The Mystery of the Cursed Castle: A Cosy Victorian Whodunnit (The Gentleman Detective Mysteries Book 12) by James Evelyn

Author:James, Evelyn
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Red Raven Publications
Published: 2024-09-30T00:00:00+00:00

Eleven

Lord Brooksby was beside himself when Victoria hastened through the gates towards the tower. Mrs Nantwich lingered a little longer in the entranceway, not entirely convinced she wanted to go towards the foot of the tower.

Victoria had no such qualms. She raced up to his lordship.

“What has happened?”

Lord Brooksby looked pale, a film of sweat dotting his forehead despite the cold day, and his hands trembling.

“Another terrible accident, Miss Bovington. One of the workmen, yet again. Sadly, he was struck on the head. I am not sure he will survive.”

Victoria's mouth went dry at the statement. She thought of the gentlemen she had recently spoken to; how they all smiled at her cheerily and dismissed her concerns about a phantom.

How Mr Dreary had refused to hear any talk about a ghost.

It could be no more than a few hours ago they had that conversation, and now one of them was flat on the ground, perhaps dying.

“Show me to him at once, Lord Brooksby,” Victoria commanded.

His lordship immediately hesitated. The thought of escorting a young woman to where a man had been badly bashed on the head with a stone filled him with a sense of dread.

“There is a lot of blood, young lady.”

“Blood does not cause me any qualms,” Victoria said, slightly inaccurately.

“You are more robust than I am,” Lord Brooksby sighed. “I hate the sight of blood. I hate to see people hurt. But if you must see him, then you ought to come this way.”

Victoria only half heard what he said; she had spied Mr Woolmer standing in his cottage doorway, making no move to see what was going on. She thought that was rather cowardly on his part.

Lord Brooksby escorted her around the curve of the tower wall, they had to walk several paces before they came to the spot where the workmen had been active that day. Lying on the ground, just near a large fallen block of masonry, was one of the younger members of the team. Victoria felt her heart sink as she saw him. His skull had been badly crushed by the falling stone. There was a lot of blood, and he was unconscious. From the looks of the impact, Victoria did not give him much chance of surviving, at least not without some serious brain damage.

Mr Dreary was stood to his right and the other workmen were lurking around. One was quite tearful at the sight of his friend lying on the ground, while the others were sharing a cigarette between them, trying to console their nerves with smoking.

Victoria walked to the side of the fallen young man and knelt down. He was breathing shallowly. She felt for his pulse – no one stopped her – it was ragged and fluttery.

“Just came out of nowhere,” Mr Dreary mumbled, his face ashen. “Just came out of nowhere.”

“What precisely happened?” Victoria asked him.

Mr Dreary didn't seem to hear her. He certainly didn't answer. It was the teary-eyed workman who replied.

“Billy was taking some measurements of the brickwork here.

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