Then on top of that, she could feel the tension between the two men crackling over her. Between the three of them, she was surprised the room hadn’t combusted. And she had to admit that she was glad that Miss Gray had decided to play the piano and not try and join in any conversation here. She was too tense herself to be able to handle the woman’s uncensored mouth on top of everything else.
“Are you lot done playing whist over there?” Bayliss asked. “There must be something we can all do together.”
“Yes,” Cross said with a sigh, “we’ve played it so many times, I fear we’re boring ourselves over it.”
“Perhaps the Bridge of Sighs?” Mr. Rafferty offered.
Mrs. Rafferty gasped and glared at her husband, but she was smiling as well. “My dear, Mr. Rafferty, that is quite out of the question.”
All of the men in the room, except Mr. Hamilton, were smiling somewhat lasciviously. And while Shea was sure Lee wasn’t capable of looking lascivious, she thought she’d seen his lip curl up at the side for just a second.
The piano’s tune stopped, and Miss Gray was at once standing between the couch and chair where she and Daley sat. With a giggle that even Shea had to admit was charming, Miss Gray said, “Oh, but that game is fun. I should like to see the faces of our dear Miss Smith and Miss Shea when they hear the rules.”
That was enough of an indictment of the game for Shea.
“What is it?” Smith asked in a quiet voice.
“Nothing in which I am willing to take part.” Mr. Hamilton turned up his nose. “I will not be made to crawl on all fours, carrying a lady on my back around the room so that she can receive kisses from all the men.” He shot a proprietary look at Shea. She had the distinct impression that his opposition to the idea stemmed more from him not wanting her to be kissed by anyone else than the game itself.
No matter. No way was she doing that. That game sounded about a thousand times worse than spin the bottle.
“Kisses?” Cross said leveling her eyes at Lee who had crossed the room to the mantle. “Whatever do you mean by kisses, Mr. Hamilton?”
She heard a low chuckle from her left and found Daley staring at her—the amused crinkles once again adorning the corners of his eyes. For some reason she couldn’t fathom, she felt pleased that he seemed to have gotten over being mad at her. Though, she wasn’t at all interested in hearing him defend that woman to her. Miss Gray. The cause of much of this tension. She could even blame the kiss on her because it wouldn’t have happened if she hadn’t gone looking for Hamilton after the fight.
Daley continued to stare at her. She shook her head in warning. She wasn’t sure what she was warning him of but just knew one was necessary. He rolled his eyes, but the pleasure in his expression didn’t ease.
“I don’t think my dear cousin wishes to play that game either,” Daley said, “and I find myself too sore to wish it either.”
“I wouldn’t have it anyway,” Mrs. Rafferty sniffed, “not in my parlor anyway.”
“How about charades?” Smith offered.
Shea cringed. She didn’t want to do that either. She just didn’t know enough about the era to be comfortable making guesses about it, or acting her guesses out either. Nightmare.
Cross frowned. “I think I preferred the first game.”
“We could play bloody murder,” Hamilton suggested.
Shea felt a chill run up her spine and against her will glanced at Lee. His jaw clenched. What on Earth was bloody murder?
“Yes, that game is enormously entertaining,” Bayliss said.
“How does it go?” Cross asked. Shea noted she looked equal parts intrigued and nervous.
“First we choose a murderer,” Hamilton explained—seeming to warm even more to his suggestion, “then we turn off all the lights. The murderer hides, and we all go looking for them.”
Shea didn’t exactly like the idea of turning off all the lights. For tactical reasons, it could be a nightmare for her and Lee to keep an eye on Cross, especially if Cross was chosen as the murderer, but glancing around at the excited expressions of the party, she didn’t think she had a say in the matter.
“Why would we seek out a murderer?” Smith asked, her voice smaller than usual.
Uh… for the sake of justice? Shea thought that seemed like a pretty obvious reason, but kept it to herself.
“For fun,” Asher explained. “When the murderer is found, the person who found him or her then shouts ‘bloody murder’ and the murderer will try to tag them and the rest of us before we can make it back to the sitting room. The sitting room is the safe zone.”
