Thistlewood Manor: A Doll’s Debacle by Grace Fiona

Author:Grace, Fiona [Grace, Fiona]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-03-07T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Eliza pressed her lips together, barely managing to bite back a vociferous reply. She reminded herself firmly that this would not help her now, in Constable Salsbury's eyes. With an evil intelligence far swifter than Eliza would have guessed she was capable of, Lady Ellinghouse had assessed the situation and was now doing her best to hammer the nails in the coffin of Eliza’s guilt.

This could go extremely wrong.

But luckily, the one thing she hadn't reckoned with was that Constable Salsbury hated all members of the upper classes equally.

He huffed in an outraged breath, and shoved his chair back as he stood, and it was clear to Eliza that he hadn't taken this comment in the spirit which it was intended.

"Excuse me, ma'am," he said in less than polite tones. "I believe I heard my officer telling you to stay outside?"

"I couldn't help but come in, just to offer my assistance," Lady Ellinghouse argued, but her smile was starting to wobble. Behind it, Eliza saw a look of ferocious loathing being directed at the constable for not having gone along with her intended plans.

"What part of 'the police are in charge at a crime scene' are you failing to understand, madam?" Constable Salsbury retorted, sparks practically flying from his feet as he strode in her direction. "I will not entertain this lack of respect for the law. Now step outside, madam and sir, and stand with the officer in the corridor, or I will personally remove you!"

His voice rose to a bellow.

For the first time in her entire life, Eliza felt a flicker of genuine respect for Salsbury. For one beautiful moment, she even imagined that they could be friends one day. Seeing the outrage on Lady Ellinghouse's face and the way that smile was wiped off it like chalk from a blackboard was one of the most satisfying moments of her life.

"Humph," the lady uttered, unwittingly echoing what Salsbury himself had said just a minute before her arrival.

Without another word, but with ire leaking from every pore of her body, she turned and swept out of the room, with her husband following behind her so hastily he almost tripped over his own feet.

"I wonder what they were doing back here so early in the afternoon?" Eliza mused aloud, hoping to drive home the small, but surely significant, advantage that she might have gained in this situation. There was no harm, at any rate, in at least trying to spread the blame a little further than herself.

"Don't try to do my job for me!" With his cheeks flushed in anger, Constable Salsbury turned back to her, practically snorting in frustration at having to deal with so many defiant members of the upper class at one crime scene.

"Sorry," Eliza said meekly.

"Just let me do my job," the constable continued, but now with a little less wrath in his tone. He took a deep breath, as if to calm himself.

"You say everyone is expected back here at five p.m.?"

"Yes. Some of them might be earlier, but I'd doubt if anyone would be later.

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