by Beth Byers
Violet turned, looking for some clue. The armoire had doors and the drawers had been left open and only rags survived.
She jumped when she saw someone out of the corner of her eye, but it was only Inkwell and the housekeeper.
“I had thought that perhaps I could help clean up,” Violet sighed.
Both of Lila’s servants stared, but Beatrice wasn’t surprised.
“No, my lady,” Beatrice said firmly. “I will save anything that can be saved, but…”
“But there won’t be anything,” Violet finished. “We can’t use this room. He expects us to switch things up. He thinks he knows how we’ll switch it up. What would you think, Inkwell? This room is suddenly empty.”
“There are two more bedrooms upstairs, my lady. They aren’t as nice, but they are not servants’ rooms either.”
Violet considered, tapping her lips. “He’d think that Jack and Victor would take those. They would any other day.”
“Lila just suggested it after peeking in here,” Jack said.
The rest of their group was behind him, looking into the bedroom. Violet stepped into the hallway and glanced around at her friends. Lila had washed her face, but she was still wearing her evening gown. She was tucked under Denny’s arm.
Violet’s gaze turned to Kate standing pale and silent next to Victor.
“This person knows Lila and Denny well enough to know they share a room. We put Martha in the last room on this floor. They must have known Martha and Beatrice were in there because this was done quietly. Jack and Victor obviously have the other rooms given the gentlemen things. Are your keys missing?”
Jack shrugged and the housekeeper went to check.
“They’re gone, my lady.”
Violet nodded, unsurprised. Jack asked, “What are you thinking, Vi?”
“The only way to keep Kate safe is to keep you and Victor near. He’s planning something, thinking he knows how we’ll act. We have to do the entirely unexpected.”
Violet sighed, horrified by the realization she’d just had and then she shared, “We don’t know if he left. We don’t know if he’s just outside. We don’t know the plan. There has to be one though. Otherwise why take the keys? Why destroy the room?”
“He wants me afraid and ready to run,” Kate said. “I am afraid. I am ready to run.”
Victor took Kate’s hand, and she clutched his tightly.
“So, we don’t take the upper rooms.” Jack folded his arms over his chest. Violet nodded. That was a start.
“We leave tomorrow,” Violet said. “We take Kate away from here and leave Jack and Pomeroy to find this man.”
“That’s what he wants though, right? What if he finds us on the road?
Violet shook her head. She didn’t know. They could only guess. “We won’t go alone, we won’t go unarmed. This is one person against our prepared group.”
“Let’s just get through tonight,” Jack said. “Victor and I will take Victor’s room. You and Kate take my room. We’ll leave our doors open. All will be well. In the morning, we’ll consider our options, but we aren’t going to lose you or leave you undefended, Kate. I will be ensuring Harriet’s murderer is found and then you’ll be free.”
Jack was so confident that Violet wasn’t sure how anyone wouldn’t feel better after that. The lion-like man was large and careful. He was a defender of the weak, and he was on Kate’s side. His skills would end this. No other outcome seemed likely.
No one argued and they split to prepare for bed. It was at least 2:00am, and they were all exhausted given their early wakeup from that damned letter. Had it really been that morning?
Kate took a bath in the one off of the old room with some of Lila’s bath salts and soaps. Violet waited her turn while the servants cleaned the bedroom. Mr. Inkwell had sent a servant to the Lancaster home to get underthings for Kate, and Violet had the ones recovered from the laundry. They both wore a nightgown under a kimono, and Violet followed Kate to Jack’s room.
Violet laid on the first side of the bed and then rolled over to try the second one. She caught more of Jack’s scent on the second half and snuggled into the pillow he used. She grinned at Kate and admitted, “I might enjoy his scent too much.”
“Your brother smells good too,” Kate told Violet, who scrunched her nose. Kate laughed. “I kept catching myself having fun tonight.”
Violet winked and then pushed herself up on her elbow. “It could be like that for you all the time, you know?”
