Day 56: 2 January 2026

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 Short Story -- Monkshood Manor: Part 15


‘Who’s Lady Genevieve?’ Teddy asked.

Mrs Winter smiled. ‘An ally.’

‘Is she part of your League of Lady Spies?’

Mr Drey rolled his eyes. Teddy wasn’t sure if she’d ever seen him less professional but she also sort of enjoyed it.

‘She is indeed!’ Mrs Winter said with evident glee. ‘And she’s from the neighbourhood and around your age.’

‘And she’s a very respectable young lady,’ Mr Drey added.

‘Mr Drey,’ Teddy said feigning shock, ‘Do you not think me respectable?’

Mr Drey looked caught between his fun side and his professional butler side. A war was clearly taking place internally how to answer.

Mrs Winter was delighted and clapped her hands. ‘Ahhh! Clever girl! We are all going to get on swimmingly. Even Neville here!’

‘Neville?! That’s your name?’ Teddy turned to Mr Drey with a look of incredulity. ‘Neville Drey?!’

Mr Drey looked as though he wanted to be swallowed by the floor.

Teddy collected herself. ‘Of course, Neville is a perfectly practical and delightful name.’

Mrs Winter collected herself. ‘Back to the matter at hand. You must accept Lady Genevieve’s invitation. And together we’ll all bring down that toad of a neighbour, Lord Tottington.’ 

Teddy, who had also reigned herself in, added, ‘I just don’t understand his motive. Stopping by here the other day wanting to buy the house’ — the house seemed to vibrate angrily — ‘and then having me tailed. What ever can he mean by it?’

‘We do need to figure that out,’ said Mrs Winter. ‘To that end, I’ve arranged to have tea with his housekeeper, Mrs Edmont, tomorrow. Wealthy people always overlook the staff. We see and know more than they’d ever imagine.’

‘Mrs Winter,’ Teddy questioned, ‘Were you… oh, I’m not quite sure how to ask this… were you born into the gentry?’

Mrs Winter paused. ‘My dear girl. My life has had all sorts of twists and turns. Sometimes there have been titles and money and sometimes not. But I wouldn’t change it a jot.’

Teddy noticed that she hadn’t really answered the question, but she decided not to push.

‘I shall write a response to Lady Genevieve’s invitation: accepting,’ Teddy said.

And she and Mrs Winter stood up; and all three of them went their separate ways to go about what needed to be done.


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