Harriett (The Tipton Hollow 1)

“I think it is entirely plausible, don’t you? Remember what Miss Haversham said?” The calm acceptance in his voice told her that he knew with certainty that the woman was not the original Miss Smethwick. “I have seen her since and I think Miss Haversham’s suspicions are entirely correct.”

“What happened to the original Miss Smethwick though? I mean, she can’t simply -” Harriett closed her mouth on a snap and stared at Mark as her stomach turned over.

“Now, don’t worry. To be honest with you Harriett, I simply don’t know, but I can promise you that we are going to get to the bottom of this. I will find out what happened to Miss Smethwick. Until then, I don’t want you to go anywhere near that woman. Don’t let her into the house, and don’t enter into any conversation with her that relates to the last few days.”

Harriett was more than a little bit shaken. It was all she could do to nod. She still struggled with the feelings that coursed through her from his kisses. Now the latest revelation had thrown her world into turmoil even more. She could just about live with Miss Smethwick being replaced by a younger person, but why did they want to kill her?

“Come on, let’s get you home.” Mark drew her away from the wall and kept his arm around her as they walked down the street.

At the corner of Berrisford Road, Harriett caught sight of a familiar figure scurrying away from them. She opened her mouth to call out to Babette, but then closed it again with a snap when her aunt turned into a path and disappeared into a house half-way down the street.

Mark studied the now closed front door of the solicitor’s house and looked down at the woman on his arm.

“I think Babette is involved in something of a personal nature.” He nodded toward the house.

“That is the solicitor’s house,” Harriett sighed.

“Does she have problems?”

Harriett shook her head. “Not as far as I am aware.”

Mark struggled to find the words to break the news to her. Harriett was no fool, but would she believe that her aunt might be having an affair with the bachelor?

“He isn’t married is he?”

“No, he isn’t,” he replied and studied the sadness on her face. Her voice had hardened and matched the glint in her eye. “You don’t seem surprised about it.”

Harriett sighed and glanced at him. She knew that she would never get a greater opportunity to broach the subject with him. Given everything he had done, and was doing, for her, she couldn’t refuse to take him into her confidence now. She briefly explained what she had witnessed in the early hours on the night of Minerva Bobbington’s death.

Mark remained quiet until she had finished, then nodded sympathetically.

“Do you know what annoys me the most about it?” Harriett asked as she removed her cloak and hung it on the row of pegs just inside the hallway. She led him down the passage to the empty sitting room. “She couldn’t wait to visit him. Not even on the night of Minerva’s death. It is disrespectful, if you ask me.”

“There are no boundaries when it comes to love. If she genuinely cares about him, there is nothing that she won’t risk, and nothing that she wouldn’t do, for the opportunity to spend some time with him.”

The absolute conviction in Mark’s voice drew her attention and she looked at him steadily. “You sound as if you are talking from experience.”

“That’s because I am, Harriett.” Mark sighed and leaned his hips against the table. She hadn’t offered him a seat and he hadn’t taken one because he wanted to stand. He wanted to be able to press the issue further until she understood.

With the closure of the séance, he felt as though a new door had opened and he now had to make the most of the opportunities that were presented to him before he drew the investigation to a close and had no reason to continue to call at her house. “I am only advising you, Harriett, but I would suggest that you don’t judge her until you find out why she is making those visits. If they are lovers, then that is matter between them and it isn’t for you to form an opinion on the matter. However, you must remember that in villages like this, gossip rules. It isn’t always fair or right, but it happens. All it is going to take is one person to witness her visits, and the gossips will run wild with stories. I think that the best thing you can do is sit her down and talk to her about it. Don’t lose sight of the fact that your Uncle Charles is involved in this too. She has to take into account his reaction if she was ever seen visiting a bachelor late in the evening, or in the middle of the night. All it is going to take is one person and the family is going to face scandal.” It wasn’t a statement and he wasn’t issuing any threats but he knew that she understood his warning from the look in her eye.

“I know, Mark,” Harriett sighed. “I work in a tea shop. Almost all of the patrons come there to share news and gossip. I try to stay out of it. I don’t want to get involved in spending my days sharing the latest news about some unsuspecting and unfortunate soul. I am aware that many scandals are discussed in detail over tea and cake. It’s shameful really, but there you have it.”

“It’s important that you try to stop Babette from becoming their next scandal.”

“I know,” Harriett glanced at him and offered him a rueful smile. “Thank you for your discretion. You knew she was visiting him, didn’t you?”

Mark smiled wryly and sauntered over to her. She didn’t make any protest when he drew her into his arms and relaxed against him in a way that was so natural that neither of them could stop it.

“Unfortunately, yes I did. The other night, when I was outside, I saw her scurry down the road. It wasn’t her journey that caught my attention; it was the furtive way she glanced around her as she scurried along. She didn’t want to be seen. I am confident though that this is personal and she has nothing to do with the thefts, murders or anything else.”

“Babette isn’t like that,” Harriett sighed and leaned back to look up at him.

He took advantage of her calm acceptance to their closeness and dropped a lingering kiss on her lips. “I won’t say anything to anyone. This is a family matter and it remains with us.”

Contentment swept through her at the way he had casually included himself in the family.

“Thank you. I will speak to Babette about it as soon as I get the chance. These days, it is difficult with so much going on.”