by Beth Byers
“Perhaps a light blew?” Lila said idly. “I do wish to use the facilities, however, and I need to fix my lipstick after Denny ruined it.”
“Do you really think they don’t like me because I’m rich?” Martha asked in the darkness as though the cover could hide her emotions.
“Yes,” Lila said flatly. “If they cared about you, they wouldn’t have said what they did in front of you. Did you already say goodbye?”
Martha sniffed a little watery. “I told Bobby I was leaving but I wanted to return soon. He didn’t seem to care. When I said something to Sally right after we got here, all she wanted me to do was not tell Bobby where Heather was. I didn’t even realize Sally had feelings for Bobby until Sally started talking about Heather stepping between them and putting on a brave face. I—”
“Did you give him money?” Lila asked flatly.
“Once or twice,” Martha admitted as they found the door to the ladies. “He just needed a little boost, and it was easy for me.”
“I’m not saying couples don’t share money,” Lila told Martha as she turned on the bathroom light. “They do. Denny gave me money often before we married. Father kept me on a tight leash because he didn’t want me marrying Denny. Now, we share all we have.”
“What about you?” Martha asked Violet.
She considered before speaking. “Look, Jack has money. He’s never needed anything like that from me, and he’s old-fashioned enough to never ask me. Even if he wasn’t, it’s not fair to compare two well-off folks to what you and Bobby were.”
“Rich men are…spoiled and think they….” Martha stopped in frustration.
“I know,” Violet told Martha flatly. “Lila doesn’t know because she was married to Denny in her head since she was seven and a half, and Denny loved her even longer. Do you have any idea how many rich or well-connected fellows thought I was theirs for the taking? Seeing my father or the possibility of whatever inheritance I might receive? And then after I did inherit? By Jove! It was raining money-grubbers even after I was engaged to Jack.”
“How am I supposed to find someone who loves me if the rich men don’t and the poor men don’t?”
“Don’t start with their pocketbook,” Lila said. “Denny inherited after we were married.”
“What do I start with?” Martha demanded.
Violet glanced at Lila, noting the shock on Lila’s face. It was easy to see the sisters had never had a heart to heart conversation.
“Their character. How they treat you. How they treat the people around them. How they treat staff. Think of the people we know. Victor, Jack, Ham, they’re all generally kind.”
“They don’t count,” Martha said. “They’re all taken.”
Violet wasn’t going to argue with Martha. Instead she said, “Aunt Agatha told me once that ridding oneself of a husband was a difficult endeavor. It’s far better to choose wisely.”
“But how?” Martha demanded.
“Stop being stupid,” Lila told her sister lazily. “You knew Bobby was no good. Did you not see that Heather girl overcome by drugs and alcohol and left alone in the way she had been?”
“She shouldn’t have taken them,” Martha shot back.
“She shouldn’t have,” Violet and Lila agreed in unison with Lila continuing, “But he wasn’t overcome by drugs. True love doesn’t leave your lover alone. Not like that. What if that had been you? What if it wasn’t Violet who stepped in but some…some…criminal? Heather was lucky. Maybe she didn’t turn up here tonight because she realized how lucky she had been?”
“Is she really all right?” Martha asked.
It suddenly struck Violet that Martha hadn’t cared before that moment. Perhaps she had trusted it would all work out, but Violet would have tracked Lila down and ensured she was well. That’s what friends did.
“Of course she is,” Lila said with disgust, as if she’d realized the same thing that Violet had.
They each separated to take care of their needs and met back at the mirror to freshen perfume, powder, and lipstick. Violet ran a comb through her hair and then rearranged her headpiece and straightened her jewelry.
“You’re pretty spoiled,” Martha said with her gaze fixed on Violet’s diamond and black pearl choker that was surrounded by the long strand of black pearls Victor had given her. Between Jack and Victor, Violet had quite the collection of pearls and diamonds.
