“She will be, no thanks to the intruder,” Miles replied. “We have reason to believe her attacker is in one of the rooms on this corridor. I’m keeping watch so that he doesn’t escape, but reinforcements are needed in order to execute a thorough search.”
Sir Edmund spoke rapidly, in response.
“Very well. I will be waiting,” was Miles’ reply. He ended their call, and tossed the phone on the bed. His pajama pants had no pocket, and neither did his t-shirt.
“Where are you going?” I wondered, as he stood.
“I’m getting you situated, so I can keep watch,” Miles said, as one of the chairs near the fireplace rose, and repositioned itself near the door. The ottoman joined it. “Our reinforcements won’t have much luck, if they can’t get past the force field, and into the corridor.”
“What a lot of questions they’d have,” I remarked, as he helped me climb out of bed.
“While we don’t have to have an answer for everything, it will simplify matters if certain questions are never asked,” Miles said. I settled in the chair, and he took up his station in the doorway. “How are you, now? Do you need ice?”
“It’s cold enough without it,” I declared. I was very thankful for my robe.
“You’re right about that,” he said, and the blanket at the foot of the bed folded itself neatly, and came to rest on my lap.
“Thanks,” I said gratefully, as Miles tucked it around me.
“Anytime,” he answered softly. He kissed my forehead, then got back to watching. Or pretending, anyway. I was quite certain each door was sealed shut, until such time as he saw fit to release them.
The faint clatter of footsteps grew rapidly closer.
“It’s the butler, and several footmen,” Miles said for my sake.
“How many?” I wondered.
“They’re still coming,” Miles replied.
“Mr. Bannerman, sir, I do hope your wife is quite alright,” I heard the butler say. He sounded upset, and he was telling the truth.
“She assures me she will be, though I wouldn’t say that she is,” Miles replied, as the butler reached the doorway, and saw me sitting just inside.
“I am terribly sorry, Miss,” he said deferentially. “If you would, sir, Sir Edmund was unclear as to detail.”
“We were catching up on our sleep, when my sister called,” I answered. I was capable of speech, after all. There was no need for Miles to repeat what I told him, when I could tell it just as well, myself. “I went into the adjoining room to talk, so I wouldn’t disturb my husband. There was a guy standing there, in the dark. I saw him in the light of my phone, and screamed for Miles, as the guy rammed into my chest with his shoulder, and slammed me into the wardrobe.”
“He likely meant to knock the breath out of her, before she could cry out,” Miles interjected. “He was out of sight by the time I got there, which means he disappeared inside one of the rooms along this corridor. There was no time for him to reach either end. Is law enforcement on the way?”
“Sir Edmund did not say, sir,” the butler answered.
Light footsteps hurried along the hall, and I watched Miles and the butler glance in the direction from whence they came. Sitting just inside the doorway was better than sitting alone by the fireplace, but the improvement in view was only slight.
“Is she alright?” I heard Ashley ask anxiously, then she too, glanced inside the room.
“Just winded, and a little bruised,” I tried to assure her. She looked tired, as well as worried. Her cheek was smudged with dust, or soot, or something, several strands of hair had escaped the band that once confined them along with the rest, and her sleeves were rolled up.
“Her head hit pretty hard,” Miles said. “She’s got a sizable lump.”
I felt the back of my head, and couldn’t help wincing. That increased the concern on the faces of those within view.
“You’re still convinced you’re alright?” Miles asked gently.
“I am, I’m okay,” I said, and squeezed his hand once.
More footsteps burst onto the scene, and skidded to a stop beside the rest, as still others followed in a more orderly fashion.
“I came—as soon as I could get away,” Sir Edmund gasped for breath. “Tell me—you’re alright!”
He sounded so desperate to hear it, I felt kind of sorry for him.
“I am, I’m okay,” I said. “I wasn’t badly hurt.”
