by Beth Byers
That convinced Lila. She had been there when Violet had given them the baby. Lila’s lips twitched in the tears they’d both shed as they watched the young couple and the baby unite. “They saw her and fell in love. You’d have to peel little Helen out of their cold, dead hands and even then they’d haunt you,” Lila said. “I suppose I know those things are true. That being said, I want my cousins off this list.”
Mrs. Lancaster returned to the room and said, “I hope that you intend to follow through with what your brother agreed to, Lady Carlyle.”
“Please call me Violet or Vi,” Violet said. “Victor knows me better than I know myself. I’m sure whatever he said we’d do is fine with me.”
“You’ll see to the children’s health and education?”
Violet nodded. “You can count on us.”
“Into a career? One that they’d be happy in?”
“Yes. Of course. What is the point if we just throw them out when they’re old enough?”
Mrs. Lancaster shook her head and then said, “You really mean that.”
Violet carefully said, “I didn’t do anything to earn the money my aunt left me. I can tell you, however, she would rise up from her grave and scold me for leaving children suffering. She saw to our education and when we didn’t have her money, we had the education she gave us which saw us through to being…”
“Disgustingly wealthy,” Denny finished and Violet didn’t object. He wasn’t wrong.
“Your brother said that you two are taking on some street-child?”
Violet knew her brother had been trying to win Mrs. Lancaster over. Violet, however, wanted to elbow him in the side for giving away their secrets.
“Ginny helped me to save the life of my sister from someone who had been obsessed with her rather like this admirer was obsessed with Kate. Ginny is no street-child. She’s an angel who dislikes baths and has an interesting vocabulary.”
Mrs. Lancaster laughed. “I’m happy to hear you didn’t just hand her parent a pile of pound notes to care for her.”
Violet saw to their needs financially. Paying the rent of the hovel they lived in wasn’t something that Violet would have noticed even before she’d inherited quite so much money. She’d have been happy to move them somewhere nicer, but Ginny’s grandmother wanted to be close to her friends. Her days were numbered, she could have what she needed as long as Ginny was safe and healthy.
Violet stretched out and then fell off the Chesterfield when something crashed through the window. She was on the ground, her head covered by arms when Mrs. Lancaster said, “It’s a brick, not a bomb.”
Victor lifted Violet, so she didn’t have to push up off the floor which was covered in glass.
She looked around and saw Denny pushing through the large broken window and giving chase to someone who was already down the street.
Lila watched her husband, an anxious hand over her mouth.
Kate slowly picked up the brick. Violet watched as she turned it over and found another letter with her name on it. The inside was simple enough: Leave or you’ll regret it.
Violet looked at Inkwell, who had come running. He stared back at them and then said, “We’ll get someone in today.”
“We aren’t leaving,” Violet said. “Board it up.”
“We need windows, Vi,” Victor said. “To be safe.”
“No.” Vi shook her head. “He’s angry because she’s ours here. He can’t get to her. This tells me that we’re winning. He scared her into this house. Now, he wants to scare her out. We won’t let him win. Not in anything.”
Chapter 20
“What did you say?” Jack asked.
Violet waved him into the parlor and Jack stared at the board over the window. The glass had been swept up, the rugs beaten, the sofas brushed over carefully time and again. The fact that the room had been overturned and polished was clear.
“There was a brick,” Violet said as he stared at the boarded up window.
“Did anyone catch the thrower?” His voice was expressionless.
“Denny tried.”
Jack didn’t curse. If Victor had been the one to follow, they might have caught him. Denny wasn’t the fleetest of their group, but the events were what they were. “What are the names on the chalkboard?”
Violet explained and Jack nodded. He glanced around. They were alone. Lila and Kate had gone to lie down. The letters and journals were put away. Victor had watched the window until it was boarded up and then he’d gone up to his bedroom. He’d left the door open in case Kate left the bedroom, so the sound of him clicking away on the typewriter echoed through the house.
