by Beth Byers
“Is he—?”
“Is he done? No. I think he might wring her neck, but he’s said he won’t let go again until she tells him to, and she doesn’t tell him to leave, she simply drives him mad.”
Violet snorted and then groaned.
“I’m going to leave you here if you’re fine,” Jack told her.
“I am,” Violet said. She pressed a kiss to his cheek and ordered, “Cocktails, dinner, and dancing.”
“Certainly. Happily even.” His mouth had one of those hidden smiles, and she groaned again at his smirk before closing the door on him.
She flopped onto the chair again, put her feet back up, and pulled her coffee to her chest, breathing it in for a long while before she took a sip. Rita had turned on the wireless while she was changing her dress and the sound of a low-wailing feminine voice filtered into the parlor. Violet dipped a butter biscuit into her coffee and enjoyed the sweet biscuit combined with the deep bitter coffee.
“Who would you prank?” Violet called to Rita.
Rita’s voice was a little muffled as she answered, “Besides Ham?” She appeared in the doorway, straightening her dress.
Violet gaze sharpened and her mouth twisted evilly.
“Oh,” Rita said.
“Oh,” Violet agreed.
Their gazes met and a slow, smooth, snakish smile appeared on their faces in unison.
“We shouldn’t,” Rita tried.
Violet snorted and only just kept from lifting her brow. “Don’t waste your breath, doll.”
Rita’s evil snicker echoed Violet’s.
Vi adjusted her powder and lipstick, placed the cups on the tray, and then grabbed her handbag. It had her usual things. She always carried money, cards, a small book, a key to her house, Victor’s house…and Ham’s home. She had gone and gotten his dogs often enough to need one, and his neighbors were now used to her appearing randomly for the dogs.
“Should we short-sheet his bed?” Rita asked.
“Why wouldn’t we?” Violet demanded.
“Maybe we could catch a snake.”
“No,” Violet shook her head. “It’s far less funny when you see someone standing on a chair screaming.”
Violet remembered it, but this time with the idea that everyone had been all right.
When she smirked and Rita snorted, Violet muttered, “Ginny is doomed.”
She led the way out of the penthouse suite and they took the lift to the main floor where a uniformed porter ran to get them a black cab.
“Where should we go first?”
Vi looked at the cabbie. “Where would you go to buy items to prank a friend’s home?”
He twisted in his seat and looked them over as if to check they were adults instead of children. After a moment he said, “A thrift shop since I’m guessing these things will be tossed in a bin by the poor bloke you’re winding up.”
Violet eyed Rita, who nodded to the man. After a rather longer amount of time than it took to reach most of the shops they usually visited, Rita and Violet found a shop stuffed full in every corner.
Rita gasped and turned in place. The boutique they visited the last time they went shopping had been set up like a ladies boudoir, with stockings arranged in a drawer and nighties tossed almost casually over a chair.
This place was a dusty mess. The part of Violet that tucked things away came clawing to the forefront. She felt almost as if her skin were crawling. Rita, however, dove right into the thick of it. She gasped again. “Look at this!”
A rusty saw? Violet shook her head and wandered, carefully not touching anything. Rita cackled as she found an old lipstick tube. She picked up several worn dolls with porcelain heads. One had a broken hand, one had been glued back together, and the last was in good shape, but somehow it was the creepiest of them all.
Was it the angle of the eyes? Or the curl of the hair? It was as though the doll was looking directly at you.
“That doll makes me feel as though she just might use the saw on me,” Violet said with a grimace.
“Perfect,” Rita said. She added odds and ends until her arms were overflowing while Violet attempted to avoid each brush of the place.
“What is your problem?” Rita asked.
“It’s messy in here,” Violet said low, knowing she was ridiculous.
“You wash,” Rita scoffed.
“I know I’m being absurd,” Violet admitted. “I just…don’t like clutter.”
