Mistletoe and Mayhem (12 page)

Cecily raised her eyebrows. “Run off?”

“Yes, m’m. Scarpered.” He leaned forward, lowering his voice. “She was sweet on that footman what got killed. I reckon she saw it happen, got scared, and ran.” He straightened up again. “She’ll be back as soon as she gets hungry enough, you mark my words.”

Cecily narrowed her eyes. “How exactly did you learn that Ellie was missing?”

Mick swiped at his nose with the back of his hand. “I heard the maids talking about it, didn’t I.”

“Did you also know that one of Ellie’s shoes was found in the coal shed last night?”

Mick’s eyes widened. “The coal shed? What the devil was it doing there?”

“That’s what I’d like to know.”

“Look, I don’t know what you’re getting at, Mrs. Baxter, but I don’t know nothing about Ellie or where she might have gone. She and me were done a long time ago. I haven’t even spoken to her since she came back to Badgers End.” He pulled a watch from his vest pocket and studied it briefly before stuffing it back. “If that’s all, m’m, I have to get back to me mates. I only give ’em half an hour to eat, then it’s back on the job.”

Frustrated, Cecily nodded. “Of course. I would appreciate it, however, if you would let me know if you should hear from Ellie.”

Mick laughed as he got up, and it wasn’t a pleasant sound. “You can rule that one out, m’m. I’d be the last person on earth Ellie would talk to, no matter how much trouble she’s in.” He touched the peak of his cap with his fingers. “Good day to you, m’m.”

“Thank you, Mr. Docker.” Cecily watched him stride off across the courtyard; then, turning to Samuel, she murmured, “Well, that was a wasted journey.”

Samuel looked at her, an odd expression on his face.

Sensing something amiss, Cecily leaned forward. “What is it, Samuel?”

Her stable manager shook his head, then said slowly, “He said he hadn’t talked to Ellie at all since she got back from London.”

“Yes, he did.” Nerves tightening, Cecily waited.

“Well, m’m. I could be wrong, but I could swear it was him I heard Ellie arguing with the night before we found Charlie’s body. I heard her yelling at someone, and I’m sure it was Mick I heard. I recognized his accent.”

“Are you quite sure, Samuel?”

Samuel shrugged. “As sure as I could be, I reckon.”

“What time was this?”

“Around nine o’clock. I’d just finished putting away the last motorcar and locked everything up. I was on my way to my room when I heard Ellie yelling in the kitchen yard. Then I heard Mick yelling back at her.”

Cecily tapped her fingers on the table. “I shall have another chat with Mr. Docker later. Right now, however, we have to return to the Pennyfoot. Mr. Baxter will be wondering where I am.”

At the mention of Baxter’s name, Samuel leapt to his feet. “We’d better go, then, m’m.”

Rising more slowly, Cecily drew her scarf closer around her neck. She was thinking about Mick Docker. Had he lied when he said he hadn’t talked to Ellie? He’d mentioned that the maid was fond of Charlie. Had he seen them together and argued with Ellie that night? Perhaps, driven by jealousy, he’d dropped the gargoyle on Charlie’s head the next morning. It was certainly a possibility, but how in the world would she find out for certain, much less prove it? That was the question.

“You’ll have to tell Lenny,” Gertie said, waving a spoon at Pansy for emphasis. “You can’t just leave him waiting for you at the gate.”

Leaning back against the kitchen sink, Pansy twisted her apron between her fingers, her stomach tied up in knots. “He’ll be cross with me. I daren’t tell him.”

“Just tell him you have to do something else this afternoon. You don’t have to tell him what it is.” Gertie turned her back on her and went on folding serviettes into the shape of swans. “Tell him you’ll go out with him another time.”

“But I don’t want to go out with him. Ever.” Pansy felt a tear forming and blinked it back. “I only said I’d go out with him to make Samuel jealous, and now Samuel’s asked me out so I don’t have to make him jealous anymore.”

“Well, Lenny will be a lot more cross if you don’t tell him and he has to wait in the cold for you and you don’t turn up.” Gertie turned back to face her. “If I were you I’d be there at the gate to meet him.”

“I can’t.” Pansy glanced at the clock. “I’m supposed to meet Samuel at half past two. Lenny won’t be at the gate until three o’clock.”

