Then his hand slipped from mine.
I returned to the bed, and lay there in the darkness unable to sleep.
Five
I heardBrodie moving about quite early, then he let himself out of the room.
I rose shortly after and dressed. I made notes in my notebook from our discoveries the day before, then went downstairs to the tavern.
The proprietress was there, customers already filling the tap room for breakfast before heading off for the races she had spoken of the night before.
“Yer husband has gone to see about a driver,” she informed with a cheery greeting.
Husband.Did he still think of himself as that? I wondered.
“I’ve got a fresh pot of coffee on the cookstove.”
I nodded. “Yes, please.”
Brodie returned shortly after. He had arranged for a coach at the rail station to make the return trip to Sandringham.
He was matter-of-fact as I had seen him countless times before when making inquiries in a case. Nothing seemed to have changed...
“We need to go,” he replied.
Brodie paid for the room and the meals, then escorted me from the tavern. The ride back to Sandringham was equally polite, and quiet.
It was very near nine o’clock in the morning when we arrived.
In parting the previous evening, Brodie had let Mr. Compton know that we would be returning.
The head steward at Sandringham met us on the front steps much like a gate-keeper with the keys to the kingdom and that impression of something very near resentment from the day before.
“How may we serve you today, sir?” he inquired with that aloof manner that was in fact most condescending.
“The conservatory is as you left it yesterday,” he assured us.
Brodie thanked him, then made the request to speak with the head groundskeeper. I noted the man’s surprise, then he replied, “Of course, I will advise Mr. Strangway. Is there a specific request?”
Brodie ignored the question. “Thank ye, sir,” he politely told him instead. “We will meet him at the gardens at the far end of the manor.”
“Of course, sir.”
“Hopefully the footprints are still there,” Brodie commented as we then set off to meet with the head groundskeeper.
Mr. Strangway arrived a short time later, escorted by Mr. Compton. The man most certainly was determined to oversee our every move.
Introductions were made and then Brodie once again thanked Mr. Compton for his assistance, dismissing him.
The house steward turned to Mr. Strangway and informed him that he would need to speak with him after he met with us. No doubt to question him regarding any inquiries we made.
Brodie waited until Mr. Compton had returned to the manor, then turned to the groundskeeper as we walked through thegardens to the location of those footprints we had seen the previous evening.
Along the way he commended the man on the gardens, along with several questions as I had seen him do countless times as he put the man at ease and built a certain level of cooperation with him, as Mr. Strangway had no doubt been cautioned about speaking with us.
In between, Brodie asked about the last night when the gentlemen were all present for a weekend of gaming, and perhaps a bit of hunting in the forest just beyond. Had the groundskeeper noticed anything afterward, perhaps one of the gentlemen partaking of a cigarette or taking a walk about?
“Oh, no, sir. The weather had set in and would have made it quite difficult. The gentlemen remained inside through the evening.”
