Lady Rample and the Yuletide Caper by Shéa MacLeod

Author:Shéa MacLeod
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: women sleuths, Christmas, private investigators, murder mystery, humor
Publisher: Sunwalker Press
Published: 2020-12-07T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6

After supper, and in keeping with the festive season, Davina served us hot buttered rum in the drawing room from a large, steaming pot. The Yule log burned merrily, and the room was nicely decorated with the greenery we’d collected. Outside, snow still fell.

I pulled Aunt Butty to the side where we wouldn’t be overheard. “I don’t believe Mr. Ainsley walked here. Do you?”

“Not a word of it. Do you see how shiny his shoes are? And the soles are leather. Dress shoes. They’d be ruined in the snow.” She took a sip of her warm drink. “Delicious. I must get the recipe from Davina.”

“He’s not Lord Bryden’s secretary, is he?” I brought her back ‘round to the question at hand.

“It’s possible, I suppose,” she mused, “but doubtful. He doesn’t behave like any secretary I’ve ever met.”

“Then who is he?” I asked.

“No idea, but we should ask.”

“Yes,” I agreed. “And we should find out why he brought us here.”

“If indeed he did bring us here,” she pointed out.

Before we could do so, Ainsley stood up and called our attention. “I suppose you’re wondering why I brought you here.”

We all exchanged looks, then nodded almost as one.

“That’s an understatement,” Louise said dryly. Peaches growled as if agreeing.

“You have all done things which you need to answer for,” he said.

“What do you mean by ‘things?’” Hale demanded.

“Crimes. Misdeeds.” He smirked. “Evil.”

Phil laughed. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Am I?” The man leered at her.

“You are, rather,” I said. “There is only one person here who has ever committed anything like a crime.” I glanced at Olivia who turned her nose up. “Unfortunately, it can’t be proved.” I didn’t mention Binky’s shenanigans at the house party in Devon a couple years back. Aunt Butty and I had promised to keep mum on that business.

“Oh, I am certain more of you have things you would not like being made public,” Ainsley assured me.

Well, that was another matter. There were plenty of things none of us wanted getting out. My penchant for breaking and entering, which was only done for the good, I’ll have you know. The fact that Chaz preferred the company of gentlemen. That was, I suppose, technically illegal. Don’t get me started on how ridiculous I thought that law was. Binky’s past was just that, the past. I was sure Aunt Butty and Louise probably had a few escapades under their belts they’d rather not be made public. And then there was Hale. Him living with me could put him in danger. Phil probably had secrets, too, but if she did, I wasn’t yet privy to them.

I decided to play along. “Very well. Let’s say you’re right and that we have things we’d rather not be made public. What do you plan to do about it?”

Ainsley’s smile was beyond smarmy. “I’m glad you asked. I plan for you to pay me a large sum of money to keep quiet.”

I snorted. “You’re joking, right?”

“I am not.” His expression was grim to the point of being deadly.

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