Rita’s scoff was enough to get Violet digging through a basket of things, and then her attention was caught by taxidermy. Slowly she walked closer. It was a squirrel that someone had dressed in a top hat and a coat. It was both horrible and fabulous. Ham needed it on his bedside table.
Rita grinned as Violet ignored the dust and the mess to purchase a taxidermy squirrel dressed for a night on the town.
Chapter 6
Ginny stared between Violet and Victor and then placed a pamphlet before them.
“Autumn’s Wind School?” Violet glanced at Victor, who lifted the pamphlet and read it quickly. Violet was far less concerned with the school itself as with Ginny. Her eyes were wide, she was biting her lip—she truly wanted to go to this school, Violet thought.
“They let you choose your classes and attend as you wish,” Ginny told them.
Victor winced, but Violet asked, “Why does that appeal so much?”
“Because I hate chorus. And I’m brilliant at maths and I hate sitting through repetitive explanations for those who struggle. Why should I have to waste my time in that way? I like that you can pursue what interests you.”
Violet saw the same truth in her twin’s eyes that was dwelling in hers. They couldn’t have been trusted with that much freedom. The two of them would have disappeared into the green, the wood, whatever garden was there, and they’d have spent the day lying on a blanket, eating apples, playing fiction games, and avoiding all signs of actual work.
Together they faced Ginny. Victor asked, “How will you decide what to study?”
Ginny’s hands were twisting in her lap. “I was hoping to…be a doctor?”
Violet blinked, staring at Ginny. There were, Vi was sure, women doctors. There could not, however, be very many. She didn’t want to tell Ginny it couldn’t be done. Vi had, in fact, little doubt Ginny would be brilliant at anything she decided to do.
“Why?” Violet asked.
“If my grandmother had someone looking after her in time she might have lived longer. My mother might not have died or my baby sister. My father might have lived longer too. I—” Ginny blinked rapidly and looked away.
“Then you shall be a doctor,” Victor told her. “It won’t be easy.”
“You’ll have to study harder than Victor and I ever did.”
“I won’t have to waste my time on chorus and painting, both of which I’m hopeless at, when I could be studying chemistry and anatomy.”
“We’ll have to visit the school before we decide,” Violet told her.
Ginny nodded and then rose to pace. Violet watched the girl use Vi’s own coping method.
“For better or worse,” Victor murmured, “she’s one of us.”
Violet shrugged and then scowled when Victor lifted a brow at her to remind her that they were supposed to stop with their sarcastic gestures.
“Ginny, what is wrong?” Violet asked
She shook her head.
“You can tell us.”
“It’s just school stuff. A few of the girls . . . nothing to be worried about. I am just remembering how much I hate them.”
“Yes, well—” Victor started to reply, paused to consider, and then added, “We all do, Gin.”
Violet scoffed. “You stay here at Victor’s, Ginny. The servants are off tonight.”
Ginny absently nodded, and Vi rose with a slight motion of her head to her brother. He followed after her.
“Are we doing the wrong thing?” he asked.
“I have no idea.”
“I
feel like we should know.”
“I suspect,” Vi countered, “that none of them ever did. Not Aunt Agatha or Father or anyone. I think they were all just…just…faking it.”
Victor muttered something dark and then admitted, “I have no idea what I’m doing with Ginny, Agatha, or Vivi. This is worse than not making enough money back when we were poor and had to scrape for cocktail money.”
Violet grinned at him as she remembered those days. “Do you remember how bad our rooms smelled? It was constantly like old, wet socks.”
Victor’s laugh-snort had Vi giggling in response.
“Dancing, Victor. Cocktails. Possibly watching Rita and Ham fight.”
Victor tugged one of Violet’s locks, and she smacked him lightly before making her way through the garden back to her house. As she arrived, she found Hargreaves sending off the servants.
“How are you, Hargreaves? I hope you have good plans for the evening?”
He smiled and nodded. “The house is already locked up. All that you need to do is lock the front door, ma’am.”
