Straw in the Wind (25 page)

Gazing at her employer, she whispered, ‘I didn't steal it . . . why don't they believe me?'

W
hen Adam arrived at Leighton Manor he was called into Finch's sitting room, and informed of what had taken place.

After a while anger replaced his initial shock. ‘You think Serafina has stolen it . . . that's nonsense.'

‘There's no other explanation, Adam.'

‘Of course there is, there has got to be . . . you just haven't found it, and the constables are pursuing the easiest and most obvious suspect. Where
is
Serafina?'

‘She's either in her rooms, or doing the laundry work, or perhaps she's gone up to the woods. She avoids me and only comes out to clean when I'm out. I feel so guilty when I run into her. Maggie and Fanny are looking after me. Maggie won't hear a word against her, and Fanny keeps snivelling. Even Oscar has a disapproving tone in his voice. Damn it, Adam. It's not my fault that this has happened.'

‘Isn't it? If the jewellery hadn't been left in plain view to tempt people, it wouldn't have been stolen. How do you know I didn't take it while I was here?'

‘Did you?'

‘No . . . but if I had I wouldn't have hidden it in Serafina's purse, or in a storage box disguised as a book . . . especially one that you'd given her, since it would be the first place you would have looked for it. Didn't you wonder about that?'

‘Wonder about it?'

‘For God's sake, Finch, stop being so bloody obtuse! You're a barrister, soon to be a magistrate. Where's your brain? The person who stole the jewellery could have borne Serafina a grudge.'

Colour touched the man's face. ‘Don't think I haven't considered that aspect. Serafina said she cannot think of anyone. I did have the feeling there's something she's not telling the constables though.'

Heaving in a steadying breath Adam asked him, ‘Do you intend to have her charged?'

‘No . . . but I won't be able to keep her on here now. It was going to be impossible anyway, since Celia likes her and deals with her as a friend rather than an employee. My fault; I grew up here and was always closer to the staff as a result. Joseph taught me to ride. Maggie was employed when I was about ten and at boarding school. I used to look forward to the holidays so I could fatten up on her cooking. My staff in London are much more formal, and I've decided that it would be too awkward for my wife and housekeeper to be close friends.'

‘Oh, I don't think you need to worry too much about that,' Adam said with a reluctant smile. After all, if all went well, Serafina and Celia would eventually be on an equal footing.

‘The constables are still making enquiries, but they haven't found anything yet. They tell me that they've given a list of the missing jewellery to local gem dealers in case it was sold.'

‘Serafina wouldn't have been that stupid, as to sell it locally.'

‘That's what I keep telling myself.' Finch placed his head in his hands and groaned. ‘I keep going through it.'

‘Go through it again for me.'

‘Serafina wanted to clean my former wife's room the moment she arrived here, and she more or less told me that keeping it as a shrine was macabre.'

‘It is.'

‘I know, but she was the first person who had the guts to tell me so. When I met your sister and fell in love with her, I realized how right Serafina had been about what I was doing to myself. She quoted Edgar Allen Poe at me, you know,' and he gave a faint smile. ‘We had some wonderful conversations. She has a good mind that seems to absorb everything, like Celia, I suppose, though Serafina argues from an instinctive emotional standpoint, while Celia is more logical in her reasoning.'

Noting Finch's tone of voice Adam leaned forward and touched his wrist. ‘You don't have to tell me about Celia. I've known her all my life. When did you notice that the jewellery was missing?'

‘I'd decided that it wouldn't be fair to Celia to keep the room as it was any longer. Serafina found me in there watching the storm from the window. I was giving her instructions about cleaning the room out when she noticed the jewellery was missing. It was lying about the room before, you see, as Diana had left it on that day. She was untidy.'

‘Your late wife didn't take it with her to the station, then. I find that odd.'

‘I never gave it much thought. Diana left the house in a fury of passion and without any luggage, so she could catch up with her friends. Most of her belongings were in the London house, anyway, and I was instructed to send the rest on. I wish I'd put my foot down and stopped her from going now.'

