Janet shrugged. “But what will you do if your country still needs you?”
Edward sighed. “They’ve had plenty of time to replace me, and for the most part they have. This thing in Botswana is fairly unique, actually. I can’t blame them for not having someone in place to deal with it. I don’t think anyone saw it coming, including me.”
“Should I wish you luck?”
“I’m probably going to need it,” he said ruefully. “I don’t suppose you’d like to spend a fortnight in Botswana with me?”
“In the middle of a crisis? I don’t think so.”
“I shouldn’t have suggested it, really, as I can’t take you, no matter how much I’d like you by my side.” Edward sighed. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Janet followed him to the door. There were a million things she wanted to say to him, but she couldn’t find the right words. When he pulled her into his arms and kissed her, she felt tears streaming down her cheeks.
“I’m more sorry than you can imagine,” he whispered when he’d lifted his head. “I will make it up to you, though, I promise.”
He was gone before Janet could do much more than nod. She watched him throw his suitcases into the boot of his car and then drive away. As she started to push the door shut, Robert’s police car turned down the road and pulled into the car park for Doveby House.
“Hello,” he called as he climbed the steps to the door. “I’m sorry that Edward had to leave so suddenly. I quite like having him in Doveby Dale.”
“That makes two of us,” Janet sighed.
“Edward has gone, then?” Joan asked as Janet shut the door behind the police constable.
“Yes. Apparently he’ll be back soon,” Janet said with a hint of bitterness in her voice.
“Are you okay?” was Joan’s next question.
Janet shrugged. “But what can we do for you?” she asked Robert.
“I just wanted to let you know that we’ve arrested Amanda Hockensmith for the break-ins,” he said.
“I knew it,” Janet exclaimed.
Robert smiled at her. “She was very clever, really. We might never have made the connection if she hadn’t targeted the Wagners right after she and William visited them.”
“That was careless of her,” Janet said.
“She was getting ready to run,” Robert explained. “She and William had plane tickets for the day after I arrested her.”
“She and William?” Joan echoed, looking at Janet.
“Yes, it seems the pair had something of a whirlwind romance. She’d persuaded him to run away with her. We’re fairly certain that he was unaware of her criminal activities, though.”
“I’m stunned,” Janet said.
“Once we fed her fingerprints into the system, we discovered that she has a considerable criminal history in the US,” Robert continued. “Amanda Hockensmith isn’t her real name. She did grow up in England, but when she moved back she reinvented herself, using the name of a childhood friend who, sadly, passed away from cancer a decade ago.”
“My goodness, is William very upset?” Janet asked.
Robert frowned. “I don’t like to say this, but he seemed quite devastated when I talked to him. I believe he really cared for the woman.”
Joan reached over and patted Janet’s arm. Janet shrugged. She’d liked William a lot, but they hadn’t had a great romance or anything. Mostly, it had seemed like the man wasn’t sure what he’d wanted. Whatever happened with Edward, she wasn’t going to miss her very occasional nights out with William. The big question now was, what was going to happen with Edward?
Later that night, the sisters watched the evening news. Amanda’s arrest got a short segment, but it didn’t tell them anything more than they already knew. Janet was about to switch the television off when the newscaster smiled.
“And now for some happier news,” he said brightly.
“We could use that,” Joan muttered.
“Everyone loves a wedding,” the man on the screen continued. “And royal weddings are even more exciting than most.” He continued on, talking about the crown prince of a minor European principality, who was well known for drunken antics and getting involved with unsuitable women.
“Today, the crown prince married a commoner from his own country,” the newscaster concluded. “And the wedding looked like a fairy tale come true.”
As the credits began to flash across the screen, video footage of the wedding played behind them. Janet sat up and leaned closer to the television as they showed the nervous-looking bridegroom. A moment later, as the screen showed the happy couple walking out of the church, she looked over at Joan.
“That was Reuben,” she said.
“It must have just been someone who looked like Reuben,” Joan protested.
The camera zoomed in for a close-up and Janet pointed at the screen. “Look at the mark on his face,” she said. “He got that from a lamp post in Derby.”
“I don’t believe it,” Joan said.
Janet didn’t argue. There was no doubt in her mind that she and Joan had shared their home with a crown prince for the past week. Unfortunately, there really wasn’t anyone that they could tell about the experience.
Letter to Bessie, part two
A few days after the wedding, Joan and I received a large parcel in the post. It was full of royal wedding souvenirs and included a note signed by the happy couple. Joan still doesn’t quite believe any of it.
Everett Fox was arrested in Birmingham the day after the wedding. He’d dyed his hair blond and didn’t look anything like Reuben when they found him. He’s now safely locked away in a London prison.
William hasn’t reopened the shop yet. Owen spoke to him, and apparently he’s badly upset about the whole episode. He told Owen that he’s considering simply selling up, retiring, and moving somewhere else. I’m sorry that he might be leaving, but I’m not sure he’ll be happy staying in Doveby Dale.
Amanda is on her way back to the US. Apparently, there were arrest warrants for her in several states for more serious crimes than the thefts here. I’ve taken to calling the entire episode “The Rhodes Case” in honour of our royal guest.
It’s been a fortnight since Edward left. I’ve had two postcards, one from Rome, that he sent on his journey, and a second from Botswana. He’s also sent flowers twice, very expensive bouquets of roses both times. I’m not sure how I feel about the man, but the attention is flattering. (Actually, I’ll admit it to you, I’m crazy about the man, but terrified that he’s just amusing himself with me.)
