Beloved Secrets, Book 3 Read online

  “I wonder who told him?” Judge Mitchel asked. He noticed David was far more interested in watching the police officers than in listening to their discussion.

  “I wonder who dinna,” said Charles. “The reporter is leavin’ and he dinna ask for details, likely because he has already heard all there is to know.” He was not pleased. People were everywhere and there were far too many of them to keep track of. “I need these people gone and the remains removed so the men can work come Monday.”

  “Aye, but remove the remains how and to where?” Alistair asked.

  “Could the undertaker not do the removing?” David wanted to know.

  Charles nodded, “Aye, and the buryin’. That is the best answer, then. I shall call the undertaker.”

  AT HOME THAT EVENING, the telephone simply would not stop ringing. Everyone in town had at least two questions – was it a murder and what were they going to do with the body? Fortunately for McKenna, Alistair and Nicholas took all the calls. What worried McKenna most was that the lines were so busy her brothers in America might not be able to call back. At last, she decided just to go to bed and let the men handle it. Her nightmare of a scandal was happening right before her eyes and already, she was sick of the whole matter.

  THE NEXT MORNING, THE time had come to say goodbye to Blair. “Do you promise to call as soon as you are settled in London?” McKenna asked, as she once more hugged Blair goodbye.

  “I promise.”

  “And cable when you board the ship to America?”

  “Aye, daily if you like and again when we land in New York.” A little worried they would miss the train, Blair stepped outside and waited for her aunt to follow.

  “I suppose I can ask for nothin’ more. Wait, I forgot.” McKenna went back inside for a moment, came back out and handed Blair a copy of the Shaw MacGreagor story. “Take this to my brothers.”

  “I shall, and do you promise to let me know that all is well when the baby is born?”

  McKenna grinned. “Of course.” While Nicholas shook hands with David, she hugged her niece once more and then stood in the doorway of the manor and watched as Blair got into the waiting automobile. Even with a chill in the air, she remained in the doorway and continued to wave until Alistair drove the two of them down the circular drive and then disappeared down the road.

  “I shall miss her so,” she said, as she let the judge take her back inside.

  “We all shall. Did you give David a copy of the story too?”

  “Aye. Perhaps he can solve the mystery of whose skeleton it truly is.”

  “I suspect not. We could find no hint in the story and I doubt anyone else can either.” The judge helped her sit and then watched as she softly rubbed the top of her extended stomach. “Should I call the midwife?”

  “Not yet. I wish to rest a little more before I must climb the stairs to bed.”

  He nodded, picked up the newspaper, and made himself comfortable in a chair opposite her. From time to time, he curled the corner of the paper down, and looked to see how she was doing. Her eyes were still closed and she did not look to be in pain, but that would change and likely sooner than he expected.

  AS A GIFT, MCKENNA’S friend Charlotte made a dark red traveling outfit for Blair to wear on the train, and the hat shop in town had the perfect wide-brim red and white hat to match. Once they were on board, Blair sat near the window and tried to hide her tears.

  “Sad to be leaving?” David asked.

  She removed one of her gloves, took a kerchief out of her pocket and wiped her tears away. “I am, but I am also delighted to be goin’ home. I miss my family and my father most of all. He called this mornin’ to say he fully intends to meet our ship when it arrives in New York City.”

  “Did you mention me?”

  “I did and I thanked him for sendin’ you. I cannae tell you how relived I am not having to face London society alone. Have you ever been to Colorado?”

  “Twice,” he answered, “although only on official business.”

  “Horse thieves or bank robbers?”

  He chuckled. “Both. Bank robbers often tend to steal horses to make their getaway.” He managed to make her smile but it did not last long. As the train picked up speed, she turned back to watch the landscape again.

  Blair had more on her mind than just leaving her aunt and uncle behind in Scotland and finally going home. What she thought about instead was David. When they sailed from America to England on the RMS Mauretania, David made no secret of admiring her beauty. Nevertheless, he was pretending to be a lovesick teenager and she had to admit he played the part very well. In the last two days, however, he was attentive but not overly so. When he turned down an invitation to join them for dinner on her last night in Scotland, she oddly missed his company.

  Now that he sat beside her, she felt an odd attachment she had never felt before. She sensed it when she caught sight of him looking at her at the train station, and again when he took her hand and helped her up the stairs. Just now her shoulder was against his and she marveled at the excitement in it. Was he touching her because the seats were not wide enough, or did he want to touch her?

  Nonsense, she told herself. David was being paid to make her the center of his world, nothing more. She shook the thought out of her mind and concentrated on seeing Robin again. Still, when David moved a little, she looked his direction. Blair had not yet closely studied his appearance and when she appreciated how handsome he was, she smiled.

  “What?” he asked.

  “Is it real? The beard, I mean.”

  “It took four months to grow it. Would you care to pull on it?”

  “Nay, I shall take your word for it.”

  He paused for a moment before he said, “Tell me about your home.”

  She was relieved to have something to talk about. “Well, I was born in Scotland, or so we believe, but Colorado is my true home. My family and I live with my uncle and his wife in a mansion large enough for another three families. I have my own horse, and...”

