by Beth Byers
The stretch of grass was blanketed in snow. The sky overhead had turned from deep grey to shining blue skies that set off the white blanket that covered the earth. It was early yet, so the snow was an untouched wonderland. Violet grinned down at it and realized she was happy. Well and truly happy. She felt suddenly like herself again. The feeling was both foreign and so familiar. She had missed this version of herself. Violet wasn’t one to be filled with ennui or to be blue, and escaping the feeling felt as though she was returning to herself, that her skin fit right again, and the world was suddenly angled properly.
She didn’t want to think it was only the presence of Jack—surely she wasn’t so weak as all that. Perhaps, however, it was the presence of Jack in addition to other things. Escaping the doldrums of London, the snow that had carpeted the world, a new story brewing in her mind and the continuation of the ridiculous story of Tarzan and Jane. Violet laughed down at her copy of the book, yawned, and decided to write in her journal over a cup of Turkish coffee.
Lila and Denny had become almost as addicted to the Turkish coffee as Victor and Violet. Vi tended to hop between tea and the Turkish coffee depending on her mood, but things had evolved until she couldn’t start the morning without some of that coffee. She wondered what Jack thought of the dark coffee, and then she rang for her maid, Beatrice.
It was too early to go down to the breakfast, but she dressed, journaled, and wrote a letter to her siblings in Monaco. Isolde and Gerald were traveling and had settled into Monaco as though they’d never return. Lately, the letters from Violet’s sister included days on the water with Tomas—just as Violet and Victor had planned.
They’d foisted their friend off on their younger sister, hoping the two would fall in love. Isolde’s letters made it clear she was at least half-way there.
Violet sketched out her thoughts in her journal, relishing in her lightness of spirit before she examined the dresses she’d brought with her. There was one that was red with white accents and perfect for the season. She put it on with a matching red lipstick and then grinned at herself in the mirror. She felt almost as if she could fly. When she made her way to the breakfast room, she found only Jack.
“Good morning.” There was a sudden tension between them, but he stood as she entered. A part of her wanted to cross to him, to greet him more personably. Only they hadn’t progressed that far yet, so instead, she commented on the snow and made herself a plate and a cup of tea.
“Denny was already in,” Jack said. “He said something about grand plans. I believe he intends to find someone with a sleigh.”
“A sleigh ride?” She took a bite of her kedgeree and then grinned. There was something about sitting across the table from Jack at breakfast that seemed very right and also very ridiculous to be thinking when they hadn’t even seen each other in weeks. “That does sound delightful.”
“Merry even.”
She smirked at him, and he grinned as he said, “I love the holidays. There’s just a feeling in the air. Is it not working? Is it the fun? The plans to put up mistletoe and garland and play?”
“Whatever it is, there is a bit of a feeling to the air, isn’t there?” She grinned at him and winked before she shuffled her breakfast around her plate. “You were working in…?”
“The Yard was called into a case in Canterbury. My friend, Hamilton, asked me to head down when he realized the main suspects were soldiers who’d served together. Took a bit longer to get things sorted than I’d thought it would.”
Violet asked about the process of investigating when she wasn’t meddling. It was a lot more of a daily chore than the gossiping and interfering that Violet preferred. She laughed as she admitted it, and he scowled enough to make her grin even wider.
“Sleigh rides for everyone,” Denny declared as he burst into the breakfast room and grinned. “What’s this? Layabouts still abed?” He plopped onto a chair. “To be honest, Lila couldn’t sleep and she might have had a glass or three of wine before she finally dropped off. She’s probably whimpering into her pillow wondering why she drank so much.”
His grin was so mischievous that Violet said, “You’re a cad of a husband.”
That just made Denny laugh. “Well, sleigh rides for those who have gotten out of bed. I’ve got two sleighs coming. I can’t remember the last time there was snow deep enough to play in. The unfortunate side is that the only way to arrange it was to arrange things with cousins. It’ll be a grand party which would be excellent except for the ruckus that occurred at the house this morning when I stopped by.”
“Oooh,” Violet cooed. “A ruckus. Tell all.”
