Page 23 of The Ruin of Miss Amelia Burrowes

Chapter 10

Nearly a week later, Nathan sat in the taproom at an inn near Luton, only a mile from the Carrington ancestral estate. He’d been knocking around the area for several days, gathering as much information about the estate and its inhabitants as possible and had finally had a piece of luck last evening. Answering his question about the estate servants, the barmaid had told him he should speak with Giles Saunders, who used to be the coachman for the young Lord Carrington who’d died. Nathan had managed to send a message, via the lass, and now sat drinking a pint, waiting for the man to appear.

Weary with the search, but determined to see it through, Nathan prayed Mr. Saunders had real information. He’d heard from Amelia that she and the ladies had found nothing in Mary’s lodgings in London. The nearby tenants had all changed from ten years before and even the landlord didn’t remember a Mary Adams after so long. Marcus had remained in London to continue his chaperonage of his sister but had made inquiries about Carrington to several of his friends at his club who remembered the man. This, unfortunately, had turned up nothing useful. Mr. Saunders looked more and more like their last hope.

An older man, tall and a little stooped, entered the taproom, peering about the dim interior as if looking for someone.

“That’s him, your lordship.” Molly, the barmaid, had come up behind him. “Mr. Saunders,” she called to the man, who smiled at her when she beckoned him over. “Lord Ainsley, this is Mr. Saunders who worked for the Carringtons. This here’s Lord Ainsley, Mr. Saunders.” She smiled encouragingly at the man, whose gaze shifted nervously from her to him.

“How do you do, Mr. Saunders. May I buy you a drink?” Nathan nodded to Molly, who hurried away.

“Why do you wish to speak to me, your lordship? I’ve not worked at the Carrington estate for more than ten years. Not since the young master died.”

“And before that, how long had you been with the family?”

“All my life, my lord. I started there as a stable lad.”

“But you left? Why?” Nathan had sized the man up as a decent chap but would’ve assumed he’d remain in a good post with the family he’d served so long.

“New master brought his own coachman and grooms. Turned the whole lot of us off.”

“Ah.” Nathan nodded. That did happen from time to time. “I am sorry to hear that. You found another position, I trust.”

The man shrugged. “I’ve made do the last few years.”

“I’m glad to hear it.”

Molly set a pint of ale on the table, and Nathan nodded to Mr. Saunders, who took a cautious sip.

“Mr. Saunders, I’ve come to ask you if you remember a housemaid who worked for Lord Carrington, a Mary Adams? Molly here seemed to think you might know something about her.”

“Why’re you asking, my lord? She’s not in trouble, is she?” A keen concern appeared on Saunders’s face.

“No, no trouble. I simply need to talk to her about a service she may have done for my betrothed some years ago. She was Miss Burrowes who was to marry Lord Carrington.”

“Ah, Miss Burrowes.” Saunders smiled and nodded, suddenly more at ease. “She was a sweet lady, my lord. My master was very fond of her indeed. Shame he died before they could wed.”

“Yes, it was unfortunate.” Nathan pressed on: “Do you remember Mary Adams, Mr. Saunders? It would be particularly helpful to Miss Burrowes and me if we could locate her.”

“Oh, aye, my lord. I remember Mary well. I was sweet on her until she left the family’s service.”

Praise God, perhaps their luck had changed. “And you wouldn’t happen to know where she went when she left?”

“Aye, my lord. Mary told me she was going to London. Said she’d have better opportunity for work there.” Saunders’s eyes shifted away from him. “Said she’d got a better prospect than marriage to a coachman.”

Closing his eyes, Nathan sighed. All roads led to London as far as Mary Adams was concerned, and there they all stopped. “We’ve inquired at her lodgings in London, Mr. Saunders. Unfortunately, she’s not been there for almost ten years. No one remembers her.”

Frowning, Saunders lifted his glass. “She didn’t stay in London then?”

“Apparently not.”

“You might look for her at Toot Hill, in Essex.” Mr. Saunders tipped the glass up, taking a long pull.

Nathan caught his breath. “Toot Hill?”

“That’s the village she came from. Her aunt was in service with the Carrington family. She got Mary her place here. If Mary’s scheme in London didn’t work out, she might’ve gone back home.”

Hope raised its head.