  LONDON, ENGLAND

  As soon as the train entered the Twopenny Tube at the London train station, the conductor began to announce the various stops, and soon he shouted, “Next stop, Holland Park Station!”

  “Almost there,” Blair breathed. The newly constructed iron and glass covered shed had three platforms, one on each side of trains going in opposite directions, and one in the middle.

  The middle platform was crowded when the train finally came to a stop. While some stayed in their seats, other travelers were eager to get off, so she and David lagged behind a little. It wasn’t long however, before she spotted Robin on the other side of the window furiously waving. Blair waived back, and when she did Robin, ignoring all the rules bestowed upon a well brought up young lady and kissed the man standing next to her full on the mouth. When Robin turned to grin at her friend, Blair giggled. So far, Robin had not noticed David, and Blair was having a good time waiting to see when she would.

  With David behind her, she made her way to the stairs, stepped down, and wove her way through the crowd. Suddenly, she was in the arms of the deliriously happy bride-to-be.

  “I am so happy to see you.” Robin released Blair and then turned to her fiancé. “Miss Blair MacGreagor, may I present Lord Johnathan Hardwick.”

  “Lord Hardwick,” Blair said, returning his bow with her American version of a half curtsey. “And may I present, Mr. David Steele.”

  Robin wrinkled her brow. “He looks very familiar, are you not – David?”

  “At your service.” David gave his version of an English bow to Robin’s curtsey and although he smiled to reassure her, Robin still looked confused.

  Instead of a steward’s uniform, David was dressed as well as any British gentleman. “You have changed. Have you not grown up these past few weeks?”

  Blair leaned a little closer. “He tricked us into thinkin’ him younger than he is. David is all of twenty-five and father hired him to see to my safety aboa
rd ship.”

  “I see.” Robin’s brow was still wrinkled as though her eyes were deceiving her.

  “Father has also hired him to escort me while in London and to see me safely home to America.”

  Finally, Robin got over her initial shock and hugged David. “Well, I can think of no one who needs protection more.” She looped her arm around Blair’s and started them walking down the platform. “Let the men and our butler collect the luggage, shall we?” She waited until she had put a little distance between them and the men before she said, “Oh, Blair, I am so happy you have come. I simply cannot get married without you.” She glanced back and then lowered her voice. “David? Our David?” When Blair nodded, she said, “I do hope he is not the sort to tell all he knows. Johnathan thinks me levelheaded and I shan’t wish him to know otherwise.”

  Blair quickly glanced back too. David and Lord Hardwick were talking and seemed not to be paying any attention to them. “I have sworn him to secrecy on all accounts. Did you tell Johnathan about me?”

  “I did, and he has been most understanding. He had never heard of your mother, nor has he read the book. You are safe, my dearest. He did not even recognize her name.”

  “Perhaps ‘tis not such a big scandal to our generation.”

  “Good heaven’s no. These days, all they talk about is the father of Lady Georgette Goodwin’s baby, whoever that might turn out to be.”

  Blair giggled. “Good, then I shall no longer fret.”

  “Lady Bayington has offered to let you stay with her, but do say you shall stay with us instead. I have so much to tell you.”

  “And I you.”

  “It is decided then?” She let go of Blair’s arm and waved to a driver standing beside a bright red Renault town car.

  THE LONDON HOME ROBIN shared with her mother and step-father was nearly as large as Marblestone, yet with far fewer residents for the servants to tend. Even so, everything had to be kept clean, and with a drawing room, a library, a dining room, and several bedrooms complete with accompanying sitting rooms, there was plenty of cleaning to do.

  Unlike Abigail Whitfield who adored everything new, Robin’s mother preferred her Edwardian motif, which consisted of comfortable sofas and chairs aplenty. That was not all. The manor had front rooms, back rooms, and rooms simply called north and south rooms. It was clear the family did most of their living on the second floor where it was warmer and less formal. Even so, on this occasion the mansion was teaming with servants going this way and that, each with something to take upstairs or bring down.

  As soon as everyone was introduced, Robin’s step-father took his soon to be son-in-law and David away for drinks and conversation in the smoking room while the women climbed the stairs to a hallway that led to a pleasant drawing room. The blue wallpaper was a bit loud at first, but the gold framed paintings depicting various countrysides were magnificent and took Blair’s breath away. She walked around the room and looked at each before she joined Robin on the sofa.

  “We are to live in Wales, not far from our summer home,” said Robin. “I cannot tell you how thrilled I am about that, although I fear mother shall become far too lonely here without me.”

  Lady Julia Forrestal playfully laid the back of her hand against her forehead. “I cannot think how I shall manage.” She put her hand down and looked at Blair. “You are looking quite well. How did you like Scotland?”

  “I love it very much.”

  “And how is Mrs. Whitfield? I have never enjoyed anyone as much as I enjoyed my time with her.”

  “She is quite well and on her way back to America.”

  “I see, well, I am glad all turned out as it did.” Lady Forrestal stood up and headed for the door. “I shall leave the two of you alone to talk.” With that, she was gone.

