The Passions of Bronwyn by Martina Martyn Read Free Book Online

stealing food,   This isn’t the first time it’s happened.’ 
    ‘We haven’t seen anything,’ Wyn and Betty told her. 
    ‘I’m going to see Mrs Danvers,’ said Mrs Davis.  ‘Something strange is happening here.’
    Wyn and Betty carried on with the decorations. They wove flowers into garlands and made posies for people to wear and bouquets to fill baskets which were hung on the doors of the house. There was going to be a parade in the village which would be led by a May Queen who was crowned with flowers and attended by several other girls all wearing white, with flowers in their hair, who danced and sang as they followed the May Queen.  There were to be dances at the May Fair which would include Morris Dancing which was performed by groups of men dressed in green and white with flowers on their hat. Wyn was really looking forward to going as they had been told they could go for a couple of hours until they were needed again.
    When they had finished with the preparations they were free to go to the village.  There was a Maypole decorated with flowers and long ribbons attached to the top. There were children holding on to the ribbons and dancing around the maypole.  Wyn and Betty thought it looked wonderful. 
    ‘Maybe we can have go later,’ said Wyn. 
    ‘Don’t think so,’ replied Betty, ‘we have to go back to the house soon.’ 
    Wyn sighed and felt rather sad that they would miss most of the celebrations.  There was going to be riding hobby horse races and archery tournaments.  The day was to be concluded with a bonfire. 
    A couple of hours later Wyn and Betty went back to the house.  There were horses with riders dressed in their hunting finery just waiting to start.  It was very noisy with the riders shouting to each other and the baying of the excited hounds. The horn was blown and then they were off.  It was suddenly a lot quieter.  William appeared at Wyn’s side and asked her if she had been near the stables lately as something strange was happening.
    ‘No,’ Wyn told him, ‘but it’s funny because food has been disappearing from the kitchen.  Mrs Davis is very puzzled by it.  There has been no sign of any strangers around.’
    ‘Well, it looks like someone has been sleeping in there,’ William told her. ‘I’m to have a look around and tell you not to wander around the stables on your own in case there is someone around.’
    Later they heard Mrs Davis calling them and they went into the kitchen. 
    ‘Are all the vegetables peeled?’ she asked ‘and have you cleaned the floors of the kitchen and scullery?’ 
    ‘Yes,’ Wyn replied. 
    ‘Good,’ she said, ‘the hunt will be back soon and they will be hungry so we need to get started.’ 
    All the preparations were finally finished just as they heard the horn calling the hounds back.  ‘It’s over,’ Mrs Davis said.  ‘They will all be in soon, quick get this food up to the dining room.’ 
    The members of the hunt were being served with a cold buffet.  Wyn and Betty spent the next twenty minutes taking the food up to the table. They had just finished when they heard a lot of shouting coming from the stables.  William came running into the kitchen. 
    ‘What’s happened?’ asked Wyn? 
    ‘You won’t believe this, but Frank Cooper has just been found hanging from the stable rafters.  He’s dead,’ he told them. 
    ‘Oh my!’ exclaimed Mrs Davis, ‘I thought he had gone up north to his brothers.’ 
    ‘So did all of us,’ William replied.  ‘It must have been him that was sleeping in the stables,’ ‘and stealing the food,’ interjected Mrs Davis. 
    ‘Poor man,’ said Wyn, ‘that’s so sad.  It must have been because of what happened with Miss Catherine.  What happens now?’ she asked. 
    ‘Mr Charles is sending for the Constable and I suppose he will investigate what happened,’ William told her. 
    ‘Oh Lord,’ said Mrs Davis, ‘does this mean that what happened with Miss