All the best,
Janet (and Aggie)
Glossary of Terms
bin — trash can
biscuits — cookies
booking — reservation
boot — trunk (of a car)
car park — parking lot
chemist — pharmacist
chips — french fries
cooker — oven
cuppa — cup of tea (informal)
fizzy drink — carbonated beverage (pop or soda)
fortnight — two weeks
fringe — bangs (hair)
high street — the main shopping street in a town or village
holiday — vacation
jacket potato — baked potato
jumper — sweater
lie in — sleep late
midday — noon
pavement — sidewalk
pudding — dessert
puds — puddings (informal)
pushchair — stroller
queue — line
saloon car — sedan
shopping trolley — shopping cart
starters — appetizers
telly — television
till — check-out (in a grocery store, for example)
torch — flashlight
Other Notes
In the UK, dates are written day, month, year rather than mo
nth, day, year as in the US. (May 5, 2015 would be written 5 May 2015, for example.)
In the UK, when describing property with more than one level, the lowest level (assuming there is no basement; very few UK houses have basements) is the “ground floor,” and the next floor up is the “first floor” and so on. In the US, the lowest floor is usually the “first floor” and then they are counted up from there.
When telling time, half six is the English equivalent of six-thirty.
A “full English breakfast” generally consists of bacon, sausage, eggs, grilled or fried tomatoes, fried potatoes, fried mushrooms, and baked beans served with toast.
A semi-detached house is one that is joined to another house by a common center wall. In the US they are generally called duplexes. In the UK the two properties would be sold individually as totally separate entities. A “terraced” house is one in a row of properties, where each unit is sold individually (usually called a row house in the US).
An en-suite is a bathroom attached to a bedroom.
Self-catering is a self-contained unit at a bed and breakfast or holiday camp that provides kitchen facilities to allow guests to prepare their own meals during their stay.
The emergency number in the UK is 999.
Acknowledgments
So many people work together to make these books a reality. Thanks to my editor, Denise, for her hard work. Thanks to my beta readers who continue to point out plot holes and inconsistencies. And thanks to my readers who keep me motivated to keep on doing what I’m doing.
The Somerset Case
Release date: January 24, 2020
Click here to pre-order.
Everyone enjoys getting flowers, especially around Valentine’s Day, but Stacey, the waitress at the local café, is less than happy with the ones she’s been getting. Someone has been sending her flowers anonymously every day since the first of February, and she’s had enough.
The cards with the flowers have been getting increasingly sinister, but Stacey is reluctant to bother the local police constable with her problem. Instead, she shares her thoughts about the flowers and some possible senders with Janet and Joan Markham. The sisters own the local bed and breakfast, and Janet helped Stacey in the past when she was out of work.
Once the Markhams hear Stacey’s story, they insist on ringing the police. Constable Robert Parsons takes the matter very seriously, suggesting that Stacey quit working and find somewhere else to stay until after Valentine’s Day.
Can the sisters help Robert work out who is sending the flowers? Can they keep Stacey safe if she comes to stay in one of their guest rooms? And why is Michael Donaldson, Joan’s boyfriend, seemingly avoiding her?
Also by Diana Xarissa
The Isle of Man Cozy Mysteries
Aunt Bessie Assumes
Aunt Bessie Believes
Aunt Bessie Considers
Aunt Bessie Decides
Aunt Bessie Enjoys
Aunt Bessie Finds
Aunt Bessie Goes
Aunt Bessie’s Holiday
Aunt Bessie Invites
Aunt Bessie Joins
Aunt Bessie Knows
Aunt Bessie Likes
Aunt Bessie Meets
Aunt Bessie Needs
Aunt Bessie Observes
Aunt Bessie Provides
Aunt Bessie Questions
Aunt Bessie Remembers
Aunt Bessie Solves
Aunt Bessie Tries
Aunt Bessie Understands
Aunt Bessie Volunteers
Aunt Bessie Wonders
Aunt Bessie’s X-Ray
The Isle of Man Ghostly Cozy Mysteries
Arrivals and Arrests
Boats and Bad Guys
Cars and Cold Cases
Dogs and Danger
Encounters and Enemies
Friends and Frauds
Guests and Guilt
Hop-tu-Naa and Homicide
Invitations and Investigations
Joy and Jealousy
Kittens and Killers
Letters and Lawsuits
Marsupials and Murder
The Markham Sisters Cozy Mystery Novellas
The Appleton Case
The Bennett Case
The Chalmers Case
The Donaldson Case
The Ellsworth Case
The Fenton Case
The Green Case
The Hampton Case
The Irwin Case
The Jackson Case
The Kingston Case
The Lawley Case
The Moody Case
The Norman Case
The Osborne Case
The Patrone Case
The Quinton Case
The Rhodes Case
The Somerset Case
The Isle of Man Romances
Island Escape
Island Inheritance
Island Heritage
Island Christmas
About the Author
Diana grew up in Northwestern Pennsylvania and moved to Washington, DC after college. There she met a wonderful Englishman who was visiting the city. After a whirlwind romance, they got married and Diana moved to the Chesterfield area of Derbyshire to begin a new life with her husband. A short time later, they relocated to the Isle of Man.
After over ten years on the island, it was time for a change. With their two children in tow, Diana and her husband moved to suburbs of Buffalo, New York. Diana now spends her days writing about the island she loves.
She also writes mystery/thrillers set in the not-too-distant future as Diana X. Dunn and middle grade and Young Adult books as D.X. Dunn.
Diana is always happy to hear from readers. You can write to her at:
Diana Xarissa Dunn
PO Box 72
Clarence, NY 14031.
Find Diana at: DianaXarissa.com
E-mail: Diana@dianaxarissa.com