CHAPTER NINE

The next morning brings with it another surprise. I awake after a night blessed with easy sleep free of nightmares and head downstairs determined to learn more of the history of this house. I’ll enjoy my breakfast and see if I can get Theresa to myself for a while to ask her about previous disappearances that she might know of. I know she’ll resist talking to me, but I feel we are close enough now that I can convince her that it’s safe to share her secrets with me.

I don’t get the chance, though. When I arrive in the kitchen, I find Theresa talking to a tall, bearded man of around forty. He wears the uniform of a constable, and I realize when I see him that Lord Edmund has indeed enlisted help in learning what happened to Sarah.

Or help covering it up.

The constable frowns at me. “Who are you?”

Theresa answers for him. “That’s Miss Wilcox,” she says, “our new governess.”

“When did she arrive?”

“A few days ago. Thursday.”

“I see.” The constable lifts his eyes to me. “I’ll be with you in a moment, Miss Wilcox.”

I blink. “All right. Um… His lordship expects breakfast at seven. Perhaps you two could use another room while I—”

“His Lordship can wait,” the constable replies.

His tone is brittle. My earlier belief that the constable is here on Edmund’s behalf changes. Perhaps the constable is here because he shares my own suspicions regarding Lord Edmund.

I bow slightly. “Of course, constable.”

I leave the kitchen and nearly collide with Franny and Matilda. The young maids have eyes as big as dinner plates. They grab my hands and practically drag me from the kitchen into the empty parlor.

“Did you see him?” Franny asks.

“The constable? Yes, I saw him.”

“Big as a horse, he is,” Matilda opines.

“We’re not here to talk about how fine he is,” Franny scolds. “He’s asking about Sarah.”

“Do you think he’ll find her?” Matilda asks. “Oh, I hope so.”

“Have you talked to him yet?” I ask Franny.

“Not yet. I only overheard the start of his conversation with Mrs. Pemberton.”

“Do you think she’s been taken by her beau?”

Franny doesn’t answer. They both stare at me, and a moment later, I realize they’re waiting for my response.

“No,” I reply honestly. “It seems the police have investigated, and Sarah never even reached the theater. They have the young man on camera waiting for her before giving up and returning home.”

Matilda’s eyes pop open. “Really? So she was taken before she even got to her date?”

“It seems that way.”

“It’s just terrible,” Franny says, shaking her head. “And with her being so young.”

“Is his Lordship aware that the inspector is here?” I ask.

"I should doubt it. Hargreaves has no love for his Lordship. Thinks he's an arrogant, stuffy aristocrat."

“He is, though, isn’t he?”

Matilda gasps at her friend. “Franny! You mustn’t say such things!”

They fall silent when the kitchen door opens. A grim Theresa walks out, her face a tight mask. The constable pokes his head out a moment later and fixes stern brown eyes on me. “Miss Wilcox? I’ll see you now.”

The two maids whisper as I make my way toward the kitchen. Theresa shoots me a knowing glance, but I have no idea what it is I’m supposed to know.

I enter the kitchen, and the constable offers his hand as soon as the door closes behind me. “Inspector Jacob Hargreaves, Scotland Yard.”

My eyes widen. So he’s not a constable. “Scotland Yard? Is the case that serious then?”

“The potential abduction and murder of an innocent subject of the Crown is always a serious affair.”

I resist the urge to roll my eyes. “Well, yes, but unless I’m mistaken, Scotland Yard rarely involves themselves until a crime is alleged.”

“A crime is most definitely alleged, Miss Wilcox. That’s why I’m here.”

“I see. Well, in that case, I am excited to have your help.”

“Why?”

I blink. “Is that not obvious?”

He doesn’t address that further. Instead, he asks, “What brings you to the Blackwood residence, Miss Wilcox?”

“As Theresa said, I am the new governess. I am charged with the care and education of Lord Blackwood’s nephew, Master Oliver.”

An indecipherable look crosses Hargreaves’ face when I say that. When it passes, he says, “And what is your impression of Lord Blackwood?”

I must be careful here. I want to help Inspector Hargreaves in any way I can, but I don’t want to put myself at risk. It will surely get around to Lord Blackwood that Inspector Hargreaves is talking with us if he doesn’t know already.

“I have only worked here for four days, Inspector, and during that time, I have had limited interaction with his Lordship.”

“And what is your impression of those interactions?”

I think for a moment. “I think his Lordship is very concerned with maintaining his image and the image of House Blackwood. I believe he takes his role in government seriously.”

“And his family?”

“Pardon?”

“Does he take his family seriously, or is it only his image and role in government that matter to him?”

I wonder what the source of this animosity might be. I wonder how many times Inspector Hargreaves has responded to rumors of a disappearance at Blackwood manor.

“I am not privy to His Lordship’s private life,” I reply. “So it’s difficult to answer that.”

Hargreaves sighs. He folds his arms and regards me for a moment. “You’re afraid of him.” It’s not a question.