  Robin giggled, “I fear that is as close, as mother shall ever come to apologizing for the way she treated you on the ship.”

  “She need not apologize. ‘Twas not that bad.”

  “Of course it was. First you were stared at, and then talked about, and then completely shunned, all because my mother spread ugly gossip about your mother.”

  “Gossip that was all true, I remind you.”

  Nevertheless, she should not have kept your letter from me. I might never have known about it, but she happened upon me when I was crying, and when she asked what was wrong, I told her. I said I was at long last happy but did not have you to share it with. That’s when she confessed you had given her a letter to give to me. I was enraged and said words the likes of which she had never heard me say before. I even told her I knew she was lying to me about smoking and that I partook of the pleasure myself occasionally. Well, she left the room and when she came back, she handed me your letter and a pack of cigarettes.”

  Blair giggled. “And that is as close to an apology as you shall ever get too?”

  “I imagine so, but I must say Mother and I are better friends these days.” Robin got up, went to a drawer in the desk, and brought back a pen and a piece of paper. She wrote a phone number on it and then rang the bell.

  While she waited, Blair took another look around the room. It was filled with all sorts of furniture including a game table, a bookshelf, and smaller tables that held several different clocks.

  “Mother collects clocks,” said Robin. “She has been all over the world and the two of them shall no doubt be off again the moment I am married.” When a maid knocked and opened the door, Robin handed her the note. “See that Mr. Steele gets this and ask in which hotel he is staying.” She quickly looked back at Blair, “He does mean to stay in a hotel.”

  “Father made all the arrangements.”

  Robin breathed a sigh of relief and as soon as the maid was gone, she closed the door and returned to her seat. “I still cannot believe he is our David.”

  “I am havin’ a bit of trouble with it myself, but occasionally he says somethin’ that reminds me of our David.”

  “And he is hired to protect you?”

  “Aye, he is a Pinkerton Agent.”

  “No,” Robin said. “Who could have guessed that?”

  “Not I.”

  “I thought Pinkerton Agents were old and carried magnifying glasses. David is far too handsome to be a...at least now he is. I thought him rather ordinary on the ship.”

  “So did I. It appears we were mistaken.”

  “Well, never mind all that,” said Robin. “Come with me. I cannot wait another moment to show you my wedding gown.”

  MACGREAGOR GLEN

  Sunday was a day of rest, or at least it was supposed to be. Charles was just as sick of the whole mess as McKenna, but when he arrived at the castle that afternoon, the glen was again crowded with automobiles parked any which way. Even more carriages were there and apparently some rode horses which were now tied to trees. Charles managed to park his Benz at the end of the line and then walked the rest of the way. He could not help but smile, however, when he noticed someone from town was already selling sandwiches and trinkets.

  The men he hired the day before to watch the equipment seemed to have a handle on things. The people were neatly lined up and were walking on his new floor, looking at the remains, and continuing out of what would someday be the back door – if he ever got the project finished. He went to look at the skeleton himself, only to discover one of the arm bones was missing. Charles rolled his eyes.

  There was no point in trying to work the next day either, so Charles called all his men and told them to stay home. Of those with him when the remains were discovered, he asked what happened to the dagger, but none admitted to taking it. He was not surprised. Furthermore, not one of them confessed to having told anyone about the discovery. He was not surprised about that either.

  One of the men viewing the remains was not like the others and it was apparent why. He wore a crisp uniform, a bowler hat, carried a satchel, and walked around the crowd like he owned the place.

  Scotland Yard had arrived.

  Charles
decided he best be there to answer questions, so he ignored all the MacGreagors wanting to ask him questions, and moseyed over to the site. The line of onlookers had completely stopped, and those with a birds eye view watched as the inspector looked down for a time, opened his case, and withdrew an ordinary paint brush.

  “Who owns this land?” the inspector asked as he began to lightly brush more of the dirt away.

  Charles quickly spoke up, “The Duke of Glenartair.”

  “Who found the body?” he asked, not bothering to see who was answering.

  “I did.”

  “I heard there was a dagger found too. Where might that be?”

  Charles shrugged. “I suspect someone took it.”

  “I see.” The inspector stood up and laid the brush back in his case. “Not much more I can do here. The bones are too old to have much to do with us these days.”

  “Any guess as to the sex?”

  The inspector lifted his hat and then repositioned it on his head. “No way to tell. The surgeons at the university might be able to guess. I suspect it is a man, but could be a woman.” He closed his case, stepped back, discovered Charles, and looked at the size of the man standing in front of him. “Not a man as tall as you, I wager.”

  “Can you guess how old it is, at least?”

  “A hundred years, maybe more.”

  Charles was disappointed and started to walk the inspector back through the castle. “You have been bothered to come on no good account, then.”

  “Not truly. I’ve wanted to see the castle for months now. Mind if I take a few pictures?”

  “Not at all.” As they stepped out into the daylight and away from the crowd, Charles intentionally lowered his voice. “What do you suggest we do with the remains?”

  The inspector wrinkled his brow. “Call a priest and give whoever it was a proper burial, I suppose.” He lowered his voice too. “Looks like a murder to me.”