“Not for lack of trying, on someone’s part,” Miles said shortly. “The intruder is inside one of these rooms. Pair up, we search no less than two to a room, with guards at each end. This man assaulted my wife, in our suite. Consider him dangerous. Find him, then let the authorities handle it.”
“Yes sir,” the butler nodded in acknowledgement. He signaled to all the people I couldn’t see, and I heard footsteps, and the sound of doors opening.
Two uniformed men passed by, and another stopped beside Miles, Edmund, and Ashley. His accent was so thick, I had difficulty understanding him, but Miles had no trouble. He answered most of the officer’s questions, and translated when needed. Ashley spoke to one of the footmen, and soon he returned with a steaming teapot on a tray, along with sugar, cream, two cups, and a plate of scones. I was thankful to have it. I was feeling chilled in spite of my robe and blanket, and I was hungry, and thirsty, besides.
“There’s a window been left open,” one of the officers reported. “Looks as though ‘e might’ve climbed out, an down the trellis.”
I’m pretty sure the officer in charge told him to go outside and check it out, because he and another man, left.
“I say, Ash,” Sir Edmund said quietly, as he gave her disheveled hair and dusty attire a glance of surprise. “Whatever’ve you been up to?”
“Readying my share of the rooms,” she replied coolly.
“Your share,” he frowned. “You don’t mean to say you’ve been cleaning? We’ve housemaids for that.”
“So you have,” she said. He stared in confusion, then shook his head slightly, as if to clear it.
“Your time’s best spent elsewhere,” Sir Edmund declared.
“That is not my place to decide,” Ashley replied.
I felt horrible for her. It was sort of like Cinderella, only the Prince wasn’t much of a prince, he was engaged to the completely disengaged stepsister, his mother was the cruel step-mother, and there was no shoe involved. But otherwise, it was kind of like that.
“It means a lot to me that you came, even though it’s easy to see you’ve got your hands full,” I said gratefully, and kept a tight rein on the sarcasm I wanted to levy against Sir Edmund. “I appreciate the tea, also. That was very thoughtful of you. This is the closest thing to a meal we’ve had, since breakfast.”
And that, was the truth.
“That’s dreadful,” Ashley’s eyes flashed. “What of lunch, or tea?”
I shrugged, and lifted my teacup slightly.
“This is the first we’ve seen today.”
Ashley looked appalled, and shot Edmund a sharp look. He appeared chagrined, and thoroughly embarrassed.
“We were wondering if dinner would be served tonight, or if perhaps we should make other arrangements,” I continued, without a hint of reproach. “Does the Isle of Camden have taxi service?”
Ashley’s lips were thin with disapproval, and Sir Edmund looked ready to sink into the floor. He had no idea I was showing tremendous compassion. If he started off apologizing profusely, Miles might go a little easier on him. Maybe.
“There’s branches been broke, an a good deal o’ ripped fabric,” I heard one of the officers report. “Whoever ‘e is, ‘e didn’t get off entirely without retribution, as was meted out by all them thorns. He’s bound to be ripped up a good bit, hisself.”
The officer in charge rattled off some orders that sounded absolutely fascinating, because I couldn’t understand a word of them.
“But surely it’s no one working at the manor,” Edmund protested rather de
sperately, no doubt wondering how much worse it could get.
“It would be poor investigative work to assume either way,” Miles replied. “The clothing fragments may give a hint as to what he was wearing, and it’s possible DNA will be discovered along his path to the ground. In that case, his injuries alone may give him away. Continue searching the remainder of the rooms, regardless. It’s possible the man has an accomplice.”
“You think it likely?” Sir Edmund’s eyebrows knit.
“I know it’s possible,” Miles replied.
It was also possible, and likely, that we had more experience with criminals and investigations, than local law enforcement. The Isle of Camden wasn’t large, and crime was rare, particularly of the violent kind. Not so, for us. I didn’t care to tally the number of actual murderers we aided in putting away, not with the headache I had. But it was a lot. No wonder the officers so willingly followed Miles’ orders. He spoke with authority. And, he was using the tone no one argues with.
