The Case of the Deceased Clerk (Caster & Fleet Mysteries Book 3) by Paula Harmon & Liz Hedgecock

Author:Paula Harmon & Liz Hedgecock [Harmon, Paula]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: british detective, Crime, detective fiction, English, Humour, London, Mystery, novel, Paranormal, Thriller, Victorian, Women's Fiction
Publisher: White Rhino Books
Published: 2018-08-28T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

Katherine

‘I hope you’re not worrying about what will happen while you’re away on honeymoon,’ said Margaret at breakfast.

I blinked, caught Mina’s sardonic eye and choked on my toast. Margaret, fortunately, was too busy delving for the last of the marmalade to notice.

‘We shall be fine left alone,’ she continued. ‘Miss Robson has arranged to hold her women’s suffrage meetings here, and I shall invite all my friends. We shall raid the larder for Ada’s stash of cooking brandy, then we shall denounce men and declare war on moustaches.’

The twinkle in her eye made me laugh. I half-hoped that they would.

‘I can see you getting up to all sorts of shenanigans when you go to university in September,’ I said. I was still a little envious, but mostly I was proud that she was not only able to, but wanted to take up an opportunity that had been denied me.

‘If it wasn’t for you and Connie “gallivanting” regardless of what everyone else says, I wouldn’t want to go,’ she said. ‘I’d have carried on waiting for a man to rescue me. It never occurred to me that I could rescue the man. It won’t be the same when you’re married and I don’t have to interrupt any shenanigans. It’s been such fun.’ She grinned.

‘Well,’ I said, grinning back, ‘when you have a young man of your own, I shall repay like for like.’

‘Who needs a man? Maybe I’ll be proud and independent like Miss Robson.’

‘Do you want to be?’

Margaret shrugged. I suspected she thought it unlikely that she would be single for long. She rose and gave me an unexpected hug.

‘Oh Kitty, I’m so glad you’re not getting married in secret like Connie,’ she said. ‘I’ll help you make it the most wonderful wedding, I promise.’

The letterbox rattled and Margaret looked up.

‘Nothing’s likely to be so important it’s worth trying to get to it before Ada,’ said Mina. ‘She’ll bowl you over.’

Sure enough, seconds later Ada burst through the dining-room door waving the post. Her mouth was working but nothing was coming out.

‘Ada! Are you all right? Sit down.’

Ada shook her head and handed me the letter.

‘What is it?’ said Margaret. ‘Is it James? What’s wrong?’

The envelope was grubby and torn in one corner. The stamp was foreign, the writing almost illegible, ink-blotted, but…

‘It’s from Father.’

My ears filled with humming, the edges of the world grew darker and darker, the room closed in, there was utter silence…

…the light and sound rushed back. The floor seemed very comfortable but the tablecloth was hanging unevenly. I wasn’t entirely sure who or where I was.

‘Steady now Miss Kitty, sit up, take a sip of tea, you’ll be all right in a moment. Did you bang your head? Sit up, let me see.’

‘Kitty, Kitty, sit up.’

‘Let’s get you on a chair, Katherine.’

I let Mina and Ada lift me off the floor. The letter was still clasped in my hand. I glanced up at Margaret. Her face was white, tiny freckles showing across her nose. I reached out for her.

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