wearing?”
Gertie beamed. “Oh, yes, mum. That one’s dead easy. Half the men what go to the costume balls wear ’em. He was wearing a soldier’s uniform. Like they wear in the tropics. You know, with one of those funny helmets to keep off the sun, and white gloves and all.”
“Should’ve seen madam’s face when I told her,” Gertie told Ethel, after Mrs. Chubb and Cecily had left the kitchen. “Talk about knock her down with a feather. She just stood there, staring at me like she was in a bleeding trance, she did. Then ‘Thank you, Gertie,’ she said, ‘you’ve been most helpful.’ Though I don’t know what I did, I’m sure.”
“Oo, heck. Wonder what’s up?”
“Dunno. And I don’t want to know.” Gertie plunged the cups and saucers into the bowl. “It’s all got to do with that Lady Eleanor’s accident, shouldn’t wonder. Shouldn’t speak ill of the dead, I know, but if it had to happen to anyone, I’m glad it was her. She won’t be accusing me of thieving no more, will she?”
“Wonder who he was? The bloke what gave you the note?”
Gertie shrugged. “Don’t know and don’t care. I tell you one thing, I ain’t the only one who ain’t crying me eyes out over what’s happened. But from now on, I’m going to keep me bleeding mouth shut, then I can’t get in no more trouble.”
She didn’t say so, but she had a feeling she was already in far more trouble than she could handle. She was glad when Ethel changed the subject.
“So go on telling me about Ian,” Ethel said, industriously buffing a spoon with her cloth. “What happened after you had a go at him?”
“Oh, well, we kissed and made up, didn’t we.”
For once Ethel’s shocked gasp failed to please her. Her mind was still on madam’s questions. And the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that told her she had plenty more to worry about than her argument with Ian.
Daphne Morris’s room, a much smaller version than her late employer’s suite, was on the second floor. Cecily climbed the stairs slowly, her mind going over her conversation with Robert Danbury.
When he’d answered her questions, he’d made no mention of the message his wife had received. Either he didn’t know or he’d kept that piece of information to himself.
Gertie said a man in uniform had given her the note. Robert Danbury had been wearing a uniform when he’d viewed his wife’s dead body. But Cecily had seen him herself shortly before that, and he hadn’t been wearing it then.
If Danbury was the person who gave the note to Gertie, why hadn’t he simply delivered it himself? Why would he wear his uniform at half past seven, take it off again to look for the dog, and put it back on again at eight o’clock?
It didn’t make sense. Besides, Baxter had seen him leave the foyer at a quarter to seven. So apparently he’d been in the gardens all that time. She herself had seen him enter the foyer around ten minutes to eight.
Cecily wondered if Daphne Morris knew about the message. She would be sure to ask her, she decided as she paused in front of Daphne Morris’s door.
Miss Morris answered Cecily’s knock almost immediately. Although she held a small lace handkerchief crumpled in her hand, and her face bore traces of tears, she appeared quite composed, much to Cecily’s relief.
“Oh, Mrs. Sinclair. What a dreadful business this is. To fall from that height … poor Lady Eleanor. Such a tragedy.”
“I’m very sorry, Miss Morris,” Cecily said quietly. “I’m sure this must be a great shock for you.”
Daphne Morris nodded. “Yes, naturally it is. A great shock.” She appeared to struggle for words and finding none, made an empty gesture in the air with her hand.
Cecily watched her for a moment, feeling a deep sympathy for her. Sudden death was always so difficult to comprehend. But Daphne Morris had more than shock to deal with. She was also faced with the prospect of seeking new employment. Her future must look
Gertie beamed. “Oh, yes, mum. That one’s dead easy. Half the men what go to the costume balls wear ’em. He was wearing a soldier’s uniform. Like they wear in the tropics. You know, with one of those funny helmets to keep off the sun, and white gloves and all.”
“Should’ve seen madam’s face when I told her,” Gertie told Ethel, after Mrs. Chubb and Cecily had left the kitchen. “Talk about knock her down with a feather. She just stood there, staring at me like she was in a bleeding trance, she did. Then ‘Thank you, Gertie,’ she said, ‘you’ve been most helpful.’ Though I don’t know what I did, I’m sure.”
“Oo, heck. Wonder what’s up?”
“Dunno. And I don’t want to know.” Gertie plunged the cups and saucers into the bowl. “It’s all got to do with that Lady Eleanor’s accident, shouldn’t wonder. Shouldn’t speak ill of the dead, I know, but if it had to happen to anyone, I’m glad it was her. She won’t be accusing me of thieving no more, will she?”
“Wonder who he was? The bloke what gave you the note?”
Gertie shrugged. “Don’t know and don’t care. I tell you one thing, I ain’t the only one who ain’t crying me eyes out over what’s happened. But from now on, I’m going to keep me bleeding mouth shut, then I can’t get in no more trouble.”
She didn’t say so, but she had a feeling she was already in far more trouble than she could handle. She was glad when Ethel changed the subject.
“So go on telling me about Ian,” Ethel said, industriously buffing a spoon with her cloth. “What happened after you had a go at him?”
“Oh, well, we kissed and made up, didn’t we.”
For once Ethel’s shocked gasp failed to please her. Her mind was still on madam’s questions. And the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that told her she had plenty more to worry about than her argument with Ian.
Daphne Morris’s room, a much smaller version than her late employer’s suite, was on the second floor. Cecily climbed the stairs slowly, her mind going over her conversation with Robert Danbury.
When he’d answered her questions, he’d made no mention of the message his wife had received. Either he didn’t know or he’d kept that piece of information to himself.
Gertie said a man in uniform had given her the note. Robert Danbury had been wearing a uniform when he’d viewed his wife’s dead body. But Cecily had seen him herself shortly before that, and he hadn’t been wearing it then.
If Danbury was the person who gave the note to Gertie, why hadn’t he simply delivered it himself? Why would he wear his uniform at half past seven, take it off again to look for the dog, and put it back on again at eight o’clock?
It didn’t make sense. Besides, Baxter had seen him leave the foyer at a quarter to seven. So apparently he’d been in the gardens all that time. She herself had seen him enter the foyer around ten minutes to eight.
Cecily wondered if Daphne Morris knew about the message. She would be sure to ask her, she decided as she paused in front of Daphne Morris’s door.
Miss Morris answered Cecily’s knock almost immediately. Although she held a small lace handkerchief crumpled in her hand, and her face bore traces of tears, she appeared quite composed, much to Cecily’s relief.
“Oh, Mrs. Sinclair. What a dreadful business this is. To fall from that height … poor Lady Eleanor. Such a tragedy.”
“I’m very sorry, Miss Morris,” Cecily said quietly. “I’m sure this must be a great shock for you.”
Daphne Morris nodded. “Yes, naturally it is. A great shock.” She appeared to struggle for words and finding none, made an empty gesture in the air with her hand.
Cecily watched her for a moment, feeling a deep sympathy for her. Sudden death was always so difficult to comprehend. But Daphne Morris had more than shock to deal with. She was also faced with the prospect of seeking new employment. Her future must look
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