Once we returned to the palace, Birdie went to her quarters to order some snacks and work on more wedding planning. Sin and I went to see Ezreal about the impending arrival of Sin’s parents just to make sure everything was set. It was, of course. Ezreal was on top of everything. Sin told him about his mother’s dietary issues, then we headed back to our apartments to get ready for their arrival.
“Where exactly will they show up?” I asked. “What coordinates did my dad give you?”
“He said it was for the great hall.”
“Okay, that’s a good spot. Lots of space. How much time do we have?”
He looked at his phone. “Two hours.” He slanted his eyes at me. “Nervous?”
“Yes. So much. I really hope they like me.”
“They will, I promise.” He grinned. “Should we order something sweet from the kitchen, just to settle your stomach?”
I laughed. “You know me so well.”
We were twenty minutes into chocolate decadence cake with marshmallow sauce and vanilla ice cream when the apartment phone rang. Sugar and Spider, who were both lounging on the couch, looked up for a moment before deciding the phone wasn’t important and going back to sleep. Such a life.
Sin made a move like he was going to get it. I put my hand on his. “You sit and relax. I’ve got this.”
I jumped up and answered it. “Hello?”
“Good afternoon, Princess Jayne.”
“Hi, Ezreal.”
“Constable Larsen is here. She’d like to speak to you.”
“That’s fine. Send her up.”
“She’s on her way.”
I hung up. “Larsen’s on her way. I’m assuming with an update on Elma.”
“Good.” He wiped his mouth. “But I keep wondering what’s going on with George’s mother at the doctor.”
I sat back down. “Me too. Today has been a crazy day, huh?”
He nodded. “And about to get crazier with my parents coming.”
A few more bites of cake later, Larsen knocked at the door. Sin let her in.
“Would you like some cake?” I asked. “Or something to drink?”
“No, thanks. I don’t want to take up too much of your time. Just wanted to give you an update.”
“Great,” Sin said. “We appreciate that. Please, have a seat.”
Larsen and I moved to the couch and chairs in the sitting room, settling in around the cats, who still weren’t interested in being awake.
A hint of a smile played on Larsen’s mouth. “We got a full confession.”
I inhaled sharply, happily shocked. “Such good news. Tell us everything.” I glanced at the time. “In twenty minutes. Sorry. We’ve got some very special guests arriving, and we can’t be late.”
Larsen nodded. “No problem. Basically, Elma has been in love with George since they went to school together. When he started dating Rachel, Elma put her plan into action. But when he got engaged to Rachel, it devastated her, as you can imagine. She knew her chance to win George away from Rachel was fading fast.”
“Did she actually have a chance?” I asked.
“That part seems sketchy to me,” Larsen answered. “But she must have thought so. She was already working part time as a housekeeper for Mrs. Bitterbark. I guess that was her way of being as close to George as she could be. She started adding the winter primrose powder to Finnoula’s tea when George and Rachel began dating. Elma knew what it would do, since her father warned her about it for years.”
Sin shook his head. “Insane.”
“Agreed,” Larsen said. “Once Finnoula developed the symptoms of Grater’s, it was easy for Elma to get hired on full time. Then, with Elma’s subtle suggestions, George moved in with his mother. And Rachel, who didn’t have a permanent address in the North Pole, began staying with them as well.”
“And that gave Elma all the access to Rachel she needed,” I said.
“It did.” Larsen shook her head. “Let me fast-forward a bit now. After she used the tainted cookies to drug Rachel with the winter primrose, which definitely attacks the summer-elf system much more rapidly, she waited until Rachel passed out in her room, then Elma moved her into the unused cold-storage room in the Bitterbarks’ cellar.”
“How awful,” I whispered. The idea of it was horrifying. “She was there all along. In the house.”
Larsen nodded. “We tested the room’s soundproofing. One of my deputies went in and yelled as loud as he could. The room is like a vault. Being in there…” She swallowed.
Sin looked ill. “Rachel was terrified.”
