Page 83 of The Tartan Trap

At the mention of the name Matilda, Callum caught Margaret’s eye and gave her a smile and the barest hint of a wink. Margaret flushed and shook her head.

“I am to play Mr. Lightrake, another guest of the manor,” Ellis read. “He is often drunk by early afternoon.”

Callum exhaled a pointed laugh.

“Oh, well done,” Ellis said. “I can play that part with aplomb.”

“But can you play the part with a plum?” Beatrice quipped.

“We are going to have plum pudding for dessert,” Rachel said with a solemn nod.

Margaret leaned forward with the force of her sudden suspicion. “Is that the entire reason for the dinner party? Cook’s plum pudding?”

“Do be serious,” Rachel said solemnly, though her cheeks had gone a bit pink. “We need to find out who murdered Mr. Haberdashery.”

“Yes, could you hurry up with it?” Lord Lawrence said. “The floor is quickly losing its charms.”

Margaret read, “I am Matilda⁠—”

“Sounds familiar,” Callum murmured, just loud enough for her to hear.

“—and I need this job to support my six children. I’m afraid that Mr. Haberdashery’s actions would get me released from my position.” Margaret blinked. “Six children? How old is this maid?”

“I am Lord Heftpurse,” Callum read. “I gave Mr. Haberdashery a loan to start his business six years ago and he’s never repaid me. Now my estate is in difficulty and I need the money back.”

“That’s everyone.” Rachel passed a stack of parchment just as the servants appeared with the soup. “Here are all the names and profiles, along with several facts about the case, which I’ll now read. Mr. Haberdashery was discovered by the servants, but by the time the authorities arrived, the body was already cold. The magistrate estimates that he was killed several hours prior to being discovered. A smudge of soot was found on his cheek, as well as on his boots.”

Rachel lowered her parchment.

“That’s it?” Beatrice asked. “That’s all the information we have to go on?”

“The soup smells excellent,” Lord Lawrence murmured from the floor. “Have they brought a bowl for me, by any chance?”

“Indeed they have,” Margaret leaned over to say. “And they’ve covered it so that it will still be warm when you join us.”

Lily blinked in shock at the suggestion.

“Is it potato soup?” Lord Lawrence murmured. “It smells like potato. Maybe with a lovely sprinkle of chives on top?”

“Let’s start this out, shall we?” Lord Shaw said. “What do you think happened to the poor fellow?”

CHAPTER 29- MARGARET

Aquarter of an hour later, they were finishing a heated debate about how the victim had been killed.

“So we agree that he was hit over the head and stabbed?” Callum finally said.

“And it was most likely in that order, for why would one hit him over the head after they’d already stabbed him?” Lord Shaw said.

“Because they were deranged,” Ellis said, curling his fingertips into the approximation of claws.

“Yes,” Rachel said crisply, ignoring him. “Hit, then stabbed. It’s the only thing that makes sense.”

Servants began filing in to take the soup bowls away. Amongst their rank was an upstairs maid. She took one look at Lord Lawrence, bloody and sprawled out upon the floor, and shrilly screamed. She hit the swinging door at a run, so hard that it thwacked against the paneling in the other room. The sound of her alarm grew fainter by the moment as she fled.

A shocked silence descended. The other servants blinked at each other for half a moment, then set to clearing the places once more.

“Was that planned for the sake of ambience?” Margaret finally asked, a hand to her chest.