Jack took Violet’s wrist and pulled her close. “Were you afraid?”
She nodded. “I was laying on the Chesterfield. I fell off. It was like the days when we practiced a bomb hitting. I reacted before I could think. It was…it was very frightening.”
Jack’s jaw clenched and he placed a hand in her hair, drawing her close to him. She pressed her face into his chest. He’d never hugged her before. He’d held her hand. They’d kissed before Harriet had been killed, but this was something different. His heat relaxed muscles she hadn’t realized hurt. His hand left her back and moved up her spine, digging into her hair. She slowly pulled away until she looked up at him.
“How do you stand it?”
“What do you mean?” His voice rumbled in his chest, and she could feel it against hers.
“How do you stand learning about the terrible things people do to each other? I feel like I’ll never see the world the same way again.”
He pressed a kiss on her forehead. “I don’t see the world the same way. What I see and do changes things. Some things mean so much more—you and Victor not even having to talk about taking care of the local children. That means more. The way that Lila both protected and disciplined her little sister. It means more. The way that Denny worships Lila. It means more. You realize those things aren’t givens. They’re special. I see the worst, yes. But because of the worst, I appreciate the best more than I ever could have.”
Violet nodded and laid her cheek against his chest because she could. Maybe she appreciated this moment more than she would have before Harriet died. Jack held Violet until she relaxed into him, rubbing her spine. While he held her, she whispered the terrible things she’d read. Saying them out loud gave them a power she didn’t want to allow. Violet told him all they’d learned and as she did, somehow Jack holding her made the way Harriet had been hunted and haunted bearable.
“Was that all you did today?”
Violet shook her head and told Jack of the trap they’d planned. The way they’d take Kate away to Cuba and California.
“That ought to be enough to set this guy off,” Jack said. “How upset is Victor?”
“He won’t let Kate be alone, even in the house, and he watched the workmen fix the window as though they were really here to steal the silver. Or Kate.”
“Pomeroy is coming to lunch,” Jack said. “We’ll go over what we’ve learned and see what we can find out. We could use Denny’s help in tracking down the cousins on that list. Possibly even the Wickhams. They seem to have disappeared, but they didn’t leave together.”
They joined the others for lunch and found Victor’s gaze fixed on Kate, who had paled as the day went on. Her hand even shook as she tried to eat her soup. Given the way Victor’s jaw clenched when she ended up only sipping water, he was about one moment from trying to track this person with the sheer force of will. Violet could just imagine Victor going door to door and demanding handwriting samples.
He left the dining room far earlier than the others, but Violet had no doubt he was pacing in the hallway, ridden by his fury. Kate followed him, and the rest stared after Kate.
“I’m going back to the journals,” Denny said, leaving a moment later. Pomeroy excused himself next and only Jack, Violet, and Lila were left.
“Inkwell had the maids clean the ballroom,” Lila told Violet.
She grinned for a moment and then laughed a second later. She’d had the most wicked thought. “Do we escalate matters?”
“What do you mean?” Jack demanded.
“Impromptu party with roller-skates, cocktails, and jazz music. We’ll invite all of our suspects. We’ll up the pressure. See if we can get these fellows who seem to have disappeared to come.”
Jack both loved and hated the idea. Violet said, “Kate needs this to be over. We need to get to Cuba.”
“Are you really going?”
Violet grinned and winked before she said, “We.”
He blinked. “We?”
“Rum cocktails? Apparently with pineapple juice?”
“I suppose I could be persuaded to drink something with pineapple juice.”
“Then we’re agreed.”
Violet grabbed Lila and said, “We need to get Kate to agree without Denny and Victor knowing until it’s too late.”
“Your brother is going to kill me,” Jack said.
“He’ll just damage you a little,” Violet told him brightly. “You’re a big man. I’m sure you can take it.”
“You seem awfully unbothered by the idea.”