‘Your former wife sounds as though she was unstoppable,' Adam said, trying not to feel sorry for the man.

The smile he gave was wry. ‘I was a fool, and Diana was wilful and demanding, but it's no good castigating myself about it now. Many a man has been taken in by a pretty face and lived to regret it.'

Adam smiled and said, ‘By your expression this is the first time you've admitted it to yourself.'

‘It's the first time I've said it out loud. That's something Serafina taught me . . . to live my life in the present instead of the past. I can't believe she would steal from me, yet . . .?'

‘Yet?'

‘Oscar fetched the treasure box that she kept in her room, and he found one of the rings in there. It was a ring Serafina had admired before, not very expensive, but a pretty stone. I'd decided to give the jewellery to my late wife's niece. Diana had promised Jane Milson she could have it if anything happened to her, or so Jane said.' There was uncertainty in his voice now.

‘What is it, Finch?'

‘I'd forgotten that Jane had wanted to borrow some of the jewellery just before Christmas. She specifically asked for a sapphire set, and that is missing from the jewellery box.'

‘Then before you do anything else, you might suggest that the constables look further afield, perhaps while Serafina is away meeting her family.'

‘I think I would prefer to keep this matter private. If she's involved in this, Jane will bow under pressure. Freddie has a sly way of getting around things though, and he was sent packing by Serafina as I recall. I sent Oscar after Freddie to rescue Serafina when I realized what his intentions were, and he said she'd managed quite nicely on her own. Apparently she'd stabbed Freddie with a fork. She doesn't encourage liberties, which is why she lost her last job. She slapped the son of the house, I'm given to believe.'

Giving a smile Adam remembered the delightful laugh Serafina had given after he'd kissed her. She hadn't minded the liberty he'd taken with her.

‘I was going to ask you not to bring Serafina back here,' Finch said. ‘I intend to offer one of my London staff the position.'

‘Does Serafina know?'

Finch looked ashamed. ‘I was hoping you'd tell her.'

‘What did you expect me to do with her, leave her at the railway station like a piece of abandoned luggage? Hasn't she been through that before?'

‘You're too fond of her to do that. I thought her family might give her a home.'

‘If they
are
her family.'

‘It's a cowardly way of doing things, I know.'

Adam decided that Finch needed hauling over the coals a little. He said brutally, ‘It's like leaving an unwanted puppy in the middle of nowhere to starve, hoping someone else will happen along and take pity on it. Serafina needs stability in her life. She thought she'd found it here, and this will tear her apart.' He lowered his voice. ‘Serafina holds you in high esteem; you're like a father figure to her.'

Finch winced. ‘I suppose I could just slide into that age group if I had to. I didn't want Serafina's fate to become the cause of dissent between Celia and myself. Your sister is fond of her.'

‘I doubt if Celia would think any the less of you since she's quite capable of understanding the position you find yourself in.'

‘What else can I do, Adam? If you've got a solution, let me hear it.'

‘I have a vested interest in this, and I think you know exactly what that might be, which is why I can't help solve the problem for you. But I will think of a way to let both you and Serafina down lightly. If I were you, I wouldn't let the matter drop though. I'd pursue it privately and make sure that all avenues are covered until you discover the truth – for your own peace of mind if no one else's.'

‘Rest assured, I'll take that advice.'

‘Allow me to ask you something, Finch. Do you honestly think Serafina stole the jewellery?'

He reflected for a moment, then said, ‘My heart tells me it's something she wouldn't stoop to. I desperately want to believe that.'

‘Good, then I'd be obliged if you'd let her know that before we leave in the morning, so it doesn't weigh too heavily on her mind. May I see her now?'

‘Of course you may. Try her sitting room first; she spends a lot of time alone there now. If you happen to run into Oscar send him to me if you would. If not before, I'll see you at dinner then, Adam, though I warn you, the atmosphere is barely tolerable in the house since this business started.'

