He turned to me, “Miss Darling?—”
And again to Uncle Harold, “I’ll have the bags taken back upstairs.”
He snapped his fingers at Hugh, the first footman, who was hovering in the background.The latter snagged Christopher’s and my weekender bags from the corner of the foyer, where we had dropped them earlier, and headed for the staircase.
“And now I’ll speak to Mrs.Mason,” Tidwell said and stalked towards the kitchen wing with measured steps.
“That’s you told, Darling,” Crispin said as soon as the butler was out of range.None of us dared speak until then, I assumed.I certainly didn’t.
I nodded.“Serves me right for trying to fraternize with the staff.”
“Is that what you were doing?I didn’t realize you held Mrs.Mason in such high regard.”
“I don’t,” I said.“Nothing against Mrs.Mason, of course.But you know as well as I do that I adore Tidwell.If I were going to fraternize with anyone, it would be him.”
“Naturally.”Crispin smirked.I smirked back, and only then remembered that we were standing in the middle of the foyer, surrounded by some of our nearest and dearest, who certainly wouldn’t get, or appreciate, the joke.The look Uncle Harold directed my way was fishy in the extreme, while Laetitia looked scandalized.I’m not sure whether it was my stated passion for the butler or the rapport between Crispin and myself that bothered her, although it might have been both.
I cleared my throat.“If you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll follow Tidwell.”
I didn’t wait for anyone to respond, although the silence that spread behind me, as I walked towards the green baize door to the servants’ quarters, was loud.I had no doubt whatsoever that everyone exploded into speech just as soon as the door shut behind me.
Tidwell had already madeit to the servants’ sitting room before I caught up.Shreve was nowhere to be seen today—she must be upstairs in Lady Euphemia’s chambers—but Tidwell stood in conversation with Mrs.Mason while one of the maids looked on.As I came through the door, Mrs.Mason and Tidwell moved apart, and they all turned to look at me.
“Miss Darling,” Mrs.Mason said politely after a moment.“I understand that you will be staying with us for a few more days.”
“Not by choice,” I answered.And added, “I mean… yes, Constable Daniels wants Christopher and myself to attend the inquest, whenever it takes place.And that means that Francis and Constance will be staying too, I assume.”
I glanced at Tidwell, whose face was impassive, before focusing on Mrs.Mason again.“Doctor Meadows has been murdered, in case no one told you.”
Mrs.Mason pressed her lips together, but nodded.“Tidwell just now informed me.”
“I wanted to ask about the writing paper,” I said.
Mrs.Mason looked nonplussed.“The writing paper, Miss Darling?”
“In the bedrooms.And, I suppose, in the library and study.”
“What about the writing paper?”Tidwell wanted to know.Behind him, the maid stared at me, bug-eyed.
“The constabulary received a handwritten note accusing me of killing Doctor Meadows,” I said.Coolly, I thought, although the maid gasped and slapped a hand to her chest.
An expression of irritation crossed Mrs.Mason’s face.“Don’t you have something to do, Sadie?”
Sadie looked chagrined, like she didn’t want to have to leave before she could hear the rest of the story.Nonetheless, she got to her feet.“Yes, Mrs.Mason.”
She shot me a look on her way to the door.I ignored her, and so did Mrs.Mason and Tidwell.
“What’s this about writing paper?”Mrs.Mason asked again when the door had shut behind the maid.
“As I said, the constabulary?—”
“Yes, yes.”She brushed it aside.“Do they know that it came from here?”
“I don’t think they have any idea where it came from.But I thought I’d ask, since writing paper is so easy to come by at Sutherland Hall.There’s some in every nightstand, as well as some of the common rooms.”
“In the servants’ quarters, as well,” Tidwell said, “although I assure you, Miss Darling, none of the staff would accuse you of murder.”
“Of course not.”That possibility hadn’t even crossed my mind.Perhaps it ought to have done, but I had not upset any of the servants enough that they’d do something like that, as far as I knew.
