by K E O'Connor
A knock came on the parlor door. It was pushed open. Parsons walked in with a tea tray. His eyebrows rose when he saw me. “I have your pre-dinner cocktail, Countess.”
“Thank you, Parsons. Set it down and bring another glass for Lorna.”
“Very good, Countess.” He left the room and returned a moment later with a long-stemmed cocktail glass, which he set down on the table next to me.
Countess Ponsonby waited until Parsons had left the room before continuing. “To be honest, I’m glad you and Helen are here. It gives Ralph something else to focus on. He can get maudlin, worrying about his illness. I think that makes it worse. The more stressed he is, the worse he seems to get. Just lately, he’s seemed so under the weather.”
“If I can help in any way, let me know.”
“Ralph enjoyed your company in the ambulance,” said Countess Ponsonby. “Company is good for him. If you don’t find it too dull, perhaps you can spend more time with him discussing the antiques.”
“Of course, if you think that will help. Let me know when he wants more company.” It didn’t seem like much, but if my chatter helped Ralph, I was up for some more antiques talk. I took a sip of the cocktail. “This is lovely.”
“It’s a peach daiquiri. It’s a bit old-fashioned, but it’s my favorite. I first tried one when I was on my honeymoon with Ralph. We went dancing one evening in Santa Margherita Ligure. We spent the evening laughing and flirting and trying different cocktails. Whenever I drink one of these, it reminds me of our honeymoon.”
“You have those happy memories,” I said. “That must be some comfort.”
“You’re right. And we have all of this.” Countess Ponsonby gestured at the castle walls. “Owning a castle is a full-time occupation. It’s often fun, but it can be a bit of a strain. And with Ralph getting increasingly sick, it won’t be long until we don’t have this. Our days of romantic castle picnics and cocktails in Italy are over.”
“Knock knock.” Tilly’s head appeared around the side of the door. “I thought I heard voices.” She strolled into the room and flopped onto the couch. “What were you saying about Italy? Are you planning a holiday? Don’t forget your poor, baby sister when you go. I’ll take up hardly any room.”
“I wasn’t talking about taking a holiday,” said Countess Ponsonby. “I was telling Lorna about my honeymoon with Ralph.”
“Oh, that.” Tilly shook her head. “I thought it was something exciting.”
“I happen to think my honeymoon was exciting.”
“It was ages ago,” said Tilly. “You should have taken Johnny there while you had the chance.”
I choked on my cocktail.
“What do you mean by that?” asked Countess Ponsonby. “Why would I take our caretaker on holiday?”
“Oh, you know, there might be repairs that need doing in the villa.” Tilly glanced at me and winked.
“In which case, I’d have someone in Italy make those repairs. I wouldn’t fly someone from here to do them.”
Tilly shrugged. “He was good company. I thought you might have enjoyed it. And I know I would have enjoyed seeing him after work, sunbathing by the pool in a pair of tiny shorts.”
“You should have invited Johnny on holiday if you were so interested in seeing him half-naked and tanned.”
“Maybe I would have,” said Tilly, “if it weren’t for that irritating girlfriend of his always hanging about. What’s her name, Emily?”
“Emma,” I said.
Countess Ponsonby looked at me. “You’ve met her?”
“I’ve seen her here a couple of times,” I said. “She still seems angry about what happened to Johnny.”
“Those two were not good together,” said Tilly. “Emma was always trying to tell Johnny what to do. She didn’t like him working here. But then she’d whine and complain at him to find her a job at the castle. Not that we’d ever have her. She’s a nightmare.”
“If you see her again, Lorna, let me know,” said Countess Ponsonby. “Tilly is right. That woman is trouble. She keeps implying something bad happened to Johnny. She has made several unfounded accusations against us.”
“The only bad thing that happened to Johnny was that he got involved with her,” said Tilly. “If he’d been a free agent, I might even have asked him out.”
Countess Ponsonby’s gaze slid to her sister. “He’s not your usual type.”