Violet nodded, skipping past him and down the hall as she called, “Have a good evening, Hargreaves.”
Violet dressed quickly, choosing a black dress. It reached just above her knees with long fringe that fell beyond. The black beading was designed into the same black spider webs as her costume. Vi had liked the costume so much, she’d ordered one perfect for cocktails and dancing.
Violet blended eyeshadow about her eyes, lined them with kohl, and applied mascara. She had already layered rouge and powder on her cheeks. She played with her new black diamond choker before putting it about her neck. Who, she wondered, would be pranking her house that night?
She was afraid that she’d come back to her house burned down. She turned to put on her shoes and found Jack sitting on the end of their bed watching her. She gasped.
“Make a noise next time, Jack. I was sitting here thinking about our house being burned down while we’re gone, and then you’re lurking.”
“Lurking?”
“Like Frankenstein’s monster.”
He laughed. “How many spooky novels have you read in the last few weeks?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Jack crossed his arms over his chest.
“Fine.” She scrunched up her nose and held up a finger for each title. “Frankenstein. Dracula. A large selection of Edgar Allan Poe’s stories. Carmilla. The Phantom of the Opera. The Picture of Dorian Gray.”
“You might need to cut back on those.”
“Do you remember someone putting mice through the letter slot? Or the snake in the library?”
Jack laughed, taking her hands and pulling her close to him so she was standing between his knees. “Are you afraid?”
“Who, me?”
“Yes,” he said gently. “You. Do you want to go on a trip? Remove the chance for the prankster to bother us?”
Violet considered and then admitted, “No. I want to have our party, visit this odd school Ginny has picked out, and possibly lie on the library floor in front of the fire again, entirely unafraid of snakes.”
“It is an excellent place to curl up with ginger wine and Frankenstein.”
“And maybe my husband.”
“What a lucky man.” Jack tugged her again, so she was forced to crawl onto his lap. While she was there she decided to place a kiss on his cheek. “So you aren’t afraid?” he asked.
“Not at all. Irritated. I want to wring someone’s neck.”
He laughed. “Ham is looking into the people associated with our past cases. I had a thought, however.”
Violet’s head cocked.
“Do you think it could be your cousin, Algie?”
She nodded instantly. “Especially if Clara doesn’t know. His wife might be happy to go along with pranks, but she’d probably draw the line at the snake. Algie is certainly dumb enough not to realize that an adder is poisonous.”
“We need to look into Algie. And your brother, Geoffrey.”
“Isn’t he still down from school?”
Jack nodded. “As far as I can tell, London is full of students who’ve been sent down from school for poor behavior.”
“My brother is an excellent choice.” Violet sighed. “I want him to be less of a wart, but I can imagine Geoffrey having done this so easily.”
Jack shook his head. “I told him I’d take him out tomorrow. We’re going to a fight, and we’re going have dinner at the Savoy.”
“Romantic.” Violet grinned at him and then laughed as Jack stood, holding her still, so she was floating in the air.
He snorted and then groaned as Vi eyed him. “We do have bad habits. It’s possible we’re irritating and poorly behaved.”
Violet laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck.
“I used to be a respected investigator.”
“Ohh,” Violet whimpered for him and then made a kissy face. “Have you talked to Ham since you saw him at lunch?”
Jack’s gaze narrowed on her. “Why would that matter?”
Her laugh was her only reply.
“He’s coming tonight. He said he’d bring a spare shirt.”
Jack carried her down the stairs as though she were a mud-covered toddler. When they reached the front of the house, they saw their vehicle had been brought around.
Jack opened the auto door and then paused. “Bloody hell,” he groaned, sputtering out an expletive.
“Is that feces?” Vi stepped back, covering her face.
“I love my automobile, Vi!” he yelled as he slammed the door hard enough to rattle the window glass.
“I’m sure it can be cleaned.” Her lips were pressed together to hold back the laugh of relief.
