“Thea. My name is Dorothea but everyone calls me Thea,” she said in a strong cockney accent.
“Well then Thea. Your young miss, Miss Irene. Tell us what she was like to work for,” Felix asked.
Thea glanced from one man to the other. “Nice enough I suppose.”
“Did you like her?”
“Like her?” Thea wondered at the question. “I worked for her family.”
“And they treated you well?”
“Yes Sir.”
“No beatings?” He asked knowing the treatment of servants.
“No.” She said too strongly to be lying. “Never.”
“Miss Irene had callers?”
The girl nodded.
“Anyone in particular?”
Thea thought for a moment. “There was one. I can’t rem
ember his name. South or West something.”
“Eastoft,” Val asked.
“Yes,” she nodded. “That’s him.”
“Did Miss Irene mention anything about him? Or did you see anything?” Felix continued.
“No Sir. She kept to herself about these things. I think she knew her Grandmother would disapprove. Mrs. Derry is very strict. The sisters were not allowed certain freedoms.”
“Such as?” Val asked.
“There was a picnic once. I remember Miss Irene had wanted to attend and even Miss Caroline. But Mrs. Derry said no.”
“Do you recall why?”
Thea nodded. “Several young men were going to attend. I think one was sweet on Miss Caroline.”
Val looked up sharply. “Indeed?”
“Yes. Mrs. Derry didn’t like it and so they were told not to go to the picnic.”
Val wrote the word sweetheart in his notebook and underlined it. He stared at the word for a few seconds before he realized both Felix and Thea were looking at him.
“Carry on,” he told his sergeant.
“I know there were notes between Miss Irene and Mr. Eastoft but other than that,” she shrugged.
“Did you read these notes?” Felix asked.
She shook her head. “No Sir. Miss Irene sealed them.”
“Of course.”