Murder at the Mansion Read online

  “Well,” Sophie began, “some would say that the appeal of fast city life is unmatched. But, as I think you know well enough yourself, Vicar, adventure and excitement can crop up in the strangest of places.”

  Annabelle and Philippa spent a delightful couple of hours mingling with Upton St. Mary’s newest residents from London and sampling the breath-taking delights of the Woodlands Manor Resort & Spa. They then got back into the blue Mini (brought conveniently to them by the valet, of course), and made their way to Philippa’s house.

  For the first time since the grim events at Woodlands Manor, Annabelle allowed herself to enjoy the simple pleasure of driving away from the house through Cornwall’s vibrant countryside, unfettered by troubling thoughts of mystifying murders. They reached Philippa’s home and made their way to the kitchen.

  “Cup of tea, Vicar?”

  “Oh, yes. That’s just what the doctor ordered.”

  “Chamomile?” Philippa said, before breaking into a small giggle.

  “I think I’ll stick to tradition for a while, Philippa,” Annabelle smiled back. “Milk and sugar, please.”

  Philippa brought the pot to the table and then opened the oven to reveal a tray of deliciously aromatic, freshly-baked cupcakes.

  “Heavens!” the Vicar exclaimed. “Those look wonderful!”

  “They’re almond, Vicar.”

  “They smell absolutely scrumptious!”

  “Thank you. I decided against making a baklava.”

  “Why so?” Annabelle said, trying to restrain herself from grabbing the cupcake too ferociously.

  “We’ve had enough drama in Upton St. Mary this past while.”

  “Meow,” Biscuit said, announcing her arrival to the two ladies. The ginger cat stepped lazily to her favorite position by the door, her eyes keenly focused on the cakes.

  “Don’t worry, Vicar,” Philippa said, noticing the cat, “I’m keeping my eye on that cat. She won’t be stealing any more of these cupcakes. She’s on a strict diet of chicken bits and fish now. She could do with losing a few pounds herself.”

  “Philippa!” Annabelle said. “What are you inferring?”

  “Well, Vicar, since you’ve reacquainted yourself with the Inspector recently…”

  “Oh,” Annabelle interrupted, “our relationship is strictly professional.”

  “Yes, Vicar. Sorry,” Philippa said, winking at Biscuit. “Though I daresay you impressed him – in a professional capacity, of course.”

  Annabelle focused on sipping her tea and eating her almond cupcake. The two ladies were silent for a few moments, enjoying the peace and pleasure of the atmosphere, a silence only broken by the occasional chirping of a spring bird outside.

  Annabelle swallowed the last of her cupcake and sipped once again from her teacup. She started to reach for another cupcake, before pausing halfway. She considered for a moment, before catching Philippa’s eye.

  “Oh, go on, Vicar. You deserve it,” Philippa said, with a smile.

  REVERENTIAL RECIPES

  WICKED WALNUT CUPCAKES with MAGNIFICENT MAPLE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

  For the cupcakes:

  ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter

  1 cup soft brown sugar, packed

  1 cup sugar

  3 eggs

  3 cups flour

  1½ teaspoon baking powder

  ¼ teaspoon salt

  1¼ cup whole milk

  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  Walnut butter (see recipe)

  For the frosting:

  ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter

  2 cups powdered sugar

  Walnut butter (see recipe)

  ½ teaspoon molasses

  ½ teaspoon maple extract

  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  2-3 tablespoons water

  ½ teaspoon walnuts, finely chopped

  For the walnut butter:

  1 cup shelled walnuts

  2 tablespoons butter

  3 tablespoons water (as needed)

  Dash salt

  Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Line cupcake tins with paper liners. To make the walnut butter, mix all ingredients in food processor until well blended. Add water to make the consistency creamy, like mildly chunky peanut butter.

  To make cupcakes, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add sifted dry ingredients, and slowly blend in milk. Stir in vanilla extract and fold in six tablespoons of the walnut butter. Reserve remainder of butter for frosting. Spoon cupcake batter into paper liners, filling them about three quarters full.

