Free The Daughters Of Red Hill Hall by Kathleen McGurl Page B

leaned over Mrs Winton, his fingers feeling for the pulse at her neck.
    Rebecca watched, her mouth open with shock and tears cascading down her cheeks as he sat back on his heels and shook his head sadly. ‘I’m so sorry, girls,’ he said. ‘I believe she has broken her neck. There is nothing that can be done for her.’
    ‘Mama! No! No, it can’t be!’ Rebecca flung herself across her mother’s body and wept. She was vaguely aware of a weight on top of her – Sarah, also sobbing loudly. She reached for Sarah’s hand and clutched it tightly, and drew strength from feeling Sarah squeeze her hand in return. Despite their earlier differences, they would need to help each other through this terrible tragedy. Her mother, dead, from a broken neck! How could that have happened? One moment she was there, admonishing Sarah for flirting with Charles, and the next she was gone. So sudden, so terrible, so shocking. Nothing would ever be the same again.

Chapter 7
    April 2015
    Gemma hadn’t planned on telling Roger that she’d become engaged first thing on Monday morning but she couldn’t help herself; it just slipped out before she’d even hung up her jacket or switched on her laptop.
    Roger looked vaguely surprised by her announcement. ‘Wow, erm, well done, Gemma, I mean, congratulations. Yes, congratulations, that’s the word. Splendid news.’ He nodded at her, and swallowed hard making his Adam’s apple bob up and down. ‘Would you like a coffee?’
    She smiled at him. It was typical of Roger to be not quite sure how to react to her news. But at least he’d said congratulations, which was more than her best friend had done. ‘Yes, please, Roger. Then if it’s OK with you, I want to start researching the shooting at Red Hill Hall that those duelling pistols were apparently used in. Can I buy a month’s subscription to the newspaper archive website on the museum’s account?’
    ‘Of course. I’m as fascinated as you are by this. Let me know if you find anything interesting.’ He coughed and shuffled his feet for a moment. ‘Right then. I’ll fetch that coffee. I really am pleased for you about the engagement. Yes, delighted.’
    Gemma grinned and shook her head as he left the back room. Dear old Roger. Socially awkward but such a lovely person to work for. She started up her laptop and set to work on the research.
    By the time Roger returned with the coffee, she’d set up the newspaper archive subscription, run a search on ‘Red Hill Hall’ and ‘duel’, and had already found and downloaded her first article. It was from what appeared to be a popular gossip magazine. She scanned it quickly, her eyes widening as she took in its contents.
    ‘Roger, listen to this.’ She began reading.
    ‘
The Curse of Red Hill Hall? If any Esteemed Readers of this publication are invited to stay at Red Hill Hall in the county of Dorset, they should perhaps consider their response carefully, for the place appears to be cursed. First the lady of the house took a tumble down the stairs and broke her neck, though one must ask whether she was perhaps pushed; then the gentleman of the house died suddenly of a broken heart, though again one wonders whether he was perhaps poisoned; and in the most recent tragedy the two daughters of Red Hill Hall were found in a cellar, mortally wounded. A pair of duelling pistols was found, both discharged, at the scene. The hunt is on for the murderer who apparently escaped by means of the door to the coal cellar. It occurs to your Author that our Esteemed Readers are unlikely to be furnished with an invitation to stay at Red Hill Hall, for there would appear to be no one left there to act as host or hostess. What will become of the house and estate your Author does not know, but should such information be forthcoming he will of course share it in a future edition of this magazine.’
    Gemma looked up from her reading. ‘Wow. The whole family seems to have died in suspicious circumstances.