appointment to keep.”
“Was he planning on meeting someone?”
“No, I don’t think so.” Lavinia closed her eyes. “He never left the hotel, until he fell from the balcony. And there couldn’t have been anyone with him. The door was locked from the inside. Mr. Barrett had to force the lock to open it for me.”
She raised her head for a second or two then let it drop. “I suppose I should have the lock repaired,” she murmured.
“I’ll have Samuel take care of it,” Cecily said, staring at the door. “Mr. Barrett must have forgotten to inform me the lock was broken.”
“Oh, that’s probably my fault.” Lavinia’s voice had softened to a whisper. “I told him not to worry about it. I didn’t want anyone messing around with it and making a lot of noise. I just … wanted … to be … alone.”
Quietly Cecily rose from the chair and crossed to the door. Leaving Lavinia resting peacefully, she let herself out into the hallway and gently closed the door again.
Noise or no noise, she would have to have the lock repaired, she thought as she descended the stairs. The guests and their property were her responsibility while they stayedat the hotel, and she couldn’t take the chance of allowing something to be stolen from the room while Lady Lavinia slept.
Reaching the main floor, she went in search of Baxter, knowing she could put off no longer the need to reconcile their differences.
She finally found him out in the stable yard, discussing the condition of the traps with Samuel. The young footman doffed his hat as Cecily approached, then settled it on his head again.
“Samuel,” Cecily said, without delay, “I understand the lock is broken on the door of suite five. Lady Lavinia is resting in her room at the moment, but after you have finished your chores here perhaps you could take Ethel with you and repair the lock? Just make sure you have milady’s permission to work on it first.”
“Yes, mum.” Samuel looked worried. “What if she don’t want me to work on it?”
“Then explain to her that it is the policy of this hotel to keep all locks in good working order. It is for her own protection, as well as her privacy. I don’t think she will be too difficult about it.”
“Very well, mum.”
Cecily could feel Baxter’s gaze on her face, but she continued to watch Samuel as he strode toward the stables where the horses were waiting to be fed and watered.
“I wasn’t aware that the lock was broken on the Maltons’ suite,” Baxter said, sounding a little strained.
“Neither was I until a few minutes ago.” She finally looked at him and found him regarding her with a grave expression. “So Arthur didn’t say anything to you about it?”
He looked surprised. “No, was he supposed to say something to me?”
“Not particularly. I just wondered why he hadn’t mentioned it to one of us, that’s all, considering he was the one who broke it.”
Baxter raised an eyebrow. “Are you telling me that ArthurDo-No-Wrong Barrett actually neglected to report an infraction?”
Cecily gave him an exasperated look. “You are being childish, Baxter.”
“Yes, madam.”
“Arthur had no choice in the matter. The door was locked from the inside and had to be forced open.”
“I understand, madam.”
“I’m glad you do.”
“I merely wonder why he didn’t ask for the skeleton keys to open the door, instead of forcing it.”
“He most likely did not want to leave Lady Lavinia standing there, since she was obviously overwrought at the time.”
“That doesn’t excuse him for failing to report the matter.”
“Lady Lavinia requested that he not worry about it. She didn’t want to be disturbed by the noise.”
“I see, madam.”
“I thought you would, Baxter.”
“Was it not his place, however, to report the incident, as well as Lady Lavinia’s concerns for privacy?”
Cecily stared at him in frustration for a full ten seconds. Then she saw the corner of his mouth twitch,
“Was he planning on meeting someone?”
“No, I don’t think so.” Lavinia closed her eyes. “He never left the hotel, until he fell from the balcony. And there couldn’t have been anyone with him. The door was locked from the inside. Mr. Barrett had to force the lock to open it for me.”
She raised her head for a second or two then let it drop. “I suppose I should have the lock repaired,” she murmured.
“I’ll have Samuel take care of it,” Cecily said, staring at the door. “Mr. Barrett must have forgotten to inform me the lock was broken.”
“Oh, that’s probably my fault.” Lavinia’s voice had softened to a whisper. “I told him not to worry about it. I didn’t want anyone messing around with it and making a lot of noise. I just … wanted … to be … alone.”
Quietly Cecily rose from the chair and crossed to the door. Leaving Lavinia resting peacefully, she let herself out into the hallway and gently closed the door again.
Noise or no noise, she would have to have the lock repaired, she thought as she descended the stairs. The guests and their property were her responsibility while they stayedat the hotel, and she couldn’t take the chance of allowing something to be stolen from the room while Lady Lavinia slept.
Reaching the main floor, she went in search of Baxter, knowing she could put off no longer the need to reconcile their differences.
She finally found him out in the stable yard, discussing the condition of the traps with Samuel. The young footman doffed his hat as Cecily approached, then settled it on his head again.
“Samuel,” Cecily said, without delay, “I understand the lock is broken on the door of suite five. Lady Lavinia is resting in her room at the moment, but after you have finished your chores here perhaps you could take Ethel with you and repair the lock? Just make sure you have milady’s permission to work on it first.”
“Yes, mum.” Samuel looked worried. “What if she don’t want me to work on it?”
“Then explain to her that it is the policy of this hotel to keep all locks in good working order. It is for her own protection, as well as her privacy. I don’t think she will be too difficult about it.”
“Very well, mum.”
Cecily could feel Baxter’s gaze on her face, but she continued to watch Samuel as he strode toward the stables where the horses were waiting to be fed and watered.
“I wasn’t aware that the lock was broken on the Maltons’ suite,” Baxter said, sounding a little strained.
“Neither was I until a few minutes ago.” She finally looked at him and found him regarding her with a grave expression. “So Arthur didn’t say anything to you about it?”
He looked surprised. “No, was he supposed to say something to me?”
“Not particularly. I just wondered why he hadn’t mentioned it to one of us, that’s all, considering he was the one who broke it.”
Baxter raised an eyebrow. “Are you telling me that ArthurDo-No-Wrong Barrett actually neglected to report an infraction?”
Cecily gave him an exasperated look. “You are being childish, Baxter.”
“Yes, madam.”
“Arthur had no choice in the matter. The door was locked from the inside and had to be forced open.”
“I understand, madam.”
“I’m glad you do.”
“I merely wonder why he didn’t ask for the skeleton keys to open the door, instead of forcing it.”
“He most likely did not want to leave Lady Lavinia standing there, since she was obviously overwrought at the time.”
“That doesn’t excuse him for failing to report the matter.”
“Lady Lavinia requested that he not worry about it. She didn’t want to be disturbed by the noise.”
“I see, madam.”
“I thought you would, Baxter.”
“Was it not his place, however, to report the incident, as well as Lady Lavinia’s concerns for privacy?”
Cecily stared at him in frustration for a full ten seconds. Then she saw the corner of his mouth twitch,
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