He scanned the group of teenagers before him. One or two were chatting, but most of them were enjoying the performance.

  ‘Have you seen any attractive young women around the house today? Anyone who looks like they might make a suitable Duchess? To be honest with you, I’m not sure the Duke is that fussy, so she doesn’t have to be all that attractive.’

  ‘Why don’t you marry him?’ one of the youngsters called out. This was going to get interesting. The live interpreters were brilliant at thinking on their feet and dealing with all sorts of situations without slipping out of character. The ‘Duke’s friend’ looked momentarily confused, and then laughed.

  ‘But, young man, that’s simply not possible. Two men cannot marry.’

  ‘Yes, they can.’ The second teenager was at the front of the crowd and I could see him clearly. He wasn’t laughing or nudging his friends; instead, he rolled his eyes as he spoke, like he was dealing with an idiot. I realised he was being deadly serious, and no one was contradicting him.

  ‘Don’t jump.’

  I turned to see Mark closing the door behind him. I stood up and pushed the window to, leaving it open a crack so I didn’t suffocate in the heat of the office.

  ‘What are you doing?’

  ‘I’m watching the Victorians being schooled in gay rights.’ I told Mark what I’d just witnessed and he laughed.

  ‘Well that gives you hope. If anyone had tried that when I was a teenager, they’d have had their head forced down the toilet before you could say Elton John.’

  ‘How were your VIPs?’ I asked as I settled in a chair next to his desk.

  ‘So silent I’m not sure they spoke English. I think some people come here just to tick a box. Not to worry – the house coffers get their pieces of silver, I get to stretch my legs and the VIPs get to spend a few hours out of the rain. Not a bad use of ninety minutes. What are you doing here, anyway, missing my company?’

  ‘Always, dear,’ I replied sarcastically. ‘No, I wanted to run something past you, but I don’t like what I’m about to say.’

  Mark kicked his shoes off, and then turned his attention to me.

  ‘I’ve been thinking about Saturday and how Gregg found Nathan’s body. Well, couldn’t it be the case that the reason Gregg was leaving the Antler Gallery was because he was the one who killed Nathan?’ I screwed up my face like there was a bad smell. I felt truly awful thinking it, and even worse saying it out loud.

  Mark opened his eyes wide and leaned back in his chair, putting his feet on the desk.

  ‘I’ll be honest with you, Sherlock, it had crossed my mind, but I didn’t even want to go there. Just the thought of it makes me feel sick. But the police must have already thought of that, and if he was in any way involved, Joe would have carted him off by now. Is Gregg still at work?’

  ‘Yes, he’s currently in the kitchens preparing menus for the next couple of months.’

  ‘There you go then. The police must be happy that he’s innocent.’

  ‘Or they just don’t have enough evidence,’ I added.

  ‘Either way, he’s not locked up.’

  ‘You’re right. I just needed to say it out loud and get some reassurance.’ I stood up and walked over to the window; there was no sign of the group of teens. I did, however, spot Harriet Smedley walking across the courtyard so I quickly stepped out of sight. I didn’t know what it was about that woman, but I automatically felt like I was in trouble whenever I saw her.

  ‘Well consider yourself reassured.’

  I left Mark to it, but I was still feeling uneasy.

  I walked across the courtyard where the Victorian gentleman had sought the help of the school group, and out of the main entrance. Visitors drove slowly past me as they made their way out of the car park; a golf buggy with members of the gardening team trundled past and they all gave me a wave. Behind them was a silver saloon car, which I vaguely recognised. Gregg was in the back seat, staring out of the window, but he didn’t see me.

  Then I realised why I knew the car: it was an unmarked police car that I had seen Joe drive a couple of times. It looked as if Gregg was of interest to the police after all. I ran round the corner of the building, through reception without bothering to show my pass, dodging staff and visitors until I made it to the Library Café kitchen. I wanted to phone Ruth, but I turned the corner to see her walk into my office.

  ‘Ruth, what’s going on?’

  She looked pale and tired, unusual for someone who was usually rosy-cheeked and full of energy – something I put down to her permanently inhaling sugar.

