by K E O'Connor
Julius roared with laughter. “Absolutely spot on there.”
Zara shook her head. “Please, ignore Julius. He still thinks placing adverts requesting pretty fillies to chase around the office and do the odd bit of dictation is acceptable.” She gestured to the blond-haired guy. “This is Horatio Fleur.”
“Felicity’s brother?” Helen asked.
Horatio raised his eyebrows. “That’s right. Did you know my sister?”
“Oh, no. Julius told us the sad story of what happened when he showed us around the greenhouses.”
Horatio squinted at his uncle. “Uncle Julius does love to gossip. I hope he didn’t upset you with that news.”
“Gossip be damned,” Julius said. “These lovely girls need to know what they’re getting into. It seemed right I tell Felicity’s story. This place would be nothing if it wasn’t for her. She is this business. Or rather, she was before it killed her.”
Zara tutted and muttered something under her breath I couldn’t hear. “This is all of us. There’s not enough of us to fill such a big house, but it’s convenient to live here with the offices on-site, alongside the greenhouses and storage barns.”
“Do you live in the house, as well?” I asked Zara.
“Yes, I have a room at the top of the house. Felicity insisted I live here. It means no commute, and I get more work done.” Zara’s smile was indulgent. “When I moved in, Felicity said it was like our old college days. We shared a dorm and would stay up late, gossiping and eating marshmallows we tried to melt using matches.”
“That sounds like fun,” Helen said.
“It could be. I should warn you it gets cold here at night. You’ll both be all right, snug and cozy in the converted apartments. If you ever have to stay here, you’ll need lots of extra blankets on the bed. My toes are always freezing in the mornings. I sometimes wear three pairs of socks to bed, and that’s still not enough to ward off the chill blains.”
That had more to do with all the ghosts hanging out in the library than the heating system, but I decided not to mention that to Zara.
I watched Felicity for a few moments as she drifted around the room. She wasn’t paying anyone any particular attention and was studying a framed sketch of an orchid on the wall. Maybe she was still here just because her death was traumatic, and she wasn’t ready to move on from everything that was familiar.
The dining room door opened. A tall, slim guy with a hipster beard, hair bun, and drainpipe pants walked in.
Felicity shot to his side and hovered around him, her hands fluttering against her chest.
“What are you doing here?” Horatio asked, irritation clear in his voice.
“We always have dinner together,” the man said as he strode over and helped himself to a glass of wine.
“You haven’t been here for days,” Horatio said. “I figured you’d given up on that tradition.”
Zara shook her head, a frown on her face, another person who was less than thrilled at this new arrival. “You might as well meet our new employees.” She introduced us. “This is Barnaby Thompson.”
“What do you do at Fleur de Bloom?” I asked him as he shook my hand. He had several leather and colored string bangles on his wrist.
He smiled. “Nothing at all.”
“Barnaby was friends with my sister,” Horatio said.
“I still would be,” Barnaby said. “I’m planning to come to the Halloween event. I want to make sure everything is done right by Felicity. I owe her that.”
“We’re hardly going to mess things up.” Zara sighed. “We won’t let Felicity down. The party will be amazing, especially with the help of Lorna and Helen, now that they’re here to save us.”
I nodded and smiled at her.
“Even so, it feels right I’m around for this event. I was the one who suggested the novelty flowers.” Barnaby adjusted his cuffs. Everything he wore suggested he had expensive, on-trend taste, from his loafers to his designer guy bangles.
“Ideas are ten-a-penny,” Horatio said. “It’s doing something about them that’s the important thing.”
Barnaby quirked an eyebrow. “You’d know all about that. How’s your latest business venture?”
Horatio glowered at him. “I’m ironing out the kinks.”
Barnaby grinned as he raised his glass. “I’ll believe that when I see it.”
Felicity hadn’t left Barnaby’s side since he entered the room. I wondered how close they’d been. Could she care about him, or was her attention because she figured him for her killer?
