The Edinburgh Murders by Andrea Hicks

Author:Andrea Hicks [Hicks, Andrea]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-05-25T00:00:00+00:00

‘YOU WANTED TAE SEE me, Madam?’

‘Yes, thank you for joining me at short notice. I know how busy the maids are. Please, sit down. And do relax. You’re not in any trouble I promise you. I’m sorry, I don’t know your name?’

‘Glynis, Madam. Cecily said you wanted tae ask me about Gordon Cameron.’

‘Yes, I do. I understand you know him, and have kept in touch with him since he left Wemyss Place.’

‘Yes, I have, Madam. We were friends before he left. I didn’t know he was going tae leave. We expected him tae turn up fer work one mornin’ but he never came.’

‘Did he live in?’

‘Nae, he lived with his mother on the outskirts of Edinburgh, in one a them brick cottages.’ She looked down at her fingers in her lap. ‘His job meant a lot tae him, Madam. Not just fer the money, but because he wanted tae be part of something...an’ he was, until he felt it was nae safe fer him to be here nae more.’

‘Why did he feel it wasn’t safe?’ Glynis looked down again. ‘Glynis, I’m just trying to help you all. I know you must have been curious about me when I first came here, and perhaps a little apprehensive about me, but I’m not here to turn you all out or to make life difficult. It has been brought to my attention that a number of the grooms left without notice. A pattern seems to have formed. I’m sure you know why, and I expect the other maids know why too.’

Glynis looked up again. ‘It was because of Mr Hogg, Madam. He could nae keep his hands tae himself where the grooms were concerned. Lord Divine gave him the responsibility of hiring the grooms, and we couldn’t help noticing he only took on pretty boys, the ones with the good looks. If they weren’t good looking he turned them away. After a while they all left without notice. If they had given notice they would have had tae say why they were leaving and none of them would have wanted tae do that.’

‘Did no one notice what was happening, Miss Lemmon for instance?’

‘Miss Lemmon turns her head, Madam. She says it’s nothing tae do with her. She looks after the maids, and what Mr Hogg does with the boys is up tae him. We think she should have said something tae Lord Divine, but she chose not tae. The maids used tae talk about it when we’d finished work, yer know, up in our room. We wanted tae say something but we weren’t brave enough. The grooms weren’t brave enough either. We were all frightened we’d lose our jobs and most of us can’t afford tae. I send money tae my Ma in Inverness. She has three children younger than me, and me Da’s laid up with a poorly back. She needs every penny I can send her.’

Camille nodded, feeling slightly chastised. She had never had to live like these girls; at the

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