Beyond a Doubt - By Felicia Rogers Page 0,35

back into a neat bun. Her face was covered in wrinkles, and her stern expression softened only when she smiled. Her sister, Winifred, who had been sent to make tea, was almost an exact copy of Winnie.

Bryce asked, “Are ye neighbors with Lucy?”

“Ooo, I love the Scottish burr. The trills of your r’s always did leave me breathless.” Winnie placed a conspiratorial hand on his arm. She looked around before speaking. “What I said earlier wasn’t exactly true. I mean about my adventure to Scotland. I did see the man.

“He was a huge, burly, attractive Scotsman. I would have stayed with him forever. But he took one look at me and declared I was too small to bear his children and sent me home. ‘Course I never told anyone what really happened. He was probably right. If I heard correctly, he had more than one wife die during childbirth. Besides, my sister needed me. I couldn’t leave her.

“Oh, you asked a question. Lucy, our neighbor? Not exactly. What I mean is the child is rarely ever home. So you couldn’t exactly call her a neighbor. Thomas, the old butler, comes every now and then and checks on the house and things hereabout. But no one has really lived here since old Mr. Lombard was murdered.”

“Mr. Lombard?”

“Aye, Lombard not Bard. He was a lawyer and someone shot ’em. Poor man. Took cases no one else would touch. Defended those who awaited burning for their faith. Or those set to lose their property for their beliefs. Didn’t win many of those cases, though.”

“Who shot him?” asked Bryce.

“Don’t know for sure. His daughter, Lucille, found him in an alley, brought him home, and he died. No one ever did discover the culprit, to my knowledge. And after that Lucille was never the same. First never leaving the house, then all of a sudden becoming flighty and you never saw her at home.

“Why, before her father’s passing, that girl stayed gone. Always travelled with her friends and did what she wanted. That happens when a father raises a girl alone.

“Winifred and I tried to help but he wouldn’t have it. The old man thought it his duty to take care of his child. And of course we moved aside and let him. Didn’t stop praying for the child, though. Her mother would have wanted that.

“Anyway, I’m getting away from the tale. Right after her father’s demise, the girl holed up in the house and refused to see the light of day. Then without warning, like I said, she stayed gone. But you know this is the first time in my remembrance that she’s brought someone home with her.”

At the end of her words, she graced him with a huge smile. “My sister and I aren’t nosey, just diligent. Got to keep the neighborhood safe. Hate to say this, but Winifred thought you were burying Lucille’s body in the backyard. That’s why she hit you. But I tried to tell her you weren’t in one place long enough for a deep hole. What person with sense buries someone on top of the ground? Why, one big rain and the dirt washes away and you have a body sticking up and that is a suspicious thing. Of course, you would be long gone by that point. Which is why Winifred couldn’t wait to come over and check.”

They reached the house next door and walked inside. The place was clutter-free, airy, dainty, and feminine, decorated in whites and yellows. Since Bryce was covered in dirt and horse droppings, he didn’t want to take the first step inside.

“Come on, laddy. I won’t let her bite you.”

“But I’m messy.”

“Oh, we won’t pay no mind. We like to clean. I’m afraid we are too old and decrepit to get the place dirty enough to satisfy our work ethic. So come on in, you’ll be doing us a favor.”

Bryce hesitated but followed the lady’s instructions. Winnie had opened a flood of questions in his mind, many of which couldn’t be reconciled until Lucy returned. If she returned.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Reginald’s voice captivated not only her but everyone else in the room. A woman from the crowd fanned herself as she wobbled on her feet in a fake swoon. Her hand waving back and forth reminded Lucy of her mission.

Since she was standing at the back of the group, Lucy could move away unnoticed.

It took only a few minutes to locate the place she needed. She slipped a hand into her bag and grabbed