“Let’s sit down and eat,” Julius said. “We never do anything fancy at these gatherings,” he said to me as we took our seats around the table. “Zara cooked, so it’s not going to be anything special.”
Zara flicked her napkin at him. “If you want something different, make it yourself the next time.”
“My place isn’t in the kitchen,” Julius said. “That’s a woman’s domain.”
I pinched Helen’s arm before she started an argument about women’s rights. Julius had some old-fashioned views when it came to women and where they belonged. “I’m sure it will be lovely.”
“It’s pasta and salad,” Zara said as she grabbed the dishes from the sideboard and served everybody. “I’m not much of a cook.”
“I love to cook,” Helen said. “I’m happy to do dinner next time. It will be simple to whip up something tasty for such a small number of people.”
Zara let out a relieved sigh. “I was hoping you’d say that. That would be great. I know you’re here to do the catering for the party, but any help you can give me will be appreciated. We’ve got so much to do and so little time.”
“The party plans sound elaborate,” I said as I tucked into my pasta. It was a little over-cooked, but the tomato and basil sauce was delicious.
“They need to be,” Julius said. “We’ve invested hundreds of thousands into this new breed of plant. It can’t fail.”
“You haven’t invested anything,” Zara said. “The business has. We’ve taken on the risk. It will be a huge hit. The market research confirmed there’s a huge audience for this product, as have all the pre-orders. We’ll be in profit by the end of the month.”
“Which product is this?” Helen asked.
“Stinky flowers,” Horatio said.
“You mean, flowers that smell nice?” Helen asked.
“Quite the opposite,” Horatio said. “These flowers smell like somebody died.”
“Horatio, that’s not true.” Zara shook her head. “I mentioned these to you when we were looking around earlier. Before Felicity died, she was working on a niche product.”
“The skull-shaped flowers?” I said.
Zara nodded. “I’ll admit I was unsure, but I ran the numbers, and we tested the products. People love them. I imagine they’re the sort of novelty gift you’d buy someone when you have no clue what to get them. It’s not just skull-shaped flowers. Felicity worked on all kinds of different shaped flowers. And yes, that includes ones that smell unusual.”
“Like death,” Horatio mumbled through a mouthful of pasta.
“It’s more of a pungent smell,” Zara said. “It’s a little spicy.”
“It’s not spicy. The flowers smell gross.” Horatio grabbed his wine glass and took a large swig. “I always thought Felicity produced them because she wanted to grow flowers to send to people she hated. There’d be a market there. You could buy revolting smelling flowers and send them to your enemies.”
Julius laughed. “That’s not a bad idea. We should market them as that. Fleur de Foul. The perfect gift for the thorn in your side.”
The lights overhead flickered, and the temperature dropped several degrees. It appeared Felicity did not like that idea one bit.
Zara glanced at the lights. “This building is ancient. All the electrics need ripping out and replacing. We’ll get around to it one day but not any time soon. It might be better to tear this place down and start again.”
“Not
a chance,” Horatio said. “This is the family home.”
“What family?” Julius said. “There’s hardly any of us left. We should pull it down and sell the land. We’d make a tidy profit.”
“So long as you find someone who’d take on the graveyard. There are laws about that. You can’t go building on a load of bodies,” Barnaby said.
“Graveyard? Bodies?” Helen lowered her fork.
“Don’t worry your pretty blonde head about that.” Julius leaned over and patted her hand. “We won’t let the ghosties chase you.”
Helen glanced at me. “Doesn’t it make you uncomfortable, having a graveyard so close?”
“Do you believe in ghosts?” Julius chuckled and shook his head.
“That’s beside the point,” Barnaby said. “This place won’t be worth much because of the expense of preserving the graveyard or moving the bodies.”
“That’s enough talk of ghosts and bodies,” Zara said. “I don’t want to scare off our new arrivals. We’ve got other things to talk about.”
“Like the party,” I said. My gaze was apologetic as I looked at Helen. I’d not mentioned the graveyard because she’d have been worried about me and the possibility of lots of ghosts bothering us.