“I am,” Violet agreed. “Victor spoiled me before Jack did and to be honest, I’ve spoiled myself on occasion.” She held up her diamond bangles before winking at Martha in the mirror. The conversation in the ladies had taken a turn for the serious, and Violet very much wanted to return to Jack’s arms and set aside Martha’s problems.
As she left the ladies room, Martha called, “I’m just going to talk to Sally.”
Violet glanced at Lila who shrugged. After Martha left, Violet hopped up onto the table with the mirror. She sighed and took a deep breath in. “Your sister is a mess.”
“I know,” Lila said. “I suppose we should go back, but I am enjoying not having Martha around. I feel like a bad sister.”
“You are one,” Violet told Lila.
She smiled lazily. “I suppose I am.”
“She’s a bad one too,” Violet told Lila.
The light in the hall was still out as they left the ladies, and there was a loud crash. Violet gasped and stepped back into Lila, who steadied her. Someone appeared in the hallway. Violet knew immediately it was Jack from his build.
“Vi?”
“Here.” Her voice was bright enough to allay his worries.
“What’s wrong with the light?”
“We couldn’t find it, so we followed Martha to the ladies.” Violet started towards Jack and there was another crash. She took Lila’s wrist and hurried forward
“Martha went the other way,” Lila sighed. “Probably to throw herself at that Bobby fellow.”
“The band is on a break,” Jack told them, looking into the darkness, but none of them could see anything. “Joshie came over to talk to Denny and knew immediately that Heather had returned home. He’d been trying to persuade her to do it and seemed relieved. It seems Joshie is another of the slumming ones. His father is a barrister or something. Joshie asked that we keep her location quiet. Give her a chance to straighten out, he said.”
Violet sighed. “The stupid things girls do for love or their version of it. Martha is there chasing down that noise because she thinks she loves that Bobby fellow.”
Joshie appeared in the darkness a few moment later with Martha. He was pulling her protesting behind him.
“You’ll see,” Martha hissed to Joshie. “Heather will appear at the party later. She loves him as much as I do. Not that it matters.” Martha dropped a tear, but it was so calculated and perfect, Violet felt sure the girl could cry on command.
“Stop it,” Joshie snapped. “I’ve got seven sisters. I know what fake tears look like, and I’m unpersuaded even by real tears. Why would I feel bad for you crying over Bobby? You know what he is even if you don’t want to admit it.”
“What is he?” Violet asked Joshie.
He shook his head.
“What happened?” Jack asked.
“A tiff between Bobby and the management. Bobby is in a right mood and it’s coming across with his partners. They’re not all like Martha, willing to pay for his meanness.”
Martha flushed and tugged herself away from Joshie.
“Everything’s all right?” Jack asked again.
“Yeah.” Joshie sighed. “Maybe I should go work for my father. Bobby puts together well-paying jobs, but he’s a snake. I feel like the man who got bit by a cobra when he picked it up. I knew what he was, and I still let him into my life.”
“Don’t,” Jack told Violet as she opened her mouth to somehow offer rescuing him. Truthfully, she didn’t know how to rescue the man, she was simply inclined to try. “He can take care of himself.”
Lila took Violet’s arm
, twining them together. “Are we dancing more?”
“I’ve lost a bit of the flavor of it tonight,” Violet admitted. “Maybe we should go back to the house?”
Violet didn’t care one way or the other. She had wanted to spend the evening with Victor, but he was hovering over Kate, who did look a little green about the gills, Violet had to admit. With Kate’s swollen feet and constant look of having just had bad shellfish, Violet was certain she wanted to wait for a while to have a baby of her own. Either way, Victor was hovering, Violet missed him, and Jack was distracted by the thoughts of his case.
“I want to say goodbye to Heather too,” Martha said belligerently. “I’m sure she’ll be at the party tonight.”
Violet lifted a brow in question at Lila, who sighed. “I suppose we did promise. Father is to arrive tomorrow. Shall we indulge her this last time?”
“Yes, but then we’re going to plot out a mystery story with Denny. I need something to do once Victor takes Kate to the country and Jack finishes his case.”
“Why don’t you simply nap and shop?”