  Bake the cupcakes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Leave to cool completely.

  For the frosting, cream together unsalted butter and sugar. Gradually add remainder of walnut butter, molasses, maple extract, and vanilla extract. Add water, one tablespoon at a time, until mixture is fluffy and creamy. Top cupcakes with frosting, and add finely chopped walnuts for decoration.

  Makes approximately 30 cupcakes.

  BEATIFIC BAKLAVA

  1⅔ cups sugar

  1½ cups water

  2 teaspoons rose water

  2 teaspoons orange blossom water

  ⅔ cup honey

  2 cinnamon sticks

  2 (5-inch x ½-inch) strips orange peel

  2 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted

  1 cup chopped walnuts

  ½ cup chopped pecans

  ½ cup chopped almonds

  1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  ½ teaspoon ground allspice

  15 phyllo pastry sheets frozen, thawed

  Stir 1⅓ cups sugar, water, rose water, orange blossom water, honey, cinnamon sticks, and orange peel in saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and bring to boil, stirring continuously for 10-15 minutes or until consistency is thick like syrup. Remove from heat, and chill until cold.

  Preheat oven to 325°F/160°C. Line a 13 x 9 x 2-inch metal baking pan with parchment paper, and brush with a little of the melted butter. Mix walnuts, pecans, almonds, cinnamon, allspice, and the remaining ⅓ cup sugar in a medium bowl.

  Fold one sheet of phyllo pastry in half to form a 12 x 9-inch rectangle. Place folded sheet in prepared pan. Brush with melted butter. Repeat with four more folded sheets, brushing top of each with butter.

  Sprinkle half of nut mixture over the top of the pastry. Repeat with five more folded sheets, brushing the top of each with butter. Sprinkle remaining nut mixture over the top. Add five more folded sheets of pastry, again brushing the top of each with melted butter.

  Using a sharp knife, make seven diagonal cuts across the phyllo pastry, cutting through top layers only and spacing cuts evenly. Repeat in opposite direction, with cuts crossing in the middle to form a diamond pattern. Bake in the oven until golden brown, around 30 to 40 minutes.

  Strain white foam, cinnamon sticks, and orange peels from syrup. Spoon 1¼ cups syrup over hot baklava. Cover and refrigerate or dispose of remaining syrup.

  Cut baklava along lines all the way through layers. Cover and let stand at room temperature for four hours before eating. Can be made one day ahead. Do not wrap, or it will become soggy. Best if served individually. Can be chilled.

  Makes approximately 30 pieces.

  CHASTE CHIA SEED AND COCONUT MACAROONS

  1 egg, beaten

  ¼ cup sugar

  ¾ cup shredded coconut

  1 tablespoon chia seeds

  Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Put the egg in a mixing bowl. Beat the sugar into the eggs with a fork, then stir in the coconut and chia seeds. Press the mixture, a few spoonfuls at a time, into a small eggcup, then turn upside down and tap out onto a baking sheet to form small rounds.

  Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden-brown. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

  Makes 7-8.

  ANGELIC ALMOND CUPCAKES with ABUNDANT ALMOND BUTTER
FROSTING

  For the cupcakes:

  1½ cups flour

  1¾ teaspoons baking powder

  1 cup white sugar

  ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

  2 eggs

  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  2 tablespoons almond butter

  1 cup vanilla flavored almond milk

  1 pinch salt

  For the frosting:

  ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

  1½ cups powdered sugar

  2 tablespoons almond butter

  ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

  2 tablespoons water (or as needed for consistency)

  ¼ cup almond slivers

  Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Line cupcake tins with paper liners. In a bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder.

  In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together the sugar and butter until well blended. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and stir in the vanilla. Gradually beat in the flour mixture, slowly adding in the almond milk, almond butter, and salt. Make sure all the ingredients are well blended. Spoon mixture into each paper liner, filling them about ¾ full.

  Bake the cupcakes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Leave to cool completely.