“I’m sorry you had to experience that.” Larsen took a deep inhale like she needed the air. “When there was nothing left but bones, Elma moved them into the Crystal Carriage. To her, the carriage represented everything she felt she’d lost out on. Love, romance, marriage. That’s the same reason she framed Bonfitte. She thought having a wedding dress made by him was a dream she’d never achieve. She wanted to ruin anything connected to her broken dream.”
“So sad.” Sin frowned. “How did she get access to Hangar Nine?”
“George had a keycard. She stole it. I called him, and he hadn’t even been aware it was gone since he never goes over there.” Larsen glanced at the time. “I guess that’s about it. Elma will be in holding until her trial, but I don’t suppose that will be until after the wedding. No rush, really. At this point, the trial is really just a formality. After the trial, where I’m sure she’ll be found guilty, we’ll have to figure out what to do with her.”
I nodded. “We can cross that bridge when we come to it. Any word on how Finnoula is doing?”
“Yes. Dr. Charming called with an update. It’s going to take a few days in the hospital, then some close monitoring, but he believes the damage done by the years of winter primrose in her system can be completely reversed. Amazing how closely the symptoms mimic Grater’s.”
Sin and I both sighed at the same time. He took my hand. “That’s a relief.”
I nodded. “That poor family. I hope they can move on from this. George especially. He’s lost so much of his life.”
Larsen stood. “Time will tell. I’ll be in touch if anything new develops.”
Sin and I got up as well to see her out. Sin shook her hand. “Thank you for your work on this.”
She smiled. “Thank your bride too. She did a lot of it. Her and Birdie.”
I shrugged as Sin opened the door for her. “You know I can’t keep my nose out of anything. Not when it involves those I care about.”
She nodded. “It’s a good quality to have. I guess I’ll see you at the wedding, if not before.”
“Absolutely. Thanks again.” I closed the door behind her and looked at Sin. “We’d better get moving. Time to meet your folks.”
His smile was tentative, but there was genuine happiness in his eyes. “Yep.”
“Do you have a preference for what I wear?”
“No.” He laughed. “You look good in everything. And my parents won’t care if you’re wearing Gucci or a burlap sack.”
“A burlap sack it is, then.” I put my hands on his chest, then leaned in and kissed him. “See you in the hall in ten?”
“In ten.” But he caught me by the waist and held me close, suddenly serious. “I love you, Jayne.”
“I love you, Sinclair.” Sensing his mood, I cupped his face in my hands and stared into his eyes. “I’m going to love your parents too.”
He took a breath. “I hope so.”
The great hall was used primarily for royal balls. If the two adjoining galleries were opened up, the combined space could hold over a thousand people.
Usually, however, the great hall held much smaller events. Luncheons for some of my mother’s charity functions. A few minor award ceremonies. And rumor had it, my great-great-great-aunt Lynette had once used this room to teach her pet reindeer, Galaxy, tricks. Supposedly, it could count by pawing the ground and prance in time to The Christmas Waltz. That was just a ru
mor, though.
Silver trim, crystal chandeliers, panels of ice-blue and white silk wallpaper, and an intricately laid tile floor in the shapes of snowflakes made the space a marvel, so it was no wonder my mother favored it for the annual royal ball.
No one who’d ever entered this room had failed to be impressed. Except, perhaps, for Aunt Lynette’s reindeer, who had allegedly nibbled off a corner of the wallpaper. But any evidence of that had long ago been repaired.
Despite the room’s beauty, I found myself wondering what Sin’s parents would think. They lived in Vegas, so either this room would equal the extravagance they were used to…or it would pale miserably in comparison.
My mother looked like she was wondering the same thing. She stared up at the chandeliers. “We should have had those dusted.”
My father glanced at her. “We did, Klara.”
“We did?”
“Yes.”
“Oh.” She peered at them a little longer, then frowned, shook her head, and sighed.
I’m sure the footmen by the door would carry that little tidbit into the next staff gossip session—the queen was unhappy with the job the cleaning crew had done. That ought to go over well.
