Ring for Tomb Service by Kate Kingsbury

Author:Kate Kingsbury [Kingsbury, Kate]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Publisher: Berkley
Published: 1997-01-01T08:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER

11

Cecily was enjoying a few quiet moments with a pot of tea in her suite when Doris tapped on her door to announce the arrival of Phoebe.

Anxiously waiting for her friend, Cecily wondered if she had further news of Will Jones, or if, indeed, Phoebe was aware that Will was murdered.

Deciding not to say anything unless the subject came up, Cecily welcomed her guest. “Would you care for some tea?” she asked as Phoebe fussily settled herself in her favorite Queen Anne chair.

“I would love some, Cecily, thank you. It is rather warm outside, and I always find tea so refreshing after a long walk.” She hunted in her sleeve for her handkerchief and delicately fanned her pink face. “Thank heaven for these giant brims on hats these days. It certainly does help to keep the sun off one’s face.”

“It does, indeed.” Cecily turned to Doris, who was politely hovering in the doorway waiting to be dismissed. “Please bring up a fresh pot of tea for two and some sandwiches and cakes for Mrs. Carter-Holmes.”

“Yes, mum.” Doris bobbed a curtsey and disappeared.

“Oh, how nice, Cecily,” Phoebe murmured. “We haven’t had afternoon tea together in quite a while.”

“No, we haven’t.” Cecily took a seat on her chaise lounge and looked expectantly at Phoebe. “Now, what brings you here in the middle of the week? I trust the plans for the clipping are going well?”

“Oh, my dear.” Phoebe touched a corner of her handkerchief to her brow. “Don’t even mention the clipping. Those dreadful girls are bound to make utter chaos of the entire ceremony, as usual. I can’t imagine why Algie insists on continuing with it, after he witnessed the debacle they made of it this morning. And now there’s this business with the chalice …”

“The chalice?”

Phoebe carefully folded her handkerchief again. “I’m afraid something rather dreadful has happened to it.”

“Oh, Lord, no,” Cecily exclaimed. “Whatever happened?”

Phoebe’s bosom heaved as she drew in a long breath and then let it out on a long sigh. “Cecily, I know this will shock you as much as it did Algie and me. I’m afraid …”

She paused, apparently for dramatic effect. Cecily curbed her impatience.

“I’m afraid, Cecily,” Phoebe said when it became apparent that Cecily was not going to beg for the details, “that the chalice has been … stolen!” This last word was accompanied by a theatrical flourish that flipped the handkerchief open again.

Cecily stared at her in disbelief. Well used to Phoebe’s melodramatic statements, she had not expected a genuine disaster. “Great heavens, Phoebe, however did that happen? Wasn’t the chalice under lock and key?”

Phoebe blinked. “Well, yes, now that you mention it, it certainly was. Nevertheless, someone managed to unlock the case and replace the real chalice with a shoddy fake. Algie noticed it when he caught the case as it was falling to the floor.”

“It fell?” Cecily said, trying to make sense of all this.

“Yes. One of those dreadful creatures tried to take it off the pedestal for a closer look.

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