“Yes, well . . . It’s understandable, isn’t it? Nell is . . .” Kit’s gaze turned inward as his voice trailed off. He stared hollow-eyed at nothing for a few seconds, then shook his head as if to clear it and got to his feet. “Don’t move, Lori. Stay here with the packs and finish your tea. I’m going to prove to you that my tracking skills aren’t as rusty as you think.”
I could almost see Nell’s image dissolve mistily in midair as Kit tore his mind away from her and focused it on the task of tracking Rendor. It’s a start, I told myself contentedly. Next time I’ll mention how good-looking and well built the new stable hands are.
Then I’ll wonder aloud why so many strong, handsome, hardworking, filthy-rich, and utterly besotted young men have failed to make so much as an inch of headway with Nell. That would give Kit something to think about.
While I was busy sipping tea and scheming, Kit was searching the cemetery for more clues. Now that his heart was in it, he was as single-minded as a bloodhound. He began at the stone bench and worked his way outward in ever-widening circles, bending frequently to touch a blade of grass or a vagrant twig. He seemed to take a great deal of interest in a clump of wild geraniums at the clearing’s northern edge. After crouching over it for some time, he called out that he would be right back and disappeared into the woods.
I was about to call Annelise, to tell her not to put lunch on hold for me, when my cell phone rang. I pulled it from my breast pocket, saw my husband’s name and number on the little screen, and reminded myself that he’d be much better off not knowing about my vampire hunt.
“Hi, Bill,” I said cheerily. “How’s the work on the Shuttleworth bequest coming along?”
60 Nancy Atherton
“It’s like herding cats,” he said dismally. “Every time we lasso one clause, another three start yowling for attention.”
“I hope you’re not going to take out your frustrations on Stanley when you get home,” I said. “He worships you.”
“Stanley worships his food bowl,” Bill stated flatly. “As far as he’s concerned, I’m just a warm lap.”
“But you’re his warm lap,” I said, laughing.
Bill managed a weak chuckle, then said, “Enough about me. What are you up to?”
“I’m relieving Kit of his boredom,” I replied. “Emma ordered him to take a few days off, and he didn’t know what to do with himself, so I’ve taken him out for a hike.”
“In this weather?” said Bill. “How charitable of you.”
“Not entirely,” I admitted. “I have an ulterior motive.”
“I thought you might.” Bill sighed. “Go ahead, tell me the worst.”
Bill hadn’t heard about the situation at the stables, so I told him about Nell’s herd of young stallions, then outlined my campaign to show Kit the error of his ways and help him achieve his heart’s desire.
“I wish you luck,” said Bill when I’d finished. “Kit’s dug his heels in pretty deeply when it comes to Nell, but if anyone can budge him, you can. Where is he, by the way? He can’t be within earshot, or you wouldn’t be talking about him so freely.”
“He’s . . . hunting for wild mushrooms,” I said, because, I told myself, it could be true—Kit might find a mushroom or two trodden underfoot by Rendor—but I felt a stab of guilt nonetheless and hurriedly changed the subject. “Did you know that there’s a pet cemetery on Emma’s Hill?”
“I did not,” said Bill.
“I’m sitting in it right now,” I told him. “It looks as though it’s been here for ages. Some of the headstones are so old you can hardly read the inscriptions.”
Aunt Dimity: Vampire Hunter
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“A problem foreseen by Mrs. Shuttleworth,” Bill said dryly. “She left instructions for us to set up a special fund to pay for the construction of a cat mausoleum. I won’t be surprised if it’s air-conditioned.
Listen, Lori, I’ve got to go. I just wanted to touch base. I’m glad to hear that you’re having a better day than I am.”
“It’s just about purr-fect,” I agreed.
Bill groaned, promised to call again in the evening, and rang off, but I kept the cell phone out to call Annelise.
“You’re missing the boys’ lesson,” she informed me.
I clapped a hand to my forehead. I’d completely forgotten to attend the boys’ riding class as part of my cover story.
“Whoops,” I said. “Are they very disappointed?”
“Not at all,” said Annelise. “They think you’re hiding in the manor house because you’re afraid—”
“Of horses, yes, I know what they think,” I broke in, bridling.
“Well, I’m not hiding in the manor house. I’m up on Emma’s Hill, hiking with Kit. I’m helping him to enjoy his time off.”
“If I had a day off, I’d spend it near a roaring fire instead of tramping through the woods,” said Annelise, “but I expect Kit wanted to get away from the stables.”
“I expect so,” I said. If Annelise was inclined to believe that Kit had come with me because he couldn’t stand watching the new stable hands drool over Nell, I wasn’t going to argue with her. “At any rate, don’t wait for me after the boys’ lessons. Just give them lunch and take them to school as usual. If it looks as though I’ll miss dinner, I’ll let you know.”