by Kate Archer
Daisy hurried to her and the housekeeper pointed at the boys and their butler at the door. “Observe our heroes,” she said.
“Indeed,” Daisy said. “Though you and I know the truth of it. Let us go into the library and discover if anything has been disturbed.”
Betsy was the last to arrive to the scene and was somewhat less in awe to find the footmen and butler standing at the doors and loudly proclaiming they’d give somebody a pounding. She hurried to her mistress.
“Betsy,” Daisy said, “Mrs. Jellops is in a state, do be so good as to whip up some sort of toddy for her and stay with her until I return.”
Betsy bobbed her head. Mrs. Broadbent said, “Be generous with the rum, dove, and make one for yourself while you’re at it. And do be a dear and tell Mr. Flanagan we have no need of his pots and pans.”
Betsy hurried toward the stairs to the kitchens and Mrs. Broadbent said, “Let us proceed.”
Daisy had expected to find some small clue or other that would hint toward why somebody had broken into the house—a fine figurine gone or the desk rifled for money. What met them was astonishing. It seemed every book had been taken off its shelf, every drawer opened. Most alarmingly, paneling on the walls had been pried off, as if someone looked for a secret safe or a hidey-hole. The intruder had clearly been in the house for quite some time.
“Good gracious,” Mrs. Broadbent said.
“This must have taken hours,” Daisy said softly, the horror of the idea coming upon her.
“I suspect, based on the state of the room,” Mrs. Broadbent said, “that whoever this scoundrel is, he did not find what he was looking for.”
“Then he will come back another night,” Daisy said.
“No, miss,” Mrs. Broadbent said, her voice full of efficiency. “He will try to come back. In the morning, I will send a note to the company that supplies the watchmen and demand an audience. I will give them a stern what-for. Then, I will demand they send twice the men, and they will send their very best. These new men will not just stand around at the bottom of the drive, we will have them surround the house. The boys can sleep in the drawing room as an extra precaution.”
Daisy was comforted by these ideas, and comforted that Mrs. Broadbent seemed well capable of managing things and giving the watchmen service a severe dressing-down.
“But what could this man be after?” she said. “What was he looking for?”
“That I cannot say, miss. But no sort of carryings-on such as this will take place a second time under Maggie Broadbent’s watch. I won’t stand for it!”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Charles felt better in the morning and had begun to think it had been the doctor’s wise idea to move him to the Minkerton household. It was a pleasant room, not one which would have awed him in the past, but one that was so superior to his recent accommodations that he could help but appreciate its arrangements. His dinner had been good and, though he was periodically woken by his own coughing, he had spent an entire night without needing to brush an insect off of his face or finding a flea-ridden cat stretched out on his legs.
There was still the mystery of what had happened to him, but with time and distance he’d begun to think it was either a prank, or someone had mistaken him for somebody else. Whatever the circumstance, it was not likely to happen again, the foremost reason being he had quite given up swimming for this season. In truth, he might never look at the sea the same way again. What once had seemed a friendly place had now transformed into something mysterious and untrustworthy.
A footman came in and brought him a tray of eggs and sausage and steaming hot coffee. Also on the tray lay a letter just delivered and Charles recognized the hand easily enough. It was a missive from Bellamy, and he was certain it was filled with all the insults he currently endured at the hands of Mrs. Broadbent.
Had Bellamy not known him since he was child, he would not dare take the liberty of disturbing his rest in such a manner. But the fact was, Bellamy had known him since he was a boy. When Bellamy acted as his father’s butler, he’d extricated Charles from no end of scrapes. The butler was the keeper of his boyish secrets and was still the only person who knew that it had been Charles who’d set the drawing room on fire. He’d been in pursuit of a silver snuffbox on the tall mantle of the fireplace, thinking to try out the habit. A wobbly stool, a fall, a candle knocked over on the woven Barbary mat his mother favored in summer, and flames within minutes.
