“Wrong how?”
“She’s been behaving strangely all morning and keeps disappearing.” Temperance looked ahead with focused attention, “She was in the kitchen at breakfast, which is normal. Then she was in the upstairs hallway, which is normal. But then she simply vanished. I’ve checked every room on this floor and I can’t find her. Have you seen her?”
“Not since this morning.” Albina turned a page. “Have you checked the garden?”
“It’s raining.”
“She has gone out in worse.”
“She dislikes getting her feet wet.” Temperance leaned against the doorframe. “She’s somewhere in the house, I can just feel it.”
Albina looked at her over the top of her book. “Have you checked Harper’s office?”
Temperance paused. “He’s in his office.”
“Yes.”
“She wouldn’t….”
Albina raised her eyebrows and returned to her book.
Temperance stood in the doorway for another moment. Then she turned and went down the hallway.
The office was at the end of the east wing, which was, Temperance had learned, where Harper preferred to be when he was working. She had been in it twice, both times at his request, and both times had noted that it was extremely tidy.
She could hear, from halfway down the hallway, that he might be working or busy. But she knocked anyway.
“Come in.”
The first thing she saw was the paperwork, but that was not what made her jaw drop.
Soot was in his lap.
“Oh,” she exclaimed, feeling relieved and surprised at the same time. “There you are, I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
“Miss Hosmer,” Harper replied, looking as though he had been caught doing something he would rather not be seen doing. “Is there something you needed?” he said.
Temperance leaned against the doorframe and crossed her arms. “I was looking for the cat,” she said.
“Yes, the cat. Well, she came in on her own,” Harper said, and then looked down at his lap. “She is very persistent.”
“She is,” Temperance agreed. “She chose you. That is actually quite something, she is not usually much friendly to new people.”
“You may take her,” Harper said. “It’s not as though I chose her.”
It was almost amusing how much he wanted to deny it. As if it was a terrible thing that a small animal chose to sit next to you.
“She doesn’t look like she wants to go.”
“I don’t care what she….” He stopped, and composed himself. “Miss Hosmer, was there something you needed, or did you come specifically to observe me?”
“I had a question, actually,” she said, “It is a slightly, well… it is an odd question.”
He looked at her without blinking.
“Ask it.”
“Has anything unusual happened to you today?”
