you always been a great reader, Miss Thompson?”
“Not as much as I would have liked.” Miss Thompson gave a sigh. “My father frowned on novel-reading.”
“Where did you grow up?” Dr. Scott asked.
“In Hampshire,” Miss Thompson responded.
Selena took that in, intrigued. Hampshire was next door to West Sussex, where the Worthing Seaside Hotel was situated. “I recall you mentioning the other day that you were writing a letter to your brother. What does he do?”
“He …” Miss Thompson seemed to be choosing her next words carefully. “He runs a dry goods shop.”
Is that true? Selena wondered. Why had Miss Thompson hesitated, unless she was hiding something? But then, I always sense deceit everywhere. They had reached the fiction section.
“What about that book?” Miss Thompson said quickly. “Persuasion, I think you said?”
“Yes. Miss Austen’s books are on the top shelf with the As. We’ll need the ladder.”
“Allow me.” Dr. Scott began rolling the library ladder into position.
Selena contemplated her next line of questioning.
If Miss Thompson was Maisie Webster, she must have carefully plotted her revenge.
“You said you were a chambermaid and then a governess before you took a position with Mrs. Whitlock,” Selena remarked in her most casual tone. “How did that transition come about?”
Miss Thompson glanced aside and picked at her fingers.
“I … required a change. About four months ago, I was at the post office when I happened to overhear Mrs. Whitlock saying that she needed a new lady’s companion.
I’d never met the woman, but I … I drew up my courage and said I would like to apply.
She interviewed me twice at her house before she offered me the job. ”
A scenario, Selena thought, that fits perfectly if this young woman is Maisie Webster. “I’m so sorry about what happened to that unfortunate lady,” she remarked softly.
“She was not an easy woman to work for, but I’m sorry, too, that she is gone, and in such an awful way.” Miss Thompson seemed to be avoiding Selena’s gaze.
Selena wondered what the young woman was nervous about. “Will you seek a new, similar position, or go back to being a governess?”
“To be honest, I don’t know what’s next for me.”
Dr. Scott descended the ladder, carrying two gilded, brown-leather volumes. “When you learned about this Christmas party at Darkmoor Park, it must have seemed like a nice thing to look forward to.”
“It did,” Miss Thompson said ruefully. “Although Mrs. Whitlock wasn’t sure she wanted to attend.”
“Oh?” Selena was surprised by that.
“Mrs. Whitlock hated traveling. It was too far to go, she said, and the weather was sure to be horrid. But it sounded like such fun to me. Had I known what was in store, of course, I should never have encouraged her to come.”
With a grim look, Dr. Scott handed Miss Thompson the two-volume set. “Indeed.”
Miss Thompson accepted the books with a sigh. “I look forward to reading this. Thank you both. Good afternoon.”
“What do you think?” Selena quietly asked Dr. Scott, after Miss Thompson had quit the library.
“She hesitated when you asked about her brother,” he said under his breath. “And it was interesting to hear how she came to work for Mrs. Whitlock.”
“Many women find such positions by placing advertisements in the newspaper. But Maisie Webster, no doubt, would have sought a position directly with Mrs. Whitlock—exactly as she said.”
“If she’s Maisie, she put up with Mrs. Whitlock’s abysmal treatment for months, waiting for this house party—the ideal time and place to exact her revenge.”
“She seemed strangely nervous. What was she up to when we entered the room?”
“We may have just startled her,” he pointed out.
“She was searching for something.”
“A book.”
“Or the money?” Selena wondered. “Even if she’s here for revenge, finding that money would be an unexpected bonus.”
They exchanged a glance. In unison, they dashed to the shelves that Miss Thompson had been perusing when they entered and surveyed the titles. They were all books related to science, nature, and landscaping.
“Hardly light reading,” the doctor pointed out.
“It might be, though, for her,” Selena noted. “She did say she dreamt of opening a flower shop someday.”
“Perhaps, after seeing these, she changed her mind and asked for a novel.” He paused. “On the other hand, if she is Maisie, everything she said could have been a lie.”
Selena gasped. “Could Miss Thompson have written the threatening notes? And deliberately disguised her handwriting?”
He nodded slowly. “It’s possible. She would have been familiar with her employer’s handwriting. She may have deliberately made it look like the notes were from Mrs. Whitlock.”
“If so, it’s a good thing that she doesn’t know about Mr. Clarke’s last words.” Selena pursed her lips, thinking. “When Mr. Clarke said, ‘Under the dragon,’ might he have been referring to a book about a dragon?”
Dr. Scott tilted his head. “There are a number of books from antiquity and the Middle Ages that feature a dragon, but offhand, I can’t think of a single book with dragon in the title. And somehow, I can’t see Clarke giving you such a sophisticated clue.”
Selena’s brow furrowed. Oddly, he had dropped the inclusion of ‘Mister’ when referring to Mr. Clarke—almost as if they’d been previously acquainted. “How do you know what kind of clue he would have given? You’d never met Mr. Clarke until after he’d died.”
The doctor paused. “True. I could be wrong. But after hearing so many descriptions of Mr. Clarke, I almost feel as if I’ve grown to know the man.”
That made sense. “We have been thinking and talking nonstop about Mr. Clarke for the past few days,” she acknowledged.
“I think it more likely that his clue was about an object,” Dr. Scott added, “something that is blatantly recognizable as a dragon.”
“No doubt you’re right. So, we’re probably looking for a picture or a statue of a dragon.”
They searched the library but didn’t notice anything remotely dragon-like.
As they prepared to leave, Dr. Scott sighed. “We’ve checked all the rooms that Mr. Clarke was seen entering on his last afternoon. But in truth, he could have gone anywhere, inside or out.”
Selena shared his frustration. “Let’s wait until I get a chance to speak to Mrs. Hillman before we search further.”
“Good, because I’m starving. Didn’t she say there’d be cold food available all day?”
“She did. And after dinner, let’s see if we can find Miss Goodwin and Mr. Davis.”
Who may, Selena thought as they left the room, not be a betrothed couple at all, but rather, a sister and brother: Maisie and Joe Webster.