“She’s not you,” Rita laughed as she joined them. “Did I miss all the fun? You have that expression that says your bed sounds lovely.”
“Martha is pouting.” Lila yawned and glanced towards the table where Denny seemed to be napping. “It has poisoned the evening.”
Martha gasped as Joshie stepped away, nodding once at Rita.
“Did Ham come?” Rita asked, taking Lila’s free arm.
“He was called to Lyme by our superiors,” Jack answered.
Rita smiled, but Violet felt certain she was seeing disappointment in the woman’s eyes.
“You want to go to the party tonight. Don’t you, Rita?” Vi asked.
The blonde nodded. “Distract me, please. My feet are itchy, and I have a desire to disappear to Siam.”
“Siam?” Martha demanded. “Why?”
“Why not?” Rita returned. She grinned at the others and then shrugged. It seemed to be impossible to convey why she loved to travel, only that she did.
“May I go with you?” Martha asked suddenly. “Do you travel alone or with friends?”
Rita looked taken aback. “Some friends of mine are going at the end of the week.”
“At the end of the week?” Violet gasped.
“It won’t be forever,” Rita replied easily. “Shall I bring you something amazing?”
“Yes,” Lila answered immediately.
“What about Ham?” Violet demanded, regretting it instantly.
Rita’s gaze seemed to be veiled, but she shrugged again. “I would love a G&T.” She was clearly changing the subject.
Jack took that as an excuse to pull himself and Joshie away.
“Father won’t let you go to Siam,” Lila told Martha, but her sister didn’t respond.
“Siam?” Violet asked Rita, feeling a little bit of a whine in her voice. “Why don’t you wait and go to Cuba with us?”
“You aren’t going to Cuba until after Kate both has that baby and recovers,” Rita told Violet. “My feet are itchy now. I’ll be back before you go to Cuba, I’m sure. I’d love to go when you do.”
There was another crash from down the hall and then Bobby came storming out of the darkness, dragging Sally behind him. He threw her towards the others. “I never loved you, Sal. Never will. I’ll find Heather and make her marry me.”
“You just heard about the money her grandmother is supposed to leave her. It won’t make you a rich man. Heather said it wasn’t much.”
“I said I loved her.”
“You don’t love anyone but yourself. You think Heather can draw you from the gutter? She can’t. You’re trash. You always have been, and you always will be.”
Bobby stared at Sally and then, in a sudden strike, slapped her hard.
Their shouting had the manager of the tango club rushing over. “Quiet! Quiet!” He tried a nervous smile for Violet and her friends. “My apologies. My deepest apologies. Please believe me it isn’t like this here, normally.” To Sally and Bobby, the manager said, “Out with you! Out! By heaven, this behavior is intolerable.”
Sally was already in tears, holding her face, and she ran to the back of the tango hall. Martha stared after Sally and then looked aghast at Bobby.
He turned to Violet, leaning in to speak in a threatening tone. “You’ll be telling me where I can find Heather.”
The manager gasped and shoved Bobby back. “Leave her be.”
Bobby lifted a brow and said low and even, “I’ll be seeing you.”
Chapter Eight
“He said what?” Jack asked. His voice was a near growl and his shoulder had tensed, making him look like an enraged bear.
“I’ll be seeing you,” Rita replied, voice low and evil. She had squinted her eyes and hunched up a little as though Bobby had been imitating a witch when he’d threatened Violet. Vi shook her head. She’d have thought better of Rita, but then again, Violet had irritated her friend with that question about Ham.
“To Violet?”
“With an evil gaze,” Rita agreed.
“He was just angry,” Violet laughed. “Embarrassed and upset at being dismissed. Nothing to worry about.”
“It was a little concerning,” Lila told Jack, curling her hair around her finger. “If Violet were anyone else, she’d have shuddered and gasped. Maybe wept a little.”
“I’ve never heard him talk to anyone like that,” Martha said, shivering. She rubbed her hands down her arms and then threw back the last of her cocktail.