Zara placed her cutlery down. “Exactly. Essentially, this is aimed at launching our new products. We’ll be the first provider on the market to offer such a product. This could make us internationally famous in the horticultural business.”
“So long as you get it right,” Barnaby said.
“Of course, I will,” Zara snapped. “And you don’t get a say in this.”
“I do. Felicity would have wanted me here. I still have a stake in this business. I have my investment to consider.”
“And I keep telling you I will give you back your investment as soon as you like. Felicity let you buy into the business because you had nothing else going on. You still haven’t found your own job.”
“Now, now,” Julius said. “Let’s not have this argument again. Our lovely new employees will think we are terrors to work for.” He smiled at Helen and me. “I promise you we don’t always bicker like this. You’ve caught us at a bad time.”
I nodded. The group dynamics were fascinating. Zara and Barnaby clearly hated each other. Barnaby was here to support the wishes of Felicity and keep an eye on his investment in the company. Julius looked like he tried his best to smooth things over in order to keep the money pouring in. And nobody paid Horatio any attention.
Helen kicked me under the table as the tension grew. Felicity must also have been aware of the problems in the room. The table shook, and the lights dimmed again.
“You’re expecting almost a thousand people at the launch event.” I ignored the plates clinking as Felicity grew more agitated.
“That’s right,” Zara said. “It’s mainly people in the horticultural business or enthusiastic amateurs. Specialist growers and buyers will also be attending. We’ll have the press here, as well. We’re hoping to get good coverage in specialist magazines. You never know. The national media might catch on to a story about skull-shaped flowers and run with it. That will be a huge boost if they do.”
“You’re not hosting any activities in the house?” I asked.
“That’s right. We’ve got half a dozen marquees arriving tomorrow,” Zara said. “And of course, you’ve seen the barns. That will be a key draw. We want people to come here and have a terrifying time. They’ll remember this night and the wonderful flowers they see.”
“And place huge orders for our products once they’ve done so,” Julius said.
Zara fixed him with a tight-eyed glare. “Of course. We’ll give people an experience they’ll never forget, and they’ll want to show off their specialist plants.”
“We should do something with foam,” Horatio said.
“Foam? That’s not scary,” Zara said. “This is a Halloween party, not an Ibiza club classics night at the local bar.”
“Everybody loves foam,” Horatio said. “I’ve been to some great foam parties. It gets wet and wild.”
Zara wrinkled her nose and shook her head. “No foam.”
“And none of your ridiculous inflatables either,” Julius said.
“My inflatables aren’t ridiculous,” Horatio said. “My new business idea is great. Just you wait. Once I get it up and running, there will be no stopping me. Everyone will want my inflatables for their parties. You should get in first before there’s a wait list.”
“Moving on,” Zara said, “all the decorations are ordered, and most are already here, and the food and drinks have been ordered. Helen, you’ll want to check the food when it arrives. You can go through the order, as well, and add anything to it. Get whatever you need to make this party spectacular. I want everything spooky and related to Halloween. Spare no expense.”
Helen rubbed her hands together. “I’ve got some great ideas. I’ll make samples for you to try.”
“That will be perfect. And I want a huge cake as the centrepiece. What sort of thing can you do that links to the party theme?”
Helen tapped her finger against her chin. “How about a Black Magic cake? I can add webbing in icing on the top and sides.”
“That sounds perfect. Can you do a multi-layer version? Like a spooky wedding cake.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem. I can add mini figures dotted around the base. Ghosts and witches, that sort of thing.”
“You must make a witch figurine to represent Zara,” Barnaby said.
Ouch! Barnaby was not a fan of Zara’s.
Zara flapped a hand at him. “Ignore him. A Black Magic cake will be wonderful.”
Helen nodded and grinned at me. She loved a baking challenge.
“I can get my hands on spooky inflatables,” Horatio said. “They’d be fun.”