“Give me a moment, luv. Lila will enact revenge if she’s not here for it. Settle in, friends. I’ll go awaken my lovely bride and call her down for the tale.”
Denny rose to leave but as he opened the door, he discovered Lila and Victor. Lila scowled at him. “You should never have let me drink more wine. You’re a terrible spouse.”
“You can divorce him much easier now,” Violet told her, “given the new laws. You’ll just have to set him up with some young woman. Someone rather like Martha, I think.”
Lila shuddered and Violet shook her head, “Not your Martha—because sisters philandering with another sister’s husband is too boring.”
“I would never,” Denny said with his hand over his heart. “Lila is terrifying and I would not survive long enough to be divorced.”
Violet laughed and Victor snorted and then pressed his hand to his head. “Did you drink more wine, too?” she asked her twin.
Victor shook his head. “I wrote quite a rousing and desperate chase through the countryside. Our damsel became a heroine, and I like her much more for it.”
“I was wondering if it was Violet or you who was clicking away last night,” Jack said.
“Ah…apologies, old man,” Victor said. He popped two small pills in his mouth and swallowed them down with black tea. “Violet starts these stories and then I just have to carry on. They dig into my mind and won’t leave me be.”
“Denny has arranged a merry gathering,” Violet said. “With sleighs to arrive and the aftermath of a ruckus, now tell all!”
Denny settled back and said, “With such an introduction, I fear I shall fail to satisfy.”
“And yet,” Lila growled as she made herself a cup of tea, “tell us anyway.”
Chapter 5
“It started,” Denny said grandly, “with your sister. It seems the cousins decided to meet up and intrude upon us before we even arrived. When Kate made a comment about Martha throwing herself at the Honorable Mr. Carlyle, it was quite vicious and cutting.” In a low aside, he said, “Or so I understand. The retelling was, I fear, rather brilliant.”
Violet snorted and nudged Victor, who was leaning over his food, seemingly uncaring, but she knew him far too well for that. Jack’s chuckle at Victor’s loaded fork and shrug made Violet want to see Victor trip right into love.
“And then?” Lila demanded with a scowl. She pressed her fingers to her forehead. “The remnants of too much booze yesterday have left me with little patience for a drawn-out story, my love.”
“Ah, well then…” Denny made his wife a plate of food, talking over his shoulder as he said, “Well then, Martha made some digs about Kate’s ability to drive men away. Whereupon Harriet laughed a little too heartily and Martha turned on Harriet who, I fear, had left herself wide open for quite cruel comments. It turns out, Harriet just threw over a local boy and his rather rich uncle.”
Violet gasped. “Fodder for a story, brother. Shall we tell that tale of a…ah…I cannot think of a variation of Harriet.”
“Fodder for being disowned,” Lila countered. “Our grandmother is not a woman who accepts poor behavior. Harriet should have known better. I would have thought better of her, to be honest.”
“Your cousin is going to need somewhere else to go.” Victor dropped his toast onto his plate and leaned back. “That kind of behavior in this kind of town…she’ll be showing
up on your doorstep with nowhere else to go.”
“Ahhh,” Denny huffed, glanced desperately at Lila, and saw her agreement. “Well that changes my delight in the ruckus, doesn’t it?”
There was the sound of sleigh bells outside and Denny said, “Oh yes. Did I forget to say they’re all coming? Get dressed. I should probably ask Inkwell to have hot drinks ready for when we get back.”
Violet gasped and jumped up. Her dress was too thin for the outside. She glanced at Lila, whose mouth had dropped open, staring at her husband and he said, “My love! Snow waits for no one, not even you. This may be gone tomorrow.”
Violet skipped up the stairs and threw her armoire open. Thankfully her maid, Beatrice, had already gotten her clothes arranged. Violet put on wool socks, two camisoles and topped it with a long-sleeved plaid blouse and a cardigan. She put on a longer, wool skirt and a solid pair of boots to keep her feet warm. She grabbed her new cocoon fur coat, a scarf, and a hat.
Violet considered for a moment and then added gloves, put a handkerchief in her pocket and updated her lipstick. She blotted her lips and pursed them into the mirror before skipping down the stairs. When she arrived in the hall, only Jack was there. He grinned at her and held out his hand to tuck hers through the crook of his elbow.
