I was also worried about Aunt Roz’s and Uncle Herbert’s reactions to the situation in general. They’re less used to hobnobbing with dead bodies and murderers than Christopher and I.
“They had to deal with the trouble at Beckwith Place in July,” Christopher reminded me as we started down the staircase to the first floor, “as well as at Sutherland Hall in late April.”
“All the more reason for them not to have to worry this time.”
“I don’t see how we can keep them from worrying,” Christopher said, “but if you have a plan, I’m all ears.”
I didn’t, more’s the pity. “We should have headed them off while we had the chance.”
“When did we have the chance?” Christopher wanted to know. “It didn’t cross my mind to ring them up until well after Cecily had died, and by then, I assumed it was already too late to catch them at home.”
I made a face. “You’re probably right about that.”
“Of course I’m right. Besides, I’m happy they’re here. Constance can use someone’s help with Francis. Someone who isn’t you or me. We’re both busy, and besides, neither of us is in Francis’s good graces at the moment.”
We clattered onto the first floor landing and rounded the corner of the staircase only to find ourselves stumbling into the Fortescues coming out of their room.
Or on a second look, it was only Lady Serena, not Bilge. If he had been there, he had either stayed behind, or headed down first. She shut the door behind her with a rather decisive click, so perhaps he was still inside and she wanted to make certain we wouldn’t bother him. As if it had even crossed my mind to do such a thing.
“Pardon me.” I skidded to a stop just before I literally ran into her.
Serena gave me a sneer worthy of Crispin, and a, “Watch where you’re going,” before she looked beyond me and graced Christopher with a warm smile. “Good afternoon, Mr. Astley.”
“Lady Serena.” Christopher managed a half-bow as he pulled himself up and did his best to look grown up and responsible.
“Are you going downstairs, by chance? Perhaps you wouldn’t mind escorting me?”
I snorted, albeit softly. But really, did she need help navigating the single flight of stairs? She was only a few years older than we were, and not expecting, so it wasn’t as if her center of gravity was upset.
Christopher, of course, said that he would be delighted. It’s all you can do in that sort of situation. Saying no would have been unforgivably rude.
I took a step towards the staircase. “I’ll leave you two to it, and run ahead.”
Christopher nodded and presented his elbow for Lady Serena to latch onto. “Tell Mum and Dad I’m on my way.”
“Of course.” I scurried down the hall towards the main staircase, and towards the voices I could hear from downstairs. Behind me, I heard Lady Serena thank Christopher for the courtesy as she latched onto his arm and they followed me, at a much more sedate pace. Just as I reached the top of the staircase, I heard her voice again, inquiring about what had been going on upstairs to prompt Constable Collins’s many comings and goings.
It sounded like a fishing expedition, a quest for information, and for a moment I considered whether I ought to stop Christopher from telling her anything. But then I reasoned that if she (or her husband) had killed Dominic Rivers, she already knew that he was dead. Telling her wouldn’t give her information she didn’t have already. And if she hadn’t known, she’d find out as soon as the mortuary van came back and theother constables started swarming. There was no point in not letting her know the bare facts, so I left Christopher with the task of explaining.
I put on a burst of speed and exited the staircase on the ground floor just as the two of them entered it on the floor above. And then I was gone, down the hallway towards the drawing room and Aunt Roslyn’s voice.
“Auntie!”
“Pippa, my dear.” She caught me in an embrace that went on longer than it would have normally done, because once she was holding me, I found myself disinclined to pulling away. I had held myself together reasonably well so far today, I believed, through finding Cecily bleeding, to being shot at, and Cecily breathing her last, and sparring with Dominic Rivers, and walking with Christopher, and then finding Rivers’s dead body… and now someone had taken some of my weight and I didn’t want to let go and have to stand on my own.
Of course I had to eventually. There were stares and murmurs all around the room, and then Christopher entered, gallantly bowing to Lady Serena as she relinquished his arm, and as he came towards us, Aunt Roz softened the arms that had held me tightly, and allowed me to ease away as she turned toward her youngest son. “Christopher.”
She gave him a quick up-and-down look, perhaps to see whether he was in the same state I was in.
“Hullo, Mother.” He leaned in and gave her a peck on the cheek before turning his eyes to the rest of the room. “Where is Father? And I see you brought Uncle Harold.”
I saw that, too, now that I took the time to look around. The Duke of Sutherland was standing on the opposite side of the room, next to his son and heir, and I got the impression that he was reading him the riot act, because Crispin’s bottom lip was protruding and he was scowling at the floor.
“What did he do now?” I wanted to know.
Aunt Roz shook her head. “Who knows? It seems to be a perpetual state with the two of them.”
“And Uncle Herbert?” I asked, since Christopher was practically twitching to have his earlier question answered.
