Murder in the Library (Lottie Sprigg Country House 1920s Cozy Mystery Series) by Martha Bond

Author:Martha Bond [Bond, Martha]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Darkfield Books
Published: 2023-10-30T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Five

Barty wandered down Hambledon Hill with his hands in his pockets. He felt glum. He’d been in many scrapes during his life, but nothing as serious as this! He felt sure that the more he tried to plead his innocence to Detective Inspector Lloyd, the more guilty he appeared.

A horse and rider were trotting up the hill towards him. As they drew nearer, he realised with horror that the rider was Evelyn. He felt his heart thud and his face heat up. He had no idea what to say to Evelyn. Did she think he’d murdered her brother? Was he about to endure a confrontation? A barrage of angry words, perhaps?

He glanced about him, wondering if he could hide somewhere. The steep banks of the lane rose either side of him and the only refuge was a prickly hawthorn bush.

He had to speak to her.

Evelyn slowed her horse to a walk, and Barty prepared himself for the interaction.

‘Hello, Barty,’ she said as she brought the horse to a halt. Did he detect anger in her voice? He couldn’t be sure. The horse was grey and a good size. Evelyn towered over him and was as beautiful as he remembered her on the evening of the dinner. And now she was going to shout at him and call him horrible names about murdering her brother. He decided to offer her his condolences before the expected onslaught began.

‘Hello Evelyn. I’m very sorry about Percy.’

‘Thank you, Barty, that’s kind of you.’

A pause followed as she presumably mustered the energy to shout at him.

But everything remained quiet, and Barty felt the need to say something more. ‘I knew him for a long time,’ he added. ‘We were at school together.’

‘That’s right.’ She smiled.

The encounter was going far better than he’d hoped, so he spoke some more. ‘We weren’t close at school,’ he continued. ‘But I always found Percy quite entertaining, he was never dull, that’s for sure.’

‘Oh, he was dull.’

‘Was he?’ He looked up at her, surprised by her words.

‘You don’t have to say nice things about him,’ she said. ‘I know the pair of you didn’t get on with each other. And that was to be expected because of the feud between our families. I loved my brother very much and I miss him enormously. But I shan’t pretend he was everyone’s cup of tea, because he wasn’t.’

‘You’re comparing your late brother to a cup of tea?’

‘Yes. A cup of tea that was too strong or too weak for people. Depending on how you like your tea.’

‘Quite strong for me.’

‘Me too. So there’s no need to pretend you liked him, because I know that’s not true.’

‘I didn’t murder him, if that’s what you’re thinking.’

‘I don’t think you murdered him.’

‘But your parents do.’

‘They’re shocked and upset. They’re desperate to blame your family. I think they’ll change their minds about you once they’ve had time to consider it.’

‘I hope so. But Detective Inspector Lloyd thinks I did it too. I’m going to be arrested, I just know it.

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