Chapter 30
B enedict checked his watch, wondering what was keeping Lucinda. She’d texted him to meet up outside the community theatre, though he wasn’t sure why; they had more important things to focus on, such as breaking into the university. He’d barely got away from Mrs Crawford to meet her.
The door to the theatre opened as the Punch and Judy show wrapped up, and Benedict politely held it for those leaving before the next show started.
“Thank you,” a woman said, looking back at him.
Benedict’s stomach dropped. It was Mrs Ladbrooke, the woman who’d written the bad review of the Manor. She was with her son, who was trying to pull her towards the rest of the festival.
“I was hoping I would run into you. I was going to stop by the Manor tomorrow, but we’ve been so busy,” she said, clearly embarrassed.
“Mrs Ladbrooke, I’m delighted and surprised to see you decided to give our town a second chance,” Benedict said smoothly. Part of him was still stinging from her review, wishing she’d listened to reason. Then again, without it, he and Lucinda might never have got so close. Still, he hoped she wasn’t back for another one.
“I hope you aren’t put out by the magazine. In fact, that was the very thing I wanted to talk to you about,” she said, her smile creasing the corner of her eyes.
“There is no need; your review was quite something, and given the fright you and your family suffered, I can understand your upset.”
“Yes, I was rather upset. However, I must tell you that the incident is all in the past. Ms Hawthorne wrote to me, which I have to say was a surprise. Most people who receive such reviews don’t write an apology to me. Anyway, she informed me of what happened – that it was a prank gone wrong on her part and you were merely a victim. At her behest, I thought I would return to Foxford with my family and start fresh.”
Benedict tried to conceal his smile. Only Lucinda could’ve convinced her to return when an actual siren hadn’t been able to. He couldn’t believe she had gone so far to help him and the Manor.
“Ms Hawthorne set us up at the Pumpkin Patch Inn on the edge of town,” Mrs Ladbrooke was going on. “She gave us passes for the festival, and unlimited food tokens to make up for the misunderstanding. I have to say that once again I’ve been charmed by this town. I can’t count how many times my son has taken a turn on the Ferris wheel; the last time made my husband positively green.”
“I’m relieved to hear that you and your family are enjoying your stay, and once again, I apologise for prior events. We wish for anyone who visits us to have a great time,” Benedict said, glancing down at the little boy currently stuffing his face with orange candy floss decorated with jelly spiders. “I hated the thought of anyone leaving with a sour taste in their mouth. Thank you for giving us a second chance.”
“All water under the bridge, and I look forward to writing a retraction once I get home. You’ve won us over wholeheartedly.” Mrs Ladbrooke beamed, shaking his hand.
“I look forward to reading it, as I’m sure will many others in town,” Benedict told her.
“Must be going– have to get back to the inn and make sure my husband has turned back to a normal shade,” she said, clearly delighting in her husband’s misery. With a quick goodbye, she and her son disappeared into the crowd.
Letting out a long exhalation, Benedict barely got a chance to register what had happened before he saw Lucinda walking towards him. Her smile and frenzied wave made him chuckle. He’d never thought he’d see the day where she was happy to see him. Maybe he should have written Mrs Ladbrooke a thank you letter.
She didn’t get a chance to speak before he threw his arms around her. Lost in her perfume, he didn’t want to ever let her go. He wanted to swallow her whole in his embrace and protect her from anything and anyone who would dare to threaten her loving heart.
“Benedict!” His name muffled was against his chest. “I’m suffocating.”
“Sorry,” he said, releasing her, but only a little.
“What was that for?” Lucinda demanded, staring up at him with those green eyes he could never get enough of.
“I ran into Mrs Ladbrooke,” he told her, enjoying how her cheeks turned pink. “She was leaving the theatre with her son.”
Lucinda was suddenly fascinated with the buttons on his shirt. “How lovely that she decided to come back.”
“I think it might’ve had something to do with the letter you wrote, or maybe paying for her and her family to stay at the Pumpkin Patch, or the—”
She placed a hand over his mouth, and he kissed her palm.
“Fine, I get it. And technically I didn’t pay. I just promised Michel that Grams would help his husband with his back pain free of charge,” she admitted.
“Thank you,” he said, kissing her hair. It smelled of strawberries.
“You’re welcome.” She sank into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his waist. “Sorry I was late,” she added, leaning back. “I ran into Faye on the way out. She was with Peter.”
Benedict wondered what the hell his brother was up to. It wasn’t like him to fraternise with the living. He didn’t want Lucinda reporting this back to her uncle. Grim Reapers weren’t forbidden from speaking to the living, but there was something in the way Peter had talked to Faye that made him nervous. He decided to distract her instead.
“Surprised you noticed – thought you were too busy hugging Order members.”
She swatted his arm. He didn’t want to be jealous, but when he’d looked over mid-conversation with Mrs Crawford and seen Emerson with his arms around Lucinda, he’d wished he could set him on fire.
“If I hadn’t hugged him, then I wouldn’t have this, now would I?” She produced a small brass key from her cleavage.
“What else are you hiding in there?” he asked, reaching for it. She snatched it away from him. “I can’t believe you stole from an Order member. Who are you and what have you done with Lucinda?” His shock was tinged with pride.
“Anyway, you have nothing to be jealous about. He’s moving in with Rosie. I was merely congratulating them – and borrowing this at the same time.”
“Moving in together?” he whispered, following her into the staff entrance of the theatre. No one asked for their tickets. Where the hell is she taking me?
“I don’t think we’re in any position to talk about moving too fast in a relationship.” She threw her words over her shoulder, leading him past the tiered seats in front of the stage.
“We’ve known each other since forever– it’s different!” Benedict barely got the words out before he was shushed by a family.
She held her fingers to her lips as she slipped behind the red curtain concealing the stairs to the back of the stage. In the flurry of activity backstage, they went unnoticed. Benedict watched in bewilderment as Lucinda led him to an empty prop room and pushed on a wooden statue carved into the wall. He thought she’d lost her mind for a second, but then she disappeared into a secret stone passage. He followed.
“How’d you even know there was a tunnel here?” Benedict asked, brushing a cobweb from her shoulder. The passage smelt like damp and clothing left in the wardrobe for too long, which made sense, considering that most of it was filled with old costumes and stage sets long forgotten about. He estimated they’d been walking for about fifteen minutes, but it looked like they’d reached the end now.
“I found it by accident when I was forced into compulsory theatre class in my first year at uni. I didn’t have to take part if they couldn’t find me,” Lucinda explained, pressing on a stone.
“Aren’t you just full of secrets? I’ve got to admit, I didn’t think you’d be skipping class, creeping around secret passages and stealing keys,” he marvelled as the door opened out into the university library. Light filtered in through the long, arched windows, revealing rows of old books.
“You said you didn’t want to break in. Since no locks were involved, I don’t think this counts, and I didn’t steal the key, I merely borrowed it,” Lucinda said proudly.
Benedict shook his head, torn between amusement and concern. She might technically be correct, but he didn’t want to think about what would happen if they were caught in the ancient relic section after hours with a stolen key.