“I’m starting to realize that,” Kate bit her lip and said, “I don’t want to jump into anything. Especially when I’m the damsel in distress. I need him to want me when I don’t need saving.”
“I got what you wanted, my lady,” Beatrice said. She put a small box into Violet’s hand. It had come from the bottom of Violet’s jewelry box. “The rest of the jewelry is in the house safe.”
“Thank you.” Violet opened the box. It was a jeweled silver letter opener that had belonged to Violet’s grandmother. She had been given it by her father a few years ago, put it in her jewelry box, and never thought of it again. If her aunt hadn’t died by one of these, Violet probably wouldn’t have thought of it this day.
Violet tucked it under her pillow and told Kate, “Just in case.”
“Keep the dogs with you please, Beatrice. Don’t take them out alone. Have Mr. Giles do it.”
The girl nodded. “Miss Harriet must have thought she knew the person who killed her. You think that you know the people around you and then…”
Violet squeezed Beatrice’s hand. “Most people are what they seem. Most people aren’t monsters.”
Beatrice left a few minutes later after she said, “I won’t stand by and watch the monsters win.”
“There’s a good girl,” Violet told her with a wink.
Once she left, everyone else checked on them. Violet laughed after the last of them left and said, “Shall we sleep?”
“Never,” Kate swore.
They were quiet as they listened to the ticking of the clock downstairs and jumped at every creak of the house. Sometime after the grandfather clock rang three times, Violet slipped into sleep. She woke at the sound of a door shutting. She knew instantly they were in trouble.
They had left their bedroom door open as had Victor and Jack. Now the door was closed. The light from the washroom was dim, and she couldn’t see who had arrived, but none of their party would close the door like that.
“Jack!” Violet screamed. She reached for the knife under her pillow just as she felt a hand on her ankle. She gasped and was yanked from the bed. She kicked and twisted, but she was lifted by her throat. Violet grabbed at the hands on her throat, digging her nails in, but all of her struggles were to no avail.
She tried to gasp, but she couldn’t get any air. She could hear her brother in her head, “Use your wits, Vi!”
Violet balled her fist as her brother taught her and punched the man in the throat at the same time she used her other hand to stab him with the letter opener. It was too dark to see who it was, but he dropped her.
“Violet,” Kate shouted something at the attacker, but Violet couldn’t hear much beyond the sound of her blood in her ears.
She tried to push herself up, but someone kicked her in the side. She didn’t even have the breath to scream. Something broke inside of her, and she curled onto her side, covering her head. The foot didn’t stop coming.
Beyond her whispers, the man was cursing at her. She couldn’t do anything other than cover her face and whimper.
When the kicking stopped, Violet gasped, daring to peek through her arms at the room. Kate had armed herself with the fireplace poker.
Violet wanted to help, but she couldn’t move. She could only try to scoot back, but even that had her whimpering.
“Stop it, Kate,” he shouted. “It’s me! I’m here to save you!”
She screamed as he yanked the poker and hauled her into his arms. Where was Victor? Where was Jack? Kate had
gone boneless, trying to prevent the man from taking her, but he simply hauled her up.
“Let me go!”
“Kate! Damn it!”
He had her by arms as Kate twisted again. She kneed him hard between his legs, and he gasped, dropping her. A moment later, he’d taken her by the wrist, but Kate balled her fist and slammed it into his shoulder where Violet had stabbed him.
He groaned, losing his grip on Kate, and she scrabbled back. She shoved herself up as he did, but she had found the fireplace poker again. The shadow of the man and Kate faced off. She was so much smaller than him, Violet found herself praying. Kate, however, pulled the poker back like she was batting for cricket and slammed it into the stab wound.
He cursed, lurching towards Kate, but she hit him again. The poker slammed into his face and he spun around, taking hold of the poker as he did. He yanked it from her, and Kate backed away. He threw the poker and slowly turned on her.
