The Snows of Weston Moor: A 1920s Christmas Mystery (Lord Edgington Investigates... Book 8) by Benedict Brown

Author:Benedict Brown [Brown, Benedict]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Heathdene Books
Published: 2022-11-18T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-One

The old detective’s words had served their purpose and struck fear in the hearts of men - and women, for that matter, though I can’t say what effect it had on the dog. My own heart beat a little faster as the dark sentiment pervaded the room. I considered adding an observation but decided to wait to see who would break the terrible silence.

“It must be Sally,” Henry suggested. He sounded quite confident on the matter. “The culprits came here to kill her for some reason. The first chap, Black, fell on his gun and failed in his task. So then his partner or boss, or whoever it was that bashed Archie, came in to do the job.”

“That’s an interesting theory,” Grandfather said. Had I been the one talking, he would no doubt have followed this compliment with an insult. You know the sort of thing, far from comprehensive but interesting, nonetheless. Instead, he placed one finger on his lips and considered the possibility. “The most pressing task we now complete is not to identify the killer but to work out what the blazes he wants.”

“Very well, then why Sally?” Bella asked. “Why would anyone want to kill her? She may have come from money, but I’ve been to her house in Tunbridge Wells, and it’s perfectly modest compared to this place. Her grandfather was a politician who became a lord, but the family were hardly millionaires.”

“Oh, she must be Teddy Parks’s granddaughter.” Our own marquess had a nostalgic expression on his face just then. “He’s a fine old chap.”

“That’s right,” Bella replied. “I met him once, and he was really very sweet.”

“What else can you tell us about Sally, though?” Grandfather leaned closer to Bella, but it was the invalid who answered.

“Her parents were quite frugal, from what I remember, but they certainly had money.”

“Yes, but what of Sally herself? I know nothing of her everyday life. When did she and David get engaged?”

“And were they very much in love?” I thought this question bore asking, but Bella made a sort of cooing sound as though to say, Ahhh, aren’t you a darling?

Archie pawed his wound again but said nothing. I think that everyone accepted that it would be Henry Snow’s job to answer the question.

“It was three months ago, after the closing night of ‘The Bride of Lammermoor’. David told me that he was going to ask for her hand in marriage and, to be perfectly honest, I advised caution.”

This caused some murmuring, before Grandfather asked the question we all had in our heads. “Oh, really. Why?”

Snow looked about the group for a moment and, in the tone he reserved for his most controversial statements, he declared, “Because Sally didn’t love him, and he could have done better than a plain Jane like her.”

I considered the interaction I had witnessed between the betrothed pair, and I had to admit that there had been very little romantic affection on display. To all appearances, she treated him like a doting uncle or an elderly companion.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.