  To make frosting, sift powdered sugar and beat together with butter. Add almond butter to sugar and butter mixture. Add vanilla extract. Add water, one tablespoon at a time, until mixture is fluffy and creamy. Top cupcakes with frosting and add almond slivers for decoration.

  Makes approximately 16 cupcakes.

  All ingredients are available from your local store or online retailer.

  You can find links to the ingredients used in these recipes at http://cozymysteries.com/murder-at-the mansion-recipes/

  To get your free copy of Death at the Café, the prequel to the Reverend Annabelle Dixon series, plus two more books, updates about new releases, exclusive promotions, and other insider information, sign up for the Cozy Mysteries Insider mailing list at:

  http://cozymysteries.com/annabelle

  REVEREND ANNABELLE DIXON WILL RETURN…

  WOULD YOU LIKE to find out what happens next for Annabelle? Check out the subsequent book in this fun, cozy mystery series, Body in the Woods. You can find an excerpt on the following pages.

  BODY IN THE WOODS

  Chapter One

  IT HAD BEEN a tough week for young Master Douglas “Dougie” Dewar. It had begun with him tearing his school uniform during a particularly ambitious tree-climbing adventure, continued with reprisals about his over-active imagination from his teacher Miss Montgomery, and reached its peak when Aunt Shona discovered he had been trying to rustle sheep by training none other than the church cat, a ginger tabby named Biscuit.

  How could they blame him? He had been in Upton St. Mary for only four months since his mother had sent him there from their home in Edinburgh, and he still found the village and the vibrant countryside surrounding it full of possibilities.

  He would trek the rolling hills armed only with a trusty stick and an insisted-upon sandwich, imagining himself a brave adventurer on a quest to find a wise, old wizard. He would swing from tree branches like a wilderness warrior, announcing his presence with a signature yell, determined to save all of civilization, reaping world domination as his prize. And he would creep through the dense forest, envisioning it as some deep, exotic jungle on a strange new planet, while encountering delicate, well-camouflaged wildlife that demonstrated all the curiosity and nervousness of timid alien visitors.

  For Dougie was not just energetic and rambunctious of body, but of mind as well. When he wasn’t scampering through the rolling countryside in search of adventures, he was poring over pages of the most astonishing and outlandish tales he could find, stoking the fires of his imagination before he lived out his fantasies against Cornwall’s glorious pastoral background.

  Oh yes, it had been a tough week indeed, but it had also been an incredibly fun one.

  Now it was Friday, and the glorious feeling of being on the precipice of the weekend’s adventures had Dougie running wildly through the forest on his way home from school. After his mishap earlier in the week, Aunt Shona had insisted he change out of his uniform when he got home before embarking on his adventures. It was a small price to pay, thought Dougie, as he darted, jumped, and swerved around the various tree trunks. But he wasn’t home yet.

  “No more school,” he shouted, as he deftly switched his weight from one foot to another to avoid slipping on a tree root. “No more Miss Montgomery!” As he kept on running, he ran through his weekend plans. “I’ll meet the boys to play football tomorrow, and then Aunt Shona promised me a trip to the bookstore. Gonna get the next in the ‘Reptiloid Hunter’ series. Woo-hoo!”

  His imagination ran wild with excitement. He ducked his head and pictured himself a spaceship shooting through an asteroid field. He skipped off a bank and fancied himself on a flying carpet. He spread his arms and turned sharply like a fighter jet, his school satchel sailing behind him like a tail.

  Just as he was about to bank sharply again and release another barrage of missiles, however, Dougie found himself genuinely floating in mid-air, his feet up behind him. For a split second, he almost believed he was flying.

  “Oof!” he grunted as he landed on his chest atop the tough late summer soil.

  Dougie bounced back up almost immediately, his youthful exuberance overwhelming the sharp pain in his elbow and the winded sensation in his chest.

  “Oh no! I’m going to be grounded for a week!” he cried as he looked down at the dirt and grass firmly embedded into his school uniform. Cautiously, he checked the spot where the stinging sensation was coming from on his elbow.