“My sister is probably about to have a heart attack,” I remembered. “Or else give Mom, one.”
I wouldn’t put it past her to demand a ride to the Lodge, where she’d find Trixie, and—
“I’ll get your phone,” Miles quickly answered. No doubt, he was thinking the same thing!
I called my sister, who was on her way downstairs to demand said ride. She was as irritable as I’ve ever seen her—or heard, rather—but I knew it was her nerves, stretched too thin by anxious uncertainty. I assured her over and over that I was alright, told her what happened a dozen times, listened two dozen times as she told me what she heard, and relayed her many suggestions. By the time I finally brought our call to an end, the officers, with the help of the staff, searched the entire premises. They discovered no one unfamiliar, though that was hardly proof there was no inside man or woman involved. We didn’t point that out. It would be easier to work questions into conversation, if we kept our open minds to ourselves.
The officers collected whatever the climbing rose latched onto, and made their exodus. The butler and footmen returned to their other responsibilities, as did Ashley. That really burned me up. She worked hard all day, already. Didn’t this place have labor laws? But her work was hardly done, and unreasonable as the demands were, she was determined not to fail.
Sir Edmund argued briefly, but the advent of his vacuous fiancé put an end to that. Not that she did anything other than follow in the wake of Monsieur Delacroix, but her appearance was enough. I don’t mean her weird makeup that left her looking like an emaciated heroin addict, or her freakish, mismatched, red and yellow plaid, tea length skirt and oversized mid-thigh jacket, broad brimmed straw hat, Bobby socks, and clunky hot-pink athletic shoes that were so loud in color, they practically screamed. As I fought not to stare, I couldn’t decide if I was glad I joined Miles in the hall, or not. I stayed put despite my indecision, but Ashley turned immediately and walked away. Sir Edmund looked mad, and frustrated, and as if he wanted to do something about it. And yet, he didn’t.
Lady Carlisle arrived on the scene just in time to see Ashley disappear at the end of the corridor. Her lips tightened, and her cold blue eyes burned for a moment, then she turned her gaze in our direction. Her expression instantly transformed into one of concern, and she hurried forward to join me, Miles, and Sir Edmund. Monsieur Delacroix and the Countess stood a distance away. He looked puzzled, and she looked off into space.
“I’ve only just discovered the events of this evening,” Lady Carlisle hurried to say. “I assure you, such a thing has never happened here before, and never will again.”
She had no way to know if it would or not, so all I heard in response was a brief tone.
“I should certainly hope not,” Miles said grimly. “Perhaps the DNA and other evidence collected by the officers will identify the man who assaulted my wife.”
Monsieur Delacroix’s eyes widened at that. Because he didn’t know anything about it? Or because he did?
Miles wasn’t through talking.
“My wife has been through an ordeal. Now if you will excuse us, she needs rest, in order to recover.”
He reached for my hand with one of his, and wrapped his arm around my waist supportively, as I stood. I winced a little, I couldn’t help it. My ribs hurt, my head hurt, and my left shoulder, especially, was sore. It also stung.
“Are you still sure you’re alright?” Miles asked with concern.
“I’m starting to feel it more, but I’ll be okay,” I tried to reassure him. “I need rest, that’s all.”
Preferably in our own bed, at the Lodge. The thought of Night, purring as he lay pressed against my lower back, sounded very comforting.
“Then I shall see that you have it,” he assured me gently. To the Carlisles, he said rather sternly, “I will speak with you, in the morning.”
Lady Carlisle’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. Both mother and son looked concerned. Sir Edmund also appeared a little desperate.
“I say, you haven’t had your dinner. If not for Ashley’s thoughtfulness just now, you’d have been very much without, since breakfast,” he declared, with a reproving glance in his mother’s direction. “You were, rather.”
“I don’t feel up to sitting through dinner,” I quickly replied, as I glanced at Miles pleadingly. The very idea was torture. “I’d rather rest, than eat.”
Miles gave a nod of agreement.
