Holly leaned forward. “Where is this leading, Mama?”
Lady Hazel looked at her daughter, and Richard could see the pride in that glance, and the love. The Treases were indeed a unique family.
“Putting the facts we know together with the implications they might point toward, presents us with some optional areas to explore that won’t make Richard uncomfortable.” She turned back to him. “We can thus deduce that the documents he was carrying most likely had something to do with Rosewood business in a general sense.” She rested her forearms on the table. “Had it been very urgent, or of vital import to Sir Duncan?Your firm would have sent a solicitor familiar with the man himself, as well as his financial and business matters. I doubt they’d trust confidential personal documents to someone he’d not met before.”
Damn. She wasveryastute.
He considered his options, then finally nodded. “I believe that would be an accurate statement, yes.”
Holly pursed her lips as she turned this over in her mind. “So it would be along the lines of—I don’t know—not a trivial matter, since it certainly wasn’t to somebody willing to kill for it, but…” She raised her head sharply. “Estate business, but not personal. So…the only thing I can think of, is land.”
“Land. Yes, that’s an excellent assumption,” Lady Hazel nodded. “Something to do with the Rosewood Park land.” She looked at Richard. “You need not respond, my dear boy. The look on your face gives you away.”
“Uh…”
“It’s all right, Richard.” Holly did her best to reassure the man, who was looking rather shocked. “We’re not about to blab to the servants.”
“I know,” he answered. “And I truly appreciate your discretion in all this. But even though I cannot confirm your assumptions, we’re still left with the question of why the documents were so important. And that’s the one thing I cannot seem to sort out in my head.”
“Let’s put the pieces we have together,” said Holly, reaching for a pie. She broke it into several pieces and mounded some into a small pile on the tablecloth. “Since it’s about land, we should take a look at what we’re talking about. Here is Rosewood Park.”
“All right,” he nodded.
“And here,” more pie morsels were recruited, “is Forest Grange.”
“Move them further apart, dear,” suggested her mother. “Rosewood is very large indeed, and more to the north.”
“There.” Holly adjusted her impromptu building plan.
“So what’s missing?” Richard frowned.
“Myrtle Manor,” said Holly. “Wait. That goes…er…here.” She added a bit of pastry to represent the small hunting box. “And Lesser Banhope is down here.” That took care of the plate.
“Any special or notable features?” Richard studied the layout intently.
“Let me think…” Lady Hazel closed her eyes for a moment.
“Yes. Wait,” Holly pulled a ribbon from the trim on her lace sleeve, and laid it carefully on the table, so that it wound around the property lines of the map. “There. The river Ban.”
“Of course, my clever girl. I’d forgotten about the river.” Lady Hazel smiled approvingly. “It has always been regarded as the unofficial boundary marker for both Forest Grange and Rosewood Park, and winds its way past Myrtle Manor as well, just below Rosewood. There…” She pointed to the spot where the ribbon separated Rosewood and the Manor.
“Hmm.” Richard’s mind whirled.
“We have hit on something, haven’t we?” Holly stared at him. “You don’t have to answer. I can see it in your face.”
“I—”
His answer was cut short by a tap on the door, and Ferguson peered around it. “Your pardon, my Lady, but Mr Blackstone has returned. What would you like me to do with him?”
Holly bit her lip and glanced at Richard, who was giving her a look that quite clearly said, “Do not say it.”
“Perhaps he would like to see our library, Ferguson. He did say he enjoyed reading, did he not?” It was an absent question, and Richard could see Lady Hazel’s mind working.
“Half the afternoon’s gone already, and the storm hasn’t let up,” offered Holly. “So I’m sure Mr Blackstone will need to change. If we could have tea served in the library, Mama, Richard and I will be happy to entertain him until you and perhaps Papa can join us.” She hid the glare she shot at Richard from her mother. “Won’t we?”
“Of course, Miss Holly. I would enjoy nothing more than to share tea with Mr Blackstone.” His words were simple, but his tone was less than enthusiastic.
“Hmm.” Lady Hazel looked at both of them. “Very well, then.” Turning to her butler, she nodded. “Can you arrange that, Ferguson? And let his Lordship know where they are?”
