Ashes of Roses

by Melissa R. L. Simonin

  “Other than describing their current activities, I’m afraid I don’t have the answer to that,” Miles replied quietly, as we watched Sir Edmund lean closer to Ashley as he spoke, and she laughed as if absolutely everything was fine between them!

  “Well I’m flummoxed,” I declared. “Something is not as it seems, because otherwise, this just doesn’t make sense, at all!”

  “Smile, we’ve been spotted,” Miles said, as he waved back at those two.

  “Would that be the same as lying?” I asked grumpily.

  “I honestly don’t know, and that’s the truth,” he said, which made me laugh a little.

  “Very well then, I shall assume a pleasant expression, and save my outrage for another time,” I said, as the world around me, shimmered.

  “So long as I do not find myself the recipient of—no, bad timing, super cool, neato, awesome, Anika, stop!”

  The world no longer shimmered.

  “What?” I frowned a little. “I thought we were going to go with it, and see what happened.”

  “Not if real-time is involved, and I think it is,” Miles replied, then smiled as Ashley and Sir Edmund reached the foot of the stairs. They were definitely closer than they were before, and by that, I mean in proximity to us.

  “There you are!” Sir Edmund smiled. “We wondered where you got off to. Much longer, and we would’ve decided you packed up during the night, and returned home.”

  “Well, we… didn’t pack,” I said, and they both laughed, as if what I said was funny.

  Wouldn’t that change in a hurry, if they knew the truth! Although, a super cool transporter dog was more exciting, than terrifying. As long as one had advance notice of travel.

  “Anika and I were enjoying a walk in the rose garden,” Miles said.

  “They are lovely, aren’t they?” Ashley remarked, as she surveyed the colorful array with satisfaction. “You’ll not find such blossoms anywhere else on the Isle, this time of year.”

  “It’s our understanding that the manor’s surrounding landscape protects somewhat, from the cold,” Miles commented.

  “It does, at that,” Sir Edmund replied.

  “How is the Countess, this morning?” I asked politely.

  “I frankly haven’t a clue,” Sir Edmund chuckled a bit ruefully, as he and Ashley shared a glance. She appeared, of all things, to be sympathetic.

  If this didn’t start making sense soon, my brain might snap.

  “How are you, Ashley?” I asked.

  “I’m quite well, thank you,” she replied.

  Or perhaps I should say, lied.

  Of course she wasn’t alright! No matter how badly she wanted to believe it.

  Miles squeezed my hand, and I resigned myself to leaving further interrogation for later. We were at the manor as the Carlisles’ guests, and for better or worse, he and Miles were distantly related. They had yet to form a relationship, or even a conversation, but at last the opportunity was presenting itself. Much as I wanted to light into Edmund, and talk sense into Ashley, now wasn’t the time.

  “I trust the accommodations are to your liking?” Sir Edmund inquired companionably, as he and Ashley led the way back through the rose garden.

  “We’ve found it to be more than adequate in meeting our needs,” Miles replied.

  “That’s the truth,” I said. “We even have room to spare. A room.”

  “Yes, that,” Sir Edmund chuckled, as did Ashley. “There was a bit of a snag, and all room assignments required a move to the opposite wing.”

  “That’s too bad,” I said. “Why is that?”

  “These old houses, you know,” Edmund replied. “It’s always a race to keep up with repairs. I suppose you know that all too well, yourselves. Ashley showed me the photos online. What a job that must be!”

  “It’s really not all that difficult,” Miles said. “The estate has rarely been without a dedicated caretaker. The practice has been to anticipate and maintain, rather than wait until it becomes necessary to repair.”

  “Really, now!” Sir Edmund replied. “And this works for you, you say?”

  “It works great,” I said. “When I became caretaker after the estate was left without one for several years, the only real repair work to be done, was to fix the leak in the roof of the guest house. And, replace the cellar doors.”

  “Clean-up of the interior and grounds required months to complete, but that was merely cosmetic,” Miles added. “Anika did a wonderful job overseeing the work.”

