“Oh!” replied Digby with a conspiratorial smile. “I didn’t realize you’d finally ferreted out that information! What did she do before she came to work for the Mallowans? I’ve been simply dying of curiosity.”

Dobble’s mood soured even further. “Well, I haven’t actually determined for certain that Mrs. Bright hasn’t been in service before. The woman is extraordinarily tight-lipped about her past! Why, I don’t know much of anything about her other than she knew Mrs. Agatha during the war, and it seems she was a nurse at the front lines. And whatever happened to her husband is a mystery as well. For all I know, Mr. Bright might arrive at Mallowan Hall someday and murder us all in our sleep!”

“Oh.” The vicar’s eyes widened behind his round glasses. “So you did find out that she was married, then?”

“Well, not precisely,” Dobble was forced to admit. Why did Digby have to be so interested? Couldn’t he just allow Dobble to grumble without asking questions? “And quite honestly, I’m not certain who would marry someone like her, anyway, so perhaps she never has been married after all. One absolutely doesn’t know a thing about her past. The problem with Phyllida Bright is that she is simply not suited to being a housekeeper.”

“Quite. At least you’ll be able to get things done properly with her out of the way,” replied Digby, soothingly.

“Thank fortune for that,” Dobble replied. “Although of course she has taken all of the better maids with her to St. Wendreda’s and left the lesser ones for me to contend with, along with some extra ones—and you know that managing maids is simply not done by a butler!” Dobble frowned. Had he remembered to tell the extra maids about the damper in the sitting room?

“Perhaps one of the footmen could manage the maids for you,” said Digby, patting him on the arm.

Dobble sighed and shook his head. “And that is why you are a vicar and have no servants to speak of, other than an old day maid-cook, Diggy,” he said. “One does not put footmen in charge of maids if one does not want little ones running amok nine months later.”

After a quick glance to be certain no one was walking past the vicarage, he bent to give Digby a quick kiss. “That’s for luck today,” he said, and then slipped out the door.

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 2

Friday evening