That was the part that concerned me—aiming it through the streets of London.
“It’s not like you to be a Nervous Nellie,” she added. Something I had never considered myself to be.
“I’m just concerned for your safety.” I thought it best not to point out that she was almost eighty-six years old…
“You needn’t worry, dear. If anything should happen all the arrangements have been made for my send-off.”
Her‘send-off,’much like the one I had planned, was a glorious Viking funeral complete with a sailboat that was an exact replica of those ancient sailing crafts, sent out in a blaze of glory.
“I do have the stone slab in the family crypt,” she continued, “if there should be any question of my existence.”
I had seen it as a child, installed years before by her father, Lord Montgomery, just prior to his death. He had not been of the Viking persuasion for such things.
The slab noted her full name and title, along with the date of her birth to make things official, she had explained.
There was what I considered a peculiar engraving in the slab—“Do not look for me, for I am not here!”
It did, of course, reference that Viking send-off that she intended.
“It will be up to you and your sister, along with Mr. Brodie, of course, to see the rest of it taken care of,” she added pragmatically. “I certainly do not want someone prying the slab open and inspecting my bones some years hence. It is so very rude.”
Of course. We’d had the conversation previously, and I had promised to fulfill her wishes. Although I was of the opinion that she might outlive me.
She was off, giving instructions right and left. First order was to see that the Benz mobile was sufficiently prepared for her next foray. She intended to take it out on the streets.
I thought an out-rider might be called for, someone astride to go ahead and make way through the usual traffic. I made a mental note to speak with Munro about it before I left to speak with Mr. Burke at the Times.
Lily had removed her goggles.
“Have ye ridden in a motor carriage before? It’s almost as fast as Mr. Hamby’s team,” she added of my aunt’s driver and the team of matched bays that usually transported her about London.
“Her ladyship says we need to know how to handle one before we leave on safari,” she commented as we returned to the manor.
I had no idea how that was related to their plans for safari. I was almost afraid to ask. I had visions of my aunt attempting to run down a water buffalo or perhaps a giraffe. Almost as terrifying as imagining her atop a camel, the means by which I had traversed that wild plain.
“Are ye working a new inquiry case?” Lily asked, pulling me back from my terrifying musings.
“I’m making some inquiries regarding a woman who was found dead.” I chose that description rather than…
“A new murder case? Will Mr. Brodie be joining you?”
So much for attempting to gloss over things, or avoid them altogether. After our previous inquiry case, I had insisted that she focus on her lessons, which I hoped might provide her a good beginning in life, rather than the position of a maid in a brothel.
“How are you coming along with your studies?” I asked, moving the conversation in a different direction as we climbed the stairs toward the bedrooms on the second floor. I saw the face she made.
“Mr. Clark says my reading is much improved,” she replied of the fifth or possibly sixth tutor we had retained for her. I had lost count. The previous ones had each lasted a very short time.
“I’ve started one of yer books,” she added quite excited. “Miss Lenore says that those adventures are from yer travels. Have ye really done all those things?”
Oh dear, I did need to have a conversation with my sister about divulging too much to Lily about those adventures, most particularly the one that took me to the Greek Islands.
“I had to sneak it from her ladyship’s library, but Miss Lenore is hardly here, wot with keepin’ company with Mr. Warren,” she continued. “Wot is the inquiry case yer investigating?” she then asked as we reached the guest room.
She was most curious and observant, and had contributed valuable skill in a previous investigation. Still, I had already seen the lengths that some persons—namely the Chief Inspector—were willing to go in our present case.
I refused to expose her or anyone else to the man’s almost insane obsession to prove Brodie was somehow involved in Ellie Sutton’s murder.
“A young woman was found dead and I am assisting in trying to find those responsible,” I explained.
