Murder at Locke Abbey by Catherine Winchester Page A

begun forming suspicions,” he answered.
    “Oh?”
    “I stayed at the breakfast table until everyone had come and gone; I don’t think I’ve ever drunk so much coffee.”
    “Papa!” She knew he liked to draw things out and tease her, but it annoyed Thea no end.
    “I have no firm basis for this but I believe Mrs Cole and Mr Garwood are having an affair.”
    Thea turned to him in shock.
    “Surely they would not be so obvious in her husband’s house and after his wife’s death.”
    “They weren’t obvious,” Copley assured her. “In fact I’m basing my assertion on the fact that they hardly ever interact.”
    “That’s a little farfetched, isn’t it?”
    “Perhaps but in case you hadn’t noticed, Selena Cole is an incorrigible flirt. She has played up to every man here, including me, and even those gentlemen who are much older than she. The only gentleman that she is not coquettish with are her husband and Mr Garwood.”
    “You’ve observed her and Mr Cole together?”
    “This morning at breakfast, after you left. As I said however, I have absolutely no proof, only suspicions.”
    Thea knew that her father’s intuition was worth listening to, even if she didn’t understand it.
    “Assuming you are correct, I’m not sure how it helps.”
    “It could give Garwood motive to kill his wife.”
    “Yes but he has an alibi; he was never alone after his wife retired to bed. I suppose he could have paid someone else to do the deed, but who? And how did they get into and out of the house again?”
    “Both good questions,” Lord Copley agreed.
    “Have you learned anything else?”
    “Small tidbits.”
    It was his turn to play then, so he stepped away to play his shot, then returned to Thea.
    “What else have you observed?” she asked.
    “ Mrs Buchan appears to dislike her sister in law, Lady Buchan, immensely. Lady Eleanor, Lord Grady’s daughter, has a great deal of interest in both Lord Buchan’s son and Cole, although I believe Cole is her preference. Emily Small seems to harbour an affection for a boy from a neighbouring family; when it was mentioned that the boy’s parents, Lord and Lady Reynolds, would be at the séance this evening, she became very flushed. She also claims a great deal of affection for Selena Cole, but I believe that is a lie.”
    “Why would she lie about it?”
    “I think that once this ordeal is over, she would like to stay on at the house, probably to be near the neighbour’s boy. She is showering Selena with praise and affection, but Selena is rather fickle and spiteful in her judgements, and Emily appears to be using every ounce of self-restraint not to tell her how she really feels. Lady Small appears to be doing everything she can to dissuade her daughter from pursuing the friendship, but she seems unaware that Emily is smitten with the neighbour.”
    “The Smalls are friends of Mr Cole Sr. aren’t they?”
    “They are.”
    “Then it’s not entirely surprising they don’t like his new wife, especially if they were fond of his first wife.”
    “What about you, my dear, how were your enquiries?”
    “Mr Lanning did die of natural causes, which does nothing to help us discover who among those here is a murderer.”
    “Rome wasn’t built in a day, my dear. Try to relax and enjoy yourself a little.”
    “I am relaxed, Papa, and I like nothing more than a puzzle, so I am enjoying myself.”
    Copley shook his head. “If you say so.”
    “Have you learned anything new about the father, Beau, as he likes to be called?”
    “Not much, why?”
    “Observing him at breakfast this morning, I got the impression that there is more wrong with him than simply old age.”
    “You think he has an illness?” her father asked.
    “I do. I wanted to ask the doctor about it but he was in the middle of the procedure when we arrived, and Cole didn’t have a very strong stomach so I thought it best not to dawdle.”
    “I’ll see what I can discover.”
    “ Thank you. Has