“That’s a ridiculous reason to justify what seems to be a concerning case of stalking on your part, as well as stalking from other developers,” Elena snapped. “But to return to what we were actually speaking about, explain to me, if you please, exactly how it came to be that we were the family who ended up with her staff.”
Umberto gave his nose a bit of a scratch. “Would you believe we were unbelievably lucky because I just happened to mention to that Peter fellow that we were looking to bring on additional domestic workers right around the time Ottilie’s entire staff was looking for a new employer?”
Elena folded her arms over her chest. “I probably should have asked this directly after you hired Ottilie’s staff, but why did they want to leave her employ in the first place?”
“Ah...” Umberto glanced to Bentley. “Didn’t you tell mewhen I interviewed you that everyone was convinced the castle was haunted?”
“Indeed,” Bentley said before he frowned. “Although I’m unable to help but wonder, after learning Sneaky Pete was behind the suit of armor incident, as well as being the man who told me you were hiring, if all the hauntings we experienced were at the hands of Sneaky Pete.”
“I don’t think anyone can blame you for wondering that, as I’m wondering the same exact thing,” Drusilla said, earning a scowl from Umberto in return.
“Except that I didn’t specifically ask Peter to scare anyone out of the castle,” he argued. “The employment conversation simply happened after he told me that Ottilie had not returned and no one had heard from her. He then added that talk was beginning to swirl around that something dreadful might have befallen her.”
“That makes it sound as if, after Sneaky Pete implied to you that my aunt might be dead, you saw that as a prime opportunity to make off with Ottilie’s staff.”
“If Ottilie was dead, her staff was going to have to find new positions anyway, so it’s not as if I did anything except not pass up an opportunity that had unexpectedly landed in my lap.”
Drusilla’s brow furrowed. “But no one knew for sure what had happened to my aunt—and still don’t know—so I’m curious as to whether you might have helped this opportunity along somehow. Perhaps offered some type of incentive to Sneaky Pete to encourage him to send members of the Merriweather staff your way?”
Umberto shot a glance to Elena, who responded with an arched brow before he winced. “I might have told him I’d give him a fee for anyone he sent to my household who ended up accepting a position.”
“To a man named Sneaky Pete, the promise of a fat payout was probably enough motivation for him to stuff himselfinto an old suit of armor, squeeze his head into a steel helmet, and wander about the great hall, moaning every few feet as he swung a mace around.” Drusilla cocked her head to the side. “Should I assume that tonight’s fiasco was an opportunity you couldn’t pass up either because you knew, if you didn’t make one last-ditch effort to scare me from the castle before I open my academy for young ladies, that you probably wouldn’t get another chance?”
“I didnothire Sneaky Pete to roam around your castle tonight, nor have I ever done that. To reiterate, I simply told him thatonetime we spoke well over a year ago that I’d appreciate it if he’d let everyone know I was hiring.”
Elena began tapping a toe against the marble floor. “You should have realized the man would resort to unusual tactics, as I have to imagine Ottilie Merriweather’s staff was perfectly content in their positions since a woman who was rarely in residence wouldn’t have exactly been difficult to work for.”
“She was absolutely delightful,” Bentley interjected, blanching a second later as if he’d just realized he’d said that out loud, and in a tone that suggested it wasn’t all that delightful to work for the Zambarello family.
“A telling statement if there ever was one,” Elena said before she considered Umberto for an uncomfortably long moment, then turned to Drusilla. “I know you’re hardly likely to believe me, but I’ve been married to Umberto for what feels like forever at the moment, and I can normally tell when he’s being untruthful. I don’t get the feeling he’s lying about the Sneaky Pete incident tonight. However, before we discuss that further, I would like to revisit something you said—that being an academy. Surely you weren’t suggesting you’re going to open an academy in the castle, were you?”
“You haven’t heard?” Drusilla asked.
“The only thing I’ve heard about an academy of late is that Mrs. McCormick finally got her daughter, Norma Jean,who would give any of my girls a run for their money in the questionable-behavior department, enrolled in a ladies’ academy after spending the past few years being turned down by every finishing school east of the Mississippi.”
“Mrs. McCormick has enrolled Norma Jean in my academy, the Merriweather Academy for Young Ladies.”
Elena’s gaze sharpened on Drusilla. “Are there any specific qualifications girls need to possess in order to gain admittance into your academy?”
“We’re not going to be as stringent with enrollment requirements as many academies are, if that’s what you’re asking, but I won’t be admitting any young ladies for a while, as I’ve recently decided, given the unfortunate circumstances I’m currently facing, that I’ll need to delay the opening of the academy.”
Elena took a step toward Drusilla. “May I assume those unfortunate circumstances revolve around the developers who are determined to acquire your castle?”
“That would be one of the unfortunate circumstances I’m facing.”
“May I also assume, then, that if that particular threat were alleviated, your academy opening might not be as delayed?”
“That would be a fair assumption.”
Elena smiled. “Then allow me to offer you my assistance in the pesky developer matter.” She turned to Umberto. “To begin, you, my dear, will cease any and all attempts to convince Miss Merriweather to sell out to you, just as you’re now going to come completely clean and admit to me, and the truth if you please, whether or not you hired Sneaky Pete to scare Miss Merriweather from the castle tonight.”
“I haven’t had any contact with Sneaky Pete since he stopped by my office over a year ago to collect those fees I mentioned.”
Drusilla frowned. “I now find myself wondering why Pete didn’t accept a position with you as well when you brought on the rest of my aunt’s staff.”
“He told me another developer had offered him a job, one that got him back on a boat again, which is why he decided to take that position instead of accepting a job with me as a gardener.”
Drusilla turned to Bentley. “Did Pete mention anything to you regarding where he was going to work?”
