Chapter 3:
Author's Note: Now I'll come closer to finishing this little mystery. And I have to know, what do you think of the whole Archie/Sophie thing? Who do you think killed Calvin? Guess, come on, guess. Chase is mine, but the rest are not. Suing me is a waste of time.
Archive: If you want it, but tell me first.

~*~

"Unbelievable," Kennedy muttered for the fourth time since returning to his Uncle's estate. "Simply unbelievable." Five.

Horatio watched his friend pace back and forth along the length of Chase's small apartment. His face was marred by consternation, and anxiety burned away at his eyes. His hands twitched at his sides, never stopping for more than a moment or two.

Chase caught Horatio's gaze and shook her head sadly. It was too bad really, having to tell Kennedy that someone in his family had killed his cousin. "I am deeply sorry friend, but this leather has most obviously been cut. Someone didn't want Calvin to finish that race."

He held up the stirrup leather for closer inspection. The heavy, thick leather strap looked, at first glance, merely worn through. But looking at it more closely revealed that the strap had been sliced away at, so that whomever rode in the saddle next surely would have had the leather give way.

"Between this and the attack in the alley I definitely believe that something isn't right with Cal's death," Archie admitted finally. "But I can honestly say that I don't know who could have wanted to hurt him so badly." Archie and Chase had returned to find one of the horses standing, dripping with sweat in his stall, his tack thrown haphazardly in the aisle.

"Well someone did Mr. Kennedy, and it was someone here, on this property. Who else could have gotten close enough to Holly's tack before the race? We'll have to start asking questions. See who was arguing with Calvin at the time of his death."

Archie stopped pacing to look at Chase. He looked as though he might argue, then sighed. "I suppose there is no way around asking questions is there? I wish it weren't so. Horatio, promise me you'll at least be tactful when grilling my relatives."

"Tact, what is this tact that you speak of Mr. Kennedy?" Horatio joked.

"Your sense of humor is truly outrageous my friend," Kennedy deadpanned. "Honestly though, these people are some of my fondest relations and I would prefer not to alienate them completely."

"Of course."

"And you," Kennedy turned to Chase, who was in the process of chewing her nails to nothing. "I want you to have no further part in this. Someone already believes you to be a threat and I don't wish to see you hurt on my account."

Chase frowned, "Then trust that I do not enter into this situation lightly, nor do I do it wholly for your sake Mr. Kennedy. I will not find this place conducive to working when I know there is a killer lurking somewhere about in the shadows. And as you say, someone already believes me a threat. My person is in danger whether or not I stop asking questions, so I choose not to stop."

A wide range of emotions flickered over Kennedy's features. His expression flashed from annoyance to respect to bemusement. Horatio looked down at his hands and tried not to laugh out loud. Archie pursed his lips and tried again. "This entire situation is precariously balanced as is. It will fall eventually, and if you are under it when it does then you will be crushed."

"Everything falls eventually, doesn't it Mr. Kennedy? And if fate decides that I am to be under it when it does fall then so be it. It will happen of my own doing, my own choice. I choose not to stop and accept the risks that come with it."

"I will not convince you otherwise will I?"

"No sir, you will not."

"Then I ask that you be careful as well."

"I do no mind taking risks Mr. Kennedy, but it will be a cold day in hell before I throw myself before the firing squad," Chase joked. Then she added with a more serious tone, "I'll be careful."

Archie might have been tempted to say something else, but a loud crash from the barn drew all three to attention. Archie hurried down from the loft first, followed by Horatio and finally Chase. Holly stood, if one could call the fractious dance the mare was performing standing, in the middle of the aisle with two grooms holding her halter on either side.

The coppery chestnut squealed loudly and struck out with a hind hoof. The wood of the stall behind her splintered and cracked on impact. The mare looked entirely cross, hunching her back as John attempted to place his saddle on her back. Sophie, Richard and Tom stood a few feet away.

Richard appeared grim, the lines on his face seeming to have deepened substantially in the last week. Sophie eyed the mare with distaste and Thomas kept watch on the three descending from the barn loft. Richard spoke first.

