Page 52 of Death at a Highland Wedding
Simon laughs under his breath. “Good. I trust you would tell me if he was.”
“I would. Now, before you were called away, did you see anyone lingering about?”
“There have been many people lingering about. I believe most of the village has found some reason for walking past the coach. I have been asked at least a half-dozen times what happened up at the castle.” He lifts his hands. “I said that I am merely the coach driver for one of the wedding guests. For those who know that we transported a body, I said I only do as I am asked, and I was given no further details.”
“Am I right that people seem to think the victim was Mr. Cranston?”
He nods. “Several of them believed the deceased was the lord of the estate and that he was murdered.”
“Did you notice anyone lingering for longer than is polite?”
“A few lads. I ran them off. They seemed mostly curious. One tried to offer me a ha’penny for a look inside the coach.” He rolls his eyes. “As if I would endanger my position for that.”
“It’d take a half crown?”
He laughs softly. “I do not think there is any bribe worth that, although I did feel bad for not letting him have a peek. I understand the curiosity. They do not see many such coaches here.” He pauses and then curses under his breath. “And if I was concerned about village lads poking about the coach, I ought not to have walked away from it to help that fellow. In my defense, the boys were long gone.”
“And you knew there was nothing of value in the coach. Dr. Gray would have told you to go and help. I will take a description of the boys, though.”
“Because the one who wanted to pay for a peek might have really wanted to plant the note.”
He tells me what he can remember of the boys, especially the one who offered the ha’penny. Then he glances at the Rendall cottage before lowering his voice. “There is something else I need to speak to you on, Mallory. A… situation. At the estate.”
I stiffen. “Has someone been giving you trouble? Or is bothering Alice? I’ve been trying to pay attention, but things have…” I flutter my hand. “It’s been a lot.”
“With the murder and all?” He smiles. “No one has been giving us trouble, and if they did, we can take care of ourselves. You are not responsible for us, but it is sweet that you try to be. You are…”
“Not Catriona,” I murmur. For everyone else, this is a good thing. Simon is the one exception. Catriona’s only friend, and the one person who misses her, however much he tries to hide it.
“No longer the Catriona I remember,” he says carefully, “but there are times…” He sighs and shifts his weight. “Am I a terrible friend if I admit that there are times I remember you are not her and I am relieved? There was more to her than others saw, but I was not blind to the rest, and I was always waiting for her to betray Mrs. Ballantyne and Dr. Gray’s trust. I had even begun to suspect she was… unkind to Alice.”
I school my features, emulating Gray’s blank mask. “Alice has not said anything of the sort to me.”
He exhales in obvious relief. I’m not lying. Alice hasn’t admitted anything.
“Catriona was not an easy person to like,” Simon says. “But I did care for her.” He glances over. “It seems odd sometimes, speaking to you this way, as if you and Catriona are different people. That is what it feels like, though. As if she left, and her sister came. I miss Catriona, but you are…” He clears his throat. “Better for all.”
A moment of silence passes before he glances at the cottage again and says, “At this rate, I will not say what I need to say. It is about last night. When the murder occurred. I know everyone must tell where they were, and I ought to say I was in my bed. But I was not.”
“Ah.”
“Nor was I alone, which is the greater problem. I was with Mr. Cranston’s valet.” He glances over. “If you would like me to say we were discussing horse care, I can say that.”
I sputter a laugh. “No need. So you hooked up—got together with—Mr. Cranston’s valet.” I waggle my brows. “He’s very handsome.”
I expect Simon to blush, but he only rolls his eyes. “He is, but I am hardly smitten. Grooms and valets and lady’s maids often accompany their employers on such trips, and it is not uncommon for servants to mingle.” He gives me a sidelong look again. “Is that more than you wish to know?”
“I know Catriona was very straitlaced”—“prudish” would be the word—“but that’s not me. You’re saying that staff who accompany their employers on holiday have some fun among themselves, which makes sense. Easier than hooking—getting together with people you run into regularly. That’s what you were doing with the valet.”
“Yes. Holidays such as this are particularly useful for finding… others who share my inclinations.”
I nod. That also makes sense, especially in Simon’s case, where being gay got him into trouble. He’s extremely circumspect these days. Hooking up while on holiday would seem like the safest choice. Unless you do so on the night a guest is murdered.
“You and Mr. Cranston’s valet were together last night,” I say. “And you’re not sure how to answer if Constable Ross asks where you were.”
“Yes.”
“Well, I wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t bother. He’s never investigated a murder before. But you two need to make sure you tell the same story, and I’m going to strongly suggest you stick to a variation on the truth. You joked about discussing horses. You can go with that if you like. For the investigation,whyyou were together isn’t as important as the fact you were not in your respective beds.”
