A Death by Arson by Caroline Dunford Page A

have all been burnt in their beds!’
    â€˜I see. I take it you weren’t working here then?’
    â€˜No, but I know the story,’ said Enid forcefully. ‘It definitely happened. John Footman swore on his aunt’s grave. And she is dead – I asked my nan.’
    â€˜Well, thank you, Enid. This has all been most enlightening. I am sure that Miss Lucinda will not worry about such things. Indeed, you could say the Wailing Nanny was your guardian angel.’
    â€˜That’s a nice way of looking at it, miss, but she didn’t half make a racket last night. Even those used to the castle’s ways were disturbed.’ I thought silently that they might have been indulging without caution in the leftover wine from the banquet. Having seen how things worked behind the green baize door, among the servants, I knew full well that even with the best housekeeper in the world, it was hard to keep the entirety of a large male staff from the after-dinner benefits.
    â€˜We just don’t want her believing the other stories,’ said Enid.
    â€˜Which ones?’
    â€˜The ones of how she scares women into losing their babes.’
    â€˜What?’ I sat bolt upright.
    â€˜The Laird’s wife was carrying when the bairn went missing. My nan says it would just have been the strain, but there’s some folks who reckon she makes … well, you see what I mean.’
    â€˜I do indeed,’ I said. I had no fear for Lucinda, but I could not help wondering if the Wailing Nanny was having some help in walking abroad, and if Richard had not been quite as grateful for Richenda’s gift as he had said.
    Â 
----
    11 Yes, I did say orgy, but please do remember that my excellent father saw I was thoroughly schooled in the Classics. If my mother had known the half of what I learnt from those volumes she would have burnt every book in the house! But neither Greek nor Latin were her forte.
    12 White ladies are so common that I have resolved never to wear this dangerous colour!

Chapter Fifteen
Bertram is jealous
    I made my way across the room to Bertram, determined to part him from the cocktail tray. The room was filling up with people. I recognised some of the faces, but I was beginning to realise this set of people were almost entirely from the business or trade world. This made Sir Richard the highest-ranking person there. I could see how this would appeal to his vanity, but I also wondered if he was also shy of displaying his new wife to the aristocratic world that he had always seemed so keen on entering. 13 I was about to quietly enquire from Bertram as to his view on this, when I got close enough to see his complexion. He looked ghastly.
    â€˜Are you inebriated?’ I demanded under my breath.
    Bertram shook his head vigorously and, by the slight stagger he then gave, appeared to immediately regret this forceful action.
    â€˜You are!’
    â€˜Dash it, Euphemia! You can hardly blame a fellow after what happened. She might have been killed!’
    I caught a tight hold of his sleeve and as discreetly as I could, but also as forcefully, I led him over to the window, pulling back the drapes slightly under the pretext of pointing out the view. ‘What has happened?’ I demanded. ‘I have kept to myself all day.’
    â€˜Can’t believe you don’t know,’ said Bertram maddeningly. ‘I thought he would have made a point of telling you.’
    â€˜Bertram, I shall stand heavily on your foot if you do not at once reveal what you know.’
    Bertram swallowed hard. ‘You don’t know Richenda took a tumble down the stairs?’
    â€˜Oh, dear God!’ I cried. ‘Is she safe?’
    â€˜Hush,’ said Bertram. ‘Hans has gone to a lot of trouble to keep this quiet. He got her a doctor of his choosing. Sawbones says it’s only a sprain. Though her ankle’s swollen up like a giant green balloon. Made me feel quite sick when I saw