“And what happens if we are caught by the murderer?” Shea asked.
Hamilton made eye contact with her. “You fall dead where you stand.”
Goose bumps rose on her arms.
“Let’s do it,” Cross said with a fierce determination as she jumped to her feet. Shea wondered if she wasn’t trying to prove something to herself, and she might have been. Though the look she gave Lee probably had something to do with it too. If she got Lee alone, he was going to have a hard time of it.
Lee sighed. He knew as well as she that there was no way they were getting out of this game now. Everyone seemed quite enthralled by the idea. “How do we decide who the killer is?” Lee asked.
And how would they make sure it wasn’t Cross.
Daley made his way to the card table and grabbed the deck. Hamilton squeezed her hand, when Daley’s back was turned, then let go when he made his way back.
“We all draw a card,” Daley explained, “and whoever has the smallest card is the killer.”
Miss Gray clapped. “Oh, how fun!”
“Not for me,” Mrs. Rafferty said with an amused smile, “I believe I will turn in.”
“Me as well.” Mr. Rafferty stood and offered his hand to Mrs. Rafferty. “This is a young person’s game, and I have been gray for far too many years.”
“Probably best to stay away from the second and third floors,” Mrs. Rafferty said pointing up. “The servants will be in their rooms by now, and I wouldn’t want you to disturb them.”
Everyone nodded, and with a bow and curtsy, the Rafferty’s left the room. Shea briefly wondered where they slept.
Daley shuffled the deck, then turned to Cross who was the closest to him on his left. She took it and with a sigh showed her king face card to the group. Shea sighed in relief and noted the relief on Lee’s face as well. Then Daley shot her a conspicuous wink. Had he just ensured Cross wasn’t the killer?
In the end, it was Miss Gray who ws chosen as the killer. She didn’t seem in the least bit pleased, agreeable, yes, but unhappy nonetheless. It was then that Shea saw that Miss Gray’s attention was torn between Daily and Hamilton. In fact, she was sure now that it had been since dinner. Gah. The woman was shameless. Pretty hard to corner a man in the dark when you’re hiding from them, huh? Well, no matter, Shea was going to let Lee watch Cross. She didn’t think Cross would go with her anyway, and Shea was going to hide from Hamilton. The last thing she needed was him cornering her in the dark.
Hamilton stood from his place on the couch, then pointed to Bayliss and Asher. “We’ll go turn off all the lights, and when we return, we’ll give Miss Gray fifty seconds to hide.
They spoke in hushed tones as they waited for the men to return. Miss Gray leaned over to Mr. Daley and whispered something in his ear. He gave her a warm smile but said nothing. Miss Gray seemed more than a little excited now. Whatever that was about, Shea just hoped it didn’t turn into an awkward situation for the rest of them later on. She definitely wouldn’t put it past the woman to take advantage of the dark and the game.
A few minutes later, Hamilton, Asher, and Bayliss returned, and with a flip of the switch, the sitting room was plunged into darkness. Extreme darkness. As a matter of fact, Shea was starting to think this was a worse idea than the stupid kissing game had been. She was only five feet from Cross now, and even with her platinum blond hair she still couldn�
�t see her well.
She stood up immediately, but before her eyes could adjust she heard a high-pitched scream, followed by laughter.
“Captain Bayliss,” Smith scolded, as a candle was lit by Hamilton. “Don’t do that!”
“Where’s the fun in that?” Bayliss asked.
“Leave her alone,” Asher whispered a little further back from the candle’s light.
The tension in her muscles eased somewhat, but this was going to be a nightmare.
Lee was now standing too, and Shea was pleased to see that Cross was holding his arm. As long as she stayed with Lee, she’d be safe. Probably.
“All right, Miss Gray,” Hamilton spoke, “you have until the count of fifty.”
Miss Gray’s eyes alighted on Daley one more time and then she jogged out of the room as Hamilton started to count.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Pulling back a tapestry in the ballroom, Shea reached out to feel if Miss Gray was there, and when realizing it went back too far, slid in behind it to do a proper investigation. Miss Gray wasn’t there—just like she wasn’t hiding under the tables in the dining room, or behind the couches in the library, and now Shea knew for certain that she wasn’t behind the one large tapestry that was hanging in the ballroom. This was a massive room though. Aside from a few chairs, it was almost empty.
