and
then stepped aside. “The number is on the pad in the hallway.”
Caroline had just passed
him, but turned back. “How do you know that? How do you know where everything
is in this house for that matter? You only arrived yesterday.”
“Stephens needs help. Go and
call the doctor.”
Caroline wrapped her thick
coat around her, and walked through the grounds of the abbey. The mist had
cleared to leave a dull, dank morning. She would have welcomed a little bit of
sunshine to light up her troubled soul. Stephens had thankfully survived the
attack and was in hospital, but his assault had left the houseguests feeling
nervous. Inside the abbey people spoke in quiet tones, and avoided eye contact.
“Caroline?”
She turned around and saw Anna Anderson walking towards
her. “Hello, Anna. Are you feeling as stir crazy as I am?”
“It’s dreadful, isn’t it? Poor Stephens.” Anna caught up
with Caroline and they walked aimlessly along the path to the abbey gates. “My
employer – she’s that dizzy actress with the blonde hair, Carla Burton?”
Caroline nodded. She had not seen much of Carla Burton,
but what she had seen was enough to recognise Anna’s description. “The one the
prince likes.”
“Well, there’s no accounting
for taste,” said Anna. “She’s talking about going home.”
“I’m not sure the police will allow that.”
“That’s what I tried to tell her, but she won’t listen.
She’s … well, she’s going out with someone royal – not Prince Henri, but one of
our royals, and is frightened the scandal will frighten him away.”
“It must be interesting, travelling around the film sets
with her.”
“I haven’t had that pleasure yet. I only joined her about
a month ago and, I believe the film roles are already drying up. I suspect
she’s slept with all the directors she can.”
Caroline laughed. “I’m surprised the masked ball is still
happening. It seems a bit callous, what with Stephens lying in a hospital bed.”
“The Hendersons wanted to cancel, but the prince has
insisted it go ahead, and one doesn’t argue with royalty.”
“No, I suppose not.”
“Of course we’re all excited about seeing the Cariastan
Heart too,” said Anna. “It must have been a real headache, keeping it safe
these last few days.”
“Oh, it isn’t here yet,” said Caroline. “It’s coming up
by secure courier from London later today. There’s no way Mrs Oakengate would
have travelled with it.” Caroline did not let on that Mrs Oakengate had planned
to do just that, and that it was Caroline who talked her into having it
delivered more securely.
“Silly me, why didn’t I think of that?”
“I’d better go back,” said Caroline. They had reached the
gates to the abbey, but despite Caroline’s longing to run away and go back to
the safety of her Aunt Millie and Uncle Jim, she turned around. “Mrs Oakengate
will want me to help her dress for lunch.”
“It’s wonderful, isn’t it?” said Anna, walking alongside
her. “This idea of dressing for different meals. It must be nice to have enough
money to do it.”
“Yes. Meanwhile I have to make do with a couple of tweed
suits and one black satin dress.”
“Didn’t I hear that your mother’s novels earned you a lot
of money? Oh, sorry, forgive me, that was incredibly intrusive and rude.”
“Not at all. Yes, they do still sell, though not as well
as they did when she died. I think people bought them then to try to find clues
to all her wrongdoing, and her relationship with my
then stepped aside. “The number is on the pad in the hallway.”
Caroline had just passed
him, but turned back. “How do you know that? How do you know where everything
is in this house for that matter? You only arrived yesterday.”
“Stephens needs help. Go and
call the doctor.”
Caroline wrapped her thick
coat around her, and walked through the grounds of the abbey. The mist had
cleared to leave a dull, dank morning. She would have welcomed a little bit of
sunshine to light up her troubled soul. Stephens had thankfully survived the
attack and was in hospital, but his assault had left the houseguests feeling
nervous. Inside the abbey people spoke in quiet tones, and avoided eye contact.
“Caroline?”
She turned around and saw Anna Anderson walking towards
her. “Hello, Anna. Are you feeling as stir crazy as I am?”
“It’s dreadful, isn’t it? Poor Stephens.” Anna caught up
with Caroline and they walked aimlessly along the path to the abbey gates. “My
employer – she’s that dizzy actress with the blonde hair, Carla Burton?”
Caroline nodded. She had not seen much of Carla Burton,
but what she had seen was enough to recognise Anna’s description. “The one the
prince likes.”
“Well, there’s no accounting
for taste,” said Anna. “She’s talking about going home.”
“I’m not sure the police will allow that.”
“That’s what I tried to tell her, but she won’t listen.
She’s … well, she’s going out with someone royal – not Prince Henri, but one of
our royals, and is frightened the scandal will frighten him away.”
“It must be interesting, travelling around the film sets
with her.”
“I haven’t had that pleasure yet. I only joined her about
a month ago and, I believe the film roles are already drying up. I suspect
she’s slept with all the directors she can.”
Caroline laughed. “I’m surprised the masked ball is still
happening. It seems a bit callous, what with Stephens lying in a hospital bed.”
“The Hendersons wanted to cancel, but the prince has
insisted it go ahead, and one doesn’t argue with royalty.”
“No, I suppose not.”
“Of course we’re all excited about seeing the Cariastan
Heart too,” said Anna. “It must have been a real headache, keeping it safe
these last few days.”
“Oh, it isn’t here yet,” said Caroline. “It’s coming up
by secure courier from London later today. There’s no way Mrs Oakengate would
have travelled with it.” Caroline did not let on that Mrs Oakengate had planned
to do just that, and that it was Caroline who talked her into having it
delivered more securely.
“Silly me, why didn’t I think of that?”
“I’d better go back,” said Caroline. They had reached the
gates to the abbey, but despite Caroline’s longing to run away and go back to
the safety of her Aunt Millie and Uncle Jim, she turned around. “Mrs Oakengate
will want me to help her dress for lunch.”
“It’s wonderful, isn’t it?” said Anna, walking alongside
her. “This idea of dressing for different meals. It must be nice to have enough
money to do it.”
“Yes. Meanwhile I have to make do with a couple of tweed
suits and one black satin dress.”
“Didn’t I hear that your mother’s novels earned you a lot
of money? Oh, sorry, forgive me, that was incredibly intrusive and rude.”
“Not at all. Yes, they do still sell, though not as well
as they did when she died. I think people bought them then to try to find clues
to all her wrongdoing, and her relationship with my
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