Bellamy had got the fire out and claimed a strong wind had come in an open window. He’d later handed the snuffbox to a shaken Charles and told him that nobody in the house liked the Barbary mats anyway.
As he’d grown into an adult, Bellamy kept other kinds of secrets. A gaggle of actresses at the London house late at night did not raise eyebrows or elicit talk.
He supposed there was bound to be a price to pay for the old fellow’s loyalty. Bellamy’s particular price was free access to his wine cellar and the leave to voice endless complaints.
Charles finished his breakfast and put aside the tray, his coughing hardly interrupting him as it had done the day before.
“I suppose I’d better discover what has insulted him down to his toes this time,” he said to himself, tearing open the letter.
My lord,
The past evening has been most irregular! An intruder broke into the house and ravaged the library. He was bravely pursued by me and the boys, though we could not catch him. We would have given him a severe pounding if we had. Mrs. Broadbent, as highhanded as ever, has called for Mr. Deer, the gentleman who supplies our watchmen. She intends on giving him the what-for, whatever that is, and demanding more and better men.
I knew all along that this would be a rum situation. (Not that we get any rum.) Me and the boys will be spending most of the day attempting to put this library back in order while Mrs. B goes round giving people the what-for. On top of that, she has directed my boys to sleep in the drawing room tonight. SHE has directed THEM. Who am I, I wonder? Am I not the butler? Never have I been so treated.
It will come as no surprise to understand that my lowest appendages are gravely affronted.
Bellamy
Charles dropped the letter. A man had entered the house and searched the library? What would he have done if he were not interrupted? What was going on here?
It did not seem likely that it would be one of Miss Danworth’s hopeless lotharios, else they would not have spent all their time in the library. In any case, he did not really think any of them had the nerve for a kidnapping or some other ludicrous scheme. Knocking on the door was one thing, breaking in during the dead of night was another.
It could not be a coincidence, though, that he’d been nearly drowned yesterday, and then last night while he was conveniently out of the way, someone dared enter the house.
There was danger lurking in the shadows, he just could not fathom from what direction it came.
There was a soft knock on the door, and Burke let himself in. “How do you get on? You look better than you did yesterday.”
“I don’t doubt it,” Charles said. His voice was still raspy, but he was not gripped with coughing when he tried to speak. “I must get my clothes, I must return to Miss Danworth at once.”
“Certainly not,” Burke said. “The doctor will come this morning and he will be the judge of what must be done at once, which I suspect will be nothing but rest.”
Charles handed Burke the letter and said, “Ignore all the complaining and just take in the facts.”
As Burke read through the note, Charles threw his covers off and sat up. He felt a bit woozy doing so, but it was impossible for him to lie there after Miss Danworth’s doors had been breached.
Burke laid down the letter. “But who—”
“I do not know, that’s the problem. However, I am to act as her guardian so I cannot very well lounge about here.”
Burke was thoughtful for a moment. He said, “Very well. I was to take Belle, I mean Miss Minkerton, to walk
the pier this morning, but I am sure she will not mind a change of plans. We will all go together to Miss Danworth’s aid.”
Charles only nodded, but he could not help but be a little irritated that Burke should wish to run to the rescue. The fellow had been told clear enough that Miss Danworth did not care to marry and that should be sufficient. There was no need to charge in and present himself as a knight answering a call of distress.
Chapter Eight
Though the summer had so far provided very few entertainments, Daisy and Mrs. Jellops found themselves unexpectedly delighted at this moment. They sat in the drawing room with the door open to listen to Mrs. Broadbent’s interview with the proprietor of the watchmen’s services. The indomitable lady had just led Mr. Deer into the dining room and did not waste a moment before launching into the what for she had promised he would receive.
Mr. Deer was to understand that the men he’d sent as watchmen had proved woefully inadequate—a gaggle of children might have protected them better. While Mrs. Broadbent thought herself exceedingly liberal regarding what sort of duties she was willing to take on, chasing housebreakers was beyond the limit. She pointed out that it was hardly a recommendation for his business that such a thing had occurred, and she darkly hinted that something would be done if the situation were not rectified. Daisy had not the first idea of the something that would be done and doubted poor Mr. Deer knew either.
