Free Auntie Mayhem by Mary Daheim Page B

than two hundred bucks a year on seeds and bulbs and slug bait.”
    â€œDon’t forget the fert,” Judith said with a grin.
    â€œDon’t forget the cookies. Or biscuits,” Renie reminded Judith. “If we can get them at the tea shop, we might be able to cadge a decent meal. I’m still starved.”
    Judith didn’t try to dissuade Renie. She, too, was hungry. They slowed their step as a man appeared from the vicinity of the small orchard beyond the gatehouse. He was bareheaded, under forty, wearing jeans and a denim workshirt. A brief wave of one hand indicated he wanted to speak to the cousins.
    â€œSorry to trouble you,” he said with a diffident air. “Did I see Chummy going up to the house?”
    â€œChummy?” Judith frowned.
    The man seemed faintly embarrassed, and clasped his hands behind his back. “Sorry. Colonel Chelmsford. From The Grange.” His speech was consciously modulated, as if he had schooled himself.
    Next to Judith, Renie was doing a little dance. “He went to see Miss Ravenscroft. You can catch him when they sound the retreat. ’Bye.”
    The man didn’t budge. Indeed, Judith thought he seemed shocked. It was his voice that gave him away. The well-ordered features showed almost no emotion. Again, Judith had the feeling that he was not only self-disciplined, but self-conscious as well.
    â€œThat can’t be,” he said flatly.
    Ignoring Renie’s impatience, Judith waited for an explanation. But none was forthcoming. “Why is that?” she finally asked.
    The man hesitated, giving Judith more time to study him. He was a shade over six feet, physically fit, and on the cusp of being handsome. The tawny hair was combed straight back to fall just below his collar. Sharp cheekbones and green eyes would ensure his attractiveness to women. But then Judith had always been a sucker for green eyes.
    At last, the man made up his mind. “I’m Walter Paget, the Ravenscroft steward.” He shook hands with Judith. Walter’s grip was firm, but like the rest of him, noncommittal. Judith introduced herself and Renie, who was forcedto retrace the twenty yards she’d covered in an effort to reach sustenance.
    â€œIn the twelve years I’ve been at Ravenscroft House,” Walter explained without inflection, “I’ve never known Chummy to set foot on this property. If he’s here, this is quite remarkable.”
    â€œBut he’s a neighbor, isn’t he?” Judith said, pretending she didn’t see Renie, who was again behind Walter and staggering around in the final throes of starvation.
    â€œYes, he is.” Walter allowed himself a faint frown. “That’s the problem. Or so it seems. The colonel and Miss Ravenscroft have had a longstanding feud over property lines. You’d think such matters would have been resolved after four hundred years.”
    Judith stared at the steward. “You mean they’ve been arguing since the sixteenth century?”
    A slight smile played at Walter Paget’s lean mouth. It was a very attractive smile. And a very attractive mouth, Judith noted. “Not precisely. Chummy’s ancestors lived at The Grange even before Sir Lionel Dunk built what’s now known as Ravenscroft House. The colonel moved back to his home after he retired from the army some twenty years ago. His father died in February. The old boy refused to deal with Miss Ravenscroft, which may have prolonged the quarrel.”
    Renie was now under the archway, reeling against the wall. With a hand to her forehead, she made as if to slip into oblivion.
    â€œAh…yes…wel…” Judith tried not to be distracted by her cousin’s antics. They were hardly new. Renie always seemed to be hungry. “But the Ravenscrofts aren’t Dunks, are they?”
    â€œThey are, actually,” Walter replied. Now, he seemed somewhat distracted, too. His green eyes