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She gave a slight nod “Mr Payton was called out on an ereet you But he’s asked that you make yourself at home” She waved for them to follow her in “I’ll see you to your roo on the first floor Would you like s?”

“We can e,” Sam said

She led them up the stairs, then down the hall, where Reles on the white walls where paintings used to hang

Mrs Beckett stopped to open a door, stepping back to let thee, where he takes supper At six We find the routine—and less stairs—is easier for hilad to send a tray up”

Rehtest shake of his head Tired as they were, this ht be the only opportunity to talk to Albert Payton without his nephew around

An opportunity they weren’t about to pass up

“That’s very kind of you,” Remi said “But we’d be honored to join His Lordship”

“Very good I’ll come around for you just before six A bit of a ” Mrs Beckett gave a stiff s the door behind her

As pro thelione She stopped at a closed door, looked back at the “Try not to think ill of us, keeping His Lordship out of this part of the house, under lock and key A bit of a wanderer, of late And seeing the ee in theto take breakfast in the Conservatory before he starts his day He likes to tend the roses Rather than disrupt his routine, we simply lock the rest of the house, which helps keep hie still have their original furnishings, which helps to keep hirounded”

She paused in the doorway, looking back at theate ajar, and off he went Found the keys to his nephew’s car, no one the wiser, until a constable brought hirateful he wasn’t killed, that we are” Surprisingly, after they stepped through, she locked the door behind her and handed the key to Saet back to your room”

Sa it into his pocket “We’ll be careful”

“The Breakfast Roo yet another door

Re there Two of the roo s, the third had French doors that opened to a square of lawn surrounded by a high brick wall covered with jasate, the one Mrs Beckett said had been left open To the right was the rose garden They stepped out onto a flagstone patio, Mrs Beckett leading theraveled path that crossed the vast lawn to a quaint cottage that looked like a dollhouse version of Payton Manor

They passed through the arched doorway into a sray Persian cat jumped up onto the pianoforte for a better view of the people who’d invaded his space Mrs Beckett shooed hih another archway to where Albert was seated at a round table set for three

He stood as they entered “Well done, Mrs Beckett I quite forgot ere having guests or I would have met them myself”