  “Noooooo!” was all Dougie could muster. He had been well-schooled in the art of politeness and not even being alone in the middle of the woods was enough for him to forget his good manners and utter anything ruder – however much the frayed tear on his blazer warranted it.

  He spun around, his pained expression turning to one of anger. Whichever tree root was responsible was going to get it. He took a few steps toward the spot at which he tripped and scanned for the offending object.

  The thin, bar-like protrusion which jutted out of the ground at a low angle was not like any tree root Dougie had ever seen. In fact, he had never come across anything remotely like it on his treasure hunts across the forest. He knelt and brushed some of the dirt away.

  As he uncovered more of the thin, white oddity, Dougie’s heart seemed to sink lower, until it turned a somersault. He knew what this was. They had studied the human skeleton just last week in class.

  Dougie’s mouth opened slowly as he stared at the bone, his mind searching for another, less terrifying prospect. Suddenly, he found himself out of all other potential explanations and incredibly afraid. He hopped to his feet and sprinted toward Aunt Shona’s cottage – only this time he was trying to stifle his imagination rather than explore it.

  * * *

  “The boy’s fine,” Shona Alexander assured her sister on the phone, “he’s a little scamp. With a boy like him you only need to worry about when he’s not up to something… Oh, of course he misses you. He asks after you every chance he gets… He’s still so distracted by the excitement of a new place… You’ve got enough to worry about right now with the chemo, Olivia, just let me take care of Dougie for now… Oh, wait, I think I hear him coming in. I’ll get him to call you later, okay? Bye, Olivia.”

  Shona placed the receiver down gently and turned around.

  “That was your mot—”

  “Aunt Shona!”

  Shona and Dougie stared at each other, each bearing an expression of absolute horror.

  “Good Lord, Dougie! Look at you!”

  “There’s a... There’s… It’s… I don’t know why it’s there!”

  “Is that a rip? Turn around! Turn around, now! Oh dear Lord…”

  “No, Aunt S
hona… I saw a… It was right there!”

  “What was?”

  “A… It looked like… There’s a… There’s a dead body in the woods!”

  “Oh, there’ll be a dead body in the woods, alright, if you don’t explain to me how you made a mess of yourself when I specifically told you not to go running about before coming home to change.”

  “Really, Aunt Shona! There’s a bone sticking out!”

  “Sticking out of where?”

  “Out of the ground! I tripped over it!”

  Shona placed two hands upon her hips and circled Dougie as if inspecting a car she was considering buying. She shook her head as she noticed every stain, assessing how much time it would take to get each one out.

  “You really do have quite an imagination. I hope you realize this means you won’t be playing soccer this weekend, young man!”

  Dougie stamped his foot impertinently and cried out desperately. “I don’t care about the football! There’s a dead body in the woods!”

  Bizarrely, Shona found Dougie’s first statement more surprising than the second, and when she saw the earnestness in the boy’s face, she realized that he meant both of them sincerely. Dougie certainly attracted more than his fair share of trouble, but if anything, it was his open, impulsive nature that drew him to it, rather than his proclivity to spin tall tales.

  “Sit down,” Shona commanded the boy, as she pulled out a chair and sat on it. “Tell me exactly what happened.”

  * * *

  Inspector Mike Nicholls was in no mood for games and hadn’t been for a while. He had grumbled and complained his way through each workday for over two weeks, and yet his fellow officers had grown none the wiser as to the cause. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened, and the incidents they had dealt with were remarkable only in their consistency and mildness. Even the weather hadn’t been so bad. Yet not even a cup of tea could be served to the Detective Inspector without vociferous criticism about its sweetness or lack thereof. He did not hold back expounding on any other grievance he found pertaining to the cup in question, either. The tea might be too hot, too cold, too strong, or the wrong kind of brew entirely. Officers within his vicinity were liable to receive spiked comments about their manner or work ethic, and even those not present would be noted for their absence, the reasons for which were undoubtedly nefarious in the Inspector’s newly negative outlook.