Mrs. Jeffries Stands Corrected (29 page)

“Honestly, you’re all impossible today.” Mrs. Jeffries rose to her feet. “We’ll talk about this later, when you’ve all had a chance to calm down.”

She left them to their misery and went upstairs. She was as worried as the rest of them. Despite their grumbling about inner voices and hogging cases, she knew what was really bothering everyone. It bothered her too. They’d been so wrong about this case. So very wrong. None of them had even come close to determining the motive or the killer. As Betsy had said, maybe they’d lost their touch.

Mrs. Jeffries went up to her sitting room and pulled a volume of Mr. Walt Whitman from her shelves. But she
couldn’t concentrate on the beautiful words; they failed to soothe her as they usually did.

For the next few days everyone in the household walked about with long, glum faces. Even a visit from Luty and Hatchet failed to cheer people up: it was difficult to be cheered by visitors as morose as you were.

Witherspoon, ridiculously happy himself, didn’t appear to notice his household’s mood. Or so Mrs. Jeffries thought until early one evening.

“Will you join me in a sherry?” he suggested as she took his hat and put it on the rack. “There’s something I want to talk with you about.”

“Certainly, sir.” They went into the drawing room and she poured them both a sherry. Taking a seat opposite him, she folded her hands in her lap. “What is it, sir? Is there something amiss in the household?”

“Oh no, Mrs. Jeffries. As always, it runs perfectly.” He smiled warmly. “I have you to thank for that.”

“There’s no need to thank me, sir. I’m only doing my job.”

He looked disappointed at her words and she wished she could take them back. Sometimes she forgot what a sensitive soul he was. “I mean, it’s what I’ve been trained to do, sir,” she explained quickly. “What I enjoy doing. Now, sir, what did you need to speak to me about?”

“My last case.” He took a sip of sherry and put the glass down on the table next to him. “I didn’t really enjoy it much.”

Surprised, she stared at him. “Really, sir?”

“I’ll admit I was glad my plan worked and that we arrested the killer, but I must say, I was very worried.” He clasped his hands in front of him. “If I’d been wrong, the consequences could have been most severe. Most severe, indeed.”

“But you weren’t wrong, sir,” she reminded him.

“But I could have been.” He smiled wryly. “It’s all very well listening to one’s inner voice, Mrs. Jeffries. But it doesn’t make for an interesting case. No, from now on I think I’ll go back to my old ways. I know how much you and the others like hearing about my investigations. Gracious, I hadn’t realized how dreadfully selfish I’d been till I arrived home that night and found Mrs. Crookshank and Hatchet lying in wait for me. I’ve been very selfish.”

Mrs. Jeffries’s spirits soared. Thank goodness he was coming to his senses. “You mean you won’t be listening to your inner voice anymore?” she asked.

“Oh, I’ll listen to it,” he replied. “But I certainly want to discuss my cases with you. You’re an excellent sounding board, Mrs. Jeffries.”

“That’s kind of you, sir.”

“I’m not being kind, I’m being truthful.” He frowned. “In the end, this case turned out well, but as I said, it could easily have gone the wrong way.”

Mrs. Jeffries got to her feet. “I’m glad you feel that way, sir. To be truthful, I did feel a bit left out. You know how much I love hearing about your methods of investigation.”

“I promise you,” he said earnestly, “the next time you’ll hear all about it. I won’t be selfish again.”

“Thank you.” She started for the hall. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to go to the kitchen.”

“But you haven’t finished your sherry,” he called.

“I’ll finish it later, sir,” she cried gaily. “I’ve just remembered an urgent matter I must tell the rest of the staff.”

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Berkley Prime Crime titles by Emily Brightwell

THE INSPECTOR AND MRS. JEFFRIES

MRS. JEFFRIES DUSTS FOR CLUES

THE GHOST AND MRS. JEFFRIES

MRS. JEFFRIES TAKES STOCK

MRS. JEFFRIES ON THE BALL

MRS. JEFFRIES ON THE TRAIL

MRS. JEFFRIES PLAYS THE COOK

MRS. JEFFRIES AND THE MISSING ALIBI

MRS. JEFFRIES STANDS CORRECTED

MRS. JEFFRIES TAKES THE STAGE

MRS. JEFFRIES QUESTIONS THE ANSWER

MRS. JEFFRIES REVEALS HER ART

MRS. JEFFRIES TAKES THE CAKE

MRS. JEFFRIES ROCKS THE BOAT

MRS. JEFFRIES WEEDS THE PLOT

MRS. JEFFRIES PINCHES THE POST

MRS. JEFFRIES PLEADS HER CASE

MRS. JEFFRIES SWEEPS THE CHIMNEY

MRS. JEFFRIES STALKS THE HUNTER

MRS. JEFFRIES AND THE SILENT KNIGHT

MRS. JEFFRIES APPEALS THE VERDICT

MRS. JEFFRIES AND THE BEST LAID PLANS

MRS. JEFFRIES AND THE FEAST OF ST. STEPHEN

MRS. JEFFRIES HOLDS THE TRUMP

MRS. JEFFRIES IN THE NICK OF TIME

MRS. JEFFRIES AND THE YULETIDE WEDDINGS

MRS. JEFFRIES SPEAKS HER MIND

MRS. JEFFRIES FORGES AHEAD

MRS. JEFFRIES AND THE MISTLETOE MIX-UP

MRS. JEFFRIES DEFENDS HER OWN

Anthologies

MRS. JEFFRIES LEARNS THE TRADE

MRS. JEFFRIES TAKES A SECOND LOOK