“Someone dressed in white has been entering my wife’s room and watching her sleep,” Thomas said quickly. “We put a new lock on the door, but they entered through a secret passage that I recently discovered.”
“I should like to see your wife’s room and the secret passage.”
“This way,” Thomas said, and led the inspector up the grand staircase to the wing of family rooms. He knocked on Cordelia’s door. Miss Vaughn answered it.
“Is Lady Farnham in her room? The inspector from Scotland Yard would like to see it.”
“Come in, Thomas,” Cordelia called from behind Miss Vaughn.
Miss Vaughn swung open the door further and Cordelia stood dressed in a peach chiffon tea gown, with a V-neck and elbow-length sleeves. She was stunning and the one-eyed inspector looked at her appreciatively.
“Cordelia, allow me to introduce Mr. Holden, from Scotland Yard,” he said, pride in his voice. “My wife, Lady Farnham.”
Cordelia offered her hand and Mr. Holden bowed over it. “I suppose you’re here to see the secret passageway.”
“I am, my lady.”
“Thomas will show you; I think Miss Vaughn would have my hide if I ruined this dress.”
Mr. Holden smiled at her.
“We won’t be long, Cordelia,” Thomas said.
He showed the inspector how to press on the ash tree to open the secret door in the wall. He then led the inspector down the corridor and up the spiral stairs, which led to the second floor, where the staff’s rooms were. Again, he showed the inspector where the carved leaf was that opened the passageway. Mr. Holden had a small black notebook, where he took feverish notes. Thomas also showed him the priest’s hole, where they had found the skeleton (since buried and blessed by Mr. Ryse). Then Thomas took the inspector back to Cordelia’s room, where she stood waiting for them next to Miss Vaughn.
“Lord Farnham, I presume that this was your mother’s room before it was your wife’s?”
“Yes.”
Mr. Holden scribbled something into his notebook. “Lady Farnham, what do you recall of your nightly visitor?”
“A slight person who appeared female in form and smelled pleasant—like they were wearing some sort of perfume.”
“Did they ever touch you, my lady?”
“No,” Cordelia said firmly. “They simply stood over me and watched me sleep.”
The inspector raised one eyebrow and gave her a penetrating gaze. “Did you recognize the handwriting on the note?”
Her face grew paler. “No, sir.”
Mr. Holden nodded and wrote some more in his little black book. “I should like to speak to the rest of the family now.”
“Very good.”
“My lady,” he said, and tipped his hat to Cordelia. “I look forward to seeing you again.”
Cordelia curtsied gracefully to him.A princess couldn’t have been more poised, Thomas thought. She was the perfect countess.
He led Mr. Holden back down the stairs to the parlor his mother preferred. It was the only room that hadn’t been renovated or redecorated. She and Penelope were sitting and sewing. They stood when Thomas entered the room.
“Mr. Holden, allow me to introduce you to my mother, Dowager Lady Farnham, and my family’s ward, Miss Penelope Hutchinson.”
“A pleasure,” Mr. Holden said with a bow.
His mother merely nodded in response.
“Nice to meet you, sir,” Penelope said.