  ‘The police want to question him further. It’s ridiculous, he had nothing to do with Nathan’s death. He’s not been sleeping since he found the body, he was horrified.’ She sat on the edge of my desk. ‘He didn’t know Nathan well, he has no motive, and anyway he was in the middle of dinner prep. He didn’t have time to leave the kitchen, not until he realised he’d left his phone in the car and had to go and get it as there were a couple of notes on it he needed. That was when he found Nathan.’

  ‘But he was seen arguing with Nathan outside the Antler Room. Do you know anything about that?’

  ‘No, nothing. He told me he was in the kitchen the whole time. You know him – he can get irritated, like anyone, and he’s had the odd argument, but he doesn’t lose his temper. He’s always in control. Is it okay if I leave? I need to go down to the station and wait for him.’

  ‘Of course, go now. Keep me posted.’

  ‘Thanks, Sophie.’

  I watched her walk through the kitchen, still not wanting to believe that Gregg had anything to do with Nathan’s murder, but his being taken in for questioning made me think that the police were starting to seriously view him as a suspect. I looked around my matchbox-sized office, which felt particularly claustrophobic right now. I needed to get out. I needed fresh air.

  Chapter 15

  I was starting to wonder when I’d get any work done, but seeing as I was in charge, I didn’t have to worry about getting into trouble. It was time that I showed the Stables Café team some support, so I used that as an excuse to get some air.

  I wasn’t surprised to be quizzed by them on the events of the previous weekend. Their heads were full of gossip about Nathan, and whether it was true that he’d been killed by the bride’s mother, the bride’s father, the best woman or the gamekeeper. I put the last suggestion down simply to the fact that a set of antlers had been involved; what other reason a gamekeeper would have to be at the wedding, I really didn’t know. I wouldn’t have been surprised if gossip had included the Duke’s two black Labradors as possible killers.

  Apparently, one or two members of the press were still combing the area, looking for employees they could bribe to get them into the house. I was actually pleased to hear that as it meant that the security officers were doing a good job of spotting them at the main entrance and sending them packing. Here at the Stables, Martin also appeared to be doing a great job, and as I left, one of his team even asked if he was going to keep the job on a permanent basis. I gave a noncommittal comment in reply and made a mental note to tell Martin what had been said. It was a great reflection on his work.

  I was about to leave when I saw the server who had been the object of Levi’s wandering eyes and whom I had seen crying after Nathan’s body had been found. I pulled her aside, away from the visitors, and asked how she was doing.

  ‘I’m okay, thanks, it was just the shock. I’ve never experienced a death before, not even in my family, and now it’s murder.’

  I hadn’t talked to her very often; she’d been hired by the supervisors at the start of the summer, along with a number of other temporary staff, but they’d clearly liked her enough to keep her on over the winter. I hated to admit it, but I couldn’t remember her name. Thank goodness for name badges, they’d got me out of many a sticky situation. Hers said her name was Olivia and she seemed young, maybe eighteen. She was playing with a ring on her finger, spinning it around and around.

  ‘Is everything okay?’

  ‘Yes. No. I don’t know.’ She swapped the ring to another finger. ‘When the police questioned me, I didn’t tell them everything. I think I might have been the reason that photographer was killed.’

  ‘What on earth makes you think that?’ She looked around. ‘Do you want to go to my office? We can talk in private.’

  ‘No, it’s fine. It was that actor…’

  ‘Levi?’

  She nodded. ‘At the dinner on Friday, he started chatting me up, wouldn’t leave me alone. Well, the photographer, he was leaving and saw what was happening. I was stuck in a corner and couldn’t get away. Levi wouldn’t move, he just kept trying to get me to go out with him, wouldn’t take no for an answer. The photographer grabbed Levi and told him to leave me alone. I thought they were going to have a fight, Levi was so angry he went bright red.’

  I gave her a moment to carry on, but she seemed to have finished.

  ‘So why would you be the reason Nathan was killed?’

  ‘Maybe Levi was so angry, he killed him. Because of me. Because Nathan was protecting me.’

