Chapter 10

When I turned around, Hugh and Rhisiart had both gone back indoors. I was glad. Even though it was their mother who had passed away, the emotion I was feeling seemed somehow deeper than what they had expressed. Maybe it’s just different with men, I told myself. When I went back into the castle, I went straight to my room. I needed a little more time away from people. A couple hours passed before there was a knock at my door.

Sylvie stood there, a soft smile on her face. “How are you doing?” she asked with concern. She drew me into a hug and smoothed the back of my hair while I let the tears fall again.

I stepped away from her. “Come on in,” I offered, holding the door open wider. “What have you been doing today? I’m sorry I haven’t been around, but I’m afraid I wouldn’t have been very good company.”

“That’s perfectly fine. I went into the village for some of that wonderful cheese they sell in the dairy shop. We can go over to the coach house if you’d like and we’ll set up a cheese tray and have some wine. It’ll be like a holiday you see in a magazine.” She grinned.

I smiled for the first time in hours. “I’d like that.”

“Then it’s settled.” She opened her mouth to say something else, but then closed it again.

“What?” I asked.

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, but I was just wondering what the police said about Annabel’s death.”

I let out a long breath. “Not much,” I said. “Hugh, and possibly Rhisiart, agreed to have an autopsy performed on Annabel’s body, so the police called an ambulance and they left here a while ago.”

“I’m sure that was hard, but it’s probably the right thing to do. It’s important for her kids to know if she had a disease that was undiagnosed. If she did, it’s possible they might have it, too. Plus, it’s strange when someone dies for no apparent reason. I mean, she seemed fine just yesterday.”

“You’re right, and I know all that. It was just hard to watch her be taken away, that’s all. I don’t think it’s what she would have wanted.”

“So is Hugh in charge now?”

“He seems to be. The police are going to ring up Annabel’s barrister in Cardiff to see what the will says. That might confirm that Hugh is in charge now, or it might change things. Maybe she left Rhisiart in charge. I wonder what will happen if the will says Andreas is in charge. I wouldn’t be surprised if it said that.”

“Would Sian be in charge then?”

“I don’t know. It’s not an ideal situation, because the baby is due very soon and Sian has other things on her mind. Like her husband’s death and raising a baby on her own.”

“Come on, let’s go try that cheese.” She was making a valiant effort to cheer me up, and it was the least I could do to accept her invitation. Her holiday had been a disaster so far—two deaths. What more could possibly go wrong?

I pulled on a jacket and followed her through the halls of the castle, halls that now seemed much emptier with Annabel gone. We hurried to the coach house in the blustery wind. A few snowflakes continued dancing around on the air currents, but nothing was sticking to the ground. We never got much snow at the castle, but everything looked enchanting when we did.

After we had prepared a cheese tray and poured two large glasses of wine, we sat in front of the fire, watching the snowflakes dance through the tall windows that overlooked the fields. I could see the stable from where I sat, and I thought how lovely and warm it would be in there with the horses and the sweet-smelling hay.

Sylvie had chosen not one, but four kinds of cheese from the cheese monger in the village. She had arranged them on a rustic wooden board she had found in the coach house kitchen and paired them with biscuits, French bread, and pots of fig jam, honey, and Major Grey’s chutney. It was exactly what I needed. I didn’t feel like being in that huge castle with only Hugh, Cadi, Rhisiart, and Sian for company. Maisie and Brenda would be there, of course, but they were busy and I didn’t want to make a nuisance of myself.

I settled back into the sofa and smiled at my cousin. “I can’t believe what a horrible holiday you’ve had,” I said. “It’s wonderful of you to stay when there’s been nothing but tragedy since you got here.”

Sylvie raised her glass in a silent cheer. “How could I go home? You need someone most right now. Have you told Mum about Annabel?”

“I hadn’t even thought of that,” I admitted. “I can ring her up. She’s the one who got me the job with Annabel, so I should probably be the one to break the news to her.”

Sylvie agreed. “She’ll be so sad,” she said. “They’ve been friends since I was little.”

When we had enjoyed our fill of cheese and accompaniments and wine, I returned to the castle by myself, feeling a little cheered. As much as I had wanted to be alone earlier, it was good to have spent some time with Sylvie. I went straight to my room and rang up Aunt Margot.

As I expected, she was shocked and saddened by the news of Annabel’s passing. She was silent for a moment as she composed herself.

“This follows so closely on the heels of Andreas’s death. The family must be devastated.”

“I suppose they are. I confess, I haven’t wanted to spend time with any of them today. I’ve been with Sylvie. She’s been trying to cheer me up.”

“I know how much you loved working for Annabel. I’m so sorry.”

“And I’m sorry for you and all her other friends, people who will miss her so much.”

“I wish her sons and their wives had never accepted her invitation to visit the castle.”

“Why not?”

