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luggage. No travelling coat,’ I said. ‘Young Ben said they trawled that part of the marsh well.’ I didn’t mention my dream.
    ‘So if he’d had the sense to check her room,’ said Richenda, ‘he’d have realised she’d only gone for a walk? Men!’
    ‘We can’t be entirely sure,’ said Mr Bertram fairly.
    ‘I agree,’ I said. ‘I don’t think we will ever know what happened on that Christmas Eve, but I’m hoping that as the bones are laid to rest so this story will come to a peaceful end.’
    ‘Goodness, Euphemia,’ said Bertram, ‘you’re not turning to spiritualism, are you?’
    ‘No,’ I said firmly.
    ‘Well, I’m going to bed,’ said Richenda. ‘I don’t know about you, but I am exhausted.’
    Mr Bertram rose as Richenda left the room. I got up to follow her. He caught my wrist. I flinched, but it was a gentle grip. ‘I think we need something to get us back in the Christmas spirit,’ said Mr Bertram.
    I raised my eyebrows at him. ‘I can’t imagine what would help, sir,’ I said.
    ‘How about we exchange gifts now?’ he said. ‘Give me a moment and meet me in the hall.’
    I agreed. I went up to my room and fetched the small book on lepidoptary that I had ordered from London. I was both curious and nervous to see what he had bought me. I made my way sleepily back down the stairs and waited. A gust of wind extinguished all the candles in the hall and I was plunged into darkness. I felt a quick warm kiss on my right cheek. On my left I felt another kiss, icy as the grave.
    The grey light of dawn broke through the night and showed me Mr Bertram standing on my right holding a small, beribboned parcel. He looked up and grinned mischievously. ‘I couldn’t resist,’ he said, gesturing to a bough above our heads. ‘Mistletoe.’

The Euphemia Martin Mysteries
Caroline Dunford

      

      
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    Published by Accent Press Ltd 2013
    ISBN 9781783755387
    Copyright © Caroline Dunford 2013
    The right of Caroline Dunford to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
    The story contained within this book is a work of fiction. Names and characters are the product of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
    All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the publishers: Accent Press Ltd, Ty Cynon House, Navigation Park, Abercynon, CF45 4SN