Gertie pursed her lips. “Looks like you’ve got a bleeding problem then, doesn’t it. Perhaps you should tell Samuel about Lenny and meet him later.”

Pansy swallowed. “I can’t. He’ll be upset with me and I’d rather make Lenny angry than Samuel.”

“Well, then, I suppose it’s up to you what you do. Just don’t come crying to me if Lenny has a row with you later.” She turned back to the table, putting an end to the conversation.

Pansy went back to washing the glassware, wishing she’d never agreed to meet Lenny. She must have been out of her mind. Now she’d got herself in a mess, and Gertie wasn’t any help.

She thought about asking Gertie to meet Lenny and tell him she wasn’t coming, except she knew Gertie wouldn’t like that at all, and she was upsetting enough people as it was. No, she’d just have to meet Samuel and leave Lenny waiting at the gate.

After all, she hadn’t actually said in words that she’d meet him. She’d just nodded her head. In any case, he’d probably be so cross with her he’d stay out of her way and never talk to her again.

The roof job was finished, and unless they got another leak, it could be months before he worked on the Pennyfoot again. By then, he would have forgotten all about her leaving him at the gate.

Feeling a little better, she carefully stacked glasses on the draining board. All she wanted to do was look forward to her walk with Samuel and Tess, and she couldn’t wait to get out of there.

As it was, the guests lingered longer than usual over their midday meal, and it was already half past two by the time all the dishes were cleared from the table and stacked by the sink ready to wash.

Fighting a sense of panic, Pansy thrust a pile of dishes into the hot soapy water. “If I don’t get out to the stables, Samuel will go without me,” she cried, as Gertie picked up a tea towel ready to dry the dishes. “He’ll never ask me again and I’ll just die.”

Gertie grinned. “No, you won’t.” She took a wet dish out of Pansy’s hands. “Here, go on with you. I’ll finish these.”

Pansy rose up on tiptoe and flung her arms around Gertie’s shoulders. “Thank you, thank you!”

“You can do the same for me someday,” Gertie said, shaking her off. “Now get out to those bloody stables before Samuel leaves.”

Pansy needed no more nudging. Dragging off her apron, she flew to the door, pausing only long enough to hook the apron on the wall before racing out into the hallway.

Reminding herself that the staff were not allowed to run inside the building, she slowed her steps as she crossed the lobby, but once outside in the cold fresh air, she flew as fast as she could across the backyard and into the courtyard.

Samuel was just emerging from the stables, the lanky dog skipping around his feet, as she turned the corner. He waved as she hurried toward him, one hand smoothing the stray hairs that had escaped the tight knot at the back of her head.

Flushed and panting, she stopped to pat Tess’s head before smiling up at Samuel. “Sorry I’m late. They was late getting out of the dining room.”

“That’s all right.” Samuel grinned back at her, warming her through and through. “Tess is anxious to get to the woods, though, aren’t you, girl?”

Tess wagged her tail and bounded over to the gate. For a moment Pansy worried that Lenny might arrive there early, but there was no sign of the lad as they stepped out onto the Esplanade.

“We’ll take the back way,” Samuel said, leading her down the alleyway that bordered the country club. “Tess doesn’t like carriages, for some reason. I think she might have been hit by one at some time.”

“Oh, poor thing!” Pansy reached out a hand to pat the dog’s head again but Tess bounded away, out of reach. Not that Pansy minded. She was too relieved that they were taking the back way, thus avoiding any chance of bumping into Lenny.

The next half hour or so went by in a flash as she and Samuel walked side by side, talking and laughing at Tess, who stopped every two minutes to sniff at the roadside.

Pansy did her best to forget about Lenny waiting for her at the gate, though every now and then she’d be struck with a pang of guilt.

Samuel must have sensed her uneasiness. As they climbed the path across the Downs, he paused, one hand on her arm. “Is there something wrong?” he asked, his eyes full of concern. “You’re awfully quiet all of a sudden.”

She was tempted to tell him the truth, but perhaps he wouldn’t think much of a girl who left another man waiting while she went off with someone else. So she made up a lie. “I was thinking about that Mr. Mortimer in room nine.” She gave him a quick smile. “He’s really strange. Gives me the willies, he does. I think he’s evil.”

