Page 15 of The Trick of the Treasure
“I didn’t notice. Mr. Lloyd asked for Harry to help carry it up to the strong room.”
“May we speak to Harry?”
“According to the master. Harry.” There was no change in his tone as he summoned the footman—the same brawny young man who had admitted them into the house.
Constance left Solomon with his thankless task and sidled up to the cook, who was snapping at the kitchen maid chopping vegetables beside her. The girl looked frightened enough to cut her fingers by mistake.
“I’m Mrs. Silver,” Constance said pleasantly. And when the cook did not trouble to reply, merely continued rolling her pastry with brisk brutality, she asked, “What is your name?”
“Mrs. Smith,” the cook said without looking up.
Constance turned to the maid. “And you?”
The girl dropped her knife. “I’m Rosie, ma’am. Kitchen maid.” She bobbed a quick curtsey and picked up the knife again.
“I was wondering if anyone not of the household visited the kitchen the evening before last.”
The cook cast her a glance of contempt. “We got no time for visitors.”
“I’m sure that doesn’t stop them dropping in at inconvenient moments.”
“Not here, they don’t.” Mrs. Smith threw down her rolling pin and lifted the pastry with surprisingly delicate hands, to place it in the waiting pie dish.
“Then a simple yes or no will suffice,” Constance snapped, tired of the attitude. “Did anyone visit the kitchen that night?”
“No,” the cook answered, snatching up a knife with which to trim the pastry.
“What time did you retire?”
“Half past ten, when the family did.”
Constance glanced at Rosie the maid, who said hastily, “Ten o’clock, ma’am, on account I have to get up early to see to the fire.”
“Where do you sleep?” Constance asked.
“Attic, ma’am.”
Constance sighed and looked at the cook. “And you?”
“Attic. We all sleep in the attics.”
“Were you disturbed at all by any unusual noises in the house? Or outside the house?”
“No,” said Mrs. Smith.
Rosie shook her head.
Constance was not really surprised. Most hardworking servants were so tired that they slept soundly until wakened by someone else or by their own trained body clock.
“What time did you rise in the morning?” she asked the maid.
“Five o’clock, ma’am.”
“And did you see or hear anything unusual then? Was the back door locked?”
The maid’s eyes widened. “I never checked, ma’am. It was closed. So was the area door at the front.”
“And no one else was moving about?”
