P & P

Hidden in Plain Sight

Previously:

"Well, of course he is, with a note like that how could he be otherwise." Her words and tone shouted, "How could it be otherwise?"

Iona's First Day

Ch. 18

Miss Thayne had arrived to Mr. MacDonald in a separate carriage than her employer, as neither one of them were foolish enough to think it would look natural for them to arrive together. She had been shown her quarters, which were down the hall from Mr. MacDonald's study.

As the first light of daylight showed its face through the velvet drapes, Iona rose from her bed, put her now dark, auburn hair into a tight bun, and put on a dress that was styled to make her appear older than she was. Miss Thayne found her way to the kitchen. Thankfully, the head cook was a pleasant lady full of smiles and cheer. They exchanged pleasantries and, since everything was running smoothly, Iona gathered the morning correspondence and wasted no time in going to the study.

"Everyone knows I will be gone for at least a week. Feel free to use the study to go through any correspondence. Keep a sharp eye out for the smallest of things. You know how to get messages to me."

Iona sorted through letters and documents that had arrived overnight. She went carefully through them, and nothing indicated there was anything that warranted talking to her contact. If Mr. MacDonald had been home, Iona would have politely greeted him and gone over her schedule for the day. As it was, he had given her a list of things she was to do until he returned.

Throughout the morning, Iona kept focused on managing the estate's correspondence, writing necessary letters, and responding to inquiries that had come into the MacDonald estate as she sat behind a heavy oak desk in Mr. MacDonald's study with a warm fire going. She got together with the household staff to make sure that everything ran smoothly and to ensure time was not wasted. By midday, she took a brief respite to enjoy a light luncheon in the kitchen in a very informal setting, something all the MacDonald staff enjoyed doing.

"Mr. MacDonald is so laid back he even lets us eat in the dining room with him sometimes," giggled one servant.

"Yes, but only when guests are not around," the gardener grinned wide. "Even he is not crazy enough to do that."

The afternoon continued full of activity as Iona oversaw the preparations for an upcoming event at the estate. "The Hansens requested their children sleep in the room at the end of the hall, and away from the Smiths' children."

"Will do." The housekeeper did not have to be told why; everyone remembered the nightmare and did not want it repeated if those children got it into their heads to start another fight.

"Sir," Iona went and talked to the gardener. "Could you gather evergreen branches, holly, ivy, and other foliage? We are going to need them to create decorations for the party tomorrow night."

"Yes, Miss Thayne." The gardener, a man with a grizzled face, smiled and left to begin gathering the needed items.

Iona turned and began to walk away. However, she had not gone too far when her eye caught the sparkle of a small gold chain in the dirt along with a small gold ring, next to a bush right against one of the low rock walls around Mr. MacDonald's home. Glancing around, she saw no one. Picking the items up, she put them in her pocket and went back inside, her mind trying to come up with scenarios of how and why such simple, unmarked jewelry would be next to a bush in the first place.

Taking the chain an putting into a box in the office of , Iona then locked the box with the sole intention of bringing it up at a staff meeting to see who it belonged to. Dwelling on an unknown chain really was not an option after that as the butler had her attention as soon as she stepped outside of the office. He was holding the list of guests in his hand, and Iona was not foolish enough to think everything was in order, not with his furrowed brow very much in existence.

"Is something the matter?" Iona asked, keeping her expression inscrutable.

"I was just given this list by the head housekeeper, and there are a couple of names on it that are not on the one Mr. MacDonald gave both of us before he left."

"Let me see it." Miss Thayne acted with no trace of panic or concern in her voice as her hands took the list from him. Quickly enough, she saw the names. "Go ahead and prepare for the extra guests. I know who to talk to as to whether or not they are legitimate. For right now, let us be prepared just in case they are really to be here."

"Yes, Ma'am."

As soon as he was out of sight, Iona hurried, as fast as she dared, down the hallway and out the door. She followed a narrow, stone walkway and knocked on the gardener's workshop where she had been told he was finishing a project. The gentleman opened the door.

"May I help you?"

"Mr. MacDonald said I was to talk to you if the birds were flying too close to the coop."

The gardener practically yanked her into the workshop and might as well have slammed the door shut. He did not have to hear that sentence twice to ask any questions. The man also shut any windows.

"What is going on? Who is at the house?"

"The party we are to host tomorrow night got two more names added to it; ones that were not there on the list Mr. MacDonald gave the butler and me." When asked who they were, Iona replied, "A Mr. Paul Dexter and some man by the name Gene Johnston." Iona knew enough to know the Dexter fellow was not the same as the one who had been at the Brighton restaurant and asked Mr. MacDonald's employee who the gentleman was.

"A scoundrel, just as bad as his cousin, and Gene is no better than his own kin. Who put them there?"

"The housekeeper."

Iona was not about to repeat the words the gardener let slip out of his mouth. He quickly stopped, told her to go inside and act as if nothing had happened, assuring her that those men would not be coming. She was also informed to be prepared for a new housekeeper before the next morning. Kitty did as she was told. Therefore, Kitty kept everything the gentleman had said to herself and went back inside.

The head housekeeper had not given off a that bad of feeling upon first meeting Iona as she had stood next to the butler. She had been friendly, at ease and quite lovable. And yet by mid-day her eyes had become too shifty, too dark, and her manners too stiff; unless you counted her left hand, which had seemed to twitch more than usual. Then it hit Iona so hard it took everything she had to keep her own mask in place as to what was going on, and she whirled around and went without delay to find the gardener. He, when told what Iona suspected, grew grave.

"You very well may be correct, especially since the lady is a widow. My contacts will take that into consideration when making their decision in regard to her actions. However, you will still have a new housekeeper; she cannot remain here. Now, you really need to get back to the main house."

"I agree."