Turning, she put a hand against the wall to steady herself as she made her way out from behind the tapestry. A section of the wall gave way a nudge under her palm. It caught her off guard enough that she stopped and faced the wall. She tried getting closer to the spot so she could see it, but the room was already dark and standing behind the tapestry did nothing to help with the problem of visibility.
She felt around the edges of the part of the wall that moved and then pushed—hard. A door swung open and a giggle wafted out. Shea couldn’t see a thing in the room, but she recognized the voice that spoke.
“Shea?” came the distressed voice of her partner.
“Occupado,” Miss Cross giggled.
Shea felt her face scorch and back stepped out of the secret room. Without bothering to close the door behind her again, she stepped out from behind the tapestry and sped-walked across the ballroom. When she reached the hall, she stopped, and a small chuckle escaped. Poor Lee. Then she shrugged. Or not.
“Bloody murder!” Mr. Daley’s voice rang through the halls like a warning from on high. He had to be down by the sitting room somewhere, but his voice had boomed and startled her.
Well, that had gone a lot faster than she thought it would. She’d only been looking for five or so minutes. She grabbed the bottom of her dress, lifted it, and ran. A flurry of yelps, stomping feet, and laughter sounded up and down the hall. After a figure she was sure could be none other than Mr. Hamilton darted past her and the others and into the sitting room. Man, he was fast! Where had he come from?
“Got you!” Miss Gray squealed, and someone dropped to the ground.
Shea guessed it was Mr. Asher or Captain Bayliss by the sheer volume of the thump, but it was so dark, and figures were running in circles all down the hall and in front of the sitting room door.
She was surprised it wasn’t Mr. Daley, though. His golden hair flickered in the low light in the same direction from where she’d just heard Miss Gray’s voice. It was just too hard to see though. Who was who? Who was where? What was going on?
A high-pitched squeal sounded as Miss Gray attacked again, and after another moment of confusion, strips of light-colored clothing darting back and forth in the darkened hallway, she heard another thump that she assumed must be Cross if the fit of giggles was anything to go by. When she was close enough though, she saw it was Lee who now lay on the floor and not Cross.
The rest of the group then came into view, and Miss Gray hesitated as she decided if she should go for Cross or Daley. Cross ran for the sitting room, but Shea didn’t think she was in any harm of being chased. Gray went after Daley. Miss Gray was a lot faster than Shea would have guessed her to be.
The door to the sitting room was now in Shea’s sight as was the faint glow from the one candles that had been lit in the room. Smith ran into the room, followed immediately by Captain Bayliss and Cross. Shea hopped over the first fallen body, Asher, and stopped. Instead of running for the sitting room Mr. Daley changed direction racing for her with Miss Gray close behind. Shea paused, on the other side of Asher, in shock. He would’ve been home free! What on earth was he doing?
“Wrong way, Mr. Daley!” Miss Gray called out behind him, and Shea thought the woman’s voice sounded a little threatening. This woman had predator written all over her.
Shea stepped over Asher and was about to bolt for the door, but stopped when Daley was mere feet from her, thinking he was about to crash into her. Instead, he went left and she went right.
Shea dodged around Miss Gray, just evading one of the woman’s arms that Shea was sure would’ve close-lined her had she not ducked, and bolted to the sitting room door. Right before she ran in, she heard a surprised yelp followed by an unceremonious thud. Miss Gray, somehow having forgotten where she’d murdered Asher, had tripped over him, and was now trying to pick herself up out of the tangle of legs and too much skirt.
“Are you all right?” Asher asked her, trying to give her a hand.
Miss Gray swatted him away, and then Shea saw no more as Mr. Daley came to her, blocking her view. He grabbed her shoulders and led her into the sitting room, without once looking back at Miss Gray.
“Game over!” Mr. Daley called.
Shea glared up at him. “That was dirty playing.”