"The mare was to run in the Wellington Cup Tuesday." Sorrow glossed over his aura as he continued to stare at the mare. "Cal was supposed to ride her," he added unnecessarily. "John believes her fit to run, but I am afraid we do not have a suitable rider to guide her over the course. My old bones aren't up for such a fractious, headstrong horse and I need to ride Castle as is. Thomas is too large for the mare." His voice drifted off and it was apparent to everyone in the barn that he was thinking of his lost son.

The silence pervaded the air, infusing each person with a disconcerted sensation. "I'll ride Holly in the Cup," Archie stated with finality. Horatio gawked at his best friend like he had suddenly sprouted a second head. Sophie seemed pleased, a small smile creeping across her lips. Thomas just looked irritated.

John considered the request for a moment before nodding. "I believe that arrangement may work. Archibald is a sound enough rider to handle the mare."

Archie explained further. He spoke to everyone, but the words were directed at Horatio. "For Cal. It's the least I could do. He loved to race, and he thought this mare was his best chance to win the Cup. I'll ride for him."

Thomas turned on his heel and stalked out of the stable. Richard nodded approvingly. Sophie beamed, flouncing forward to take Archie by the arm and steer him back up to the main house. "You're riding? How wonderful! Now come, we have ever so much to talk about."

Within a few moments only Horatio, John and Chase were left. John handed the reins to Chase. "Take her out for a bit of a gallop will you? She needs to stretch her legs a bit after being cooped up for three days straight." Then John too, headed for the main house.

"I think I'll go and employ my tact now," Horatio winked. "Emma looked this morning like she might wish to commiserate with someone. It might be worth my while to go milk her for information. I'll see you for supper Chase."

Chase sighed and glanced up at Holly. "I guess it's just you and me girl. And once again I am left holding the reins. How typical," she muttered. "Come one now," she clucked her tongue and tugged gently at the reins, "like John says, you need to stretch your legs.

Chase loved the feeling of the breeze blowing through her hair as she cantered over the moors. Holly, despite some energetic antics early in the ride, had settled in well enough and she too was enjoying the brisk canter. Nearing the crest of the hill, Chase pulled the mare back into a trot, then a walk.

She breathed deeply, inhaling the smells of the moors, the air and her horse. She sighed happily. She was about to turn back toward the Harrison's estate when a flash of movement caught her eye. She halted Holly. A rider traced along the edge of the forest that bordered the Harrison's property. The rider appeared not to notice her and entered a wooded trail, disappearing in the dark branches.

The rider had come from the direction of the stable's, Chase realized. She knew of no other horse scheduled to be worked that day, and especially not outside the property line. Her curiosity getting the better of her, Chase clucked to her mount and headed down the hill toward the tree line.

She hesitated only briefly at the mouth of the trail before urging the mare on. They moved at a steady trot, Chase's eyes trained on the path in front of her, and the hoofprints stamped on the soil. They traveled deeper and deeper into the woods, the heavy branches blocking out nearly all the light from the afternoon sun overhead and save for that which trickled in at the entrance to the trail. Horse and rider traveled so far that soon that too faded into nothingness.

They wove deep into the heart of the forest until suddenly the hoofprints stopped. "Whoa," she commanded. Holly stopped, contentedly chopping away at some long grass. For the first time, Chase looked around. The darkness felt oppressive, like some unbidden weight bearing down on her chest. Suddenly every nerve in her body was on the alert. She became distinctly aware of every movement and sound, from the tiny flick of Holly's tail to the diminutive chirp of an insect.

She heard the hoofbeats before she saw the mysterious horse and rider. They were coming out of the trees on the trail behind her, bearing down on Holly and her at a gallop. Chase cursed herself under her breath for walking into a trap. The mysterious rider had wanted her to follow him, so that he could catch her alone and unaware.