Sin kept switching from hands clasped behind his back to hands in his pockets to hands at his sides.
I was chewing on my lower lip.
The only one of us who seemed perfectly at ease was my father, but then, he was Jack Frost. You didn’t get much cooler. Literally and figuratively.
The air in front of us shimmered like it had gone liquid. Then two people with luggage appeared.
Sin went toward them. “Mom, Dad, you made it.”
Sin’s dad was a tall man with refined features and dark hair made distinctive by a widow’s peak. He pulled his son into a hug. “Wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”
“Hi, honey.” His mom smiled at him with the kind of quiet pride all mothers seemed to have around their children.
He hugged her next. “Hi, Mom. So good to see you. You look great.”
“You too.” She patted his chest. “It’s been too long.”
“I know.”
She wasn’t what I’d expected. In other words, she wasn’t rotting away in front of us. Not going to lie, I was happy about that. She was olive-skinned, but there was a chalkiness to her skin where the glow of life should have been.
Her face wasn’t traditionally beautiful, but her large eyes and strong jawline only made her more interesting. Plus, she had incredibly kind eyes and a sweet smile. I liked her instantly. And if I didn’t focus on the dark hollows under those kind eyes or the ones just under her cheekbones, the shadows could have been makeup. Sort of like an overabundance of contouring and a less-than-skilled attempt at a smoky eye.
Otherwise, she was built like a Vegas showgirl, right down to her wavy brunette hair and curvy figure. There were a few places, like a patch of skin on her hand and another on the side of her neck that looked a little like they were peeling off, but I didn’t care.
I wasn’t going to let any of that stand in the way of getting to know the woman who was half the reason Sin had turned out so well.
Sin turned toward me, my mom, and my dad. “These are my parents, Lila and Anson Crowe. Mom and Dad, this is my fiancée, Princess Jayne Frost, and her parents, Jack and Klara. Who I probably should have introduced with their royal titles, since they are also the King and Queen of the North Pole.”
My father laughed and waved his hand like he was batting those titles away. Then he stuck that hand out to Sin’s father. “Please. We’re going to be family. Within the confines of the palace, we’d prefer to keep things informal. Just call us Jack and Klara. And Jayne. It’s our great pleasure to welcome you to our home.”
Anson shook my dad’s hand. “It’s our pleasure to be here. We entertained the Sultan of Brunei once, but we’ve never met a king and queen.” Then he smiled at me. “Or imagined we’d have a princess for a daughter-in-law.”
I smiled back. “I’m so delighted to meet you both. And to have you here.”
Lila’s eyes looked a little weepy, but I wasn’t sure if that was because she was happy or a zombie. “We’re so glad to meet you, Jayne.”
She glanced at Sin, and the shine in her eyes changed to something easily recognizable. Joy. “I can’t believe you’re marrying a princess. And such a beautiful one too.”
“That’s very kind of you.” What a sweet thing for her to say. “You know, once we’re married, Sinclair will be considered a royal as well. He’ll be the Prince Consort.”
My mom came over as my dad and Anson were deep in conversation about what sounded like the construction of the palace. “And, Lila, you and Anson will be given the titles of lady and lord. My husband will issue a decree that makes it so. That might not mean anything in Las Vegas, but here in the North Pole, it holds some weight.”
“What an honor.” Lila put her hand to her throat and shook her head. “I never would have imagined the little boy who once painted the dog blue would end up with this kind of life.”
I stared at Sin. “You painted the dog blue?”
He groaned. “I’d kind of forgotten about that. In my defense, I was six.”
“Seven,” Lila corrected.
My mom chuckled. “Considering that at the age of nine, Jayne ate half of a tray of cream tarts made especially for a visiting diplomat before he arrived, I think these two are well paired.”
Lila laughed. “Sounds like it.”
My mom smiled at Lila. “Would you like to see your rooms? Or would you rather some refreshments? We’re having a family dinner tonight, so my sister and her husband—Jayne’s aunt and uncle—will be joining us.”