“What would we do with them? Use them as spare seats?” Zara shook her head. “They don’t fit the vibe of the party. We’re going for relaxed with a hint of class.”
“She’s right, old thing,” Julius said. “Introduce inflatables and you might as well have bikini-clad girls trotting about selling cigars and party favors. Actually, that’s not a bad idea. We could—”
“No!” Zara said. “No to the half-naked woman and no to the inflatables. If we introduce inflatables, it will look like a frat party gone wrong. That is the exact opposite of what we want to achieve.”
Horatio shoved back his chair. “I’m trying to help. I’m a partner in this business. I should have input.”
“My advice, old boy, is stick to being a silent partner,” Julius said. “It works for me.”
Horatio jumped up and stomped away.
“Don’t mind him,” Julius said as he chuckled. “He’s always full of ridiculous ideas. That boy never follows through with any of them. Horatio’s what you call an ideas man. It’s a shame none of his ideas are any good.”
Barnaby laughed. “You have to give him top marks for effort. Horatio comes up with a new business proposal at least once a month.”
From the frustration on Horatio’s face as he’d left the room, he didn’t seem to think his business ideas were ridiculous. I could stay here and listen to the ins and outs of the party plan, or I could go make sure he was all right. Whilst I did that, I could also see what Horatio thought about his sister’s death.
I looked at Helen and winked. “If you’ll excuse me for a minute, I must take Flipper out for a quick comfort break. I won’t be long.”
“Take your time,” Julius said. “Everyone makes excuses for not finishing the food Zara provides.”
Zara glared at him. “You know where the kitchen is. Get your chef’s hat on and stop complaining.”
Julius laughed as he poured himself more wine.
“Dinner was lovely,” I said to Zara. “I’m embarrassed to try to cook with Helen on hand. She puts anyone to shame.”
Zara smiled, and the tightness left her face. “I’m glad she’s here. It will save everyone from sogg
y pasta in the future.”
I hurried away with Flipper. Dinner hadn’t been the best, but I wasn’t interested in food anymore. I wanted to talk to Horatio and get his insight on Felicity and her strange death.
Chapter 5
As we dashed along the hallway in our search for Horatio, I kept my gaze fixed on the top of Flipper’s head. I paid no attention to the ghosts lurking in the shadows. There was an unnerving number of ghosts in this house. My skin was covered in goose bumps and my stomach tight as I checked in each room for Horatio.
I was relieved when I found him in the kitchen. He held a large glass of whiskey as he stared out the window at the large moon looming over the garden.
“Is everything okay?” I looked around the kitchen quickly. Fortunately, this place was ghost free.
“Nothing that a few of these won’t sort out.” Horatio swirled the whiskey in his cut-glass tumbler before taking a sip.
“I’m sure your uncle was joking,” I said as I opened the back door to let Flipper out.
“Are you? I don’t know about that. He never thought I’d amount to much, even when I was a kid. He instilled in me the same values about money as he has, spend it as soon as you can; you never know how long you’ll have it or how long you’re going to be here. Uncle Julius told me to find an old, rich widow and count my blessings, then I wouldn’t need to work for anything.”
“A sugar mommy wouldn’t be so bad if that’s what you’re interested in.”
Horatio nodded slowly. “I like a cougar when she’s well turned out. That’s not the problem. It’s that lot in there.” He gestured with his thumb over one shoulder. “None of them take me seriously. Only my sister did, and she’s not around anymore.”
“She sounds like an interesting lady.”
“Felicity was the best. Maybe a few sandwiches short of a picnic, but I loved her. And she believed in me. Felicity had time for me and listened to my business plans. She told me to follow my dreams and make them happen.”
“Not like your uncle or Zara. They don’t believe in you.”
“They think I’m ridiculous. I’ll be the first to admit my sister got the brains in the family. I never begrudged her that. She made this place into the success it is. She always had ideas ahead of her time. Take these crazily shaped flowers. News of them is all over social media. Everyone wants a freaky flower.” He chuckled. “I don’t see the appeal, but somehow it works.”