  ‘Even if that was why he was killed, and I don’t think it was, it’s not your fault. Levi was harassing you. He was in the wrong. I mean it, Olivia.’ She nodded unconvincingly. ‘Look, how about I talk to Joe, one of the detectives on the case? He’s a friend of mine. He will probably want to talk to you again, but I promise you are not in any trouble.’

  ‘What about me not telling them everything in the beginning?’

  ‘You’ll be fine, I promise.’

  ‘Okay.’

  ‘Go back to work, it will all be okay.’ I gave her what I hoped would be a reassuring smile and watched her help a young boy choose a cake. Levi was a real slimeball and I loved the idea of Joe giving him a hard time; it was the least he deserved.

  I left the café and stepped outside. Joe was hovering in the courtyard.

  ‘Are you following me?’ I asked him with a smile as I joined him.

  ‘Well, yes, actually I am. Fancy a walk?’

  ‘One minute.’ I ducked back into the café and got Olivia to make Joe a coffee. I decided to break the habit of a lifetime and had a hot chocolate, but only because I wanted lashings of squirty cream and marshmallows. The grin on Joe’s face when I returned outside told me I’d made the right decision.

  ‘Ahhh, cheers. I was up at the crack of dawn going through Nathan’s phone records and bank statements.’

  We walked up the hill and around a wall that brought us to an open gate. In the summer months, we charged people to get into the gardens without a ticket to the house, but in the winter anyone could come in. We were miles from any town, and there was limited public transport which meant that we never had any trouble. The worst you’d get is a couple of harmless drunk teenagers on a summer’s night trying to climb the walls. At this time of year, it was cold and wet enough that you had to really want to be here.

  After walking through the stone archway, we followed the wall of the house all the way to the patio outside the Garden Café and sat on a bench. It was dry, but the cold seeped through my coat.

  ‘This is a much darker place than I ever realised,’ Joe said as he looked out across the valley.

  ‘It probably always has been; it’s just that many of the stories get hidden from us in order to protect the family’s reputation.’

  ‘I thought the Duke was pretty laid back about people discovering the stories of the Fitzwilliam-Scott family?’

  ‘He is,’ I confirmed, ‘but that doesn’t mean his ancestors were. I’m sure there’s a lot we don’t know, that the Duke doesn’t know. Clearly the stories are still stacking up.’

  ‘How has the Duke taken it?’

  ‘I’ve barely seen him since it happened, not to talk to.’ I took the lid off my takeout cup and fished out some of the melting marshmallows with a finger. I turned to see Joe watching me with a bemused look on his face. ‘What? I might work for a Duke and Duchess, but I’ve never claimed to be a lady myself.’

  Joe put his hands up in surrender. ‘I never said a word.’

  ‘You didn’t need to.’ Next I scooped out some cream. I was about to put it in my mouth when it fell off and landed on the front of my coat. Joe burst out laughing.

  ‘That’ll teach you.’

  I shook my head; it was a good job I wasn’t trying to seduce him.

  ‘Who’s that?’ Joe was looking out in the direction of the rock garden. A couple were walking away from us. ‘They look familiar.’

  ‘Familiar? Who else would be going for a walk on a gravel path in lime green stilettos paired with a bright orange coat?’

  ‘Joyce?’

  ‘Full marks.’

  As we watched, the tall grey-haired man put his arm around Joyce’s shoulders and pulled her tightly against his side. She slipped her arm around his waist.

  ‘That must be Harold. They’re rather sweet together.’

  ‘Harry and Cookie.’ He smirked as he said it. ‘Mark told me.’ I elbowed him.

  ‘Hey, it’s cute. I’m pleased for them, especially now. It must be quite upsetting for all the family and it’s nice for Harold to have her support, especially if his son is a suspect.’

  ‘Who said anything about Patrick being a suspect?’ Joe had quickly gone from sneering teenager to serious police detective.

  ‘No one. But he clearly wasn’t happy to have Nathan here and they do have history,’ I explained.

  ‘It’s fifteen years since Amelia and Nathan were dating.’

