her.”
“Please leave us alone,” Ashlee said. “We don’t need your superstitions here right now. They are not helpful.”
Suddenly they were joined by another voice, rounding the corner into the study. It was Ben, still in his riding clothes.
“What’s wrong? I heard Daphne scream, even from outside,” he said.
Ashlee sighed. “She just had a fright, that’s all. Nothing to it.”
Boris just harrumphed and turned and left the study.
Daphne locked eyes with Ben. “I thought I saw a man ... possibly Mr. Witherspoon ... outside in the field. He looked to be bleeding.”
“A man?” Ben asked. “I was just out there... .”
“Yes,” Daphne said, suddenly hopeful. “He appeared from the same direction from which you came riding. He appeared shortly after I saw you. He walked from that direction straight toward the house. As he grew nearer, I saw that his shirt was covered in blood.”
Ben’s face paled. “And you say ... he looked like Uncle Pete?”
“Yes,” Daphne said. “He was still at some distance, but I could have sworn it was him.”
“Dear Lord,” Ben said, and pulled out a chair, sitting down hard.
Ashlee sighed. “But it couldn’t have been Pete. He’s in the dining room, having a cup of tea. I just left him. Go see for yourself.”
“I did see him,” Ben said. “I saw him sitting there as I came into the house. He asked me to find out what was wrong down here.” He shook his head. “I hate to tell him.”
“Then don’t,” Ashlee said. “Why disturb him more? The sheriff was here earlier, dredging up all that terrible history... . He’s still pretty shaken up.”
“Why would this disturb him so much?” Daphne asked.
Ashlee tried to smile over at her, but Daphne could see she was upset. “Wouldn’t it disturb you, sweetie, if someone said they had just seen a vision of you walking through the field, your shirt covered in blood?”
“I won’t say anything,” Ben told her. He looked up at Daphne. “The only man in the field when I came through was old Tom, the stable hand. Maybe you saw him.”
“Was he bleeding?” Daphne asked.
“No,” Ben replied.
“Does he have white hair?”
“Well,” Ben said, “I suppose it’s white. Maybe more gray, I guess. Pretty thin on top.”
Daphne shook her head deliberately. “The man I saw had thick white hair.”
Ben just sighed, covering his face in his hands.
Ashlee approached and gave Daphne a quick hug. “You’re still upset about last night, sweetie. Who wouldn’t be? You discovered a woman’s murdered body. That would be enough to keep me on edge for months! And the sheriff only made things worse with all his talk this morning.”
“I ... I just don’t know,” Daphne said.
Ashlee smiled at her. “You must have seen old Tom. If you ask me, his hair is white, not gray, and in the sunlight maybe it looked whiter than it is.”
“Well, if it was Tom,” Daphne said, “I suggest you go out to the stable and see if he’s hurt himself.” She paused. “Though he didn’t seem to be in any pain. He was smiling.”
Ashlee and Ben exchanged looks.
“Look, sweetie, for now, I don’t want to upset Pete any more than he already is. He’s not a well man. I’m going to tell him you tripped and hurt your ankle. That’s why you cried out. He didn’t hear what your actual words were. I’ll tell him you’re fine now. You just called out in surprise.”
Daphne turned away. “Do whatever you think best.”
“Thanks, sweetie.” She gave Daphne another quick hug, then hurried out of the study.
“Last night, I thought I saw a clown in Christopher’s room,” Daphne told Ben once they were alone. “I was convinced that it was my imagination. I’m not so sure today.”
Ben stood, looking at her sympathetically. “Maybe the light on old Tom’s shirt made it look as if he were bleeding. You said it was at a distance... .”
“I know what I saw!” Daphne said, her voice rising. “And I think
“Please leave us alone,” Ashlee said. “We don’t need your superstitions here right now. They are not helpful.”
Suddenly they were joined by another voice, rounding the corner into the study. It was Ben, still in his riding clothes.
“What’s wrong? I heard Daphne scream, even from outside,” he said.
Ashlee sighed. “She just had a fright, that’s all. Nothing to it.”
Boris just harrumphed and turned and left the study.
Daphne locked eyes with Ben. “I thought I saw a man ... possibly Mr. Witherspoon ... outside in the field. He looked to be bleeding.”
“A man?” Ben asked. “I was just out there... .”
“Yes,” Daphne said, suddenly hopeful. “He appeared from the same direction from which you came riding. He appeared shortly after I saw you. He walked from that direction straight toward the house. As he grew nearer, I saw that his shirt was covered in blood.”
Ben’s face paled. “And you say ... he looked like Uncle Pete?”
“Yes,” Daphne said. “He was still at some distance, but I could have sworn it was him.”
“Dear Lord,” Ben said, and pulled out a chair, sitting down hard.
Ashlee sighed. “But it couldn’t have been Pete. He’s in the dining room, having a cup of tea. I just left him. Go see for yourself.”
“I did see him,” Ben said. “I saw him sitting there as I came into the house. He asked me to find out what was wrong down here.” He shook his head. “I hate to tell him.”
“Then don’t,” Ashlee said. “Why disturb him more? The sheriff was here earlier, dredging up all that terrible history... . He’s still pretty shaken up.”
“Why would this disturb him so much?” Daphne asked.
Ashlee tried to smile over at her, but Daphne could see she was upset. “Wouldn’t it disturb you, sweetie, if someone said they had just seen a vision of you walking through the field, your shirt covered in blood?”
“I won’t say anything,” Ben told her. He looked up at Daphne. “The only man in the field when I came through was old Tom, the stable hand. Maybe you saw him.”
“Was he bleeding?” Daphne asked.
“No,” Ben replied.
“Does he have white hair?”
“Well,” Ben said, “I suppose it’s white. Maybe more gray, I guess. Pretty thin on top.”
Daphne shook her head deliberately. “The man I saw had thick white hair.”
Ben just sighed, covering his face in his hands.
Ashlee approached and gave Daphne a quick hug. “You’re still upset about last night, sweetie. Who wouldn’t be? You discovered a woman’s murdered body. That would be enough to keep me on edge for months! And the sheriff only made things worse with all his talk this morning.”
“I ... I just don’t know,” Daphne said.
Ashlee smiled at her. “You must have seen old Tom. If you ask me, his hair is white, not gray, and in the sunlight maybe it looked whiter than it is.”
“Well, if it was Tom,” Daphne said, “I suggest you go out to the stable and see if he’s hurt himself.” She paused. “Though he didn’t seem to be in any pain. He was smiling.”
Ashlee and Ben exchanged looks.
“Look, sweetie, for now, I don’t want to upset Pete any more than he already is. He’s not a well man. I’m going to tell him you tripped and hurt your ankle. That’s why you cried out. He didn’t hear what your actual words were. I’ll tell him you’re fine now. You just called out in surprise.”
Daphne turned away. “Do whatever you think best.”
“Thanks, sweetie.” She gave Daphne another quick hug, then hurried out of the study.
“Last night, I thought I saw a clown in Christopher’s room,” Daphne told Ben once they were alone. “I was convinced that it was my imagination. I’m not so sure today.”
Ben stood, looking at her sympathetically. “Maybe the light on old Tom’s shirt made it look as if he were bleeding. You said it was at a distance... .”
“I know what I saw!” Daphne said, her voice rising. “And I think
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