He shrugged. “I play to win.”
She was about to argue that he would have won anyway had he gone right into the sitting room, but before she could say anything, she realized that she might not have made it back if he had. She would have been the only “live” person left in the hall with Miss Gray. Shea was pretty sure she was faster than Miss Gray, but the woman would’ve been between her and the door.
Why would he do that for her? It didn’t make sense. Especially since Miss Gray would be madder than defense attorney on crack. Shea knew her real life cousins would have left her for dead, probably even literally, had the choice been between her and a pretty girl they were dating.
Cross ran over to her and grabbed her arm, making her break eye contact with Daley. “Did you see that?” she squealed. “Colonel Lee jumped in front of me! He sacrificed himself for me. Isn’t that sweet?”
Oh dear. Shea sagged. She was sure Lee had done that so that Cross wouldn’t be left out in the hall unattended by one of them. It’s what she would’ve done too. They’d been here a week, and Shea had yet to see Cross exhibit this kind of excitement for any of the actors. Lee hadn’t even been here a full two days, and Cross was all over him.
“Ah, there you are,” Hamilton said with a smile as he came over to stand next to her and Cross. “I see you both made it back alive.”
“Yes, but sadly Colonel Lee and Mr. Asher lost their lives,” Cross replied.
For some reason that seemed to resonate with Shea. The only victims of Miss Gray had both been men, and if she’d had her way, Mr. Daley would’ve been a victim too. Hamilton grabbed her arm, and she looked down at his grasp, then up to his waiting eyes. She knew what he wanted to ask her. Why didn’t you find me?
Just then, she was saved, when Mr. Asher, Colonel Lee, and Miss Gray, came into the room. It was the first time since Shea had met her that Miss Gray hadn’t looked a hundred percent flawless. Her hair was a little mussed, and her taffeta dress was crinkled. Though, her bright red lipstick was still spotless and smudge free. Shea bit her lip to keep from laughing.
Lee’s eyes immediately found Cross, and he looked her up and down before shooting a quick glance at Shea. Poor Mr. Asher looked positively chagrined, as though he thought it was his fault Gray had tripped in the first place. Like he should’ve known better than to fall where he had in the hall where she would most certainly fi
nd mishap. Still, Miss Gray had taken his arm to allow him to escort her back in the room.
Cross immediately went to Lee’s side. Asher stopped by the door, and Miss Gray released his arm. Shea thought for sure she was going to come straight to Daley. She did not. Instead, she walked right past him. Daley rolled back on his heels as she passed, and Shea couldn’t help but note the cool look she threw at him, followed by a cold shoulder.
“One more game?” Smith bounced on her toes.
Mr. Asher nodded. “Yes, I think another round is in order.”
“Yes, let’s,” Cross cried. “I love this game!”
Shea heard a groan from Miss Gray and sensed a rejection of the idea coming on, so she spoke before the woman could. “Can one volunteer to be the killer?” she asked.
Everyone’s eyes fell on her. The men with shock and the women, Gray included, with excitement or possibly amusement.
“I don’t recall it saying anywhere in the rules that they cannot.” Hamilton didn’t sound at all thrilled with where this might be going.
Shea didn’t want to be the murderer, but she didn’t want to risk it being Cross this time around. It was the only thing she could think of to stop Miss Gray from being a spoilsport. Although, she wasn’t sure about how she felt about Miss Gray’s sudden enthusiasm for the idea of her being a murderer.
“I want to be the murderer then.” She stood tall, her gaze darting between Hamilton’s concerned gaze, to Daley’s delighted expression. “What?”
“You don’t have to do that, Miss Shea.” Hamilton took a step closer to her so that she at once felt the intimacy of his words in the mere proximity in which they were being delivered. “We can pick our killer by way of cards again if that would be suitable?”
“I don’t mind,” she said, “It might be fun.” Well, fun might be a stretch, but the reality was she just wanted to make sure Cross wasn’t chosen.
“I agree,” Daley jumped in, “if my dear cousin desires to be a murderer than who are we to stop her?”
Regencyland- The Bristle Park Murders Page 15