Summer Knights by Cassie Rush

Author:Cassie Rush [Rush, Cassie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-06-13T16:00:00+00:00

After tea Lady Gayle retired to her room to lie down and rest before dinner. She had popped into see Bundle who was uncomfortable but perfectly fine. Binky was taking tea with her and Lady Gayle decided to leave husband and wife alone. They had quite a lot to discuss.

When Lady Gayle entered her own room she was relieved to see Alice hard at work taking care of her clothes, ‘I am so pleased to see a friendly face,’ she said flopping onto the bed. ‘I tried talking to Mrs Bishop about the young man you saw. She nearly bit my head off. She says there was no young man in the corridor and that you imagined it.’

‘Yes, milady,’ Alice sniffed. ‘I am well known for my overactive imagination.’

Lady Gayle squinted at her maid for a moment. It was unlike Alice to be quite so acerbic. She was normally a very calm person, even if her views of people were occasionally a little harsh. ‘Are you quite well, Alice?’ she said. ‘Put those things down. Sit here and tell me everything.’ She patted a spot beside her on the bed and Alice, after a sigh, complied.

‘I didn’t imagine anyone in the corridor, milady,’ Alice began. ‘I thought he was outside Mrs Bishop’s door, but it may have been Lady Ridgewell’s instead. There’s uproar downstairs as everyone is convinced that someone else killed the young man—’

‘His name was Jack Parsons,’ said Lady Gayle. ‘He had been a champion boxer. Inspector Coward says he was working for a London gangster who was a money lender.’

‘Is that why he was here, milady?’ asked Alice.

‘Working for his gangster boss? Yes, it’s very possible, Alice. However, I do have something to ask you,’ said Lady Gayle. ‘I told Inspector Coward that you’d seen someone and now he’d like you to take a look at the body to see if it’s the same person. Will you do that Alice? I wouldn’t ask if it weren’t important, but no one can make you if you don’t want to.’

‘I can’t say as I’m happy with that, milady, but if you think it will help?’ Alice’s voice cracked as she spoke. ‘When will I need to do it?’

‘I think Mr Parsons may have been taken to the hospital mortuary, so not for a day or two, and I wouldn’t let you do it on your own. I’ll be with you all the time.’ Lady Gayle squeezed Alice’s hand.

‘Very well, milady, but you don’t need to be with me. I can manage,’ said Alice. ‘Now would you like to hear what else I’ve discovered?’

‘Oh, yes please,’ said Lady Gayle.

Alice rose and continued tidying clothes. ‘Well, there is a lot of talk about Lord and Lady Hansen. Their marriage is not a happy one by all accounts. There’s other talk about his lordship but that’s not something I want to discuss.’ Alice glanced at Lady Gayle; her face stricken.

Lady Gayle could guess what the talk was. ‘Carry on.’

‘Then there’s talk about Sir William and about Lord Collins too.

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