“I probably shouldn’t even have mentioned it. Never mind.”

“Wait, what do you mean?”

“I mean, she was so worried about their visit. She wanted it to be perfect because she wanted to apologize for the things that happened in their home so many years ago. But nothing can be perfect, and I’m afraid that kind of stress wasn’t very good for her health, and when I spoke to her on the phone recently she mentioned that her doctor had warned her about taking on additional stress.”

“Maybe her heart wasn’t strong enough for all that’s happened,” I mused.

“What did they say was the cause of death?” Aunt Margot asked.

“No one knows yet. They’ve taken her body away for an autopsy.”

“She wouldn’t have wanted that,” Aunt Margot said softly.

“I agree, but Hugh made the decision. Or maybe it was Hugh and Rhisiart.”

“Of course they’ll want to know how their mother died. That’s understandable.”

“I hated to see them take her away.”

“I’m sure that was very hard. She loved her castle.”

I promised that either I or Sylvie would keep Aunt Margot apprised of the funeral arrangements, then rang off. I was restless, but felt I had nothing to do. I didn’t know where things stood with Annabel’s personal effects—I supposed we would have to wait for the barrister to resolve the issue of the will before I would be allowed to go through any of her files. I didn’t relish the thought of asking Hugh or Rhisiart for permission to do such a thing, so I decided to wait for the barrister.

I didn’t have to wait long. One of the police officers came back to the house the next morning. He had spoken to Mr. Hadley and there was indeed a copy of the will in his office. Mr. Hadley would come to the castle the following day to read the will in the presence of the family members.

Tensions in the castle were running high. Hugh was especially belligerent and he and Cadi got into another heated argument over when they would be returning to London. Hugh insisted that Cadi wait until after the funeral to go anywhere. Cadi wanted to go back to London at once, then return to Wales for the funeral. I don’t know how the argument ended because they went into their room and lowered their voices, but I assumed we would all know the outcome soon enough, based on whether Cadi stayed or left.

Rhisiart was especially ungentlemanly, too. He slammed his bedroom door, spoke rudely to Brenda, and demanded that Maisie bring him a pipe in the drawing room after dinner. I opened my mouth to tell him that Maisie was not his personal servant, but Maisie shot me a look that asked me to keep my mouth shut. It pained me to do so, but I respected her obvious wishes. She did deliver his pipe to him, but took her time doing so. I was pleased to see that she was responding to Rhisiart’s demands with spunk.

When Mr. Hadley arrived the next morning, he was accompanied by the police officer. The officer stood outside the drawing room door while the family gathered in the room to await Mr. Hadley’s reading.

Maisie and Brenda and I were anxious to hear the outcome of the will reading because we wanted to know how our jobs were going to be affected. Would we be looking for employment right away? Would we be asked to stay on? We sat downstairs in the silent kitchen, waiting. Griff came in after a short time wondering why everyone was so quiet.

“The family is in the drawing room for the will reading,” I explained.

“What brings you here?” I asked him.

He jerked his chin and motioned for me to come into the hallway with him. I joined him there. “Why the secrecy?” I whispered.

“Oh, there’s no secrecy. I just wondered if you’d be interested in going for another ride later today,” he said. “I just didn’t want to ask in front of Maisie and Brenda, that’s all.”

I smiled at him. “A ride would be nice, but I have to see what Sylvie is doing. I feel like I’ve been ignoring her lately, what with all that’s been going on. Let me see if she has any plans and I’ll let you know.”

He grinned and headed up the stairs to the main hallway, calling “goodbye” to Maisie and Brenda. When I went back into the kitchen, the women looked at me with quizzical expressions. But my mischievous streak reared its head and I didn’t say a word about Griff’s visit. I just smiled and let them wonder.

Maisie opened a cupboard and brought out tea things. “We might as well have something warm to drink while we’re waiting to hear what’s happening upstairs.” She put a kettle on the stove and came back to the table. “Eilidh, do you have any job prospects in case we get kicked out of the castle?”

“I’m afraid not,” I said, shaking my head.

“Do you think you’ll go back to Scotland?”

“I don’t know about that,” I said. “I don’t know where I’d go in Scotland. I suppose I could go to Edinburgh and live near Greer, but when I moved to the Highlands, I loved it so much up there I never wanted to live in a city again. I suppose I could go live with my mum, but she’s been talking about moving to a warmer climate. Then there’s Sylvie, but she lives in Cauld Loch and I’m not ready to move back there. Not yet. Maybe never. I guess I’ll have to find a new job and see where it takes me. What about you two?” I asked, indicating mother and daughter with a sweep of my hand.

They exchanged glances. “It’s a touchy subject,” Maisie said. “I think it would be wise for us to work together. Or if not, Brenda should at least stay near the village. That way she could still live at home and wouldn’t have to let a place. She could save some money that way. Maybe go back to school or save enough for a down payment on a house of her own.”