The door to Serafina's sitting room was ajar. She was seated in a chair with a book in her lap, but she wasn't reading it, she was staring at the wall. Her down-turned mouth and the abject misery in her face shocked him. She seemed to be drained of spirit. The flames in her eyes were dulled, her shoulders slumped.

‘Serafina.'

She turned towards the sound of his voice, her eyes still filled with her thoughts. A smile of welcome fleetingly touched her lips, then fled as she stood and faced him. Coming aware that he'd been told of the charge against her, she buried her face in her hands and whispered in a voice so quiet that he strained to hear her, ‘Adam . . . I didn't expect to see you after what has happened. I feel so ashamed because people will think I'm a thief. I don't know what to do.'

He was across the floor in two seconds, and his arms came around her and pulled her against him. Clinging to him, she began to weep.

It was a full ten minutes before Serafina was strengthened enough to look up at him, her eyes crushed and drowning in tears. The desperation in her face told him that she was nearly at the end of her tether. ‘I'm sorry . . . whatever must you think of me, Adam?'

‘The same as I thought of you the last time I saw you.'

‘What will I do?'

‘Exactly as we planned. You'll accompany me to Poole, where we'll unravel the mystery of your family connections.'

‘Even if there's a connection, they're respectable professional people, and won't want to know me now.'

‘You underestimate them. Besides, they won't know about it unless you tell them.'

‘You want me to deceive them?'

‘It's not deceit. It's up to you to tell them what you want them to know, and you're allowed to be private about some things. We both know you didn't steal that jewellery. In his heart, Finch Leighton doesn't believe you took it either, and he's not going to press charges. The investigation must continue though, and he's following another lead.'

‘All the same, it will be intolerable for Mr Leighton and Celia if I come back here to work, won't it?'

She was reaching the inevitable conclusion, as he'd hoped she would. ‘Yes, I imagine it would be awkward. All the same, he feels bad about what's happened.'

Fiercely, she told him, ‘Mr Leighton has been good to me and I don't want him to feel bad, or awkward. Perhaps I should make it easy for him and leave his employ, otherwise he might feel obliged to dispense with my services.'

‘That's a possibility. It would be a good idea, because I expect your family will want you to stay with them for a while.'

‘And if they don't?'

‘We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. I have need of someone to look after my home in London, you know.'

Their closeness was becoming uncomfortable for him and he put some space between them. When colour rose to her cheeks he placed his hand against its warmth, smiling when she unexpectedly turned her face into it and kissed his palm. He brought up his other hand, took her lovely face between his palms and scrutinized it. Her mouth was the colour of crushed raspberries.

She said, ‘Why are you taking my side?'

‘Because you need someone, my love.'

‘Am I your . . .
love
?'

As an answer to that Adam's mouth sought the soft pliable curves of hers. A moment later she was kissing him in return. Her laughter when they pulled apart had a husky awareness to it. ‘We shouldn't have done that.'

‘Why not?'

‘Because I have problems enough in my life without adding any more to them.'

‘I see no problem in kissing you.' He kissed her nose and then her mouth again, just to demonstrate.

‘I also like you too much . . . and in ways I shouldn't, and kissing leads to one thing and then another.'

He couldn't help but tease her. ‘And we might end up naked in your bed making love to one another just for the enjoyment of it. Would that be a problem?'

She struggled on valiantly, her cheeks flaming. ‘Well, yes . . . you know it would be a problem . . . not for you perhaps because you're a man, but definitely for me. I don't know whether to welcome your attention or be afraid of it.'

‘These sort of problems have a way of sorting themselves out, Serafina. Nature designed us to feel this way about each other, and the time may yet come when we're unable to resist each other.'

‘Well, if you would just stop kissing me it might help.'

‘How can I stop when I find you irresistible?'

‘You have a glib tongue, Adam Chapman, but I do enjoy your company.' She began to laugh when he grinned at her.