Holly was standing crosswise across the path, her hindquarters on the trail and her forelegs embedded in the deep grass beside. The sound of hoofbeats did not slacken as it neared, but actually came faster, and Chase knew that they would inevitably collide if she did not act quickly. She cranked Holly's head up and around, booting her all the way off the trail with her left foot. The darkly clad rider sped by, missing Chase and Holly by mere centimeters, close enough so that Chase could feel the rippling of the air as they passed. Holly squealed and reared high, leaving Chase with nothing to do but cling desperately to her neck.

Chase's attacker was not finished. He drew his mount to a halt a few yards down the path and wheeled the horse to face the chestnut mare once again. As Holly came down, Chase heaved the mare around and kicked her into a gallop. The frightened mare was only too happy to oblige.

The two horses sprinted down the trail as fast as their riders dared let them go, for the path was twisting and often treacherous. Chase risked a look over her shoulder and swore when she saw that the mystery rider was drawing ever closer. They drew up along Holly's flank, then her belly, then her shoulder, until they were riding two wide across the trail.

Chase still couldn't see her attacker. A piece of black cloth was drawn up over most of his face, and a hat covered his head. All she saw were his eyes, dark and venomous as he steered his horse closer to Holly. The two bumped, nearly forcing Holly off the path. The mare wavered for an instant, head dipping as she momentarily lost her footing before once again racing forward at full tilt.

Chase drew the whip she always carried from her boot and lashed out at the man, laying it across first his leg and then his chest. The gap between the two horses widened marginally. The man yelled something incomprehensible and moved his reins into his right hand. Then he reached across with his left and began to grab at Chase, her hands and her reins. He even swiped once at her leg, trying to get a hold of it so that he could throw her out of the saddle. Chase smacked him again with the crop, this time across his arm.

The two horses raced side by side into a tight curve in the trail. Chase could feel Holly lean into the turn and flatten out still more. She was no happier than her rider to have someone so close. Then it happened. The man reached over Holly's neck and grabbed the left rein. He threw his weight back in his saddle, cranking Holly's head up and around. Thrown off balance, the mare lost her footing in the corner and pitched to the right. Chase felt herself twisting with the mare, and the rush of falling, before they crashed to the ground, a large chestnut mass.

--
Meanwhile...

Horatio kept stealing looks at the large double doors to the dining room. He was seated at the long side of the table, in between Archie and Sophie's sister. Sophie was on the other side of Archie, constantly smiling an leaning closer to whisper something in his ear. For some reason the practice began to irritate Horatio to no end, until he could no longer look at Sophie at all. Emma sat directly opposite him, and she too had been peering nervously at the door. Thomas had been late coming into dinner.

Two seats to the left of Thomas were open, vacancies that John and Chase usually filled. Richard had explained that John had work to do in the barn and would not be joining them for dinner. Chase's absence was unexplained. Richard and Luther occupied the two head seats at either end of the long table.

Two servants came and cleared away the dinner plates later, moving efficiently and without a word. Horatio had only picked at his meal between making polite small talk with Edna and glancing furtively at the doors for Chase. He was so rapped up in his own thoughts that he actually started when two chairs beside him scraped along the wood floor.

Archie cleared his throat as he stood, smoothing the front of his jacket. Sophie beamed, slipping her hand into Kennedy's. "Excuse me," he began. All other conversation halted. "Sophie and I have an announcement we'd like to make. I realize this may not be the best time, but seeing as I'll only be around a few more weeks I thought it best to tell you now."

Now every eye in the room was on Archie. The sailor took a deep, steadying breath. "Just this afternoon I spoke with Luther," the elder gentleman nodded and smiled. "I asked him for his blessing when I asked for Sophie's hand in marriage. And I am quite happy to say that she has accepted."

The stunned silence lasted for less than ten seconds. Everyone began chattering at once, offering up congratulations. Thomas glowered, muttering something to his wife before stalking out. In the midst of the excited conversations Archie glanced over at his best friend. Horatio looked almost comatose, his jaw hanging slightly agape, and his eyes staring forward into nothingness.

--

Horatio met up with Emma later that same eve, perhaps only an hour after Archie had made his announcement. She was walking below the west wing of the mansion, a long shadow cast from its turret. Her arms were crossed over her chest and her eyes were glassy.