“You’ll regret that.” His voice was a near growl. The sound of it had Violet shivering and trying to scramble farther from him. She’d have screamed for help, but it was hard to even breathe.
There was no doubt in her mind that Jack and Victor were either dead or doing all they could to reach them. They’d get here soon, she told herself. They were just late.
Kate whispered, “Robert?”
He snarled as he moved towards Kate, but she backed away, scrambling onto the bed as he grabbed at her. She just got away from him, but he was too close to the door for Kate to get free.
“Robert, why? Why are you doing this?”
He tried for her again, but Kate slid away. The threat in his movement made Violet gasped. Surely, he was going to kill Kate and then Violet.
Kate gasped as Robert lurched for her again, but before he could grab hold a gunshot ended the fight.
Robert dropped with a scream, and Violet and Kate turned. Beatrice stood in the doorway in a maid’s uniform. A black and white angel holding a gun with a shaking hand. They turned back to the man and saw Robert Moore crumpled on the ground.
“Did I…did I…kill him?”
Violet shook her head. She could hear the rattle of his breath. Beatrice reached out and turned on the light. Robert lay on the floor, a pool of blood growing beneath him, but he yet lived. Someone should put pressure on his wound, Violet thought. Even if she were capable of helping him, however, she wouldn’t.
“Where are Victor and Jack?” Violet demanded. They were all right, weren’t they?
“He locked them in their room,” Beatrice said. “I stayed in Martha’s room with the door cracked, just in case. I heard him pass Martha’s room and peeked through the crack. I thought at first it was Mr. Inkwell. I didn’t realize…” She blinked rapidly and wiped away a tear. “By the time I did, Mr. Moore locked both other doors. When he came for you, I didn’t think we could fight him off, so I went for help. I snuck down, but Mr. Giles and Mr. Inkwell were already dealing with the fire.”
The sound of footsteps came from the hallway and servants started appearing in the hall along with Martha. Violet could hear people banging on doors. A servant looked into the room and gasped.
“By Jove!” Violet said, holding her free hand to her mouth and pulling it away to see it was bloody. The pain was rushing in now with greater vengeance, and Violet bit back a whimper.
A moment later, Jack burst through the bedroom door. “Violet!”
“Kate!” Victor echoed, only a step behind Jack.
Jack took in the scene and told Mr. Giles. “Secure Moore, call the police. By God,” he said taking in the sight of Violet, “get a doctor now. Go and retrieve one if you need to.”
He crossed the floor to her in a moment and squatted down. She tried to smile at him, but she was pretty sure she was only able to grimace. He carefully pushed back her hair. “Banged up, are we?”
Gently, so gently, Jack worked his hands under her knees and back and lifted her. She kept back the moan of pain only by the merest thread. He carried her to the next room and laid her on the bed.
She heard explanations and shouts but she was having a hard time focusing on anything other than the pain in her side. She looked up from his face and saw a pale, ill Victor with Kate in his arms and Beatrice right behind.
“Oh,” Beatrice said, “My lady…you don’t look well.”
Violet laughed even though it hurt and admitted, “I’ve been better, darling.”
Chapter 23
“A broken collarbone, broken ribs, bruised neck, strained wrist,” Victor said with his hands on his hips, standing over Violet. He frowned fiercely down at her. He was nearly as pale as she was.
“I’m fine,” Violet lied through her fat lip.
Kate made a commiserating face and reached out to take Violet’s uninjured hand. “You need to powder your cheek a little better.”
“And you,” Victor said to Kate, “bruised ribs, black eye, two broken fingers. A rather large scratch on your arm.”
Violet leaned back in her chair. The pillow dug into her back awkwardly, which hurt nearly as bad as her ribs did. She had, she thought, landed on her poor back twice. Victor gently took Violet by her good shoulder, pulled her forward, and then adjusted the pillow for her, putting a second one behind her.