“That’s wonderful.” Then Lila’s mouth dropped open. “You mean Santa Claus, don’t you? Sinclair told us.”
My mom nodded. “Yes, I do mean Santa Claus. He’s my brother. We just call him Kris. He and Martha are very down-to-earth. You’ll like them.”
“I’m sure I will.” Lila glanced over at her husband. “But I worry about Anson ending up on the Naughty List. It’s hard for him to turn off the showman side of himself.”
My mom snort-laughed, which caused the rest of us to crack up. She put her hand over her mouth. “Oh, he’s going to fit right in. And don’t worry, we don’t let Kris bring the list with him to family functions.”
“Good to know,” Lila said. “I’d love to see the rest of the palace. Or whatever you’d like to show us.”
“You’re welcome to see it all,” my mom said. Then she turned to one of the footmen. “Please take Mr. and Mrs. Crowe’s bags up to their room.”
“Yes, Your Grace.” After a quick nod, he did as my mom asked.
She turned toward the men. “Jack, I’m taking Lila on a tour of the palace.”
My father lifted his brows. “Oh?” He looked at Anson. “Should we join them?”
“Fine by me,” Anson said. “If the rest of the place is anything like this room, I’d say we’re in for a treat.”
We did a quick tour of the big rooms on the first floor, then took the Crowes to their apartment on the second floor. They were close to where Sin and I were, but not so near that they wouldn’t have some privacy.
We left them to get settled in. Dinner was only a couple hours away, so we’d see them soon. But Sin hesitated at the door. “Do you mind if I stay with them for a little bit? It’s been a while since I saw them.”
“No, of course not.” I gave him a quick smile. “Spend all the time you want with your folks. I should probably go see Birdie anyway.”
“Is she coming to dinner?”
My mother answered before I could. “I hope so. I’d assumed she was. I told the kitchen to prepare dinner for nine.”
“I don’t think I mentioned it. But she’d love that. It’s kind of you to include her, Mom.”
Sin shrugged. “Well, she is planning our wedding. Including her seems like the least we could do.”
My mother
’s eyes rounded, and she turned with that kind of slow, deliberate motion that spelled trouble. “What do you mean she’s planning your wedding?”
I shot Sin a look, then thought about kicking him lovingly in the shin.
He grimaced as he realized what he’d just let slip and backed into his parents’ rooms. “Pretty sure I hear my mother calling me. Love you, Jayne.”
He winked at me right before he closed the door. Like that was going to get him out of this.
I smiled sweetly at my mother and hoped she remembered how much I loved her. “Mom, I’ve been meaning to tell you. I just haven’t had the chance yet, with the skeleton and everything. Birdie’s helping me organize a few wedding things.”
“Skeleton?” She crossed her arms. “And what kinds of things?”
My father’s brows lifted. “I should get back to the office.”
My mom grabbed his arm. “Just a second, Jack. Did you know about this?”
“Pretty sure I have a meeting.”
“No, you don’t.”
He sighed. “I knew about the skeleton. But that’s all been dealt with. I’ll fill you in later.”
If she frowned any harder, she was going to give herself new wrinkles. “You’d better. I do not like being kept in the dark.”
He kissed my mom on the cheek. “Remember, dear, it is Jayne’s wedding.”
She ignored him to look at me. “Well? What wedding things? And if you needed help, why didn’t you come to Aunt Martha and me?”
“Why don’t we walk and talk at the same time?” I knew my mom wouldn’t like that Birdie was helping, but I wasn’t going to back down.
She stayed right where she was. “Walk where?”
Wow. She was mad. “Back to my apartment. We can go see Birdie together. Fill you in on what’s been happening. Please, Mom.”
She frowned a little harder, something I would have thought impossible. “I suppose.”
We started moving. “Look, Mom, the truth is I needed the help, and etiquette doesn’t allow me to hire someone, so—”
“As I said, Aunt Martha and I are perfectly happy to step in and—”
Miss Frost Says I Do: A Nocturne Falls Mystery (Jayne Frost Book 7) Page 15