  “Your wife was caretaker,” Sir Edmund said in surprise.

  “That’s right,” Miles answered. “She was responsible for putting the estate in order, while I recovered from the injuries that left me hospitalized for some time.”

  “I had no idea,” Sir Edmund said. He seemed kind of stunned.

  “Well… I’m sure there’s a lot you don’t know about us,” I pointed out. Because that was the truth!

  “Yes, of course, and I do look forward to changing that,” Sir Edmund replied.

  “Edmund hasn’t had opportunity to acquaint himself with your Foundation’s website, and the many articles online,” Ashley interjected. “He’s a bit of a blank slate, I’m afraid.”

  “Something I hope to correct, straightaway,” Sir Edmund declared. “Would you care for a walk about the gardens?”

  “That was our plan,” Miles answered.

  “Wonderful,” Sir Edmund replied with satisfaction, as we reached the end of the roses. We followed the path past the house, in the direction of the maze. “I don’t doubt the benefits of maintenance, but however do you manage it, with a property of that size?”

  “We don’t do it alone,” Miles said.

  “We have a rolling schedule of routine inspections, and a great relationship with the companies that work for us,” I added. “Many of those companies are ours, actually.”

  “Ah yes, I do recall Monsieur Delacroix saying you’ve a great deal of success in business,” Sir Edmund remembered.

  “Yes, we have,” Miles acknowledged.

  “I suppose then, there’s the answer,” Sir Edmund said. “I’m afraid the Carlisle line lost the Bannerman business sense along the way, and took up investing, instead. It does seem as if one knew what they were about, there’d be a greater likelihood of success. A bit more control, I should say.”

  “That is the prevailing opinion of myself, and my family before me,” Miles answered. “The one investment we routinely make, is in the people who work for us. We’ve rarely been let down.”

  “Not by any of the employees we’ve hired ourselves, since you became trustee,” I reminded him.

  “You’re right, of course,” Miles said. “It was necessary that we replace the accountant, who spent the previous several years falsifying records and embezzling funds. I’m thankful he didn’t succeed in causing more damage than he did.”

  “He thought you were too young, and impaired by the injuries you were recovering from, to trust your own judgment over the stories he concocted,” I added. “Did he ever find out differently! But it was my successor, I was referring to.”

  “Your estate suffered damages, then?” Sir Edmund inquired.

  “There was some theft involved, but thanks to a miracle, he was thwarted in his efforts to stage our murder/suicide in his attempt to gain control of the estate,” Miles said.

  “You would’ve seen through him, I’m sure you would, if only you ever met him before that night,” I added. “We did figure out he meant us harm despite that, and the police and sheriff were already looking for him, when he got past security and into my apartment.”

  “Still mostly a blank slate!” Sir Edmund exclaimed, as he stared at us in astonishment.

  “It truly was a miracle,” Ashley said earnestly. “Was it ever determined how he came to be imbedded in the wall? I shouldn’t think being shot would carry such force. It was an ordinary handgun, was it not?”

  “I say, this is rather torturous!” Sir Edmund
complained. “I should like to have spent yesterday afternoon educating myself as Ash did, and not for the first time. Someone, please explain!”

  “Where shall we begin?” Miles half-laughed.

  “The beginning, of course,” Sir Edmund replied.

  “Which one?” I countered. “There are so many.”

  “Any further delay, and I shall decide your goal is to drive me positively mad,” Sir Edmund warned. “Begin at the beginning, your beginning. I fear otherwise, I shall miss something significant, you do seem to have led a rather exciting life so far.”

  He had no idea.

  “A walk around the gardens won’t take long enough to even scratch the surface,” I answered quite truthfully. “What do you think, dear? Shall we start with George Frank?”

  “If you don’t mind telling it,” Miles said. “I’m still missing most of those memories.”

  “Of course,” I replied.

