Stonebridge Manor
Chapter 42
CHAPTER FORTY TWO
Kay had been on the phone all morning. She’d managed to get a vicar to do a funeral service in the village chapel, gotten the undertakers arranged, picked out an outfit for Lady Baldwin to be buried in and also selected her coffin. The seldom used chapel was being cleaned, a plot had been picked, she’d ordered the marble headstone, narrated the very simple inscription, and chosen the wreaths for the family and the staff. She had also called all of Lady B’s friends to invite them to attend the service. Most had declined, especially the ones she’d had relations with. They didn’t, it seemed, want to be involved in a murder investigation. Nor did many staff want to attend either. The only one from Crompton Hall was, surprisingly, Maud. Who no doubt just wanted to nosey around and be a part of it all.
Cathy, of course, wanted to attend, but she was a wreck now having lost both her employer and her job. Finding out that no one wanted her back at Crompton Hall really upset her, She couldn’t fathom why none of the staff there could understand why she’d had to tell them so many lies over the years.
An obituary had been done in the local paper, several in the national papers and another in the local paper back at Crompton Hall. Most had dwelt on Lady B’s philanthropic side, her love of horses, and her lavish entertaining. The paper at Crompton Hall had also mentioned the shooting parties she organized, with a little reminder to everyone about how a dog had been killed during one of them. It was a small community there, so the dog had been big news.
In all the years she’d worked here, Kay never thought for one second she’d ever have to organize a burial, especially for her employer. But that is what she was doing, and also trying at the same time to come to terms with her whole life now being turned upside down.
She was also thinking of the interview she’d had to endure yesterday with the police, who seemed to know all about her. Since she’d been the one to report the dead body, she was a main suspect. Not that she’d been told that of course, it was just implied. Nevertheless, it was a scary thought.
Paul though was being very supportive, telling her not to worry about anything. She was welcome to move in with him, that he was going to ask her to do so anyway, even before Lady B was shot.
That was very exciting for her. She thought her personal life had long since gone. It was just scary to start afresh. But first, she had to deal with all this stuff, and Cathy, and not strictly in that order.
She still hadn’t gotten her head around the family practically abandoning Lady Baldwin. She knew she’d done bad things, but for them to have her buried down here, and sell the property, was like saying they were never going to visit her grave. Which seemed harsh.
They hadn’t though short changed her as far as costs were going. Lord Baldwin wasn’t asking how much it was going to cost him. Rather, when Kay said she ordered an expensive casket, he asked if she wanted to get a better one.
She had to go through Lady Baldwin’s things though. Lord Baldwin said that all her jewelry would go to Sophie, so she was carefully boxing everything up. Most of it had come from him or heirlooms from her own mother, but some little things hadn’t, so she was keeping them off to the side. She’d kept things her whole life. Small silver photo frames with faces even Kay didn’t know, small trinkets and bracelets, but Kay was especially on the lookout for engravings.
Lord Baldwin had told her that if she wanted any of her clothes she was welcome, otherwise she could dispose of them as she wished, but preferably to somewhere with a charitable contribution. Paul said he knew of a place in London that would be happy to take her stuff. They specialized in just this kind of thing and had the clientele that would pay for the used designer clothing. He said he would arrange for it to be picked up.
Kay didn’t know how she’d have managed without Paul during all this. He’d been offering to come back and help her with all the arrangements, with the belongings, or just give her a shoulder to cry on. He was coming for the funeral, as was Larry. They were both sorry to lose a good customer like Lady B.
Paul also realized the police would want to talk to him at some stage, as he and Larry had also been hurriedly departing that day. She’d be glad to see him again.
“Oh god,” she thought silently, when she found Lady B’s sex toys, “Sophie will not want these.” Especially the vibrator that says ‘think of me’ on it along with a couple of Polaroid’s.
Kay was able to keep a few things, not much, as barely anything was her size, and she took those away along with the damaging material.