“You’ve won the race against both your brother and Denny. Who says women are the ones who linger over their looks.”
“A sleigh ride is quite the incentive,” Violet declared. “Perhaps Victor and I will write a Christmas story with one in it. Doesn’t that sound delightful?”
“Will you be warm enough?”
She grinned and winked. “I’m sure they’ve filled the sleighs with blankets.”
“Even still,” Jack winked as he said, “You’d better stick close to share heat.”
Violet laughed at the wicked grin he gave her and she said, “Ah, yes. Certainly. For safety.” It was as though Jack had deliberately chosen to step back to how things had been just before Violet had to take her sister to Bruges and the return had set Violet’s heart straight to the moon.
“For safety,” he agreed.
They walked out to the rest of the party and Lila’s sister introduced them to her cousins. They met the troublemaker, Harriet, first. She was tall and slim with nearly black hair and bright blue eyes. She had a sprinkling of freckles over her nose which were simply adorable, but her eyes were mischievous. Violet liked her immediately despite disapproving that Harriet had been playing men off of each other.
The next cousin they met was one of Denny’s. He introduced them to Kate and did it with a waggle of the brows as though they’d have forgotten that this was the one who was prepared to save Victor from the fortune-hunting Martha. Kate’s face was quiet in the shouts of laughter, but there was enough wittiness in her eyes that Violet was utterly certain the girl had been laughing at her cousins without jutting herself into the loudness.
“You, I think,” Violet said to her, “are having the most interesting of thoughts.”
Kate grinned even more widely, but it was Martha who answered. “Kate?” A roll of mean laughter filled the air. “I think not. She’s very stolid and steady. She’d be an excellent schoolmarm.”
Kate’s grin didn’t waver, and Violet admired her the more for it.
“Being a schoolmarm,” Violet lied, “has always been an ambition of mine. Molding young minds, helping girls find their way in the world, touching the generations.”
Kate immediately caught Violet’s lie, as did Jack, but Martha paled. Violet grinned brightly as Victor exited the house. She winked at him. “Oh, Victor! Come meet my new friend, Kate. She, like me, is full of interesting thoughts. She does, however, have the self-control to keep them to herself.”
Victor stepped between Kate and Violet, carefully avoiding Martha, who shot eyefuls of daggers at all of them except Victor. The switching from hateful to flirtatious with each glance made her look as though she were having some sort of fit.
Victor held out his hand to Kate, taking her gloved hand in his, and said, “I’m always impressed to meet someone with control over themselves. It’s rather like meeting a griffin or perhaps a ghost. Something impossible.”
“Especially spending your time with these fools,” Denny said, pointing to Jack and Violet. “If ever I’ve seen a couple of folks who let their tongues run on wheels, it’s these two. I think you better stick with Kate for the day. She’ll keep you safe.”
“Have mercy on me?” Victor asked Kate, flashing his most charming smile.
“I can keep you safe,” Martha offered, fluttering her lashes at Victor. She placed a hand on Victor’s arm and looked up at him through her lashes in a practiced way.
“The charge has already been given to Kate,” Violet said firmly. “Now introduce me to these two.”
The people who were looking on was a young man near Martha’s age, covered in spots. Violet looked intently at Martha until she introduced Donald—the spotty one—and Robert. Donald was barely old enough to join in on the adult activity whereas Robert had to be a year or two older than Denny. What shocked Violet about him was the ruddy anger in his gaze. At first, she assumed it was the chill, but his eyes were angry too and fixated on Harriet whenever he seemed to think no one was watching him.
To be fair, only Violet was intrigued by Robert. Everyone else was watching Martha throw herself at Victor.
“Violet,” Denny said heartily. “You sit here in the middle, darling. Jack, you take this side and Victor, you take her other.”
Denny ignored Martha’s attempt to insinuate herself into the sleigh with Victor and added Kate. “Lila and I will take those last two spots. Now you all, into that sleigh.”
Violet grinned at Kate. “I suspect you’re a reader. Those bright, secretive eyes always indicate a book on the mind. What do you read?”