Lila snorted as Violet said, “I guess I’m just bloodthirsty.”
“I need to talk to the doctor about Harriet. I have things to do. Be safe,” he said, tapping her nose and then putting a finger under her chin to turn her face up to his. Violet’s breath caught. Was he going to kiss her? He dropped a kiss on her forehead and repeated, “Be safe. Please.”
“Oh my,” Lila said as they watched him leave. She turned to Violet and said, “I like him.”
“Me too.”
“He won't let you run roughshod as much as Victor.”
“But he’s not stopping us,” Violet countered. She looked after Jack, who had disappeared. “I don’t want to run roughshod or be controlled. I want a partner for my shenanigans.”
“He does seem to be on board with our scheme,” Lila said, “even knowing your brother will make us pay later.”
“Perfection.” Violet glanced at Lila and then they found Kate.
“Yes,” Kate said instantly when she heard the plan. “Please. Let’s end it. I don’t know how anyone lives like this. Harriet was…shocking in her strength. I saw her often enough. She was always laughing and teasing. You’d never have imagined she was carrying this around.”
“We’ll have to send the invites before Victor or Denny realize the plan. Denny will tell on us,” Lila said. “He’s still mad about the nightclub thing and I’m in the doghouse.”
“He needed to know,” Violet told her. “You were haunted by the feel of those hands. You lied every time you had a nightmare.”
Lila shrugged.
“Write the notes. I’ll distract Victor with book talk. Kate, stick with Lila. Get the notes out as soon as possible. Someone talk to Inkwell. Once the notes are out, they’ll deal with what we’ve done.”
Violet kept Victor busy until Lila stuck her head in and said, “Good news, darlings. The plan’s afoot.”
She escaped while Victor turned to Violet. His gaze narrowed and she batted her lashes at him. It didn’t work. He slowly stood, looming over her, as he asked, “What have you done?”
“Me? Nothing.”
“What has been done?”
“Just a little evening plan…some mischief.”
Victor left his room and found Kate and Lila in Lila’s office. He put his hands on his hips and demanded, “What have you done?”
“Upped the pressure on our fiend,” Kate told him. She took a sip of a cup of tea calmly as if she weren’t pale and shaking.
Victor demanded, “How?”
“A party,” Lila said brightly. “Jazz music. I even opened the presents I bought you and Vi so we’d have some new records. We’re going to have nibbles, cocktails, friends, and roller-skating to jazz in the ballroom. Just close friends, of course. We’re mourning, but we’re also here only for a limited time. You understand…”
Lila grinned and winked and Victor growled at her. “This is dangerous!”
“It’ll be fine.” Violet tucked her hands behind her back. She had another idea, but Victor would hate it even more, so he’d have to be surprised with the rest of the gents.
“I’ve invited some ladies to even us out,” Lila said. “We’ll keep one of us with Kate the whole time.”
“No,” Victor said. “You’ll stay with me.”
“How will…”
“If we’re setting aside propriety to have a party right after your cousin died,” Victor told them, “we’re setting aside propriety to have you mingle. You’ll be with me the whole time, and our quarry will have even more reason to act.”
Kate shook her head. “He might strike out at you rather than me.”
Her words were a plea, and the exact wrong thing to say, not that Violet felt there was any way to talk Victor out of what he was planning. They pushed him into a corner. He wasn’t going to just be boxed in. He was an affable brother, but he was not a cipher.
Violet didn’t bother arguing. Kate wasn’t winning this one. “Victor, you’re in charge of the drinks. Be the merry drink-maker. For us…tonic water and lemon juice. We can make it look like we’re completely zozzled without actually drinking alcohol at all.”
Victor’s head tilted.
“Kate,” Violet told her. “Accept that Victor will be keeping a close watch on you.”