"Something the matter Ms.?," Hornblower questioned. "I would expect Thomas to be around to help you celebrate."

Emma smiled, a thin, sad sort of smile. "Celebrate Mr. Hornblower? Do you care to celebrate?" The question was very pointed, and all at once he realized that Emma was not so naïve as he had first believed. She was as guarded as he regarding the idea of Sophie and Archie engaged in matrimony.

Horatio was unnerved for a moment, and he drew his hands behind his back, clasping his fingers while he considered a response. He decided not to bear any opinion before first hearing Emma's judgment. "Are you not happy for your cousin?"

Emma shrugged noncommittally. "I suppose that if I believed Sophie to be good for Archibald then I might be pleased."

"You don't?"

"Sophie is a friend Mr. Hornblower, but in knowing her I have begun to learn about her character. I have certainly a more timely estimate of her person than does my dear cousin. Sophie is the type that requires a lot of attention, and do you honestly think that Archibald will be able to provide said attention to her, what with him being gone at six months or more at a time?"

"I don't suppose so."

Emma nodded in agreement. "precisely my point Mr. Hornblower. I do not believe that they will be good for one another."

"Does Thomas share in you opinion?" Horatio was more than mildly amused at Emma's level headed evaluation of her friend and cousin.

The light that had been flickering in Emma's eyes faded and died. The corners of her lips curved in a small frown. "Thomas dislikes Archibald quite thoroughly. In actuality it is because of Thomas that I am here. We argued and he barged from our residence in a huff. I came out here to think, but I shouldn't bore you with my worries."

"Don't think a moment of it." Emma grinned at that and the two walked on in companionable silence. They rounded a corner of the mansion when the hairs began to rise on the back of Horatio's neck. The air had suddenly taken an icy chill to it and he felt a shiver run down his spine.

IN the corner of his eye he saw a flash. He felt the shot coming rather than heard it. Horatio slammed bodily into Emma, knocking her flat onto the grass behind some brush. She screamed and he shot imbedded itself in the ground where not two seconds before Emma had been standing. Horatio covered her body with his own lanky frame and risked a glance up at the stone parapet. A figure shrouded by the shadow cast from the wall behind him slinked back into the house.

Horatio watched the wall for a few more moments before he felt something strike him quite forcefully in the chest. Red faced and in tears, Emma was trying to push him off her.

Horatio mumbled an apology and pushed himself off the smaller woman. Emma was crying openly now, tears streaming down her cheeks as her hands clawed at Horatio's lapels. He placed an arm over her shoulder, feeling her back quake beneath his fingertips. She calmed sufficiently enough to talk after a few minutes and gazed up at Horatio. She sniffed, "Why? First Calvin and now someone is after me? Why?" She buried her head once again in Horatio's chest.

Dark eyes flickered with anger. His mouth set itself in a firm line and he murmured, "I wish I knew."

--

Horatio and Archie walked along the shed row a while later, as twilight settled about the grounds. Emma had been delivered into the caring arms of her father not too many hours ago, and had been ushered up to her room, Sophie and Edna following on their heels. There was still no sign of Thomas.

When he had heard about the incident Archie had been hopping mad. The younger sailor had ranted and raved for the better part of an hour, his hands flying about in the air making wild gestures as he paced about the parlor. "Emma! What did Emma ever do to anyone? We must stop this daffy bastard Horatio if it's to be the last thing we ever do. At first we figured it was just Calvin, but now he seems ready to make the rounds of my entire family and I just won't have it!"

Horatio had nodded quietly, letting his friend vent his frustrations. To tell the honest truth he had nearly laughed, for it was the first time Archie had had his mind on anything other than Sophie in days. Now his bride to be was taking a back burner to the family that had always been so loyal to him.

"Well aren't you going to say anything?" Archie finally snapped.

"I think the room might suddenly combust if we don't get you out of here soon. Let's have a walk down by the stables. I want to see if Chase is back yet."

They had walked out of the mansion by the time the realization struck Archie. "That's right. Chase wasn't at dinner this eve was she? Well I'm some sort of oblivious bastard aren't I?"

