Read Online Murder at Locke Abbey by Catherine Winchester - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Catherine Winchester
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as wide as it would go then sat on the sill and gripping the frame tightly, leaned back to look above.
There was a window directly above but it was small, clearly not a sash, although it could be a casement window that opened on a hinge. She would have to check the attic rooms.
“M- ma’am, are you all right?”
Thea jumped with fright and for a moment, feared she might fall, but she managed to regain her grip on the window frame and slipped back into the room.
By the door stood a youngish woman, her hands clasped in front of her.
“Forgive me,” Thea smiled. “I was just checking for something.” She pushed the window almost closed, then placed her open handkerchief over the frame, then closed the window on it.
“Can I help you with something, Ma’am?” the servant asked hesitantly.
“I hope so. Are you Mrs Gar wood’s maid or one of the housemaids?”
“A housemaid, ma’ am.”
“Your name?”
“Ella Fisher.”
“Nice to meet you, Ella, I’m Lady Thea. I need to ask you some questions, if I may.”
“Of course you may, ma’am.”
“Thank you.” She smiled. “First, is Mrs Garwood’s lady’s maid still here?”
“No, she had to leave and seek employment elsewhere.”
“Did she not receive any severance?”
“No Ma’am, Mr Garwood said he had no use of her now, so she may as well go sooner than later. Mr Black, he’s the butler, allowed her to stay for a few days while she wrote to a family member in London and asked to stay with them while as she looked for a new position.”
“How very heartless,” Thea exclaimed.
“Oh no, Ma’am, Mr Black said she could stay as long as she needed, he even offered to give her a reference, but she left when she heard back from her uncle, said it’d be easier to find a new situation in London.”
“Forgive me, I meant Mr Garwood, not Mr Black.”
“Oh, yes…”
“Do you have a name and address for the lady’s maid?”
“Her name was Mrs McCall, and Mr Black has an address for her. She was intent on finding a new position as soon as she could though, so she may have moved on already.”
“Had she been with Mrs Garwood for long?”
“Since Mrs Garwood first came out. She were something broken up when it happened, inconsolable.”
“Did she say anything about her employer, or why this might have happened?”
“She said that she’d bet good money her husband were involved. He couldn’t have been of course, he were with the others all evening, and Mr Black were serving and he swears Mr Garwood never even left the room after his wife retired for the night.”
“But there was n o love lost between husband and wife?”
“I’d say that were a fair statement.”
“Who cleaned this room?” Thea asked, getting to her feet.
“I did, Ma’am, me or Laura. And we lit the fires and turned down the beds each day.”
“So you are familiar with Mrs Garwood’s possessions?”
“I s’pose.”
“Good. I wonder if you would take a look around with me and tell me if anything looks out of place.”
“Yes, Ma’am. Where would you like to start?”
“By the writing bureau.”
Thea crossed the room, the maid joining her.
“The ink well was on the floor, do you know why it was out of the desk set?”
“No, Ma’am, it was always put away properly when we came in.”
“Did she ever leave letters out?”
“No, they had always been put away.”
“So she must have been interrupted while writing,” Thea mused. “What about the paper knife, where did that sit?”
“She always placed it in front of the desk set, handle to the right.”
“She was probably right handed,” Thea guessed, as the desk set was also positioned to the right of center. She began opening drawers.
“We never looked in there,” Elle said.
“I don’t doubt it,” Thea assured her. She looked in every drawer but saw nothing untoward. She also looked in the bedside drawers and a dresser, but there were few personal effects in here.
“Has
There was a window directly above but it was small, clearly not a sash, although it could be a casement window that opened on a hinge. She would have to check the attic rooms.
“M- ma’am, are you all right?”
Thea jumped with fright and for a moment, feared she might fall, but she managed to regain her grip on the window frame and slipped back into the room.
By the door stood a youngish woman, her hands clasped in front of her.
“Forgive me,” Thea smiled. “I was just checking for something.” She pushed the window almost closed, then placed her open handkerchief over the frame, then closed the window on it.
“Can I help you with something, Ma’am?” the servant asked hesitantly.
“I hope so. Are you Mrs Gar wood’s maid or one of the housemaids?”
“A housemaid, ma’ am.”
“Your name?”
“Ella Fisher.”
“Nice to meet you, Ella, I’m Lady Thea. I need to ask you some questions, if I may.”
“Of course you may, ma’am.”
“Thank you.” She smiled. “First, is Mrs Garwood’s lady’s maid still here?”
“No, she had to leave and seek employment elsewhere.”
“Did she not receive any severance?”
“No Ma’am, Mr Garwood said he had no use of her now, so she may as well go sooner than later. Mr Black, he’s the butler, allowed her to stay for a few days while she wrote to a family member in London and asked to stay with them while as she looked for a new position.”
“How very heartless,” Thea exclaimed.
“Oh no, Ma’am, Mr Black said she could stay as long as she needed, he even offered to give her a reference, but she left when she heard back from her uncle, said it’d be easier to find a new situation in London.”
“Forgive me, I meant Mr Garwood, not Mr Black.”
“Oh, yes…”
“Do you have a name and address for the lady’s maid?”
“Her name was Mrs McCall, and Mr Black has an address for her. She was intent on finding a new position as soon as she could though, so she may have moved on already.”
“Had she been with Mrs Garwood for long?”
“Since Mrs Garwood first came out. She were something broken up when it happened, inconsolable.”
“Did she say anything about her employer, or why this might have happened?”
“She said that she’d bet good money her husband were involved. He couldn’t have been of course, he were with the others all evening, and Mr Black were serving and he swears Mr Garwood never even left the room after his wife retired for the night.”
“But there was n o love lost between husband and wife?”
“I’d say that were a fair statement.”
“Who cleaned this room?” Thea asked, getting to her feet.
“I did, Ma’am, me or Laura. And we lit the fires and turned down the beds each day.”
“So you are familiar with Mrs Garwood’s possessions?”
“I s’pose.”
“Good. I wonder if you would take a look around with me and tell me if anything looks out of place.”
“Yes, Ma’am. Where would you like to start?”
“By the writing bureau.”
Thea crossed the room, the maid joining her.
“The ink well was on the floor, do you know why it was out of the desk set?”
“No, Ma’am, it was always put away properly when we came in.”
“Did she ever leave letters out?”
“No, they had always been put away.”
“So she must have been interrupted while writing,” Thea mused. “What about the paper knife, where did that sit?”
“She always placed it in front of the desk set, handle to the right.”
“She was probably right handed,” Thea guessed, as the desk set was also positioned to the right of center. She began opening drawers.
“We never looked in there,” Elle said.
“I don’t doubt it,” Thea assured her. She looked in every drawer but saw nothing untoward. She also looked in the bedside drawers and a dresser, but there were few personal effects in here.
“Has
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