Not true. But there was a definite ring of deceit to Lydia’s explanation, and leaving her alone in here felt wrong.
“I’ll wait in the kitchen.” Lydia sidled out from behind the desk. “I wanted some water anyway.”
As she hurried across the room, Cara shifted aside to clear the exit. Lydia edged past, continued down the hall, and disappeared into the kitchen.
Cara stared after her.
That had been weird.
And the odd vibes swirling through the air were disturbing.
It was possible, of course, that her instincts were off. That Lydia’s presence behind the desk had been innocent.
But what if it wasn’t?
Should she tell Natalie what had happened?
Yes.
If the situation had been reversed, Cara would want to be informed. The decision about how to handle this should be up to Natalie.
After selecting a random book from the shelf, Cara sank into one of the upholstered chairs in the study to wait for the interview to end.
Ten minutes later, noise from the hallway suggested someone was moving about.
Shortly after that, Natalie appeared in the doorway, eyebrows arching when she spotted the unexpected occupant. “Cara! I thought you’d gone back to the cottage.”
“I did, but I realized I’d forgotten my tablet.” She lifted it. “Lydia’s in the kitchen. After they’re gone, may I speak to you for a few minutes?”
“Of course. I’ll be back soon.”
She disappeared down the hall, reappearing less than a minute later with Lydia in her wake as she passed the doorway.
The housekeeper glanced into the study as she passed, forehead creased.
It would be interesting to see if she mentioned their encounter to Natalie.
Three minutes later, as Cara replaced the book she’d pulled from the shelf, the older woman rejoined her. “What did you want to talk about?”
Cara wiped her palm down her leggings.
Playing tattletale was never fun, but in this situation it felt like the prudent course.
“Is anything wrong?” Natalie crossed to her, concern tightening her features.
“I hope not. Did Lydia say anything to you before she left about me finding her in here today?”
“No. After the three of us chatted for about five minutes,I asked her if she’d mind letting me talk to her brother one-on-one. She offered to wait in here. She never mentioned you. Why?”
Cara gripped her notes tighter. “When I came in, she was behind the desk, looking in one of the drawers.”
“Oh my.” Natalie’s brow crimped. “That’s disturbing. Did she offer an explanation?”
“Yes.” Cara passed it on.
“That doesn’t quite ring true, does it?” Natalie walked toward the desk. “Which drawer was it?”
“I couldn’t tell from the doorway, but it was on the right side.” She followed the woman over.