“If Robert Moore weren’t behind bars, I would be forced to kill him. I might have to scold sweet Beatrice for only inflicting a flesh wound. The fact that she took note of where the gun was, retrieved it, and shot him for us will, however, get her a fine bonus.”
“She’s such a gem. She’ll be joining us in our jiu-jitsu,” Violet told him. “After Cuba and rum cocktails. I might pass, however, on a train across all of America.”
Violet sniffed. She was more emotional than she liked since her entire body hurt. The bottle of morphia was ready, but Violet didn’t like how it made her feel. Perhaps she’d give in? Perhaps she’d fight it off. She hadn’t decided. She suspected that Victor would decide for her sooner or later.
“Happy Christmas Eve, darling,” Victor told her, finally taking the seat next to Kate.
Violet didn’t try to smile again, but she was glad that Lila had gotten Mrs. Lancaster and Martha to join her in putting up the tree and the putz village in another room.
“At least she got us out of the family dinners,” Denny said. “Harriet’s killer has been found, Kate is safe, we can have cocktails with that red juice. All is nearly well.”
“I want ginger wine,” Violet said as she closed her eyes. He pressed the glass into her hand a moment later, and she sipped half of it before she realized her pain was fading.
Before she could scold him, she slipped into sleep. When she opened her eyes again, it was because someone had taken a seat on the ottoman where Violet’s feet were propped. Violet didn’t sit up because it would hurt too much to move, but she did crack her lashes.
“Hello,” Jack said, speaking gently as though his tone could hurt her.
She brightened at his appearance. He’d left to take care of things the moment the doctor had said that Violet would be fine. Did that mean this investigation was over for them? “Are you done with Pomeroy and Moore?”
Jack took her hand carefully and Violet squeezed his fingers. “I am. It’s all finished.”
“Why? Why did he kill her?”
Jack’s expression turned particularly grim. “She was leaving. She was ending things here and going away from him. If she had just left, she might have survived. He ranged about her leaving him, betraying him.”
“And why Kate?”
“From his insane raging? That they both had loved their first loves so completely. He wanted that for himself.”
Violet winced, horrified that Robert had turned something so perfect into something so ugly. “Tell me something lovely.”
He rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand. “Your brother found us tickets on a steamship to Cuba for a few weeks from now when you’ll be feeling better.” Jack lifted Violet’s feet into his lap. S
he was wearing slippers, a kimono, and pajamas and despite the utter impropriety of her apparel, she didn’t care. It hurt to move.
“You’re coming?” She touched her fat lip, wincing at how bad she must look.
He nodded and she just prevented herself from smiling. “You did well, Vi. You and Kate saved yourselves. Just like you said you’d do.”
Her hair was under a wrap, but she nervously went to tuck it away anyway. He lifted her good hand to his lips and kissed each finger and then said, “Cuba. Rum cocktails. An infatuated Victor. A besotted Kate. Two dogs. A maid unafraid to use a gun. What a circus we’ll be.”
She smiled, winced at the pain in her lip, and settled for a wink with her unbruised eye. “It sounds delightful.”
“You did well, Vi,” he repeated.
He leaned slowly towards her and just before he reached her bruised lips, he tilted his head, placing a soft kiss on her cheek, another on her forehead, one on the tip of her nose, one on each eye. He treated her as though she were made of spun glass, avoiding every part of her that hurt, and when he leaned back, she was certain he loved her as much as she loved him.
THE END
Hullo, my dahlings, hullo! You are all ab fab! Are there words enough for how much I love you for reading my books and giving me a chance? Writing books for a living is simply the bees knees! Almost as wonderful are reviews, and indie folks, like myself, need them desperately! If you wouldn’t mind, I would be so grateful for a review.
The sequel to this book, Murder Among the Roses will be out soon! The preorder is up now!
I also have a cozy mystery series set on the Oregon coast in my Second Chance Diner series. If you haven’t tried those, you can find the first by clicking here! Keep flipping for a free sample ahead!