Page 43 of Bane Bloom

“I’m so glad. And good for Thomas. I’m happy to hear he’s taking care of you.”

Laughing, I replied, “You have no idea. Yesterday I fell into the lake, and he had to fish me out.” Though I made light of the accident for Annie’s sake, recalling it gave me a shudder.

Her eyes rounded. “Heavens! How did that happen?”

“I got the fool idea to go out with him in his rowboat to see if I could trap him into answering some of my questions. Let’s just say any ambitions of pursuing an alternate career at Scotland Yard have been put to an end.”

She covered her mouth with her hand, but a laugh still escaped. “Did you get your answers, at least?”

“I’m afraid going over the side rather cut my interview short.” I sighed and dug my fork into the pie again. “He has been somewhat more forthcoming since then. But I believe there are things Thomas doesn’t want me to know about Pine Cottage, and even Mr. Carroll.”

She gave a knowing nod. “I can’t really say I’m surprised. Thomas has always kept to himself, though since marrying Bill, I have tried to let Thomas know he’s welcome here. I wish I could be of more help to you. I’m afraid that old place is something of a mystery even to the people who’ve lived here all their lives. But Cricket, you don’t think he had something to do with—with whatever happened to poor Mr. Carroll?”

I shook my head. “But Thomas seems to believe it had something to do with the house. Honestly, it is an unsettling old place. And it feels so isolated from everything.”

“And everyone.” Her expression was sympathetic.

“Yes.” My gaze drifted to the window, and I noticed Thomas standing by a stone fence talking with an older gentleman. “And yet weirdly, it’s growing on me.”

Annie was silent, and I returned my attention to my meal.

“I believe I told you this before,” she said finally, “but anytime you’ve had enough of all those shadows, you come to me. In fact, I had been planning another visit to Pine Cottage so I could invite you to May Eve, here at the inn.”

I frowned. “Is it the same as May Day? With maypoles and such?”

“We celebrate that, too, but the night before we have a feast and bonfire. It’s believed to be a time when the fair folk and the dead wander the earth. Witches, too, according to my Bill’s mother. Rather like Hallowe’en. We put out charms to ward off evil and ensure a good crop this year, and try to scare each other with old ghost stories. But it’s good fun, with plenty of food and drink and dancing. Will you come, and bring Thomas with you?”

The idea that Thomas and I might attend a feast day celebration together caused my heart to skip, though I thought the chances of him agreeing were next to nil.

“I’ll talk to him about it,” I said doubtfully.

“If he won’t come, you come anyway. Maybe you wouldn’t feel comfortable driving the cart, but the walk’s not much, and then Bill could take you home after, so you wouldn’t have to make the trip alone after dark.”

I smiled. “That’s kind of you, Annie. I may just do that. Although, for some reason, Thomas thinks it’s a bad idea for me to be alone in the woods around here, even in the daylight. Not that it’s any of his business. Do you know why that might be?”

She knit her brows. “I honestly can’t say I do. Buttermere has always felt safer to me than where I grew up. Keswick is bigger and there are more taverns, which means more drunks, and they’re the only dangerous creatures I know of in this area. You rarely hear of footpads these days. There’s bogland to be sure, which can be dangerous if you don’t know your way. And sometimes people see wisp lights. But there are no bogs between here and Pine Cottage.” She thought for a moment and said, “Maybe he’s just being cautious because of what happened to Mr. Carroll.”

Nodding, I replied, “He did in fact mention Mr. Carroll.”

Annie crossed her arms over her apron. “Well, if he refuses to come, he can at least bring you to us, and we’ll see you home.”

The stubbornness in her expression made me laugh.

The door opened then, and both of us looked up. Speak of the devil.

“Thomas,” called Annie brightly. “Come join us.”

He hesitated by the door for a moment and then crossed to our table.

“Mrs. Foss,” he said with a nod. Then to me: “I’ve finished my business. I’ll wait outside until you’re ready.”

“No need for that, Thomas,” I said. “I’ll come with you.”

Annie braced her hands against the tabletop and rose from her chair. “Just hold on a moment,” she said. “I’ve something for you.”

She started back to the kitchen. I studied Thomas, whose gaze drifted from mine to the window. We were even more awkward here than at home. I almost asked him to sit down, but again, we were not at home. Much as I might spurn the idea of any real inequity between us, the people of Buttermere would likely see things differently. And then there was the fact we were both unmarried. If we publicly disregarded all of this, there would be gossip.

So we remained in uneasy silence for minutes that felt like hours, until at last Annie came back with a covered pie tin.