Lady Julia 05,5 - Silent Night by Deanna Raybourn

Author:Deanna Raybourn [Raybourn, Deanna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Mystery, Historical, Romance, Adult
Amazon: B008X4BIII
Goodreads: 13615714
Publisher: Mira
Published: 2012-10-31T23:00:00+00:00

The Seventh Chapter

O Flower, whose fragrance tender

With sweetness fills the air...

“Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming” Traditional English Carol

After Brisbane and I had settled amicably upon terms—I would investigate with his discreet assistance but he would answer no direct questions—I announced loudly that I would be writing letters in my room while Brisbane claimed to have business from the morning post that required his attention. Luckily for us both, the rest of the family were equally occupied. Father had bolted the door of his study against visitors while Aunt Hermia had closeted herself with the cook, who was out of bed but still walking in a gingerly fashion. Portia took Jane the Younger to the Home Farm to show her off to our brother Benedick, and that left only Plum, who disappeared with his sketchbook.

Together, Brisbane and I crept up to the attics, making directly for the lumber room where once before a spectral visitor had hidden the means of a ghostly disguise. I had just crossed the threshold when Brisbane gave an exclamation of disgust and held a robe of white gauze aloft.

“The devil might have had the wit to attempt to hide it.” His expression was sour.

“I should have thought you would be pleased to have uncovered the truth so quickly,” I soothed.

He narrowed his witch-black eyes at me. “I have matched wits with some of the most cunning criminals in the world. I do think it’s a trifle wasteful of my time to unmask an unimaginative servant bent on thievery.”

But he inspected the draperies with his usual thoroughness before tossing them to me.

“The same costume as the last time,” I reflected. “Doubtless the story got round the village and someone decided if the ploy had worked once it would work again.” I fell silent, nibbling at my lip as I thought. Brisbane bent to examine the other bits of the costume. The original affair had included a pair of pattens, iron frames that had once been fashionable for lifting a lady out of the mud when she walked, thus sparing her skirts. Our previous ghost had been clever to use them, for they gave the impression of floating if the spectre were seen in fitful light.

Brisbane held them up for my inspection. “Notice anything peculiar?”

I poked at them, twining a long strand of sticky silk about my finger when I pulled away. “Cobweb. They haven’t been worn, not in a very long time. So we have a slightly more interesting puzzle. The pattens made a ghastly effect. It was down to them that anyone who saw the previous ghost believed it to be entirely supernatural. Why then did our present ghost discard the most effective part of the ensemble?”

I strapped them on and began to move about the room as Brisbane watched. “They are dreadfully awkward. And quite heavy. It would take practise to walk in them gracefully and give the impression of floating. Therefore, I propose it must be a woman of small stature, unable to manoeuver in them easily and without sufficient time to learn.

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