Chapter 11 In which brooms are deployed #2
No wonder Trebellow was happy to allow his staff to assist in the dairy, if it were to help his pretty niece.
“I’m surprised you do not have others working with you.
” Judith looked at the footman (she suspected it was Kade, from his silence; it had been Kynver with the roguish glint, and Kade the serious one who had lied.)
Miss Isla stood straight. “Please don’t be angry with Kade, ma’am. He was only trying to help. I can hire a lad from the village if you prefer it.” She gave a bright smile again, but Judith was distracted by a faint note of dissonance in her voice.
“He was only trying to help?” she repeated.
Miss Isla’s creamy skin became slightly pink. “Yes, ma’am.”
Kade shuffled and looked at his feet.
Judith frowned, for the odd note had gone from the girl’s voice. Perhaps Miss Isla herself doubted the real reason for Kade’s presence. “Do you have other visitors, perhaps? Did Sgt Finlay ever come by the dairy?”
“Once or twice, ma’am,” she replied airily, confident of that attention, at least.
“Did you see the soldier on the day he died?”
The girl nodded, and her gaze darted to Kade.
“What time was that?” asked Judith. “I’m afraid that I must ask, for I am concerned that Sgt Finlay’s death was no accident.”
Miss Isla stared. “No accident? But he drowned, everybody says so.”
“I’ve been told on good authority that he could swim,” explained Judith. “Did you see him before or after the tide was in?”
The girl’s airy smile had now vanished. “Not long after noon, I think,” she said slowly. “While the tide was out. I was sweeping out the stalls when he came knocking.”
“Were you alone?”
Miss Isla hesitated. “No, Kade was helping me.” Involuntarily, her eyes shot again to the footman. His jaw tightened.
“Oh, so you both saw Sgt Finlay?”
Kade spoke at last, his voice low. “Yes, ma’am. He often popped into the dairy.”
The dairymaid looked anxiously at Kade again, opened her mouth to speak, then shut it again.
“Did he, perhaps, have some hope of your affection, Miss Trebellow?” asked Judith.
“Ah, no, ma’am,” the maid replied cautiously. “My affections are engaged elsewhere.” She blushed, and a smug look flickered across Kade’s face, quickly wiped away.
Judith looked from one to the other. “Kade, your brother told me that he saw Sgt Finlay crossing the causeway at noon towards the castle.” Which, of course, had been Kade himself. “Did you see him leave later, when the tide was coming in?”
Kade shook his head, and it was Miss Isla’s turn to stare at the floor.
“Miss Isla?” pressed Judith. “Did you see Sgt Finlay later that day?”
“No, ma’am.” It was the truth. But the girl’s hands were pressed tightly together, and she seemed determined not to look at Kade again.
Judith pursed her lips. “Did Sgt Finlay seem troubled by anything when you saw him?”
“Not troubled, no,” said Miss Isla. Then she added, “If anything, he seemed rather more cocksure than usual.” She gave a faint echo of her earlier smile, but Judith could see the doubt lurking beneath.
Kade scowled, but Judith had a hard time believing that Sgt Finlay’s arrogance had been enough to incite him to murder, when the dairymaid had declared her affections to be engaged. Yet Miss Isla was anxious. Did she know of something else that could have provoked Kade into violence?
“Cocksure?” she enquired. “Why was the sergeant cocksure on that day in particular, I wonder?”
There was a silence. Then the boy spoke up, deliberately. “Sgt Finlay did say something about sniffing out secrets in the castle, ma’am.” He paused. “He seemed very pleased with himself that day, like the cat with the canary. I think he had discovered something.”
Miss Isla went white. Judith looked between them with interest. Why was Kade suddenly volunteering this information?
His voice rang true, and yet she suspected he was creating a diversion, especially when Miss Isla looked so anxious.
Kade, however, ignored the dairymaid and stared defiantly at Judith.
“Oh?” she said. “What secrets might he have discovered? You seem to have some idea.”
“I suspect it is to do with Mrs Ulrich, ma’am.” Kade jutted his chin out. “I’ve seen her on the southern side of the island, lighting a lamp at night, down behind the castle. You may draw your own conclusions, and no doubt Sgt Finlay did too.”
The implication was obvious, but Judith was shocked.
“Mrs Ulrich guides the local smugglers in?” It was one thing to suspect the possibility, and quite another to have it confirmed.
Judith was aware of a sinking sensation of dismay.
She had started to like Mrs Ulrich, despite her prickliness, and she had thought they had come to some sort of understanding.
This disclosure, however, meant she was once more a prime suspect for Sgt Finlay’s death.
“Indeed, ma’am.” Kade pursed his lips. “You should ask her about it. But now we must keep churning, or the mixture will lose its consistency.” He gave a pointed look towards the butter kegs.
Judith felt the reproof: she was interrupting the serious work of the castle. She backed away reluctantly, closing the door behind her on the two young people, her brow heavy with consternation. Her housekeeper was aiding and abetting smugglers after all.
And Kade and Miss Isla were undoubtedly trying to hide something too.