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He shrugged. “It wasn’t on my running sheet. If it ain’t on the sheet, it ain’t scheduled.”
“I told you yesterday,” Uncle Ronald growled. “You always put these things on the sheet yourself.”
Cobbit merely shrugged again, but his grip on the reins was tight. The coachman wasn’t the sort to play games. He was usually candid to the point of bluntness, rather like my uncle. With their ideologies so far apart, their characters would make it difficult to build a bridge between them.
Yet I had to try. “He can take you now,” I said to Uncle Ronald.
“It’s too late. I caught a cab there and back.”
One of the grooms emerged from the stables and Cobbit climbed down from his perch. “We’d better settle the horses before that vile machine gets back and upsets them,” he said, his gaze firmly on my uncle.
“That’s another thing,” Uncle Ronald said. “Lord Dunmere claims you argued with his mechanic.”
Cobbit’s jaw firmed. “His contraption was in the way, and he refused to move it.”
“I gave him my permission to stable it here. You know that.”
“I never agreed.”
“You don’t have to agree, Cobbit! You have to do as you’re ordered!” He pointed a finger at the coachman. “Make room for the automobile and leave the mechanic alone.”
“This ain’t fair,sir. I know my rights.”
“Do you also know I can dismiss you? And him?” He jabbed his finger in the direction of the groom.
The poor lad paled.
“And you…” He pointed at Harry. “Why are you here? You’ve been forbidden from stepping foot on my premises.”
Harry put up his hands in surrender. “We were merely investigating the murder.”
Uncle Ronald’s gaze narrowed. “You’ve been advising Cobbit, haven’t you? You saw your chance to get revenge on me and have been stoking the flames.”
“I have not,” Harry said, evenly.
“I know your type, Armitage.”
“Stop it!” I snapped. “Harry has done no such thing. In fact, he deserves your gratitude for what he did today, not these baseless accusations.”
“Cleo,” Harry said sternly. “There’s no need to tell him how I made a breakthrough in the case.”
I blew out an exasperated breath, but he was right to stop me. If my uncle knew the danger I’d been in, he would forbid me from continuing with the investigation.
Fortunately for us, Uncle Ronald turned his attention back to Cobbit. “I don’t want any more complaints from Lord Dunmere, is that clear?”
“Crystal. Sir.”
Uncle Ronald glared at him a moment longer then stormed off down the lane. He stopped halfway and turned around. “Cleopatra! Are you coming?”
It was not a good time to refuse. “See you tomorrow morning,” I whispered to Harry before hurrying after my uncle.
We didn’t speak a word on the short walk to the hotel. Frank opened the door for us but signaled with a jerk of his head that he wanted me to linger. I waited for the door to close behind my uncle before I asked Frank what he wanted to talk about.
“Is Sir Ronald upset with you?”
“He’s angry with Cobbit. Apparently, he refused to let Lord Dunmere’s mechanic stable his vehicle with the coach, then he was driving Harry and me to the Elms when he should have taken my uncle to his meeting.”
“A strike without going on strike. Gets the point across but he still gets paid. Good move, Cobbit, good move.” He eyed the door, as if considering how he could do the same.