Mr. Deer made some feeble attempts at explaining or promising but was just as quickly run over by Mrs. Broadbent’s boundless fortitude. As Daisy listened to her housekeeper’s tirade, she came to two conclusions—she must learn some of Mrs. Broadbent’s arts and she must keep the lady always in her employment.
The end of it was: they were to have six men for the price of three, and Mrs. Broadbent was to hold off on the threatening and mysterious something would be done. Mrs. Broadbent then added the final stipulation that if these men were to encounter a tabby cat prowling the garden, they were not to chase it off. It was Lord Dalton’s particular cat and he would be most put out.
Mr. Deer very unconvincingly put forth that, down to a man, his fellows possessed a general love of cats. Then he fled the house.
After the door shut behind him and Mrs. Broadbent charged off to manage some other matter, Mrs. Jellops said, “I hadn’t the first idea that Lord Dalton kept a cat.”
“Nor I,” Daisy said. “How odd.” In truth, it was more than odd. Where had the cat come from? How on earth did a gentleman like Lord Dalton come into possession of a cat? He seemed more the type that would have dogs for hunting that he laid eyes on only during the season. How strange to think of him caring for an animal other than a horse.
“Our Mrs. Broadbent is very determined. I quite take comfort in it.”
“As do I,” Daisy said. “I do not know how we would have hoped to sleep a wink this coming night if we did not have that good lady nearby.”
There was a knock on the door and a footman hurried to answer it.
“Dear me,” Mrs. Jellops said quietly, “it cannot be Mr. Deer coming back for a second round. If it is, he is very foolish.”
“Maybe it is the cat,” Daisy said. She and Mrs. Jellops suppressed their laughter as the doors swung open.
It was not Mr. Deer or the elusive cat. Lord Burke and Miss Minkerton, and then Lord Dalton, were shown into the drawing room.
Bellamy led them in and then closed the door behind them.
“Goodness,” Daisy said, certain she was blushing from the surprise of it, “I had not expected you to be risen from a sickbed so soon, Lord Dalton.”
“I could hardly stay in it after Bellamy informed me of the housebreaker,” Lord Dalton said.
Daisy was pleased by the sentiment, but did not wish to appear pleased. It was the stupidest thing in the world, but it was so. She did not wish Miss Minkerton to think there was any competition in her admiration of Lord Dalton. She did not wish Lord Dalton to have any hint that she might admire him too much. Sometimes one’s feelings were not pointed in the direction of one’s own good. In this instance, they certainly were not.
The convenient thing about feelings, though, was they could be put down and dismissed with the proper determination.
“Are you quite recovered from your ordeal, Miss Danworth?” Lord Burke asked.
“Yes, I suppose,” Daisy said. “Mrs. Broadbent chased the man off.”
“Mrs. Broadbent?” Lord Dalton said.
“Oh yes,” Mrs. Jellops said, “she’s a terrifically brave and stalwart lady. We’ve just listened to her give the proprietor of the watchmen the what for and it was striking. It sent shivers down my spine for poor Mr. Deer.”
Lord Dalton nodded and said, “I might have thought my butler and footmen would have been of some use in the situation.”
Daisy pressed her lips together and would not for the world give away Bellamy’s pointless bluster in front of his master. Mrs. Jellops, however, was not of that mind.
The lady sniffed and said, “Talking about pounding somebody to bits when the somebody is long gone is rather closing the barn door after the horse is out. At least Mrs. Broadbent had the good sense to charge after the fellow with a wood bat.”
“You must have been so frightened!” Miss Minkerton said, sitting down beside Mrs. Jellops.
Mrs. Jellops patted her hand. “I was, my dear, just about out of my wits. Mrs. Broadbent was kind enough to send me up a strong toddy and that settled me quite nicely.”
