to grab Hamish, making the lad blush scarlet with fury and embarrassment. At the time Hamish had pretended that he didn’t know what Freddie wanted, but if it happened again he swore he’d teach him a lesson.
‘What have you done to your face, Freddie?’ Lady Rothbury asked as they sat down to dinner two nights later.
He touched the deep graze on his cheek and his speech was slightly slurred. ‘I tripped over one of Papa’s damned dogs. It was wandering about on the drive,’ he growled angrily.
‘Don’t swear, dear,’ she said reprovingly. ‘Are you all right? You sound funny.’
‘I think I accidentally bit the inside of my cheek,’ he replied swiftly.
‘How could you be so clumsy?’ Georgie protested.
‘Was Papa with you?’ Lizzie inquired.
‘No. Why should he be?’ Freddie’s brow glistened with sweat and his hands shook slightly as he took a gulp of water.
‘Because the dogs never leave Papa’s side,’ Laura explained in a reasonable voice. ‘I’ve never seen any of them wandering around on their own.’
He shrugged extravagantly. ‘What the hell does it matter?’
‘Kindly stop swearing.’ His mother spoke severely this time. ‘Where are your manners?’
Lord Rothbury charged into the dining room at that moment.
His wife looked critically at him. ‘You’re late for dinner, William.’
‘Something dreadful has happened.’ He sounded distressed as he took his place at the head of the table. ‘They’ve just found Hamish, the stable lad, dead in one of the stalls.’
‘Dead? Oh, his poor mother!’ exclaimed Lady Rothbury, holding her table napkin to her mouth. ‘Had he collapsed or something?’
Lord Rothbury shook his head. ‘He’d been terribly badly injured, especially around the head.’
Henry, who had been listening in shocked silence, spoke croakingly. ‘Had one of the horses kicked him? Juniper was lashing out a bit today when he was being saddled up but I’ve never known him to kick anyone before.’
Lord Rothbury’s words hung heavily in the air, changing everything. ‘Hamish was beaten to death by someone with a riding crop. Dear God! What will go wrong next? And you say we’re not cursed?’
Lizzie sat on the edge of the bed as Laura lay propped up on pillows, discussing the latest tragedy before they went to bed. ‘Hamish was such a nice lad and so good to his mother. Do you think someone had a grudge against him?’
Laura shook her head. ‘No. He was popular with everyone. Good at his job, too.’
‘The police will no doubt get to the bottom of it but what a tragedy! Poor Papa really does believe we’re cursed, doesn’t he?’ said Lizzie.
Laura raised her arms and put her hands behind her head. ‘Don’t you think Freddie behaved very strangely at dinner?’
Lizzie looked at her sharply. ‘In what way?’
‘I’m sure he was drunk.’
‘Where could he have got alcohol from? You know Papa makes sure none of us can get hold of even a glass of wine.’
Laura spoke as if she hadn’t been listening. ‘That yarn about tripping over one of the dogs? I don’t believe a word of it.’
Lizzie looked shocked. ‘What are you saying?’
‘I’m sure there’s more to this than meets the eye. I’m scared, Lizzie. How did he get that graze on his cheek?’
Lizzie shrugged. ‘I think you’re getting carried away. Whatever the outcome Mama will insist on the truth being kept secret to avoid a scandal and she’ll make sure Hamish’s mother is well looked after in case she tries to make trouble for us.’
‘Lizzie, you’re so cynical.’
‘No, I’m just being realistic.’
‘Have you heard what’s happened?’ Diana exclaimed, rushing into the library where her sisters were writing letters.
They looked up expectantly.
‘Papa has been told the inquest held on poor Hamish found that he had been most severely beaten by a riding crop and then kicked in the head several times by a boot.’
Laura’s eyes widened in shock. ‘Do you
‘What have you done to your face, Freddie?’ Lady Rothbury asked as they sat down to dinner two nights later.
He touched the deep graze on his cheek and his speech was slightly slurred. ‘I tripped over one of Papa’s damned dogs. It was wandering about on the drive,’ he growled angrily.
‘Don’t swear, dear,’ she said reprovingly. ‘Are you all right? You sound funny.’
‘I think I accidentally bit the inside of my cheek,’ he replied swiftly.
‘How could you be so clumsy?’ Georgie protested.
‘Was Papa with you?’ Lizzie inquired.
‘No. Why should he be?’ Freddie’s brow glistened with sweat and his hands shook slightly as he took a gulp of water.
‘Because the dogs never leave Papa’s side,’ Laura explained in a reasonable voice. ‘I’ve never seen any of them wandering around on their own.’
He shrugged extravagantly. ‘What the hell does it matter?’
‘Kindly stop swearing.’ His mother spoke severely this time. ‘Where are your manners?’
Lord Rothbury charged into the dining room at that moment.
His wife looked critically at him. ‘You’re late for dinner, William.’
‘Something dreadful has happened.’ He sounded distressed as he took his place at the head of the table. ‘They’ve just found Hamish, the stable lad, dead in one of the stalls.’
‘Dead? Oh, his poor mother!’ exclaimed Lady Rothbury, holding her table napkin to her mouth. ‘Had he collapsed or something?’
Lord Rothbury shook his head. ‘He’d been terribly badly injured, especially around the head.’
Henry, who had been listening in shocked silence, spoke croakingly. ‘Had one of the horses kicked him? Juniper was lashing out a bit today when he was being saddled up but I’ve never known him to kick anyone before.’
Lord Rothbury’s words hung heavily in the air, changing everything. ‘Hamish was beaten to death by someone with a riding crop. Dear God! What will go wrong next? And you say we’re not cursed?’
Lizzie sat on the edge of the bed as Laura lay propped up on pillows, discussing the latest tragedy before they went to bed. ‘Hamish was such a nice lad and so good to his mother. Do you think someone had a grudge against him?’
Laura shook her head. ‘No. He was popular with everyone. Good at his job, too.’
‘The police will no doubt get to the bottom of it but what a tragedy! Poor Papa really does believe we’re cursed, doesn’t he?’ said Lizzie.
Laura raised her arms and put her hands behind her head. ‘Don’t you think Freddie behaved very strangely at dinner?’
Lizzie looked at her sharply. ‘In what way?’
‘I’m sure he was drunk.’
‘Where could he have got alcohol from? You know Papa makes sure none of us can get hold of even a glass of wine.’
Laura spoke as if she hadn’t been listening. ‘That yarn about tripping over one of the dogs? I don’t believe a word of it.’
Lizzie looked shocked. ‘What are you saying?’
‘I’m sure there’s more to this than meets the eye. I’m scared, Lizzie. How did he get that graze on his cheek?’
Lizzie shrugged. ‘I think you’re getting carried away. Whatever the outcome Mama will insist on the truth being kept secret to avoid a scandal and she’ll make sure Hamish’s mother is well looked after in case she tries to make trouble for us.’
‘Lizzie, you’re so cynical.’
‘No, I’m just being realistic.’
‘Have you heard what’s happened?’ Diana exclaimed, rushing into the library where her sisters were writing letters.
They looked up expectantly.
‘Papa has been told the inquest held on poor Hamish found that he had been most severely beaten by a riding crop and then kicked in the head several times by a boot.’
Laura’s eyes widened in shock. ‘Do you
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