A Gift for Elizabeth

By Patty MacFarlane

Miranda Becket, amateur sleuth with mystery books stacked floor to ceiling, is good at solving crimes; she just doesn't have the credentials to be doing it. She had been Mrs. Masterson's housekeeper for years, and after finding her dead, she managed to set her grief aside and begin her own investigation while she waited for the authorities.

When Detective Jonathan Wyndham arrives, the last person he expects to answer the door is the woman he almost married—until she nearly got him fired. He couldn't keep her from interfering with his crime scenes, and his job was on the line when their relationship ended. Seeing Miranda again, his heart skipped a beat. He never stopped loving her.

Jonathan concludes the elderly woman died of natural causes, but Miranda disagrees and sets out to uncover the truth. As twists and turns complicate the case, old feelings they both thought long buried resurface. Will he stop dismissing her and the little notebook she carries around?  Or, will Miranda be one step ahead of him, causing the same unhappy ending they had years ago?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ashlin Abbey Publishing
• Release date: Oct 31, 2017
• ISBN: 9781540143532

Book preview

A Gift for Elizabeth

by

Patty MacFarlane

Copyright

A Gift for Elizabeth © 2017 Patty MacFarlane and Ashlin Abbey Publishing, LLC

Published by Ashlin Abbey Publishing, LLC

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, including electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the author and the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only.

This book is available at all major distributors. If you find a pirated copy, please be kind enough to notify the author or contact Ashlin Abbey Publishing, LLC by emailing [e-mail]. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.

Publisher: Ashlin Abbey Publishing, LLC November, 2017

eBook Cover Design: RLSather https://selfpubbookcovers.com

Chapter One

Saturday Morning ~ After the Storm

Today would be different. Miranda had no idea what awaited her downstairs as she threw back the quilt on the ornately carved bed.

For as long as Miranda could remember, Elizabeth Masterson could be a very difficult woman. Even when her husband was alive, she was demanding and settled for nothing less than perfection.

Oh, well, she sighed, a weekend with my children and grandchildren will keep. I know how fearful of storms Elizabeth is and I’m needed here.

Widowed several years ago, Miranda’s life had its struggles; but she and her husband managed to raise two children, a son and a daughter. Now, creeping closer toward the age of fifty, she felt extremely fortunate Mrs. Masterson had given her a job and a comfortable place to live. Caring for a home and the people in it was all she really knew how to do. Both of her children wanted her to live with them, said it would be a wonderful experience for her grandchildren, but Miranda refused to be a burden. She wasn’t old yet, and although caring for the Masterson estate was a chore, she was able-bodied and in excellent health. Despite a premature sprinkling of grey in her blond hair, she remained fit and strong. With a sharp eye for detail, she easily kept a step ahead of Elizabeth Masterson and her exacting ways. Miranda knew what perturbed Elizabeth and diligently attended to those issues to her satisfaction. She also knew another side to Elizabeth; she was a kind and caring soul and very generous to those less fortunate.

Hopefully, the sun will make an appearance today, Miranda thought, as she washed and dressed before dawn. Slipping into her slacks, she knew Mrs. Masterson would not approve, but snow was falling and it was cold in the house. The maid’s outfit had hung in the closet since Miranda arrived—she won that argument when Mrs. Masterson couldn’t keep any staff due to her cantankerous nature. While she was certainly set in her ways, Miranda just assumed that came with age. Most of the time, Mrs. Masterson was delightful to be around, and thankful to have Miranda in her employ.

Miranda scooped her hair into a messy bun, laced up her tennis shoes, and hustled down the back stairway. She expected the morning to be as all the others, but she couldn’t have been more wrong.

Entering the kitchen, she set the kettle to boil and popped the biscuits into the warming oven. She quickly retrieved a cup and saucer from the butler’s pantry and set it on the serving tray. As she headed toward the parlor, she sang out in her most cheerful voice, Elizabeth. Good morning, Elizabeth. Stopping in the dining room, she adjusted the brass pull on the buffet drawer and sniffed the air; she knew that scent. Elizabeth detested unsavory odors and apparently she’d been up misting the room with the lavender scent she loved. It was so thick, Miranda could have choked. About to call out again, she stopped. Oh dear, she thought, looking past the massive dining room table into the parlor, I wonder if she’s been up all night due to the winter storm, poor thing.

She walked toward the chair where Mrs. Masterson sat, her dark green afghan wrapped around her shoulders, her head bent down to one side. Throwing open the brocade drapes before the sun would rise and cause them to fade, Miranda fingered a small hole in the fabric. Mentally noting it had not been there yesterday, she would telephone someone later to repair it.

Winter storms can be so frightful. I’m glad we didn’t lose power. She continued to speak knowing Mrs. Masterson would wake at the sound of her voice. Fluffing up a crumpled pillow on the Georgian settee, she wondered if Elizabeth had attempted to lie down during the night. As Miranda turned toward her, she noticed the cup and saucer on the antique table beside the elderly lady. At least you managed to brew some tea. I know it calms your nerves.

Stooping over, she softly spoke Elizabeth’s name again and went to touch her left hand which was not covered. Not wanting to startle her, Miranda gently adjusted the afghan to awaken her when Mrs. Masterson’s stiffened body came toward her and fell to the floor. Miranda’s hand quickly covered her mouth as she drew in a gasp and stepped back. Eyes wide, she knelt hoping to feel a pulse—the body was cold. Fighting back tears, Miranda hurried to the kitchen and picked up the phone to call the authorities.

*~*~*

Detective Jonathan Wyndham parked in front of the Masterson mansion and slowly walked up the steps. He wasn’t sure why he was here; a couple of officers and the coroner could have easily handled the investigation, but the housekeeper believed foul play was involved in the death of her employer. The last person he expected to answer the door was Miranda Becket, the love of his life for many years.When he first joined the force, they had been a serious item but it didn’t work out and Miranda married someone else out of spite. But, Jonathan had never stopped loving her.

Miranda? She was just as beautiful as he remembered.

Jonathan? Miranda swallowed the lump in her throat as she stared long and hard at an older version of the man she once loved. He hadn’t aged a bit, not a sign of grey in his black hair, and his body...

May I come in? he asked. I’m here to investigate Mrs. Masterson’s death.

Oh, yes. It’s cold out there, please come in. I’m sorry. The words stumbled out once she managed to close her mouth.

I’m not; it’s a pleasure to see you again, he said and smiled when her cheeks flushed as she led him into the parlor.

Jonathan carefully surveyed the entire room, not looking for anything in particular as it appeared