Brenda rolled her eyes. “Mum, I told you a hundred times I’m ready to be out on my own.” She scowled, which made her lean face look pinched and mean.

“I didn’t say you weren’t ready, Brenda. I said you could save some money if you lived at home. Kids do it all the time now.”

“Well, I’m not a kid.”

“You act like one,” her mother snapped. Thankfully, the water began to boil and Maisie stood up and poured three cups. She brought them back to the table on a tray while Brenda retrieved the sugar, cream, and lemon slices. They were an efficient team, those two. If only they could stop sniping at each other long enough to realize it.

“Lechyd da,” I said, raising my cup to toast my companions.

“Lechyd da,” they repeated, then we all sipped the hot tea in silence, each one of us probably thinking about what the future held.

It wasn’t long before we heard shuffling and other noises in the hallway upstairs. I looked at Maisie, who looked at Brenda. “What should we do?” Maisie asked. “Should one of us go up there and find out what happened?”

“Let’s wait,” I suggested. “I have a feeling we’ll know soon enough.”

Indeed, we didn’t have to wait long before we heard a door slam somewhere on an upper floor. We all exchanged glances, then I pushed away from the table. “You two stay down here, out of the line of fire. I’ll see what I can find out.” They nodded and Maisie crossed her fingers.

By the time I reached the drawing room, only the police and Mr. Hadley were left. The family members had already scattered.

“Good afternoon, Eilidh,” Mr. Hadley said, reaching out to shake my hand. He shook his head. “That’s a volatile group you have here.”

I smiled knowingly. “I agree. Is there anything you can tell me about the will?”

“It’s public knowledge now, so I suppose I can tell you that Hugh and Rhisiart are to split the value of the estate with Sian’s unborn baby, one-third each. Andreas would have received a third upon Annabel’s passing, but since he predeceased her Annabel’s wish was that his share of the estate will pass to his child. I believe Sian is to make decisions on behalf of the child until he or she reaches the age of majority.”

“What does that mean for everyone here?”

“It means, of course, that Annabel’s two sons are, shall we say, displeased that they have to share the estate with Sian’s baby. And until the two sons, and Sian on the child’s behalf, decide what they want to do in the future, I don’t know that it means anything for anyone who worked here in the castle for Annabel.”

“So should we just keep doing what we’ve been doing?”

“Annabel’s cook and housekeeper can continue with their duties as long as Hugh and Rhisiart and Sian agree, because people need to eat and live in a clean home. But I don’t know about you. You were the one who handled the accounts for the castle, and whether you continue in that capacity is going to depend on the direction those three decide to take with the castle.”

“But there are still going to be bills that have to be paid,” I said, “including paychecks for Maisie, Brenda, Griff, and the other men who work in the stables part-time.”

“I will approach Annabel’s heirs about the issue,” Mr. Hadley said. “They’ve agreed to retain my services for the duration of the estate proceedings. After that I may be looking for a new client.”

I hadn’t thought about that. Between her financial investments and her substantial land holdings in the county and in Cardiff, Annabel had been one of Mr. Hadley’s best clients. There was always legal work for him to do. Now he might have to find another client as loyal as Annabel, or perhaps a number of clients whose combined work would equal that of Annabel’s. A daunting prospect, I was sure.

The police officer had been silent during our brief conversation, but I was quite sure he had missed nothing. I wondered if he had heard anything about Annabel’s autopsy.

We all turned toward the main hall when we heard shouting. It sounded like a man and a woman. We all walked to the doorway and peered down the dim corridor.

Indeed, it was Hugh and Cadi, yelling at each other while Cadi pulled on a long overcoat.

“That’s ridiculous!” Cadi shouted.

“How could I have known?” Hugh asked. “I didn’t make out the bloody will!”

“She gave her money to a baby? That’s insane!”

“How many times do I have to tell you?” Hugh yelled. Then his voice quieted a bit. We could still hear him, though. “Andreas was supposed to get a third, but the will provided for his children, including unborn children, to inherit in the event he died before Mum.”

“How much is there?” Cadi asked angrily.

“We have no idea.”

“Well, find out. I’m going back to London whether you like it or not. I’ll be back for the funeral.” She picked up a large satchel that sat on the floor by her feet and swept out the front door before slamming it behind her. Hugh clenched his fists and let out an expletive. Then he looked in our direction, noticing for the first time that he and Cadi had had an audience.

“What are you looking at?” he snarled.

“Nothing,” the officer replied calmly. “Nothing at all.” We drew back into the room and looked at each other for a moment. Life in the castle was about to change drastically. Somehow Hugh and Rhisiart and Sian were going to have to cooperate in order to move the castle into the future. I wondered what that meant for Griff, too, if Rhisiart got his way and expanded the stables for racing horses.