“As,” Jack said from behind them, “I will be on you. It’s clever to have Victor make us drinks that don’t have alcohol, but we’ll all do that and have Giles on hand to help with it as well. Victor will be distracted protecting Kate. We’ll all be sure to drink freely. I’m going to have Pomeroy put a couple of men in the house. We’ll have assistance at the ready.”
“It’s not that long until starting time,” Lila said. “Your gentlemen were sent with the invites and asked to wait for replies. We’ll discover shortly how many people are disgusted by us and how many will come despite our poor taste.”
A few moments later, they separated to dress. Violet turned on Kate when they reached the bedroom and said, “We’re putting pressure on?”
Kate nodded, and Violet pulled out the gold dress. It was daring for Violet’s slender figure. For Kate’s curvy one—it would be outrageous.
“Oh,” Kate said. “I…”
Violet sat down at the vanity and said, “You don’t have to. You can wear something classy. But if you want this over…”
Kate licked her lips and held the dress to her body. “I want it over.”
“Then put the pressure on.”
Kate bit her lip, but she nodded. She took the first bath and came out lotioned and perfumed. Her hair was brushed dry by Beatrice while Violet took the next bath. When Violet left the washroom, she found Beatrice struggling to zip the dress.
“You’ll need a corset,” Violet told Kate.
“I…”
“Lila will have one. Be a darling, Bea?”
The maid left the room and Kate moaned, “I’m chesty before you put me in a corset. With one? It’ll be scandalous.”
Violet started to kohl her eyes. “We’re looking for scandalous, my friend. I won’t tell you that you must wear the dress, and I won’t judge you if you don’t. If you want to up the pressure, a corset and that dress will do it. Especially if you strap on roller-skates, indulge in a half-dozen cocktails, and spin in Victor’s arms. Any man who feels like he owns you…well…it wouldn’t be pretty. If you did that with another man and Victor thought you were committed to him? Even Victor would react.”
Kate nodded. “I want to be in the next book. A heroine named Kate whose hands don’t shake when things are intense and scary. One who carries a pistol in her handbag and a knife strapped to her thigh.”
“Oh,” Violet laughed. “A knife strapped to her thigh does sound uncomfortable but very prepared. A pistol in the handbag? No, but it wouldn’t be a terrible idea to put a w
eapon or two at the ready, so to speak.”
Kate arranged her makeup and then sighed. “I think you better do my makeup, Vi. It’s going to need to be pushing the pressure level.”
Violet rubbed her hands together. There was a reason that her dog was named Rouge. There was also a reason why Violet had seven shades of red lipstick, that she carried a compact with her wherever she went, and that when she stepped into the toilet to powder her nose—her nose got powdered every single time. Violet loved makeup. She dug through her pots and lipsticks, holding up shades to Kate until she was ready to go.
It took a while for Kate to be pressed into a fully glam look with makeup, the gold dress, and more jewelry that even Violet would be comfortable in.
“You look…”
“Jaw-dropping,” Beatrice said. “And naughty. You glitter like an angel covered in fairy dust.”
“If my mother saw me right now,” Kate started as she tried to pull the gold dress a little higher to cover more of her, ah, bounty, “she would roll over in her grave though she yet lives.”
Violet laughed. “Victor wanted you before this. I hope you’re ready to have him trail you forever.”
Kate laughed, but Violet wasn’t joking. Kate looked like every man’s dream-woman, she was clever enough that she’d intrigued him when he hadn’t been looking, she was brave enough to face off with a man who had murdered one of their friends—she was outstanding, and Victor was not stupid. When you added in how lovely Kate looked—and sexy—Victor was a goner.
Chapter 21
“You need to wait until everyone is here,” Violet told Kate. “I’ll stay with you and Beatrice will come get us when Jack gives her the sign.”
Violet glanced in the mirror. Kate wore the gold dress, Violet wore the black one. They were both beaded and fringed. Violet knew she looked good when Jack’s gaze lingered when he’d glimpsed her, but all the men might swallow their tongues when they saw Kate.