"Well you have been rather wrapped up in your wedding plans now haven't you?"

"Well don't sound too enthusiastic Horatio. Wouldn't want you to strain something after all. You don't like Sophie, do you?"

Coming from anyone but him, the question might have seemed brash, but Archie had never been known for his tact. It was one of the things Horatio found so refreshing. "It's not that, but I can't say that I really know her. Neither can you for that matter."

Archie laughed, a laugh full of warmth and heart. "Now you see fit to play my big brother do you?"

"You've barely known her for two weeks Archie," Horatio pressed.

"And how is this any different from you and Marriette? You didn't know her at all."

Horatio smacked Archie playfully on the shoulder. "And such a rat you are to bring that little incident to the light. Do as I say and not as I do friend. And I might very well have remained smitten on that bridge at Muzillac had it not been for a well intentioned friend dragging me back to my senses. You remember that?"

"Couldn't forget it if I tried. Try not to stress yourself over this. I know what I'm doing."

"So you say..." he teased. "...Hey, isn't that Holly?" he pointed across a near field. A horse and rider lumbered across the meadow, moving slowly. The rider swayed in the saddle, as if any sort of movement other than straight ahead might unseat her.

"Chase?" Archie called. The two naval officers trotted out to meet the wayward pair. As they reached the mare Chase looked down at them with a blank expression. Both were covered in dust from head to toe. Holly sported a scrape on her knee, and a few patches on her hide where her hair had been skinned off her.

Chase looked even worse, her usually unruly hair a wild nest of knots and frizz. The right sleeve of her shirt had been torn, and her shoulder bore an ugly red chafe. She sat stiffly in the saddle, her hands grasping the pommel to keep herself on and letting the mare pick her own way back. Dried blood was matted along the right side of her head near the hair line. She looked down at the two men blankly.

Chase slid down off the tall mare, her features pale and drawn. One hand clutched the flap of her saddle like it was the only thing keeping her on her feet. Archie was aghast, reaching out to support his friend, but Chase slapped his hand away. "I'm fine," she snapped, and attempted to take a step away from the mare. Weak knees gave way beneath her and she would have fallen had Archie not been there to stand her upright.

Her face turned an even more stark shade of white than Horatio had believed possible. "Maybe not so fine," she murmured and leaned into Kennedy, grateful for his presence.

"What the devil happened? You went out hours ago."

"Bloody hell! I got run off the trail is what happened. Poor Holly here tripped over her own legs and took a tumble, legs here and there, her body somewhere else and me clear on the other side of the trail in a bramble bush. I'll be plucking stickers out of my ass for weeks." Horatio and Archie exchanged looks of mild amusement over the woman's blatant profanity.

They moved slowly back into the stable, Chase leaning on Archie and Horatio guiding Holly back. "Bloody murderous bastard ran us right into ground without a thought. Lucky we didn't snap our fool necks. I came to a few hours later and thankfully found the rather bedraggled mare with her reins caught in some brush not too far away. I swear, if I find that loon I'll castrate him myself I will." She felt a painful surge through her head and her step faltered once more. Archie lowered her to the ground outside the stable.

"Did you see him? See his face?" Chase shook her head, not raising it off her knees. Crestfallen, Archie looked over at Horatio. "We need to get her inside. She may be concussed."

That brought a snort from the woman below him. "Concussed? Where in the world did you learn a word like concussed?"

Horatio came back out and slapped his friend's shoulder. "Archie has had the experience many a time."

"Falling at inexplicable moments in time tend to make one concussed quite often." He sighed then. "I suppose this means we're back to square one though eh? Too bad you didn't catch a look at his face."

"All is not lost. I may not have seen his face, but I know who it was just the same." Both seamen looked at her expectantly. "I recognized the horse that ran us down. The hunter belonged to Thomas."

End Chapter 3
This isn't the end, I promise. The ending will probably make your heads spin a bit, but isn't that the point of a good mystery? Please tell me what you thought, of Sophie/Archie and the whole thing in general. This is my first mystery, so please be kind. Thanks for reading.