It was then I remembered Griff’s invitation to go riding. I excused myself from the drawing room and put on a coat, then walked over to the coach house to see what Sylvie was up to. She was reading in front of the fireplace.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“Not much,” she said with a sweep of her hand. “Just some holiday down time. Have a seat.”

“Do you have plans for this afternoon?” I asked.

“Not really. I thought I’d take my camera and get some shots in the village and around the castle. Want to go with me?” she asked. “Or do you have something else you need to do?”

“I might go,” I answered. “I was wondering because a friend asked me to go riding for a little while this afternoon.”

“You can go with me anytime to take pictures. Go with your friend and have fun. You don’t have to entertain me.” Her eyes twinkled. “Who is this friend?” she asked with a grin.

I smiled self-consciously. “Griff, the groom, asked me this morning.”

“He’s cute!” Sylvie squealed. “He’s so rugged!”

“Calm down. You’re married, remember?” I said.

“Yeah, but you’re not,” she pointed out. “And Griff seems nice. And he’s a groom, get it?” She giggled. I ignored her reference to marriage.

“I thought the last man I dated was nice, too, remember? And now we’re divorced.”

“That was just bad luck,” Sylvie answered.

“Bad luck? I would say it was more than that,” I replied. “Bad luck is having a flat tire when you’re in a hurry to get somewhere. Bad luck is not marrying someone you had no idea was a criminal.”

I went back to the castle and texted Griff on my way. He told me he’d have Penelope ready for me after lunch.

Maisie had made a delicious meal of thick chicken soup for those of us who remained in the castle, and we gathered in the dining room for lunch with somber faces. I realized that I was lunching with the three new owners of the castle and I was suddenly uncomfortable.

Maisie came into the dining room bearing a tray of fruit. Facing away from the others, she winked at me and rolled her eyes. I had to bite my lip to keep from giggling. She liked Annabel’s family about as much as I did.

I ate quickly so I could get out of the dining room and away from the sour faces around the table. A tiny trill of excitement had found its way into my mood and I was happy to get outdoors and talk to Griff.

Dressed warmly, I walked briskly to the stables and found Penelope ready to go. Griff had also saddled Caesar and walked out of the stable office with a handful of carrots. “We’ll take these with us,” he said. “We’ll stop halfway and give them a snack.”

He gave me a boost onto Penelope’s back and swung up onto Caesar, then we set off in the opposite direction from where we had gone on our first ride. We went round to the front of the castle and continued across the land between the castle and the main road leading to the village.

“Where are we going?” I called out to Griff. Caesar was leading the way and Penelope was taking her time following.

“A place I think you probably haven’t seen,” he called back. He reined in Caesar to wait for me, and after that our horses ambled side-by-side across the uneven ground.

When we came to the road leading into the village we turned to the left and began moving along the low stone wall that marked the edge of the land belonging to the castle. Eventually we reached a break in the wall; we passed through it and I found myself in a verdant glen populated with thousands of evergreen trees. The gray from the sky dappled the graceful branches and pine needles underfoot softened the sounds of the horses’ hooves. Fronds from the crispy-looking ferns, quite brown by this time in the season, swayed in the gentle breeze. The earthy scent of the pine needles almost immediately transported me back to Christmas as a child in Scotland. I breathed deeply and exhaled. Griff turned to look at me. “Smells wonderful, doesn’t it?”

“I love it,” I said softly, almost afraid that talking in a normal tone would break the spell of the place.

“Have you ever been over here?” he asked.

“No, I’ve seen the woods from the house, obviously, but I’ve never ventured over here.”

“Then I’m glad I brought you. I thought you’d enjoy it. It’s peaceful, don’t you think?”

“Heavenly,” I replied. The horses kept walking, as if they knew the way. A narrow path had been worn across the ground and their steps took us farther into the woods. “Who owns this property?” I asked.

“It’s village land. Occasionally I see other people while I’m riding through the glen, but mostly no one comes here.”

“If I had known about it, I would have been out here all the time,” I said. “Thanks for bringing me.”

“It’s my pleasure,” he said, turning and smiling at me. “Just wait—it gets even better.”

Penelope followed Caesar along the uphill path while I tried to take in every detail around me. It was nice to leave the walking to the horse so I could focus on my breathtaking surroundings. It wasn’t long before I heard the sound of rushing water. It reminded me of the last time Griff and I had gone riding, when he showed me the stream in the woods. I experienced a moment of hesitation, recalling that Rhisiart had met us on our ride and interrupted a pleasant afternoon.

“What’s up ahead?” I asked, noting the sound of the water getting louder.

“You’ll see,” Griff replied.

We rounded a bend in the path and the horses stopped suddenly. In front of us was a huge waterfall. Bright, clear water tumbled from a perch high above us, spilling over rocks and pooling into swirling eddies at the base of the fall.