A Question of Inheritance by Elizabeth Edmondson Read Free Book Online Page B

slowly and carefully. She looked up as Freya came in. ‘I’ve not had marmalade before. It’s interesting.’
    Georgia said, ‘Don’t they have marmalade in America?’
    ‘I usually have waffles and maple syrup for breakfast.’
    Freya could see from the gleam in Georgia’s eye that she rather liked this idea, but she wasn’t going to admit it. ‘Like in What Katy Did ,’ she said and went on with her toast.
    ‘Where are the others?’ Freya asked as she helped herself to the eggs and bacon that Mrs Partridge had left in a big silver dish.
    Gus came in. ‘Good morning, Freya. Thank you, I had my breakfast early.’
    ‘Then as soon as the rest of us have finished, would you like to take a tour of your castle?’
    Like a guide at some stately home, she thought as she led the way out. ‘On your left . . . On your right . . . Please be careful on the staircase . . . This marble fireplace . . .’ And a half-crown tip at the end of the tour. An amusing fancy, but there wasn’t much of that kind of stately home about Selchester Castle. Oh, it had grandeur, but it had been built as a power base, in the days when might was right and when neither king nor neighbours could be trusted. The fine carpets, the paintings, the ornate plasterwork were all there, but they were later adornments, added when the halberds and cannonballs were no longer necessary to defend family, castle and land.
    She didn’t linger in the Great Hall, less sombre in the morning light. ‘The older part dates back to the thirteenth century, although obviously over time various inhabitants have done work to the Castle.’
    Georgia had decided to tag along on the tour and now she said, ‘Are you going to show them the Old Chapel?’ She went on in a clear, high voice, ‘That’s where they found Lord Selchester. Hugo was there, almost the moment they dug him up.’
    Freya turned sharply on her. ‘Pipe down, Georgia. And you hardly need a tour of the Castle; surely you’ve got other things to do.’
    Fortunately, Gus was rather amused. ‘Just like Polly, girls that age don’t seem to have much sensitivity about things that upset us. I think probably we should see this Old Chapel.’
    Freya made an effort to keep up her tour guide voice, neutral and without the sadness she still felt whenever she went into the Old Chapel. Despite everything that they’d found out about her uncle’s death – and life – she still didn’t care to think about all the years she’d lived in the Castle with the late Lord Selchester’s body lying in its unorthodox and unknown grave under the flagstones.
    The Old Chapel was a circular chamber, which dated back to much the same time as the Great Hall. There was a marble altar, but otherwise it was bare and plain with pillars, and arches that met in a point at the ceiling. As they went in, Gus stood for a moment, bowed his head and crossed himself.
    Georgia said with interest, ‘Are you Catholic too? That’s what my Uncle Leo did when he came in here. But he’s a priest.’
    Freya said, ‘All the Selchesters are Catholic, Georgia.’
    ‘No need to sound peeved, I only asked. After all, you’re a Selchester, and you aren’t RC.’
    ‘It looks like it’s a long time since this was used,’ Gus said.
    ‘There’s another chapel, a Victorian one, very ornate, and quite different from this.’
    Polly edged closer to Georgia. ‘Was he buried or was he just lying here?’
    Georgia said, ‘Of course not, English people aren’t so stupid that he wouldn’t have been noticed. He was buried under the flagstones. There was nothing left of him but bones and a signet ring when they found him.’
    Interested despite herself, Barbara said, ‘How long had he been there?’
    ‘Nearly seven years.’ Georgia spoke with ghoulish enthusiasm. ‘He wasn’t murdered in here, though, was he, Freya?’
    ‘No, he wasn’t,’ Freya said. ‘We don’t need to talk about that now.’
    She saw a look come over