Day 133: 20 March 2026

 Short Story -- Monkshood Manor: Part 32

The next several days passed with Mr Millings arriving at Monkshood Manor in the morning, he and Teddy spending the day sorting and repairing and painting up-upstairs, and then him staying for dinner before retiring to his own home for the evening.

And retired he had for the day. It was now dark outside. And Teddy was drifting off to sleep as the embers burned low the grate of her fireplace, when her eyes flew open.

Something had woken her and she strained her ears for sounds. The house seemed to shudder, a ripple that carried through her.

‘What is it?’ she queried of the house.

And that’s when she heard floor boards creaking below.

‘I don’t suppose that’s Mrs Winter or Mr Drey?’ she asked the house. Her room still dark, outlines of furniture discernible only from the last embers’ glow.

The house shuddered again.

‘I thought not,’ she said carefully swinging her legs out of bed and tying on a robe. ‘Please alert them if you haven’t already.’

And that’s when she heard the click of the latch of her door. The soft for of the floorboards of her floor. She didn’t think, she just jumped out of bed and swung. The weight of the large book — Anna Karenina, a hard cover — connected with the intruder. Their arms flew up in defense. And Teddy just kept whacking and whacking until they were curled up on the floor in a ball and Mrs Winter and Mr Drey had rushed in.

‘I believe youve subdued him, dear,’ Mrs Winter said approvingly. ‘Although feel free to give him one more wallop for good measure.’

Mr Drey had already turned the lights on and was bent down tying the man’s arms with some rope.

This was the first time Teddy had seen the intruder’s face. ‘Lord Tottington!’ she gasped. For it was Lord Tottington. Dressed in humble coveralls and a simple shirt. But it was him.

‘I’ll go phone the inspector,’ Mr Drey said calmly.

Althea was circling him like a shark does its prey.

And whether it was courage, indignation or stupidity, he didn’t look the least bit cowed. He just glowered from the floor.

‘Nice use of a rubbish story,’ Mrs Winter said nodding to the novel.

Teddy gave a shaky laugh at that.

‘How did you get in?’ Teddy asked.

Silence and glaring.

‘What is it that you want?’ she tried again.

More silence and even more intense glaring.

‘Tosser,’ said Mrs Winter winding up to give him a kick when Mr Drey re-entered the room.

‘The Inspector is on his way,’ he said dryly.