Kate paused. “I’ve always enjoyed Shakespeare.”
Victor laughed. “Violet wants to know about your secret loves. Everyone admits to loving Shakespeare even when they’re lying.”
Kate winked at Violet and asked, “Should I lie, madam?”
“O, for shame, for shame,” Violet countered, “lie not.”
Victor smirked, leaning forward to say, “But I protest, I love to hear her lie.”
“To thine own self be true,” Jack finished. “Only tell Violet if you enjoy French novels or whatever is currently scandalous. You may not think it to look on Vi, but this bright young thing is full of fluff, booze, and Tarzan novels.” His tone was not disapproving and Violet knew he knew her well. He’d watched her conduct business affairs, help discover three killers, see to the care of three children, and one unwed mother.
“I am,” Violet declared, “mostly fluff.”
“My favorite…” Kate glanced over and then said, “Well, I suppose you won’t judge me too harshly given that Lila gifted them to me, but they’re the V.V. Twinning’s books. Are you familiar with those?”
Violet grinned at Victor. “Oh, we know them quite well.”
“Even though that Isla was an idiot,” Victor added, crossing his legs and then covering first Kate and then Violet with a blanket. “Someone should have drowned her at birth.”
“She grew into herself,” Violet said firmly, elbowing Victor.
“Once her sister stepped in,” Jack muttered.
“Isla didn’t have a sister,” Kate said. “Did you mean the cousin? I wasn’t sure I liked her as much. She stole the scene whenever she came into play. I felt as though Viola should have been the heroine instead.”
Victor choked on a laugh as Jack added, “I believe I do mean the cousin. Excuse me. I will say, however, that Viola often steals the scene for me too. Snags my attention completely, lingers in my mind, you might say.”
“Oh, would you?” Victor winked at Kate and then said, “I like you, Kate. I like your taste in fiction. I’m not sure I’ve met anyone who has had such excellent taste as to quote Shakespeare and then admit to loving the fab V
. V. Twinnings.”
“Don’t get attached,” Kate told him bluntly. “Denny is bribing me with a few books my mother wouldn’t let me buy for myself.”
“The harridan!” Violet glanced at Victor. “Uh-oh, you’ve intrigued him. Tell me, how do you feel about the Amalfi Coast?”
“What now?” Kate asked.
Lila finally joined them and Denny shouted, “Tally-ho. Or heigh-ho, or something. On we go!”
“The Amalfi Coast?” Kate glanced among the friends. “Whatever are you talking about?”
“She’s coming with us,” Violet declared to Lila. “She struck Victor speechless and that kind of thing is truly priceless. We must have her.”
“Like a stray cat?” Kate snorted, not realizing that Violet was very serious.
“Just so,” Violet told Kate, who laughed.
“She’ll learn,” Victor told Jack.
Lila elbowed Denny. He had Lila on one side and Kate on the other. Violet winked at him. She had Jack on one side and Victor on the other. They had the warmest seats and the most confined ones. Denny winked back and put one arm around each of the ladies and lifted a silent brow in challenge at Violet. She snuggled down, slipping her arm through both Jack and Victor’s arms.
“Your sister,” Denny told Lila, “is cursing my name and our future children. Though she also made some snide comment about you being barren with the guess that her children would inherit when we die young and in a gutter.”
Violet’s burst of laughter made Victor jump. “She’s scary,” Victor declared. “I am aquiver with fear.”
“Kate will save you for books,” Violet told him. “Look at how capable she seems. This is a woman who puts her candle under a bushel. That way she can take you by surprise and you’ll have lost before you even realize she attacked.”
Victor started. “Oh, I’m looking. I’m entranced.”
Violet looked at him. He was serious. She turned back to Kate, whose expression said she wasn’t impressed with his flattery. Violet bit her lip and then glanced at Jack, whose gaze was fixed on the other sleigh. Harriet and Martha were sitting opposite each other, snarling into each other’s faces. Robert leaned into Harriet, who was almost plastered to the opposite side of the sleigh. Violet snuggled into Jack’s side, grateful to be with him and not the others. He smiled down at her, and she wasn’t cold at all.
