Murder Under a Bad Moon by Abigail Keam

Author:Abigail Keam
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Mystery
ISBN: 9781732974326
Publisher: Abigail Keam
Published: 2019-08-02T00:00:00+00:00

16

Mona felt dizzy as Lady Alice prattled on. She reached over to a tree trunk to steady herself.

“Why, Mona! What’s wrong? You look as white as a ghost.”

Mona regained her composure and decided to act like the lady she was. She saw no use in weeping profusely or acting out in a dramatic scene with Alice. After all, she had thrown away her chance for love by being too distant with Lord Farley. It was her own fault she had lost him.

“I hope you and Robert will be very happy, Alice.”

“Robert!” Lady Alice looked nonplussed. “I’m not marrying Robert. I’m engaged to Ogden Nithercott. Look at my engagement ring. It was his grandmother’s. Even though it’s old, it looks very up-to-date. Isn’t it pretty?”

Mona looked at a stunning, marquise cut, Burmese ruby with surrounding diamonds. “The Professor?”

Alice grinned. “The very same.”

“Still, why are you here?”

“Ogden and I don’t have any family to speak of in England, and we wanted to be with family when we got married. So, we decided to follow Robert back. You are my family, Mona. I want you to be with me when I take my vows.”

Mona choked back the tears. “Alice, I am very happy for you. I know Nithercott adores you. He’ll make you a fine husband.”

“Really?”

“Very.”

“Are you glad we came?”

“Yes, Alice. You have no idea how glad.”

“I wondered if we should come. You didn’t answer my letters, Mona. Robert said you didn’t answer his letters either. Why?”

“I’ll tell you one day, my sweet, when you are an old married lady, and affairs of the heart are a thing of the past.”

“Oh, I don’t like the sound of that. No affairs of the heart? Might as well be dead then.”

“Let’s sit down here among the sweet smelling roses, and you tell me all about it.”

“Robert was very helpful, and saved Bosworth Manor for me. Within two months, I was able to rent out all the farms and purchase a new tractor. Robert instituted a system in which the farmers borrow my equipment. There is a sign up sheet on the equipment barn door, and farmers put down what days they need the equipment. All they have to do is pay for the petrol to run the equipment and bring it back to the barn each night.

“This has freed them up from acquiring equipment loans, and they are able to put more money into renovating their farms. Plus, they give one day a month’s labor to restore Bosworth Manor, which I take off their rent. It’s too late in the year for crops, but next year I should see a profit, as will the tenants between next year’s planting and sheep. If that happens, I’ll be able to pay off some of my debts. Cross your fingers.”

“Extraordinary,” was all Mona could say.

“I couldn’t have done it without Robert. He seems to have a knack for the land. After he straightened out Bosworth Manor, Robert checked on his father. He had a stroke but he’s doing better than expected.

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