Samuel frowned. “What did he do? Did he say something to you?”

Pansy shook her head. “Not really. It’s just the way he looks and acts.” She shuddered. “I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he’s that serial killer from London.”

Samuel laughed. “What would the Mayfair Murderer be doing down here in Badgers End?”

Offended, Pansy turned away. “I dunno. Maybe he’s hiding from the police. Anyway, I’m not the only one that thinks so, neither.”

Samuel’s grin faded. “Who else thinks so, then?”

“The other maids. After all, we’re the only ones that see him. He stays in his room all day. Even eats his meals in there.”

“He’s probably just shy, or doesn’t like being with people he doesn’t know. After all, he’s down here on his own, isn’t he?”

“So, if he’s shy and doesn’t like people he doesn’t know, what’s he doing staying at the Pennyfoot Country Club at Christmastime?”

Samuel shook his head, and whistled to the dog, who had gone bounding ahead. “I don’t know, but if I were you, I’d be careful what you say about him. If he is the Mayfair Murderer, he won’t like you going around telling everyone he is, will he.”

He was grinning, but Pansy couldn’t be sure if he was teasing or not. In any case, she felt shivers running down her back every time she thought about it after that.

In no time at all, it seemed, they had reached the path to the woods. Tess plunged ahead of them into the trees, making Samuel call out anxiously after her when she disappeared from sight.

“I don’t want to lose her,” he said, as they quickened their steps to catch up with the dog. “She’s used to being on her own, though. She might decide she likes it better being free.”

There was such anxiety in his voice, Pansy felt like hugging him to make him feel better. “She won’t run off,” she said, hoping she was right. “Why would she? She has someone to feed her and brush her coat and take care of her. More than anything, she has someone to love her now. What more could she want? What more could anyone want?”

He must have picked up something in her voice, as he paused and looked back at her. For a moment they stared at each other, looking deep into each other’s eyes, while her heart drummed in her chest.

Samuel’s voice sounded strange when he spoke. “Pansy, I-”

To her intense disappointment, the sound of barking cut off whatever he was going to say. He turned, looking in the direction of the urgent summons. “That’s Tess. Something’s upset her.”

Sensing the precious moment fading away, Pansy grabbed his arm. “It’s probably only a rabbit, that’s all. What were you going to say?”

He shook his head. “No, that’s an alarm bark. We’d better go and find out what’s bothering her.”

He took off at a run, leaving her to follow, seething with frustration. She was sure he was going to say something important. Maybe something that would change her life forever. Drat the dog. Tess had taken away her chance of finally hearing Samuel say the words she longed to hear.

Sulking, she trudged after him, the dog’s barking echoing in her ears. Samuel disappeared among the trees, and shortly after that Tess’s barks dwindled to soft whines.

Thinking the dog might be hurt, Pansy quickened her steps. The forest smelled of wet wood and damp earth, blending with the tangy fragrance of pine. Needles and dried leaves crunched under her feet as she hurried up the trail toward the spot where Samuel had disappeared.

She couldn’t see any movement ahead, and above her the thick branches of the evergreens shut out the light, so everything around her was clothed in murky shadows. Even Tess had stopped her whining, and only the rustling of the wind in the trees competed with the thump of her heart.

Pansy halted, clutching her thin scarf to her throat. “Samuel?” Her voice sounded thin and high. She cleared her throat and tried again. “Samuel? Tess? Where are you? I can’t see you.”

No one answered. Frightened now, she took a few steps deeper into the woods. “Samuel?
Samuel!
”

“I’m here.”

The harsh voice had drifted out to her from the dense thicket of trees. She took a nervous step in that direction, then all at once Samuel appeared from behind the thick trunk of a gnarled old oak tree.

Relief swamped her, until she saw his face. His skin had turned as pale as a bleached sheet. His eyes looked huge and stared back at her as if she were some wild animal getting ready to attack him.

“Samuel?”

She took a step toward him and his hand shot up, freezing her to the spot. When he spoke his voice sounded so different she hardly recognized it.

“Don’t come any closer.”

Her own voice barely above a whisper, she answered him. “What? Why not?”

Samuel clutched his stomach and leaned the other hand against the oak’s trunk. His next words chilled her to the bone. “Because I just found Ellie, and it’s not a pretty sight.”