Read Online Murder at Locke Abbey by Catherine Winchester - Free Book Online

horseback today.
    “And now Gentlemen, I must ask you to excuse me and the Copleys. I have a few matters to discuss with them before bed.”
    The gentlemen grumbled their assent.
    Cole held the door for them and as he went to step through after, he heard Mr Garwood mutter, “Put her in her place!” probably meaning to show affinity.
    “Why would I do that?” he asked, a wry smile on his lips. “Especially after she has done such a good job of putting you in your places.”
    He nodded to the men who had not entered into the argument.
    “Goodnight, G entlemen.” He closed the door firmly. “Would you like a nightcap?” Cole asked Thea and Lord Copley.
    “I am well used to such reactions, Mr Cole, I do not need alcohol to sooth e me.”
    “Perhaps you don’t need it but it also cannot hurt.”
    “I apologise for my behaviour in there, Sir, I will try to ensure it doesn’t happen again.”
    “That was hard ly your fault,” he assured her.
    “B ut I have offended your friends.”
    “There are few at that table I would call a friend,” he said with an easy smile. “I care little for the opinions of slave owners, absentee landlords and philanderers. While I do not claim your knowledge of Ireland, I do know something about running an estate; I was born for the task after all, and have been trained for it since I was a boy. Landlords must keep an eye on their tenants and ensure that dealings are fair.”
    Copley nodded to him, a small, proud smile on his face.
    “You must be tired however, so if you would rather retire for the night, please feel free.”
    “I am feeling tired actually, I think it best to get an early night.”
    “Of course. Do not feel the need to arise too early, no one else in this house does, other than me. Breakfast is at ten.”
    “I understand, Sir, thank you.”
    “Good night, Thea.” He turned to Lord Copley. “And what of you, Sir, will you join me?” Cole asked.
    “I believe I will.” He turned to his daughter and kissed her forehead. “Goodnight, dearest.”
    “Good night, Papa, Goodnight, Cole.”
    Both gentlemen watched as she walked away and up the main staircase then when she was out of sight, Cole led them to th e library and poured two glasses from the decanter.
    “Is brandy acceptable?”
    “Sounds very good.”
    He handed the drink over and they sat in the wingback armchairs by the fireplace.
    “You have an exceptional daughter there, Sir.” Cole began the conversation.
    “Indeed I do, almost as exceptional as my wife.” He sipped his brandy. “It is difficult to live with someone who possesses such extraordinary gifts, but the rewards are more than worth it for the gentleman who is up to the challenge.”
    “I can imagine.”
    “I’m just glad that only one daughter seems to have inherited her mother’s talents. I think if I was surrounded by women who were able to outwit me at every turn, ou r house would be a savage land.”
    “Outwit?” he asked, unsure what Copley meant by that.
    “Even as a child, Thea could outsmart her governesses. By age ten, she was devising means to escape the school room and by the time she was twelve, most windows were nailed closed. A year later a prank war broke out between Thea and her next two siblings. Just harmless larking around, nothing malicious in it, but Thea’s tricks were ingenious. Trip wires turned up everywhere, dyes were added to soap bars to colour the skin, perfume bottles were emptied and replaced with rather unpleasant scents.”
    Cole smiled at the image.
    “Don’t get me wrong, her sisters aren’t dim-witted at all, but it took two of them working together to fool Thea. Were she inclined to turn her mind to a life of crime, England would be bankrupt by now, I’m sure.”
    “And the rewards?”
    “Trust, loyalty, love and passion. The women in my family do nothing by halves, and that includes love.”
    Cole smiled.
    “Also, both Thea and her mother excel in mathematics, and I have not added up