come, he hoped.
“Your skin will warm the oil and by the time we return, your nose will be full of it’s scent,” she explained.
“Thank you.”
“I’m so sorry, Cole.”
“You weren’t to know.” He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. “Thank you for not laughing at me.”
“I could never laugh at you.” She said with confidence.
He breathed deeply, rather liking the scent of her oil but at that moment, a rather pointed cough signalled Mrs Kerridge’s return.
“Your water, Sir .” She thrust the glass towards him; having caught them in an intimate embrace seemed to have soured her to them both now.
“Thank you, Mrs Kerridge.” With some reluctance, he let go of Thea’s hand and stepped away. She pushed the cork back in the bottle and replaced it in her pocket.
Cole sipped the water, rinsing his mouth and spitting into the bucket a few times, and Thea turned her back to give him the illusion of privacy. Mrs Kerridge had left them.
When they returned to the room, the doctor had removed the brain. On the far side of the room, Mr Small had moved to and opened a window, and was keeping his back turned to them.
“Ah, there you are. You were right, my dear!” Dr Kerridge greeted them, now with a warm smile. “See here?” He lifted the bowl that the brain was resting in. “How the underside of the brain is discoloured?”
Cole thought it best not to look too closely but when he dared to draw a shallow breath, was pleased to smell almost no decay.
“ Fascinating,” Thea said, and a quick glance confirmed that she was leaning in close. “I’ve never seen an example in person, only descriptions.”
“I confess, it never even occurred to me. I’m feel slightly foolish admitting this but given all the recent tragedy at the Abbey, I was almost ready to believe in the supernatural.”
“I confess, I get the occasional shiver too.”
“I haven’t located which artery the bleed came from, and given the speed of his demise, it must have been an artery, but I suppose that hardly matters. With the funeral so soon, I should already be preparing the body for burial.”
“ Of course,” Thea exuberance dulled somewhat as she remembered that this wasn’t just a science experiment, this was a man with a family and friends who were mourning him.
“Your enthusiasm does you credit, my dear, you would have made a fine physician.”
“Thank you, Doctor. Perhaps one day, they will let me.”
“Keep proving men like me wrong and on e day, they will.” He began putting the brain back into the skull.
“I assume you checked for head injuries first?” Thea asked.
“Oh yes, nothing there, not even old injuries.”
“Then it was definitely a natural death.”
“As unusual as it was, yes, quite natural.”
“Please be sure to say as much to Mrs Lanning, would you? I explained it but I’m sure having it confirmed will ease her mind further.”
“Of course. Feel free to get away if you’ve places to be.”
Cole saw the doctor shoot a look in his direction. “Please, don’t feel you have to leave on my account,” he told Thea.
“We have what we came for,” Thea smiled. “We know beyond a shadow of a doubt what killed him, I see no reason to remain. Thank you, Doctor.”
“My pleasure, my dear.”
“Come, Mr Cole, our business is done.”
He saw little need to keep arguing and truth be told, he was glad to leave this room.
***
Being a woman, Thea wasn’t allowed to attend Mr Lanning’s funeral, and Cole opted not to either, believing that he was of more use helping her find Mrs Garwood’s killer.
When they returned to the house, Lord Copley was charming some of the ladies over a game of croquet on the lawn. Cole dismissed himself to check on Mrs Lanning, and Thea stayed with her father. As play continued, he held himself a little aloof from the group, so that he and Thea could talk more freely.
“Have you discovered anything?” she asked.
“Nothing concrete but I have
“Your skin will warm the oil and by the time we return, your nose will be full of it’s scent,” she explained.
“Thank you.”
“I’m so sorry, Cole.”
“You weren’t to know.” He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. “Thank you for not laughing at me.”
“I could never laugh at you.” She said with confidence.
He breathed deeply, rather liking the scent of her oil but at that moment, a rather pointed cough signalled Mrs Kerridge’s return.
“Your water, Sir .” She thrust the glass towards him; having caught them in an intimate embrace seemed to have soured her to them both now.
“Thank you, Mrs Kerridge.” With some reluctance, he let go of Thea’s hand and stepped away. She pushed the cork back in the bottle and replaced it in her pocket.
Cole sipped the water, rinsing his mouth and spitting into the bucket a few times, and Thea turned her back to give him the illusion of privacy. Mrs Kerridge had left them.
When they returned to the room, the doctor had removed the brain. On the far side of the room, Mr Small had moved to and opened a window, and was keeping his back turned to them.
“Ah, there you are. You were right, my dear!” Dr Kerridge greeted them, now with a warm smile. “See here?” He lifted the bowl that the brain was resting in. “How the underside of the brain is discoloured?”
Cole thought it best not to look too closely but when he dared to draw a shallow breath, was pleased to smell almost no decay.
“ Fascinating,” Thea said, and a quick glance confirmed that she was leaning in close. “I’ve never seen an example in person, only descriptions.”
“I confess, it never even occurred to me. I’m feel slightly foolish admitting this but given all the recent tragedy at the Abbey, I was almost ready to believe in the supernatural.”
“I confess, I get the occasional shiver too.”
“I haven’t located which artery the bleed came from, and given the speed of his demise, it must have been an artery, but I suppose that hardly matters. With the funeral so soon, I should already be preparing the body for burial.”
“ Of course,” Thea exuberance dulled somewhat as she remembered that this wasn’t just a science experiment, this was a man with a family and friends who were mourning him.
“Your enthusiasm does you credit, my dear, you would have made a fine physician.”
“Thank you, Doctor. Perhaps one day, they will let me.”
“Keep proving men like me wrong and on e day, they will.” He began putting the brain back into the skull.
“I assume you checked for head injuries first?” Thea asked.
“Oh yes, nothing there, not even old injuries.”
“Then it was definitely a natural death.”
“As unusual as it was, yes, quite natural.”
“Please be sure to say as much to Mrs Lanning, would you? I explained it but I’m sure having it confirmed will ease her mind further.”
“Of course. Feel free to get away if you’ve places to be.”
Cole saw the doctor shoot a look in his direction. “Please, don’t feel you have to leave on my account,” he told Thea.
“We have what we came for,” Thea smiled. “We know beyond a shadow of a doubt what killed him, I see no reason to remain. Thank you, Doctor.”
“My pleasure, my dear.”
“Come, Mr Cole, our business is done.”
He saw little need to keep arguing and truth be told, he was glad to leave this room.
***
Being a woman, Thea wasn’t allowed to attend Mr Lanning’s funeral, and Cole opted not to either, believing that he was of more use helping her find Mrs Garwood’s killer.
When they returned to the house, Lord Copley was charming some of the ladies over a game of croquet on the lawn. Cole dismissed himself to check on Mrs Lanning, and Thea stayed with her father. As play continued, he held himself a little aloof from the group, so that he and Thea could talk more freely.
“Have you discovered anything?” she asked.
“Nothing concrete but I have
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