05 - Mistletoe and Murder Read Free Page B

had flummoxed Annie with
her invitation to sit, the poor girl was glancing around trying to pick a spot
to sit that was both out of the way, but not so far as to possibly offend Miss
Sampford’s hospitality. Clara gently motioned for her to sit next to Tommy,
then positioned herself on the sofa next to the marmalade cat. The creature
gave her a very unwelcoming hiss.
    “Ignore Bartley.” Miss
Sampford returned with her drink and shooed the cat off the chair, “He is
pedigree and exceedingly arrogant. He rarely bites, however.”
    Clara found that only
partially comforting as the disagreeable cat stalked from the room.
    “Now, I wish to say once again
how pleased I am you could come. I appreciate it must have interrupted your
Christmas plans.”
    “Once I read your letter I
felt it was urgent I come down.” Clara said, “Some of the things you wrote
troubled me.”
    “I can assure you they also trouble
me!” Miss Sampford sighed, “I really don’t know what to make of this matter. I
bought this house in 1909 and have never had any bother until now. I might have
been able to persuade myself it was all nonsense had not my servants started
leaving.”
    “And all have gone because of
the ghost? You don’t think they are using that as an excuse to leave?” Tommy
interjected.
    “I admit that is always a
possibility. But I pay decent wages and this is a quiet little household. No,
to lose so many and all for the same reason, it has to be more than just an
excuse.”
    “What of long-standing
servants? Have they said anything?” Clara asked.
    “Mr Humphry, the butler who
showed you in, dismisses the idea entirely. He is not the sort to believe in
ghosts. It is Mrs James, my cook, who troubles me most. She worked under my
mother and has been with me these last twenty or so years. She has never shown
the slightest inclination towards trouble in all that time, but now to hear her
talk of leaving for good because of a ghost… well, it astounds me.”
    “And the other servants?”
    “I have two maids, Flora and
Jane. They have been here just on a month and have made no mention of this
ghost business to me, though, that does not mean they have not seen anything. I
employ a gardener, but he only comes three times a week and lives out. The
others have rooms on the attic floor. As far as I know the gardener has seen
nothing, but then he is largely concerned with the outside of my home rather
than the inside.”
    “You mentioned a nephew lives
with you?”
    “Yes, Elijah. He is supposed
to be studying mathematics and stays with me when he has classes, but I’m not sure
the boy is cut out for the rigours of number-work.”
    “How long has he been here on
this visit?”
    “Since October.” Miss Sampford
tilted her head towards Clara, “I see what you are suggesting, perhaps he is
the cause? But the disturbances began in the summer when he was not here. I
will introduce you to him at dinner and you can make of him what you will,
after all, that is why I asked you here.”
    “Is there anyone else who
regularly visits your household?”
    “I do have a few friends who
drop in from time-to-time. I’m afraid quite a number of others have passed
away, when one gets to my age you spend a lot of time at funerals. I don’t get
out much these days. I suffer from a heart condition that makes it difficult.
So making new acquaintances has proved problematic. I would say I get around
one to two visits a week from friends, the most regular being Mrs Brown who
usually pops in on a Sunday afternoon.”
    Clara made a note of this, not
entirely sure it was relevant.
    “Now, about the ghost?”
    “Ah, I shall stop you there.”
Miss Sampford held up a finger to emphasize her point, “My nephew, upon
learning of my invitation to you, has arranged that this ghost hunter of his
shall come to dinner and, no doubt, he will also want to know about the ghost.
I don’t feel inclined to repeat the matter twice in one day, so I suggest