something you’re not telling me,” Victoria said. “Darcy is more than your chauffeur, isn’t he?”
“Not yet. But I’m working on it.” Delilah continued to avert her eyes. “Don’t tell Henry, Mrs. Trumbull?”
“I have no reason to tell him anything, do I?”
“The police won’t even let me talk to him.”
Victoria poured the now boiling water into the teapot, set it on the table along with two mugs, and sat down again.
“He’s an excellent driver. I told the agency about him in case Henry checks with them. He gave me a copy of his references, all nicely mounted in plastic sleeves. He’s completely trustworthy, Mrs. Trumbull.”
Victoria busied herself pouring tea. What was Darcy up to? She wasn’t sure she wanted to know.
“I called my lawyers when the police took him away,” Delilah continued. “They said they’d get him out on bail.”
“Did they give you any idea when that might be?”
“I’m waiting to hear from them. I’ve been so upset, I can’t think straight, which is why I’m coming to you, Mrs. Trumbull.”
Victoria held her tea mug up to her lips and watched Delilah, her eyes narrowed against the steam.
“I decided to work on my farm plan to take my mind off … you know. But when I went to Town Hall, Mrs. Danvers said I need to produce some deed from nineteen-ten.”
“I believe the Hammond family owned the place long before then.”
“I guess so,” said Delilah. “Mrs. Danvers suggested I ask you.”
“Why me?”
“You’d gone to Town Hall in the olden days when it was a school.”
Victoria winced at “olden days,” but agreed that she’d gone to the academy, first through eighth grades.
“Mrs. Danvers said they stored papers in the attic of the school before it was Town Hall.”
“Quite likely,” said Victoria.
“She didn’t have time to look, but said you knew the building and could probably find them.”
“Heavens!” said Victoria, who hated the idea of searching for misplaced papers of any kind. “Exactly what is it we’re looking for?”
“Mrs. Danvers said she’d seen something about a deed restriction on the property.” Delilah shrugged. “Files from a hundred years ago can’t be too big.”
Victoria said nothing, hoping the answer to who would do the search wouldn’t end up in her lap.
But Delilah said, “Would you consider looking for that paper for me, Mrs. Trumbull? I’ll pay you a search fee.”
Victoria scowled.
Delilah said hurriedly, “Same rate I pay my lawyers.”
“Well …” Victoria hesitated. Her budget didn’t always allow for luxuries, such as chocolate.
“If you need to hire an assistant, I’ll pay him, too. Or her, of course.”
“Let me think about it. You’ll have to give me more details about this paper I’m searching for.”
CHAPTER 15
“Oh, for God’s sake,” said Howland, when Victoria called him that same day about the Hammond deed restriction and his role as assistant deed hunter. The rain was now coming down in torrents. “You didn’t say yes, did you?”
Victoria held the phone away from her ear. “You don’t need to shout.”
“Did you?”
“Not exactly. I’ve been thinking about it. The job may not be as difficult as we think. I used to scamper around the top floor of the academy with my pal Grace when we were schoolgirls. We weren’t supposed to go up there, of course, because it was a boys’ dormitory. I remember an area off to one side was for storage of town files.”
“Mrs. Danvers can look for the paper.”
“She’s too busy. And since today’s Friday, we won’t be able to get into Town Hall until Monday.”
“I am also too busy.” Howland paused for such a long time, Victoria was afraid he’d hung up. She coughed politely.
He said, “So I’m you’re assistant. Is that it?”
“I’ll divide the money with you, half and half.”
Howland groaned. “I’ll pick you up within an hour. I expect it’s filthy up
“Not yet. But I’m working on it.” Delilah continued to avert her eyes. “Don’t tell Henry, Mrs. Trumbull?”
“I have no reason to tell him anything, do I?”
“The police won’t even let me talk to him.”
Victoria poured the now boiling water into the teapot, set it on the table along with two mugs, and sat down again.
“He’s an excellent driver. I told the agency about him in case Henry checks with them. He gave me a copy of his references, all nicely mounted in plastic sleeves. He’s completely trustworthy, Mrs. Trumbull.”
Victoria busied herself pouring tea. What was Darcy up to? She wasn’t sure she wanted to know.
“I called my lawyers when the police took him away,” Delilah continued. “They said they’d get him out on bail.”
“Did they give you any idea when that might be?”
“I’m waiting to hear from them. I’ve been so upset, I can’t think straight, which is why I’m coming to you, Mrs. Trumbull.”
Victoria held her tea mug up to her lips and watched Delilah, her eyes narrowed against the steam.
“I decided to work on my farm plan to take my mind off … you know. But when I went to Town Hall, Mrs. Danvers said I need to produce some deed from nineteen-ten.”
“I believe the Hammond family owned the place long before then.”
“I guess so,” said Delilah. “Mrs. Danvers suggested I ask you.”
“Why me?”
“You’d gone to Town Hall in the olden days when it was a school.”
Victoria winced at “olden days,” but agreed that she’d gone to the academy, first through eighth grades.
“Mrs. Danvers said they stored papers in the attic of the school before it was Town Hall.”
“Quite likely,” said Victoria.
“She didn’t have time to look, but said you knew the building and could probably find them.”
“Heavens!” said Victoria, who hated the idea of searching for misplaced papers of any kind. “Exactly what is it we’re looking for?”
“Mrs. Danvers said she’d seen something about a deed restriction on the property.” Delilah shrugged. “Files from a hundred years ago can’t be too big.”
Victoria said nothing, hoping the answer to who would do the search wouldn’t end up in her lap.
But Delilah said, “Would you consider looking for that paper for me, Mrs. Trumbull? I’ll pay you a search fee.”
Victoria scowled.
Delilah said hurriedly, “Same rate I pay my lawyers.”
“Well …” Victoria hesitated. Her budget didn’t always allow for luxuries, such as chocolate.
“If you need to hire an assistant, I’ll pay him, too. Or her, of course.”
“Let me think about it. You’ll have to give me more details about this paper I’m searching for.”
CHAPTER 15
“Oh, for God’s sake,” said Howland, when Victoria called him that same day about the Hammond deed restriction and his role as assistant deed hunter. The rain was now coming down in torrents. “You didn’t say yes, did you?”
Victoria held the phone away from her ear. “You don’t need to shout.”
“Did you?”
“Not exactly. I’ve been thinking about it. The job may not be as difficult as we think. I used to scamper around the top floor of the academy with my pal Grace when we were schoolgirls. We weren’t supposed to go up there, of course, because it was a boys’ dormitory. I remember an area off to one side was for storage of town files.”
“Mrs. Danvers can look for the paper.”
“She’s too busy. And since today’s Friday, we won’t be able to get into Town Hall until Monday.”
“I am also too busy.” Howland paused for such a long time, Victoria was afraid he’d hung up. She coughed politely.
He said, “So I’m you’re assistant. Is that it?”
“I’ll divide the money with you, half and half.”
Howland groaned. “I’ll pick you up within an hour. I expect it’s filthy up
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