I hesitate once more, but only briefly. I can’t let my fear get in the way of Sarah’s justice. “Yes.”

“Why?”

Hargreaves could use a gentler approach. He’s not doing well at easing me into this.

It’s not about you, I remind myself. “He is a very hard man, and very cold. At least it seems that way to me. He seemed… dismissive… of Mrs. Pemberton’s concerns when Sarah went missing. I have to confess, though, that I dismissed them as well.”

“We’ll get to you. So he was aware of Sarah’s disappearance shortly after she didn’t report to work.”

“Yes. Mrs. Pemberton knew something was wrong when Sarah didn’t show up for her shift. I understand that is unlike her.”

“Yes, she told me the same thing. Tell me, when did Lord Edmund report Sarah as missing?”

“I… I’m not sure, sir. Wouldn’t you know that answer better than me?”

He frowns and says sourly. “I would expect to know better, but unfortunately, Scotland Yard didn’t see fit to inform me until after the initial inspector determined that this case was more in line with my expertise than her own. Good on her for her honesty, I suppose. How has the Lady Cordelia reacted to this news?”

I think back to her in the window the day before and to Lord Edmund’s insistence that he can manage her health without interference from me. “I don’t know for sure, Inspector, but if I had to hazard a guess, I would say she’s handling it quite badly. She’s been depressed since Sarah’s disappearance.”

“Is she a happy woman otherwise, would you say?”

“No,” I admit. “I wouldn’t say.”

“What would you say?”

I think of my answer for a minute. I want to help Inspector Hargreaves, and I don’t mind if that puts Lord Edmund in an uncomfortable spot, but I don’t want to make trouble for Lady Cordelia. “I would say that she finds the life of a Lady trying. Lord Edmund is very active in the House of Lords from what I understand. That would put a great strain on any marriage.”

Though it occurs to me as I say this that I haven’t seen any news media around. Typically famous politicians are unable to escape that sort of attention, but Lord Edmund hasn’t been harassed once since I’ve arrived. He doesn’t even have any personal security.

I find this very strange.

“And what of Master Oliver?” Hargreaves says. “How’s he getting on?”

There’s a hint of affection in the Inspector’s voice as he asks that. It seems young Oliver has stolen the hearts of all who know him.

“He’s a wonderful boy,” I gush. He’s stolen my heart too. “He’s very bright and sensitive and kind. It’s a pity about his health.”

Hargreaves darkens instantly. “Aye. It is. I’m sure his Lordship is quite broken up by it.”

I can no longer ignore the evidence right in front of me. “Forgive me, Inspector, but it appears that you bear some ill will toward his Lordship.”

He doesn’t reply right away. He narrows his eyes and looks at me. I can’t tell if his expression is cold or only searching. When a minute passes with no response, I say, “I apologize if I’ve offended you. As I said, I’m new here. This is all quite overwhelming for me.”

“Hmm.”

Hargreaves would probably not appreciate it if I told him that he reminds me of Lord Edmund at the moment.

“He and I are not friends,” Hargreaves finally admits. “This is not the first time I’ve responded to a report of a woman missing from his house.”

I struggle to contain my excitement. If Hargreaves can tell me who else has gone missing, it will give me an angle to look into as I investigate this case. “Who else has gone missing?” I ask.

He hesitates before answering. I assume he’s trying to decide if it would be appropriate to answer that question. Finally, he nods. An odd look crosses his face before he smiles slightly and says, “Among others, there is the case of Alivia Blackwood, Lord Edmund’s sister and Master Oliver’s mother.”

I gasp, unable to hide my shock. So his mother did vanish from this house. My stomach turns. Did Oliver hear her cries for help when he was an infant? Is that the memory called up by Sarah’s own cries?

The door to the kitchen bursts open, and Lord Edmund strides in. A shadow crosses Inspector Hargreaves’ face. He nods stiffly. “Lord Edmund.”

“Jacob, what the devil is the meaning of this?” Lord Edmund thunders. “Could you not have called ahead?”

“Why? Would you have preferred more time to prepare?”

Lord Edmund’s eyes narrow. “I would have preferred a modicum of respect. I’m leaving for London in an hour, and I don’t appreciate that you’ve chosen now to poke your nose around my home.”

“Perhaps you’d prefer I didn’t interrogate your staff?”

“Don’t be bloody ridiculous, Jacob. Do your damned job. Stop trying to find ghosts where there are none. Talk to them if you wish. But you’re wasting your time. I’ve told you already. No one here murdered Sarah Collingswood.”

He storms from the room, and Inspector Hargreaves smiles slightly. I can tell that he believes he’s achieved some sort of victory, though what that victory might be, I’m not sure.

“Thank you, Miss Wilcox,” he says. “That will be all.”

I incline my head, then walk from the room. As I proceed upstairs, I hear him call Franny into the kitchen.

I reflect on what Lord Edmund says to the Inspector. Stop trying to find ghosts where there are none .

But there are ghosts here, Lord Edmund. And they cry out for justice.