“He was a fine-looking guy,” said Tilly. “And Johnny made me laugh. Why wouldn’t I want to date somebody like that?”
“Well, he seemed so different to you. He was hardworking, for a start.”
“You don’t sound keen. Is it because he was a poor caretaker?” said Tilly.
“That has nothing to do with it.”
“I’d have overlooked that. Besides, I didn’t say I wanted to marry the guy.”
“You were wrong for each other,” said Countess Ponsonby.
I took a sip of drink. Charlotte was keen to point out how wrong Johnny would have been for her younger sister. Maybe Charlotte wanted him for herself, or she’d had him and still felt possessive, even though he was dead.
“I never got the chance to find that out,” said Tilly. “What, with Emma always hanging around, getting under our feet, and the fact that Johnny was always busy chatting you up, I never stood a chance.”
Countess Ponsonby’s cheeks glowed. “He never chatted me up.”
“He was always looking for you,” said Tilly.
“I was his employer. He needed to know what jobs to do.”
“Johnny knew exactly what needed to be done,” said Tilly. “He had the hots for you.”
“He did not!”
Tilly laughed. “You fancied him, as well. Don’t deny it. I heard you laughing like a schoolgirl whenever he batted those long lashes at you.”
“I did not flirt with our caretaker. I’m a married woman.”
“Call it what you like,” said Tilly, “but I know flirting when I see it. And you got him that present.”
“What present?”
“I have no clue what it was, but I saw you do it. You gave Johnny a gift.”
I sat as still as possible, not even daring to lift my drink. This discussion was fascinating. Did the Countess and the caretaker have an affair?
Countess Ponsonby waved a hand in the air. “You’re most likely remembering the gift I gave him on his birthday. There’s nothing unusual about that.”
“Do you buy Parsons a gift on his birthday?”
“Yes!”
“What?”
“He gets a tie every year. He likes ties.”
Tilly grinned slyly. “Did you buy Johnny a tie?”
“That’s none of your business. Besides, it doesn’t matter now. He’s not here anymore.”
Tilly was silent for a few seconds. “Do you miss him?”
Countess Ponsonby’s lips thinned. “Of course! Johnny was excellent at his job.”
Tilly shook her head. “I meant, do you miss him flirting with you?”
Countess Ponsonby took a large gulp of her cocktail. “We never flirted.”
Tilly sat up. “You so did.”
I shifted in my seat as an uncomfortable silence filled the room.
Someone wasn’t being truthful. Either Countess Ponsonby had been involved with Johnny and was trying to keep it quiet, or Tilly had and was jealous because Johnny had also flirted with her sister. Or maybe Tilly had wanted to get involved with Johnny, but he’d turned her down because he was seeing the Countess.
My phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out, grateful for a distraction. The call was from Helen.
“Excuse me a moment.” I stood and walked to the door. “I need to take this. Helen might have a wedding drama that needs sorting.”
The Countess nodded, her angry gaze fixed on her sister.
I left the room and answered the call. “I’m so glad you rang. I was in the middle of the most—”
“Lorna! You have to help,” choked
out Helen.
My heart sped up. I’d never heard Helen sound like this before. “What’s the matter? Are you hurt? Has there been an accident?”
“I’m not hurt. Well, my heart is broken.”
“Has something happened to Gunner?”
“No. I’m fine. So is Gunner.”
I let out a sigh. “What’s the problem?”
A choked sounding sob was followed by a snuffle. “It’s the wedding. It’s off.”
Chapter 13
“What? Wait! What do you mean your wedding is off? Has Gunner got cold feet?” I would set Flipper on him if he’d changed his mind about marrying Helen.
“No! He’d never do that to me,” said Helen.
“So, what is it? Why have you canceled the wedding?”
“I haven’t. This has nothing to do with Gunner.” Helen couldn’t speak for a few seconds as she cried. “It’s the... it’s so horrible. I can’t believe it.”
