next to George. “What she’s doing now then, m’m?”
“She’s taking her foolish little followers into the woods to hunt for that German pilot, knowing full well that the military is in there ready to shoot at anything that’s not wearing army boots and battledress.”
Sid tutted, and George shook his head. “Rita means well,” he muttered, “but she does get a little heavy-handed at times.”
“Means well? Is that all you can say?” Aware that she was sputtering, Elizabeth made an effort to sound more ladylike. “I insist that you do something to stop her. Someone could very well get killed out there.”
Sid nodded but obviously had nothing helpful to offer.
George looked worried. “Begging your pardon, Lady Elizabeth, but we can’t stop people going into the woods if they have a mind to go. It’s not like it’s private property or anything.”
“I’m perfectly aware of that. Since it is part of the Manor House estate, however, I can ask that you deem the area out of bounds until the pilot has been captured or the search has been called off.”
Sid nodded again then changed it to shaking negatively when George murmured, “I’m not sure we can do that, m’m. The first Lord Hartleigh made it very clear that the entire village and the surrounding lands, with the exception of the Manor House grounds, were to remain open and accessible to all residents of Sitting Marsh. No matter what. He signed and sealed it a hundred years ago. It’s hanging right up there on the wall of the town hall. Your own father was very protective of that law, if I remember rightly.”
Elizabeth gritted her teeth. Why was it that lately everywhere she turned the specter of her father loomed in front of her? “I’m well aware of my great-great-grandfather’s decree, George. However, a hundred years ago I doubt very much if he envisioned young men, most of them recovering from a drunken brawl, running around the woods with rifles using helpless housewivesfor target practice. I must insist that you take some action to prevent a possible disaster.”
George tapped a pencil on his blotter with maddening deliberation, while Sid looked sorrowful, reminding Elizabeth of a basset hound she’d almost purchased a while ago.
Finally George said heavily, “I suppose I could have a word with them.”
“I don’t think a word is going to stop Rita Crumm. You know how she is when she hears the call to battle. She takes up arms and charges into the fray like some inept Viking.”
“It’s all I have the authority to do, m’m. Until they do something unlawful, anyway.”
Elizabeth lifted her chin. “What if I were to tell you that they will be carrying carving knives with them?”
Sid gasped, while George looked alarmed. “Carving knives? Are you sure about this, m’m?”
“Well, no, not first hand,” Elizabeth had to admit. “Polly told Violet, who told me. But I’m sure—”
“Begging your pardon again, m’m, but I can’t see how I can arrest people even if they are carrying a knife. Not without murderous intent, that is.”
Elizabeth curled her fingers into her palms. “George, they are not going on a picnic. Why else would they carry knives?”
“To protect themselves? These are dangerous times after all, what with a murdering Nazi running around the woods. Then there’s the rest of his crew. What happened to them? What if they met up with our bloke, and now there’s a crowd of them out there, all gunning for us? We could all be stiff’uns before the day is out.”
“God save us all,” Sid muttered, clutching his chest.
Elizabeth had to admit she hadn’t thought of that. “All the more reason you should stop Rita before she takes those fools into the woods,” she snapped.
“That’s as may be, m’m, but if Mrs. Crumm isdetermined to spend the day in the woods with her friends, there isn’t a whole lot I can do about it. My advice is to just let them be.”
She glared at him in frustration.
“She’s taking her foolish little followers into the woods to hunt for that German pilot, knowing full well that the military is in there ready to shoot at anything that’s not wearing army boots and battledress.”
Sid tutted, and George shook his head. “Rita means well,” he muttered, “but she does get a little heavy-handed at times.”
“Means well? Is that all you can say?” Aware that she was sputtering, Elizabeth made an effort to sound more ladylike. “I insist that you do something to stop her. Someone could very well get killed out there.”
Sid nodded but obviously had nothing helpful to offer.
George looked worried. “Begging your pardon, Lady Elizabeth, but we can’t stop people going into the woods if they have a mind to go. It’s not like it’s private property or anything.”
“I’m perfectly aware of that. Since it is part of the Manor House estate, however, I can ask that you deem the area out of bounds until the pilot has been captured or the search has been called off.”
Sid nodded again then changed it to shaking negatively when George murmured, “I’m not sure we can do that, m’m. The first Lord Hartleigh made it very clear that the entire village and the surrounding lands, with the exception of the Manor House grounds, were to remain open and accessible to all residents of Sitting Marsh. No matter what. He signed and sealed it a hundred years ago. It’s hanging right up there on the wall of the town hall. Your own father was very protective of that law, if I remember rightly.”
Elizabeth gritted her teeth. Why was it that lately everywhere she turned the specter of her father loomed in front of her? “I’m well aware of my great-great-grandfather’s decree, George. However, a hundred years ago I doubt very much if he envisioned young men, most of them recovering from a drunken brawl, running around the woods with rifles using helpless housewivesfor target practice. I must insist that you take some action to prevent a possible disaster.”
George tapped a pencil on his blotter with maddening deliberation, while Sid looked sorrowful, reminding Elizabeth of a basset hound she’d almost purchased a while ago.
Finally George said heavily, “I suppose I could have a word with them.”
“I don’t think a word is going to stop Rita Crumm. You know how she is when she hears the call to battle. She takes up arms and charges into the fray like some inept Viking.”
“It’s all I have the authority to do, m’m. Until they do something unlawful, anyway.”
Elizabeth lifted her chin. “What if I were to tell you that they will be carrying carving knives with them?”
Sid gasped, while George looked alarmed. “Carving knives? Are you sure about this, m’m?”
“Well, no, not first hand,” Elizabeth had to admit. “Polly told Violet, who told me. But I’m sure—”
“Begging your pardon again, m’m, but I can’t see how I can arrest people even if they are carrying a knife. Not without murderous intent, that is.”
Elizabeth curled her fingers into her palms. “George, they are not going on a picnic. Why else would they carry knives?”
“To protect themselves? These are dangerous times after all, what with a murdering Nazi running around the woods. Then there’s the rest of his crew. What happened to them? What if they met up with our bloke, and now there’s a crowd of them out there, all gunning for us? We could all be stiff’uns before the day is out.”
“God save us all,” Sid muttered, clutching his chest.
Elizabeth had to admit she hadn’t thought of that. “All the more reason you should stop Rita before she takes those fools into the woods,” she snapped.
“That’s as may be, m’m, but if Mrs. Crumm isdetermined to spend the day in the woods with her friends, there isn’t a whole lot I can do about it. My advice is to just let them be.”
She glared at him in frustration.
Similar Books