  It was easy enough for me to talk about Second-Miles’ life without lying. After all, we were the only ones who referred to him in that way. To everyone else, he was Miles. So, that’s what I called him, when I told about George Frank’s and Alfred Sullivan’s plan to eliminate him and his parents, and usurp the inheritance. Once I reached the point when my Miles awoke in the hospital, he joined in. We did a good deal of condensing, along with the usual editing, which resulted in a brief rundown. It still took time to tell, and Sir Edmund seemed unable to walk and listen simultaneously, so we weren’t much past the house by the time we finished. Instead, we were seated on two curved benches near the large, five tiered fountain, surrounded by a brief circle of lawn, and flower beds brimming with blooming bulbs. The scent of hyacinths filled the air, reminding me of Grampa Thompson, and his garden. As we spoke, the sun successfully chased away the chill and replaced it with warmth. Its rays felt wonderful on my shoulders. If we weren’t the ones doing all the talking for the past hour, it might just soothe me to sleep.

  “I suppose then, there are drawbacks to success, after all,” Sir Edmund said in amazement. “I am terribly sorry for your loss, and relieved to hear those guilty, are no longer free to do further harm. I must say, after all that, I’m surprised you were willing to take a chance on us. One could hardly blame you if you fortified your estate, put in a moat, added crocodiles, and refused to leave, ever again.”

  “Don’t think we haven’t been tempted at times,” Miles admitted. “However, Anika and I feel strongly that we’ve been blessed as we have for a reason, and it isn’t so we can live out our lives in luxury and isolation. Our experiences did leave us with a heightened sense of awareness, and we do practice caution. After receiving your invitation, we did our research, with the help of Anika’s sister.”

  “I’m glad to know we passed scrutiny,” Sir Edmund said. “I was quite thrilled to hear of the family connection. If there is any other, I’m unaware of it.”

  “How much looking have you done?” I wondered.

  “We’ve only just begun,” Ashley answered. “We struck several blank walls on the Carlisle side, but then I discovered the Foundation’s website.”

  “What a feeling, to be the conduit through which so much good is accomplished,” Edmund remarked. “It’s paltry by comparison, but my favorite happening of the year is the charity ball, and that has nothing to do with attending.”

  “The emotional reward of seeing lives changed for the better is hard to beat,” Miles agreed. “Now you know something about us, so what about yourself? Anika’s sister may have pulled every available piece of information from the internet, but that doesn’t tell the full story.”

  “I’m afraid my life is rather mundane by comparison,” Sir Edmund said. “Your sister-in-law’s research may very well tell all there is to tell. I was born here in Camden, and went to public at Duncreek. That’s where Ashley and I met. We’ve known each other longer than we haven’t, I really can’t remember a time we weren’t together.”

  They shared a smile.

  I resisted the urge to bring his fiancé into the conversation.

  “When I was thirteen, my father died,” Sir Edmund continued. He looked sad now, and reflective.

  “I’m very sorry for your loss,” Miles said with sympathy.

  Ashley reached for Sir Edmund’s hand, and held it. He sighed, and gave Miles a wry smile.

  “Thank you. I can’t say I envy you your loss of memory, but I wouldn’t mind forgetting that day I was called from my lessons, and told my father was gone. If it wasn’t for Ash, I don’t know what I would’ve done,” he admitted, as she rubbed his arm supportively.

  “He died so young,” I said. I was sympathetic too, but if there was a chance foul play was involved, we could help. “It must have been a terrible shock.”

  “It was,” Sir Edmund sighed in resignation. “It’s not without reason, that high cholesterol is known as the silent killer.”

  “That’s very sad,” I said, but I knew better than to leave it at that. He stated a fact, without actually saying that’s what killed his father. I had to be sure. “I suppose you’re careful to get yours checked, because of what happened to him?”

  “Yes,” Sir Edmund answered.

  “Your father would be glad of that, at any rate,” Ashley said.

  “Yes, he would,” Sir Edmund smiled slightly.

  He was telling the truth. He knew for certain that was what killed his dad. The culprit was either a high fat diet, heredity, or both. I had no further questions, about that. He needed just a moment, then continued.

