Murder at Missleberry Manor

Part 5

They decided to split up. Freddie was going to talk to Mr Mason, a friend of his father, who they had both noticed acting rather flustered last night not long before Jane had been discovered. He was then going to find the detective and try and speak up for Bess.

Cecilia on the other hand was going to try and talk to Cat if only she could find her which, in a house this size, wasn't guaranteed.

She'd checked the dining room, the drawing room and the long gallery so far and while she had come across Mrs Woodworth who had informed her that the party now was going ahead, spent about twenty minutes listening to an old great-aunt of Lizzie's reminiscing about the parties she'd attended as a girl, and barely escaped from Lawrence Highmore when he tried to enlist her help in searching for his missing pocket watch, she had not come across Cat.

Cecilia was just about to step into the library when at last she heard her speaking in hushed tones within.

"I need you to deliver a letter for me please. Right away. Make sure you give it directly to him. Nobody else."

"Yes Miss Catherine."

Cecilia was frozen in place. Of course there could easily be a perfectly innocent explanation but coming on the heels of a murder and Cat's own suspicious behaviour at breakfast Cecilia wasn't so sure.

Oh why hadn't she left Cat for Freddie to talk to?

Cat's footsteps receded, did the library have another exit, Cecilia couldn't remember. Before she could decide what to do the servant appeared and almost walked right into her as he tried to leave through the doorway she was still standing in.

"Begging your pardon Miss."

"Not at all."

Cecilia glanced down at the letter he was holding but whether purposefully or not his hand was covering the addressee.

"Well if there's nothing I can help you with Miss I have work to do," he said, shifting awkwardly on the balls of his feet.

Cecilia was blocking his way she knew but short of coming straight out and asking who the letter was for she wasn't sure what to do. And even then he'd be under no obligation to answer her. And if Cat was still within it was hardly subtle.

As if on cue Cat appeared behind the servant looking faintly amused.

"Cecilia dear," she said, taking her arm and moving her to the side. "Are you feeling quite alright? Why don't you come and sit down with me and we'll let Thomas here get on."

Thomas left the room as Cat steered Cecilia over to one of the armchairs and pushed her down into it, all the while ignoring her protestations. She took a seat opposite her and said, "Now what are you doing harassing the servants?"

"I'm not sure what you mean," said Cecilia.

"Well why don't I help jog your memory a little and you can fill in anything I miss out? For some unknown reason you and my dear brother have decided that Bess is innocent and got it into your heads to play detective over this murdered maid business and I'm a suspect. Is that about right?"

Cecilia gave a nervous, unconvincing laugh. "What? Of course not."

Cat raised her eyebrows in disbelief.

"Well alright then it's true. But you have been acting rather odd. First at breakfast and then just now with the mystery letter." Cecilia hesitated and then said, "You didn't have anything to do with it did you?"

"Of course not," Cat scoffed. "But I don't suppose that'll be enough to satisfy you?"

"No. Why have you been acting strange?"

"You're as bad as Lizzie, I can see why you two are friends. Thank goodness she's ill in bed otherwise we'd have three amateur Sherlock's running round."

"You're stalling," Cecilia said, crossing her arms over her chest and trying to look serious although truth be told she was actually rather enjoying her role as questioner.

"If it will prove to you that I'm not a murderer then fine."

Footsteps rang out as someone crossed the entrance hall. Cat waited for them to fade away before continuing.

"The letter is going to Andrew Foster over at Buddely Manor, the neighbouring estate. He and I are... well."

Although she had trailed off Cecilia understood her meaning at once. "Oh. Oh I didn't know-"

"Nobody does," continued Cat, standing up. "And the reason I was so desperate for the party to go ahead, which it is by the way if you haven't heard, is because we're going to tell our parents. So if you could keep it to yourself until then it would be greatly appreciated."

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Cecilia was sat despondently under a tree waiting for Freddie to come and find her. While she was of course glad to know the reason behind Cat's strange behaviour and that it had nothing to do with the murder it now meant that she was out of ideas. She could only hope that Freddie was having some luck in talking to the detective because if he wasn't not only had one girl already died, but Bess's own life would be in danger too.

Pulling her knees up to her chest to rest her head on Cecilia saw Mrs Hanbury come out of the same door that Jack had led her out of that morning. Perhaps she was just becoming paranoid but Mrs Hanbury looked rather skittish, almost as if she didn't want to be seen. She took a long moment to look this way and that, not seeing Cecilia in the shade of the tree, before darting out across the lawn towards the tall hedges that surrounded one of Mrs Woodworth's flower gardens and round the corner.

Jumping to her feet Cecilia hurried after the other woman. Pausing at the corner she risked a glance round. Mrs Hanbury was already half way down this narrow lawn and showing no signs of slowing down. She did take a moment to glance back over her shoulder and Cecilia only just pulled back behind the hedge in time to avoid being spotted. Whatever she was up to she clearly didn't want to be spotted and Cecilia knew she'd done the right thing following her.

She peered back round the hedge just in time to see Mrs Hanbury disappear round the far corner.