“Calm down,” I said. “Where are you?”
“At the wedding venue.”
“Is Gunner with you?”
“No. But he’s on his way. So is Zach.” Helen hiccupped. “You have to come and help. I can’t do this on my own.”
“Of course. I’ll get a cab and meet you there.” It would take me over four hours to get to the venue, but Helen was so distressed I had to get to her. “Are you on your own?”
“No. I mean, yes. There are people here, but they’re not with me. I don’t know them.”
“What about Marjorie?”
“I sent her away. She can’t help.”
I raced along the hallway and up the stairs before grabbing my purse and coat. “You sound stressed. Find somewhere to sit down and get a cup of tea.”
Flipper ran along beside me, sensing my anxiety and nudging me with his nose to make sure I was okay.
“There’s nowhere to do that,” said Helen.
“There must be. The staff at the manor house will give you tea.”
“No they won’t. That’s what I’m telling you.” Helen blurted out nonsense words.
Maybe she’d had a fight with the manor house owner and he’d told Helen her wedding wasn’t welcome at the venue.
“It will take me a while to get to you. Stay calm until then. We’ll figure this out.” I ran down the stairs and almost slammed into Parsons, who stood by the doorway.
His brow lowered as if he sensed something was wrong. “Is there a problem, Miss Shadow?”
“You could say that.” I raised a finger. “Helen, I’ll speak to you when I’m on my way.”
“Hurry!”
“I’m leaving now.” I ended the call and took a deep breath. “Parsons, can you call me a cab? I need to get somewhere in a hurry.”
He nodded. “Where are you going?”
“Farleigh House, back where I live.”
“Is this an urgent matter? I believe you live some way from here.”
“It’s a four-hour car journey. And, although I don’t know what’s going on, Helen needs me. Something bad has happened.”
Parsons nodded sharply. “I might have an alternative. Wait here, please.”
He didn’t give me a chance to ask what he meant before he strode in the direction of Countess Ponsonby’s parlor.
I shifted from foot to foot, keen to be on the road. What had happened to Helen that meant the wedding wouldn’t take place? It must be something terrible. Maybe they’d been shut down because of an outbreak of food poisoning, or there’d been a murder on the premises and it had been closed.
Parsons emerged from the parlor and strode toward me. “The Countess has given me permission to use the helicopter.”
I took a step back. “You know how to fly a helicopter?”
He nodded. “We have a landing pad in the garden. I can take you where you need to go. We can be there in under an hour.”
“That’s brilliant. Thank you! Let’s take the helicopter.”
“Very good. This way please, Miss Shadow.” He led me along the hallway and out the back door.
I hurried along behind him, Flipper by my side. “How long have you been flying helicopters?”
“Thirty years,” said Parsons. “I often use it to take the family to their holiday destinations. It’s a fast and efficient way to travel.”
“You’re right there,” I said. “And the sooner I get to Helen, the better. I’m so worried about her.”
“Is it impertinent of me to ask what the problem is?”
“I wish I knew. I couldn’t get a clear answer out of her. It’s got something to do with Helen’s wedding. She was so upset.”
“I hope her young man has not disappointed her.”
“It’s not that,” I said. “It must be something serious. And she’s all alone. She can get a bit flappy when she’s under a lot of stress.”
“Then you need to be by her side.”
We reached a sleek black helicopter sitting on a landing pad behind a copse of trees.
Parsons unlocked the doors and handed me a helmet. “Put this on. We’ll need it to communicate when we’re in the air.”
He climbed into the other side and gestured to the seat. “Your dog can go in the back. I hope he doesn’t get air sick.”
“Flipper’s fine in the air,” I said, “as am I.”
“Very good.” Parsons checked dials, adjusted switches, and input the directions I gave him. He started the helicopter’s rotors, and within a few minutes, we were airborne and shooting toward the wedding venue.
