Murder at Missleberry Manor

Part 9

Also keeping quite a close eye on their group, and rather less pleasing, was Lawrence Highmore but thankfully he kept his distance. Cecilia wasn't the only one to notice him. The Great Bear sat beside her did a viciously perfect imitation of his oily manner which had them all in fits of hysterical laughter until the disapproving stares from some of the other guests were enough and most of them moved out into the garden.

Cecilia on the other hand decided to get some more food but she'd barely even looked at the mini cheesecakes when Lawrence Highmore himself appeared at her elbow.

"Miss Allanson," he said. "I've so been hoping to speak to you alone. I came across something in the library that I think you'll find rather fascinating. Shall we?"

She glanced around hoping to catch someone's eye but Freddie had his back to her, the people she'd been sat with had disappeared outside and there was no sign of Cat. Highmore reached out and took her plate from her and Cecilia saw that he had a few small, fresh cuts on the knuckles of his right hand. Cuts that hadn't been there the night before.

A roaring grew in her head, drowning out the noise of the party. It was him. He was the man in the chapel with Mrs Hanbury. They were the ones who murdered the maid. Something of her realisation must have shown on her face because before she could react, before she could even make a noise he'd grasped her arm in an iron grip and pulled her quickly and quietly out of the drawing room, across the hall and into the library. He closed the door and stood squarely in front of it.

"I want to get back to the party," said Cecilia, trying to ignore the tremor in her voice.

"Can't let you do that."

She risked a glance around the room. There was no other door. The windows were a possibility but she knew from experience that they often stuck in the summer heat. He'd be able to stop her easily if she tried to open them.

"If you don't let me out right now I'll scream so loud everyone will be here in a heartbeat."

Highmore didn't respond. Instead he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pistol and pointed it straight at Cecilia.

She gasped and fell silent.

"Sit down," he said, pointing to a chair over to Cecilia's left.

On trembling legs she crossed over to it and sank down, not taking her eyes of the pistol for a moment. Highmore's hand holding it was shaking, she wasn't sure if that was a promising sign or not.

"So you killed the maid and now you're going to kill me, is that the plan? I think you'll find firing a gun might attract a bit more attention than hitting someone over the head," Cecilia said recklessly when he showed no signs of speaking.

"Shut up!" Highmore took a few calming breaths and carried on. "You had to go snooping didn't you? I saw you and the Woodworth boy loitering below the bedroom window this morning so we decided to meet in the chapel instead this afternoon but then there you were again. Just kept getting in the way."

With his free hand Highmore reached into an inner pocket as if to get a pocket watch but came away empty handed with a curse. He still hadn't found it. Cecilia's mind flickered back to the locket she'd found in the grass that morning.

"You dropped it in the grounds when you ran away after murdering an innocent girl. It's with the police now."

If possible his expression grew even more thunderous.

Cecilia chastised herself. What was she doing antagonising him when he was pointing a gun at her? What she needed to do was find a way out of there at once, but how? What could she do? For a moment her heart rose when there was a knock on the door but then it opened and Mrs Hanbury entered, quickly closing it again behind herself.

Her eyes widened in shock at the sight of Highmore pointing a pistol at Cecilia. She grabbed one of the tall backed chairs and wedged it under the door handle before turning to Highmore.

"What on earth are you doing with a gun? Don't tell me you've made a hash of this as well. All you had to do was find out what she knew or thought she knew and then persuade her that it was ridiculous."

Cecilia hoped that this might take some of Highmore's attention away from her and she could figure out an escape route. But although he replied angrily to Mrs Hanbury his gaze stayed fixed on Cecilia.

"She already knew it was us. There was nothing I could do."

"So you decided to pull out a gun, confirm her suspicions and all but sign our confessions. Bravo," Mrs Hanbury hissed. "I am so glad I decided to risk my marriage, my whole life on a man like you."

Highmore flushed angrily. "It wasn't so long ago that you said you didn't even have a life before you met me. You spent your days wasting away in a loveless marriage to an indifferent fool."

"And what I wouldn't give to go back to those days right now."

Cecilia's mouth fell open in surprise. Mrs Hanbury was having an affair with Lawrence Highmore? She didn't think she'd even seen them speak to each other before now. He'd been too busy fawning over the women in the house young enough to be his daughter while she'd always acted like he wasn't even worth her notice. It must have all been an act.

"Now shut up," said Mrs Hanbury. Her eyes darted round the room as she tried to figure out what to do next.

Suddenly there was a voice outside the door.

"Cecilia." It was Freddie. "Cecilia are you in there?"