Death in the Highlands: A totally gripping and unputdownable cozy mystery (A Cressida Fawcett Mystery Book 3) by Fliss Chester

Author:Fliss Chester [Chester, Fliss]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781837905485
Publisher: Bookouture
Published: 2023-06-21T16:00:00+00:00

27

Once again, the piercing wail of the bagpipes echoed around the castle and Cressida awoke to it with a start.

‘Every blooming morning, Rubes… surely they must get bored of it?’

Ruby replied by burying her head further into the covers, and with a murmur of ‘I don’t blame you’, Cressida slipped out from under the eiderdown and padded across the bedroom to the window. Pulling the curtains wide, she could see the sun already glimmering through the mist over the loch. They had agreed last night to go shooting again, even though Jack had been injured yesterday. His sudden arrival into the drawing room last night, his violent temper and threat to box Alistair all came back to Cressida as she poured water from a large jug into a basin and washed herself.

How he’d spoken in front of Rose, though, Cressida thought to herself. She seemed so scared of him. No wonder she seemed to prefer the company of Alistair.

Cressida finished washing and then dressed, selecting another pair of tweed knickerbockers from her wardrobe and pairing them with a high-necked white blouse that looked smart under her fitted tweed jacket. A forest-green silk scarf completed the look, and a quick rummage in her pockets revealed the wool she’d been using to dampen down the screech of the bagpipes, and the noise of the guns.

Prepared and preened, she headed downstairs, with Ruby bouncing along at her heels, following the voices that could be heard from the dining room. Cressida peered in, hoping that she couldn’t be seen by those inside. She hovered behind the door, straining her ears to hear and catching glimpses when she could.

‘What do you mean there’s no sign of him?’ That was Lady Glenkirk, who appeared to be clutching at her throat, her other arm crossed over her chest. Lydia was standing next to her, and they were talking to Sir Richard.

‘The maid knocked on the door and, as there was no answer, let herself in to do all the necessaries…’ Sir Richard stopped and gave an embarrassed little cough. Not all of Ayrton Castle’s bedrooms had bathrooms and those that didn’t were provided with a ‘gazunder’ and basins and jugs, such as Cressida had just used. Sir Richard continued, ‘Morag said there was no sign of Jack when she entered.’

‘But where can he be? He’d had a nasty blow to the head yesterday, as well as being shot.’ Lydia sounded frustrated.

Cressida saw Lady Glenkirk blanche. ‘Y-yesterday? A blow to the head too? When was this…’

‘When he was shot, Mother.’ Lydia gripped her mother’s arm. ‘Didn’t you know?’

‘Oh Jack, my poor boy—’ Lady Glenkirk covered her face with her hands.

‘We have to find him,’ Lydia demanded of Sir Richard, who looked barely recovered from the exhaustions of yesterday as it was.

‘I’ll do what I can. Any spare staff will form a search party,’ Sir Richard assured Lydia and her distraught mother. Cressida felt for him. He was doing his best for the Glenkirks, and yet it seemed that, in their eyes, he would never be anything but an interloper in their house.

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