  “Ashley and I went to university together, and perfect timing, the house manager retired as we finished. Ash landed the job, and we both moved back home. We work together a good deal, mostly in regards to publicity and public relations, which involves our weekly tours. Each year, we host the masquerade ball to benefit the children’s hospital. That’s about all there is to say, about me.”

  Oh, that was so not the truth. I doubted I’d ever need to access all but a fraction of what was now available.

  “You were right,” Miles said. “That’s not much more than Anika’s sister turned up. I do have one question; where does Countess Grieve fit into all this?”

  I could tell him, but not without earning the reputation of a mind reader.

  “Yes, I imagine you would be wondering that,” Sir Edmund grimaced slightly. “I suppose I must be frightfully unobservant not to figure it out on my own, but apparently my mother is set on adding another title to the family name. Last night’s announcement explains the many visits by Monsieur Delacroix and Countess Ava over the past four years, and the functions I’ve been obliged to attend as escort. I was rather stunned yesterday afternoon, when my mother informed me of my intentions toward Countess Ava. It overwhelmed me, really. Her heart is quite set on it, and I was taken by surprise, as I said. It didn’t seem the time to respond, being totally unprepared, as I was. I’ve no intentions of marrying Countess Ava, of course, but Mother is dreadfully tense due to the ball coming up, what with all the guests, and preparations, and room changes. I felt it best to wait until after, once things have calmed down a bit, and then I shall tell her it’s impossible.”

  I wondered if Sir Edmund was entirely oblivious to the tension Ashley was feeling as a result of all this. If not, I’d have to agree; he was frightfully unobservant.

  “What does the Countess think about all of this?” I asked.

  “I’ve no idea if she’s even aware,” Sir Edmund half-shrugged. “Then, or now. She’s not the most enthusiastic conversationalist, as you may have noticed.”

  “What are you afraid would happen if instead of waiting, you told your mother now?” Miles asked.

  “I shouldn’t like to find out,” Sir Edmund said apprehensively, as if distancing himself from the very thought.

  Miles considered that, then shrugged slightly.

  “As the Countess seems neither to care, nor to be aware, and you are not already in a relationship with which to concern yourself, I don’t s
uppose it matters. You are free to take as long as you like, without troubling, or mistreating, someone else.”

  Wow. That was so much better than the blunt, sarcasm-laden sentences I’d been biting my tongue to hold back.

  Sir Edmund looked suddenly uncomfortable. Miles gave him a moment to wrestle with that, then continued.

  “Perhaps we should move on. We’ve a good deal of ground to cover, if we intend to make it back for this afternoon’s tour of the manor.”

  “Yes, of course,” Sir Edmund quickly agreed, as we rose to our feet. “But surely you don’t expect we’d relegate you to the public. We’ve something much better in mind, haven’t we, Ash?”

  “Of course,” she replied. Her tone and expression were pleasant enough, but her hands were now in the pockets of her jacket.

  A faint breeze stirred the air, and the light grew dim. Above the earthen bowl in which the manor was sheltered, clouds scurried to cover the sky, blocking the rays of the sun. In the distance, thunder rumbled.

  “Perhaps we’d best postpone the garden tour, and move on to the manor itself,” Ashley suggested, with an appraising glance at the gathering gloom.

  “That gets my vote,” I agreed. Of one accord, the four of us returned to the manor.

  As Solemn Guy the fifth closed the door behind us, raindrops pattered against the window above.

  “It’ll blow over by lunchtime, most likely,” Sir Edmund commented.

  “Another day will do just as well, if not,” Miles replied without concern.

  “George will take your coats, if you like,” Ashley offered.

  I started to hand mine over, then stopped, and removed the package of rose seeds from my pocket.

  “Thanks, but we’ll meet you back here,” I said. “I need to leave these in our room, anyway.”

  I glanced at the clock, and made a swift calculation. Seven hours back… I held in a grimace of disappointment. It was only four-fifteen in the morning, Glen Haven time. Much as I wanted the seeds safely stowed in the refrigerator in our suite, it was too early to call one of our friends for a non-emergency ride.