  ‘Some people carry grudges for longer than that, and he flipped when he saw Nathan for the first time.’ I looked up at Joe. ‘He’s not who you’re focusing on, is he?’

  ‘No, and I can’t tell you any more.’

  ‘Who just got you a coffee, which means you’ll be able to keep on working until late tonight?’

  ‘It’ll take more than a coffee for me to achieve that.’

  ‘So how’s it looking for Kristian? He punched Nathan fifteen years ago – has he finally taken the opportunity to finish him off?’

  ‘That’s what we’re trying to figure out. It’s hard to believe that he would kill him after so long if Nathan hadn’t done something to provoke him, so we’re trying to track both their movements in the run up to the wedding. It might be that they met up and had an argument that kicked it all off again; maybe they ran into each other accidentally. Kristian denies it, of course, but we want to be sure.’

  ‘Well I’ve got someone else to throw into the mix for you.’

  Joe did an exaggerated eye roll. ‘Of course you have. Go on.’

  As I told him about Olivia and Levi, his expression changed to one of distaste.

  ‘What a creep. I’ll make sure Harnby knows. He’s definitely worth talking to, and if you see Olivia again, tell her not to worry. We will need to talk to her, but we won’t give her a hard time about not telling us in the first place. That’s not what matters now.’ He drank his coffee and seemed to disappear into his thoughts, but I had a question for him.

  ‘I was wondering… what about Gregg?’ I was still feeling uncomfortable about this, despite Mark’s reassurance.

  ‘What about him?’

  ‘I watched him being driven off. He’s a suspect, isn’t he?’

  ‘Look, Sophie, I know this is hard, he’s part of your team, but we have to explore every avenue.’

  ‘I know you do, but come on, Gregg? What evidence do you have?’

  ‘This is an investigation, Soph. If we’re given information that raises questions, we investigate. It’s what we do.’

  He wasn’t going to put me off that easily. ‘What information? That he argued with Nathan? That doesn’t make him a killer. Besides which, I find it hard to believe he had time to leave the kitchen. Who claims to have seen them?’

  ‘Soph, give it a rest. I’ve already told you more than I should.’

  ‘I know, and I know you could get in a lot of trouble, but I’ve been able to help so far, haven’t I?’

  He pretended to glare at me, but he couldn’t sustain it. ‘No more questions, okay? Talking of which, DS Harnby is starting to ask questions about you, so I suggest you don’t give her any reason to worry.’

  I nodded, but I was already rolling a few more ideas around my head and I wasn’t going to let on to Joe.

  There was a roaring fire burning in the large stone fireplace that dominated one end of the Black Swan pub, and the welcome glow made my shoulders immediately soften and relax. I heard my group before I saw them. Joyce’s cackling laughter guided me to a large round table at the far side of the fireplace. Mark was holding court, and Harold and Joyce were laughing their way through the story he was regaling them with.

  ‘What can I get you, Sophie?’ Craig suddenly appeared next to me. ‘I’m getting an order in at the bar, so what are you drinking?’

  ‘Gin and tonic, please, Father.’

  ‘You’ll have to narrow it down for me, they have over seventy.’

  ‘Close your eyes and point.’ He looked confused. ‘I’m not joking. Close your eyes and point at the list of gins; it’s how I do it if I can’t decide.’

  He still looked bemused as he walked back to the bar.

  ‘Sophie dear, you made it.’ Joyce stared at her male companions. ‘At least make a pretence of being gentlemen and make some room for her.’ Mark and Harold shuffled round and made space for me, Mark muttering something under his breath about me never having been a lady so he didn’t know why he should be a gentleman.

  ‘I heard that, Mark Boxer, just do as you’re told,’ Joyce responded. I peeled off my coat and could feel the heat of the fire on my back.

  Craig arrived at the table and distributed the drinks.

  ‘Cheers, mate… er, Father,’ was Harold’s response, and it was the first time I’d heard evidence of an Australian accent sneaking out.

  ‘I followed your instructions, Sophie, and you’ve got Dragon’s Back gin. I hope that will suffice.’

 

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