“See,” Lila said, pointing at Martha, “like that. Violet is too cool-headed to be scared of Bobby, but anyone else would have been flinching at the way he spoke.”
“I’ll be seeing you?” Jack’s voice was the one that had everyone else pausing. He sounded too much like a demon from the depths of hell.
“Oh ho,” Denny said, clapping Jack on the shoulder. “It’s not like he knows where you live. Vi’ll be fine.”
“It’s not like Lady Vi is hard to find,” Jack snapped back. His jaw was clenching and releasing, and his eyes were cold and hard.
“Calm down,” Violet suggested lightly. It was the wrong thing to say.
“We aren’t waiting for him to come at you when I’m not around, Vi,” Jack told her. “We’ll go to this party, and he’ll be educated about whether he wants to lay eyes on you again. I assure you, he does not.”
“Ooooh,” Denny said, rubbing his hands together. “I’ll back you up, old man. Not with my, you know, hands. I easily bruise. You should see the mark on my leg from Lila kicking me the other day, but I’ll be there to watch. For certain. A witness, you know, that you left him alive.”
Violet sighed as Jack rose. He straightened his coat and then handed her up. “Did you want me to take you home first?”
She shook her head and then eyed the others. “You’re all coming. There will be no question about whether we left this man alive. Consider it our last hurrah. We’re done with these secret parties after this. Next it’ll only be drunken scavenger hunts through London at 2:00 a.m.”
“Ah,” Denny said, jumping up and pulling Lila along. “Our leader has spoken. The festivities have come to an end. Nothing but responsible activities from here on.”
Even Jack snorted, but they left the tango club, calling for their auto. They piled into the back while Jack told their driver where to go.
“Another one of those places like the last time, sir?”
Jack said yes, and Violet added, “If a fellow asks where you left that girl the other day, keep it mum, please.”
“Yes, of course,” their man agreed. Violet crawled onto Jack’s lap. It was snug in the back of the auto with all of them, not that she truly needed the excuse. It took a good half hour to reach the location this time, and it did seem to be a semi-abandoned warehouse that was one careless match away from destruction.
“This place looks dangerous,” Jack told the others. “Stay together. It
’s probably a bunch of drunken idiots like Denny.”
“Useless the lot of us,” Denny agreed. “Be careful. You never know when a fool like me will knock you into a pile of refuse or something equally terrible.”
Violet snorted while Lila patted his cheek. “I’ll keep you safe, love.”
Martha shoved out of the auto and approached the man at the door. This location was larger than the last, so there was no reason to keep anyone out. The man looked them over as they approached. “Bobby said to keep you out.”
Jack simply held up a large pound note. The man noted it and opened the door, letting them in. “If he asks, you snuck in the side door.”
Jack took Violet’s hand, and they hurried through the door. Lila, Denny, Rita, and Martha followed closely. It was only then that Violet realized the club was mostly dark. What lights there were centered on the stage where Joshie was wailing on the trumpet. Near him, Bobby was playing a saxophone.
Violet blinked through the smoke, frowning at the makeshift stage. The girl, Heather, was playing the piano while the trumpet wailed. Violet sighed at the sight of the girl, but at least she looked better. Gone was the mostly unconscious female, and she was, Violet realized, playing beautifully. The only one struggling was Bobby himself.
He hadn’t shown any brilliance the last time Violet had seen him play; in fact she hadn’t even thought of him again. But now, however, he was abysmally bad. He didn’t quite hold the notes long enough, they faded out like he was trying, like he’d run uphill a moment before and hadn’t caught his breath yet.
He looked pale, Violet thought, her head tilting as Jack moved forward through the crowd. Most people were dancing, but as the music got worse and worse, the dancers were stopping to stare towards the stage.
Jack reached the edge of the stage when Bobby pulled the saxophone away and looked up. He seemed to be looking right at Vi but not seeing her. It was then that he stumbled forward and fell into Jack.
Vi gasped, letting go of Jack as he caught Bobby. Jack laid him down on the floor.
“I say,” Denny said as the other band members rushed forward. “Is he all right?”