Hounds of Autumn by Heather Blackwood Page A

tree branch wave in the breeze.
    “Down,” she said, and he paused before jumping off the windowsill. “I’ll be in Ambrose’s temporary study.”
    “Just a moment, mum,” said Miss Haynes, shutting the door. “It’s about the rider you saw the other night.”
    “You heard something?”
    “I wasn’t sure who to ask, or even if I could ask,” she said. “It’s not as if the other servants are fond enough of me to tell me secrets. I was going to ask Mr. Frick to try to find out, but decided against it.”
    “Why?” Mr. Frick had been Ambrose’s valet for decades. He was the soul of propriety and discretion.
    “Well, he might mention it to Mr. Sullivan, and I wasn’t sure if you wanted him to know that you had been in the laboratory so late that night.”
    “Ah. Thank you for thinking of that. But he already knew. He came in to tell me it was bed time, but I wanted to keep working. He didn’t seem to mind. I think he worries about me if I work too much and neglect myself.”
    “Yes, I know how you can be when you get on a project.”
    “Back to the rider, if you please.”
    “Right. I couldn’t just go around and ask the other servants without them thinking I was a gossip or a busybody. So I had the idea that I could say that the rider frightened me, and I thought he might be an intruder. I thought that if any of them knew who he was, they might tell me to keep me from going to the butler or causing a commotion about it.”
    “Very clever.”
    “Thank you. I asked a maid who has a room near mine. My room faces the front of the house, so I told her that I had heard something, looked out my window and saw the rider. Told her I was terrified it was a bandit, maybe the one who murdered that poor woman. I said I wanted to ask the master or call the police. The more hysterical I got, the more she tried to quiet me.” Miss Haynes crossed her arms with a smile.
    Chloe was willing to let her relish her story, but was growing impatient. “So who is it?”
    “Ian. He goes out a few times a week. Though for the last few weeks, he has been going out every night. Goes into Farnbridge and sees someone there. No one knows who. At least, the chambermaid didn’t. He’s been doing it for years. The servants were instructed that if anyone spoke of it, they’d be dismissed. The chambermaid was terrified that I was going to cause trouble. She told me, but made me take a vow of secrecy.”
    “Which you then promptly broke by telling me,” said Chloe and smiled.
    “I had my fingers crossed! And I’m not going to talk to anyone else, that’s for certain.”
    “Did you learn anything else?”
    “That was all. But I’ll tell if you if I learn anything more.” She tidied a few things on the vanity, straightened some of the books that Chloe had left lying about and closed the door behind her as she left.
    Chloe grabbed the art book, and called to Giles who had vanished under the bed. He poked his head out and bounded toward her. Something was in his mouth. She commanded him to “drop,” “open up” and “give the blasted thing to me!” but he would not relent. With difficulty, she managed to pry the thing out of his mouth, only to discover it was an old brass button with some threads attached.
    “Irritating creature,” she said, tossing the button onto the table. He sat on his hind legs with his paws up to his chest, like a rabbit.
    “Brrr?”
    “Well, that’s new. And yes, you are adorable. Come.”
    She opened the door that connected her rooms with her husband’s room to find him reading a book. He glanced up and motioned to a second chair.
    “I won’t be very long,” she said, sitting across from him with the art book in her lap.
    He kept his eyes on his book as he reached into his jacket and handed her the stack of notes he had kept for her. She slid them into the book with their brethren.
    “I have a favor to ask,” she said.
    “You want me to ask Mr. Granger if we could visit.”
    “Yes. How