“I’m sure food is the last thing on our minds right now.”
“What Ashley so thoughtfully provided was enough,” I concluded, and we turned to go inside our room.
“Thoughtful, most certainly, but adequate to serve as lunch, tea, and dinner as well, certainly not!” Sir Edmund declared. “I shall have our chef prepare a tray, to be sent up at once.”
“Please don’t,” I protested. All I wanted was to get back to the Lodge, and at some point, our room service menu.
But… the look in Sir Edmund’s eyes gave me second thoughts. We didn’t need anything from him, but he needed to do something for us. He felt awful, about everything, and it wouldn’t kill us to let him assuage his feelings a little, by providing a meal.
“Or… maybe just something very light,” I conceded. “I couldn’t possibly manage an entire meal right now.”
And then go eat another with our friends, sometime in the next hour or two.
Sir Edmund’s face flooded with relief, and he immediately placed a call, as Miles walked me across the room to the bed, and saw that I was situated with plenty of pillows behind my back. In an amazingly brief period of time, the butler wheeled in a cart. It was loaded with a variety of soups, salads, sandwiches, and desserts, and we couldn’t possibly eat it all, even if we didn’t have a second breakfast for lunch.
“Thank you,” I said, and the butler actually smiled. It was slight, and filled with sympathy and concern, but he did smile.
“Of course, Miss,” he replied. “Do be sure and ring, if I can be of further service.”
“Thank you,” Miles said. “We’ll do that.”
“I promise you, tomorrow will be different,” Sir Edmund declared. “We didn’t invite you here to see that you were starved and ignored.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” Miles replied. “It’s a poor way to reconnect with family.”
“I never should have left today, whatever the consequences, had I but known you’d be left to your own devices. It’s completely unacceptable, of course, and I assure you it won’t happen again. I do hope you’ll be quite comfortable now. If you need anything at all, you’ve but to say the word, and I’ll be certain you have it.”
“Thank you,” Miles said. “We’ll be sure and do that. In the meantime, should there be reason to contact us during the night, please see that it’s by phone. After my wife’s experience, I shall be inclined to regard as a threat, any who appear at the door without first calling to announce themselves.”
“Yes, absolutely, of course,” Sir Edmund hurried to agree.
“How are you?” Miles asked solicitously, as he sat on the edge of the bed, and studied my face.
“Tired… sore… and wondering who that guy was, and why he was in there.”
“Would you prefer to talk it over here, just you and me, or at home with our friends?”
“Home, definitely,” I said without hesitation. “Although I hate to leave all this food to go to waste.”
“I imagine it will travel well enough,” Miles replied. “With the help of our friends, perhaps we can do it justice, after all. Give me a moment to change, and I’ll call for our ride.”
“That sounds wonderful,” I sighed.
Chapter 10
“So… what do you think this guy wanted?” Xander’s eyebrows were knit with concern, as were those of the rest of our friends gathered around me and Miles on the comfortable, reclining couches in our suite’s family room.
Not that anyone else was reclining. They didn’t have a purring cat on their laps, either. It was true that Night and Pandora were one woman, and one man felines, but Night also knew when I wasn’t at my best, and took it upon himself to provide me with the warm, furry comfort that only a cat can. So I sat on my share of the reclining loveseat with my feet up, my cat on my lap, and Miles beside me, while the rest of our friends sat on the edge of their seats. Trixie and Fidget, plus Spaz and Linux, sat near their respective persons, and listened seriously. Chip, after a reassuring pat, lay on the floor chewing a Nylabone. Pandora remained on our bed. The generous cart of food remained untouched, as of yet.
“I have no idea,” I said. “He was just standing there, in the dark.”
“Did it look like he was searching for something?” Jenny puzzled. “Maybe you caught him in the act.”
“Perhaps, though it’s unlikely he was caught by surprise,” Miles answered. “I heard your side of the conversation with your sister all the way in our room, despite the bed curtains and partially closed bathroom door.”
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