Victor and Kate approached and Violet crossed to her twin while Jack kicked the auto’s wheels.
“What happened?” Victor asked.
“I’m guessing it is horse manure.”
“Oh,” Kate said, wincing. She tucked her arm through Victor’s. “Why aren’t you upset?”
“I’m relieved it wasn’t the house on fire. I was thinking they were going to take it to that level.”
“That’s quite a bit beyond mice in the letter slot, pretty devil,” Victor told her as Jack kicked the auto’s wheels one more time.
Jack’s smoothed-back hair was loose enough to flop down, and Violet nudged Victor. “You have a comb, don’t you?”
“The smell may never come out,” Jack growled. “When I find this bloke, I’m going to need to be disabled before I commit murder myself.”
“I’ve got you, old man,” Victor told him. “Come now. Let’s get a black cab, a strong drink, and you can have a dose of dancing.”
Jack glared at his auto and then muttered, “I’d like to have a dose of boxing.”
“I’m all dressed up, Jack,” Violet told her, “and I’m hungry. Disappear if you must, but Kate and I are going to have a roast beef, asparagus, and mushrooms.”
Jack glanced at her and then back at the auto. “The servants are gone.”
“They are.”
“I don’t want to clean it up myself.”
“It’s why we pay them.” Violet winced as she looked at the auto. “They might need bonuses for the snake-mice-feces fiascos.”
“Fine. Whatever. I want my auto back to normal. We’re finding this bastard,” Jack said, then he cleared his throat, striding ahead.
“He’s angry,” Kate said. “I hadn’t realized he loved his auto so much.”
“He startled me tonight,” Violet said, speaking low. “I think he realized I am jumpy because of the pranks. He’s too protective to have me wincing at him without growing furious.”
Victor sighed and admitted, “That would have infuriated me as well.”
Kate admitted in a low whisper to Violet. “The babies are sleeping in our rooms, just in case. We raised a couple of part-time servants to full-time until things are stopped. The dogs are in our room a
s well, so we’re having something of a chaotic zoo.”
“This needs to stop,” Vi muttered. “This needs to stop before we’re driven mad.”
Jack was able to signal a black cab once they reached a busier street. Thankfully it wasn’t raining and they were able to slide into the auto and head towards the restaurant.
“What do you think of Geoffrey for the prankster?” Jack asked Victor.
“I think Geoffrey likes you too well for that,” Victor answered. “But he is dumb enough to think those things would be funny. Isn’t he at school?”
“He got sent down about the same time as Ginny.” Jack put his arm around Violet and she could feel the tension in him. “Seems there was a recent full moon and an excess of schools are without children after fights, pranks, shenanigans, and out-and-out crimes.”
“I bet they just wanted to be home for All Hallows,” Kate said. “It wouldn’t be the first time school kids timed their hijinks to allow themselves to get out of school at the right time.”
“Maybe there was also a big exam,” Victor suggested. “I did that. Twice, actually.”
Jack shook his head and glanced at Vi. “And you?”
“Victor and I generally timed our mischief to reach the same end.”
“All Hallows at home,” Victor said with a wicked grin. “Aunt Agatha always knew what we were up to and seemed to forgive us before we arrived.”
Chapter 7
Ham met them at the door of the restaurant. “Rita hasn’t arrived yet.” His gaze moved to Violet.
She grinned at him
“Do I need to ask for my key back?”
“Do you need someone to care for your dogs? Mary and Watson were happy to see me, and I took them for a good walk.”
“You scared the boy I pay to walk my dogs.”
Jack looked from one to the other as Violet and Ham bantered, and he finally asked, “What did you do?”
“It was mostly me,” Rita said, appearing from behind them with Denny and Lila.
“Hullo, hullo,” Denny said. “What did you do, Rita? And why didn’t you tell us on the way?”
“I don’t know to what you’re referring,” Rita immediately countered.