Despite my initial apprehension, Parsons knew what he was doing. The flight was smooth. The only reason I felt worried was because of the trouble Helen was in.
Parsons glanced at me and gave my knee a single pat. “Try not to worry too much, my dear. From the few times I have met your friend, she seems like a capable young lady. Between the two of you, you’ll figure out a solution to her problem.”
“I hope so. Helen was worried something would go wrong on her wedding day. Now, something has. The wedding can’t be off.”
“If your friend is to be married, you will find a way to make it happen.”
I looked at Parsons. “Are you married?”
He gave a small shake of the head. “No. I’ve been a butler my whole working life. It’s hard to afford time for romance in a job like this. The family you work for often needs you at strange hours. It’s difficult to make a relationship work.”
“Have you worked for the Ponsonbys for long?”
“Yes. My father used to work for them. He trained me to take over before he retired.”
“You like your job?”
“I do. It’s so satisfying seeing the castle operating smoothly and the family happy. My family has served royalty for hundreds of years. One ancestor was a part of the court of Henry VIII.”
“Wow! That’s impressive.”
“Serving is in our blood,” said Parsons. “I wouldn’t know what else to do.”
“You do a great job. And you’re a great pilot. Thanks for helping with this.”
He smiled. “I live to serve.”
I spent the rest of the journey looking out the window and worrying about Helen as Parsons focused on the flying.
“We’re five minutes from the destination,” said Parsons. “I’ll need a place to set the helicopter down. It doesn’t need to be a helipad, but a flat piece of open ground is essential.”
“There’s a large garden area at the back of the manor house. It’s clear of trees. You should be able to use that without causing damage.” I pulled out my phone and dialed Helen’s number.
Helen answered on the first ring. “Where are you? Are you on your way? When are you getting here?”
“I’m coming in to land now. I’ll be with you in five minutes.”
“You’re doing what?”
I smiled to myself. “Parsons knows how to fly a helicopter, and Countess Ponsonby owns one. He’s brought me here.”
“Be careful,” said Helen. “T
here’s a lot of smoke.”
“Smoke?”
“I think your friend means that.” Parsons pointed out the window.
Below us, I saw fire and thick curls of black smoke drifting into the air. “That’s the manor house.”
“It’s not a small fire,” said Parsons. “It looks like it’s almost burned to the ground. That whole section on the right has already gone.”
I shut my eyes. Now, I realized why the wedding had to be canceled. There was no venue to have it in.
“I will fly us around the smoke and set down at the back,” said Parsons. “Hold on. It might be a little bumpy.”
I tugged my belt tighter around my middle as Parsons brought us in to land.
He set the helicopter down perfectly. As soon as I opened my door, I could smell the stench of burning wood.
I opened the back door and let Flipper out. When I turned, Helen was running across the grass. She flung her arms around me.
I let her hug me and cry for a minute before gently pulling her back, so I could see her face. “How did the fire start?”
“They’re not sure. They think it was an electrical fault.” Helen wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, smearing her already smudged mascara across her cheeks.
My eyes widened as I recalled seeing that ghost when I’d visited the venue with Helen. The ghost had taken me into the cupboard where the fuse box was and had kept pointing at it. Maybe that had been the cause of the fire. I felt a shiver of guilt. She’d been trying to show me there was a problem, and I’d ignored it.
“Has anybody been hurt?” Parsons emerged from the other side of the helicopter and passed Helen a pristine white cotton handkerchief.
“Thank you.” She dabbed her eyes with it. “No. Everybody was able to get out.” Helen turned and looked at the still burning building. “My beautiful wedding venue, it’s gone.”
“I’m so sorry, Helen,” I said.
“With less than a week to go, we’ll have to cancel. There’s no way I can find a venue as lovely as this in such a short time.”
“You can find somewhere else and still get married.”
“I don’t want somewhere else,” said Helen. “I want this place. It was perfect.”
“It’s your wedding that’s the most important thing,” said Parsons. “There will be other venues.”