The drawing room door swung open, and Bellamy led the footmen in with a tea tray and a second tray of cakes and biscuits. As they laid the tea things, Lord Dalton said, “Have you any idea what the man could have been after?”
Daisy shook her head. “None. Nothing obvious, anyway. It was not a usual robbery, everything of value was left behind. Some of the paneling on the walls was pried loose, as if the person looked for something that was hidden. My only thought was it might be a gambling debt a gentleman did not want found?”
“Perhaps,” Lord Dalton said, “though breaking in and tearing the house apart seems rather extreme for a debt that cannot be legally enforced. My father would hardly bother trying to collect on it.”
“May I ask, Miss Danworth,” Lord Burke said, “have you gone through all of your father’s personal papers in case there is a hint of some unsavory matter or something yet to be resolved?”
Bellamy had set the teapot down and Daisy had just raised it to pour the first cup. She quickly set it down again, her hands shaking. She had not gone through any of her father’s papers. Mr. Crackwilder had done it for her in London, and had removed to Shropshire anything of note for the duke to determine what to do with. He’d set aside a stack of personal letters to discover if Daisy was interested in keeping them and she’d refused. Mr. Crackwilder had seemed relieved and said that most of them were probably not suitable for a lady’s eyes anyway. They’d gone into the fire.
She did not wish to handle anything her father had handled, she did not wish to see his handwriting, she did not wish to smell the scent of his soap on the paper. She wished to forget he’d ever lived, not drown herself in his memories.
Lord Dalton broke the silence. “I believe the task of sorting through Lord Childress’ correspondence may prove unpalatable to Miss Danworth. Might I suggest I tackle it. Perhaps I can find some clue as to the cause of…recent events. I am supposed to rest and there can be nothing more dull than reading through papers and letters.”
Daisy nodded and willed her hands to steady so she could get on with the tea. It was a welcome suggestion. There might be relevant information in her father’s papers, she just could not bear to touch them.
“His room has been locked,” Daisy said. “Though the man who broke in has seemed to thoroughly examine the library, I suppose there must be papers in his bedchamber too.”
“I will be happy to assist,” Lord Burke said. “I do not mind reading through papers.”
Though Daisy thought Lord Dalton must
be gratified by the offer, he did not seem so.
For that matter, Miss Minkerton did not seem so either. Rather sullenly, she said, “Our walking of the pier must be pushed to another day.”
Lord Burke appeared rather stricken by the lady’s comment and said, “I am sorry, I ought not upset your plans so often.”
Now it was Miss Minkerton’s turn to appear stricken. “Of course you must! Miss Danworth needs your assistance.”
Daisy was looking back and forth at everybody and wondering why they all looked so unhappy. It was only a walk, after all.
Had Lord Dalton promised he would walk on the pier and now Miss Minkerton was disappointed that the scheme was called off?
“You ought to go,” Lord Burke said to Miss Minkerton, “and Miss Danworth too. The air coming off the sea is beneficial and you can take Mrs. Jellops, if she agrees, and some footmen. There can be nothing dangerous in broad daylight with a proper escort.”
“I do not mind going,” Mrs. Jellops said. “I quite like the sea, as long as nobody leaps into it. Though, we’ll need Mrs. Broadbent, rather than the footmen.”
Bellamy, who had been straightening a cloth on a side table, said, “Please excuse me, perhaps it would be more suitable were I to go in Mrs. Broadbent’s place.”
Mrs. Jellops waved her hands and said, “Dear me, no. We would wish to have somebody who would pound a person to bits while they were there, not after they’ve departed.”
Bellamy flushed. He glared at Lord Dalton, bent forward, looked at his shoes, and dramatically pointed at them. Then, he stalked out of the room.
Daisy had no idea what any of it meant. For that matter, she was certain she did not understand half the significance of the past few minutes’ conversation.
For all that, she was not opposed to a walk on the pier. It would be well to leave the house, for she had no wish to be nearby while her father’s papers were examined.