A Merry Little Murder

by Beth Byers

  Violet’s grin was wicked when she said, “These are what come when you’re adored by the honorable Victor Carlyle. It would be easy for you, I think, to join me on my pedestal.”

  “You aren’t concerned I would displace you?” Kate was genuinely curious. Violet could see it in the woman’s gaze.

  Vi winked. “It’s not possible, my friend. Our hearts are meant to love more than one person. Victor’s heart will never not love me. I’m his twin. He literally took his first breath in the shadow of my gloriousness. I’m not a jealous creature, however. Love him, make me happy. Be prepared for long vacations together and possibly houses next door and me dumping my children on your nanny while I write something frivolous and nearly scandalous.”

  Kate laughed as she applied her lipstick. “Perhaps I should be jealous of you, instead?”

  Violet scrunched her nose. “Only if you have a little mind and a little heart. I suspect that you don’t.”

  Kate’s response was lost in the knocking of an angry fist on Violet’s bedroom door. She knew it was Victor and she crossed to open it herself. Victor took in Beatrice and Kate and then he took Violet’s wrist and tugged her into the hallway.

  “Someone assaulted you in a nightclub and you didn’t tell me? You are concerned in our neighborhood? Why?”

  Violet searched his face. She caught movement behind him and saw Jack and Denny. “It wasn’t me who was assaulted in the nightclub,” Violet said softly, but Denny heard. He knew his wife well enough to put the pieces together in a mere breath, and he shut the door to their shared bedroom a moment later.

  A moment after, Denny—Denny’s—shout filled the hallway. Violet flinched for Lila and then told Victor, “It’s not that I’m afraid to go outside. It’s just that I—all women—have to weigh their safety against the things they might need or want to do. We have to ask ourselves, would this action be unwise?”

  “So you aren’t scared by our house?”

  “It’s a lovely house in a lovely neighborhood and no, I am not afraid there. No matter where I was, I would consider those things.”

  Victor growled at that reply. “You. Lila. Kate. Isolde. Jiu-Jitsu classes. I’m not joking this time, Vi.”

  “You weren’t joking last time,” Violet told him.

  “I’ll take them with you so you don’t worry about the teacher.”

  Violet cupped his cheek. “You’re a good brother and a better man. No woman would be alarmed with you near. You, Jack—” The sound of something breaking in Lila and Denny’s rooms followed and Violet added with a smirk, “Denny.”

  “Should we save him from her?”

  “She should have told him a long time ago,” Violet said. “She has bad dreams about it.”

  Victor winced and changed the subject. “I understand Cook made us a glorious Christmas dinner since we are scheduled elsewhere for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.”

  Violet nodded and then Kate said, “Whoever is going to be at those dinners should be safe, right? We’ll be able to relax our guard some. Maybe after, we can set up a trap for the killer.”

  “With you as bait?” Victor growled. He out and out growled, and Violet had to bite back a laugh.

  Kate nodded.

  “No,” Victor said.

  “I…” Kate started

  “No,” Victor snapped. “No, and no again.”

  “We might find the killer more quickly that way,” Jack said carefully.

  Victor spun on Jack and shouted, “Would you set a trap with Vi as bait?”

  Jack shook his head once. His lips twitched and Violet realized he’d done that on purpose. He’d forced Victor’s hand—not his hand—his heart.

  Violet choked back a laugh and Victor spun on her instead. He took in her expression and demanded, “Why are you laughing?”

  “No reason,” Violet said solemnly.

  Victor’s gaze roved over her face and she winked at him as soon as he started to relax. “Violet!”

  She giggled.

  “I was serious.” Kate’s calm voice cut between the twins, making Violet laugh harder. Jack’s snort had Victor spinning again.

  “He’s like a top on a string,” Kate told Violet.

  “All for you,” Violet replied, and Victor reached out to pull her hair.

  “I’m getting dressed you…you…bloody devils!”

  He slammed into his room and Jack’s laughter joined Violet’s. They both fell silent as they heard Denny shout again.

  “This dinner should be fun.” Kate’s dry voice set Violet off again.

  “Should we be concerned?” Jack asked Violet, temporarily serious.

  “Only for Denny,” Violet told him equally serious. “Possibly our digestion, if he mopes.”

  With that, Jack lifted a brow and returned to his ablutions.

  “My lady,” Beatrice said as they returned to the room. “May I sit here and read these?”

  “As long as you eat, my love,” Violet told Beatrice, “you may do as you choose.”

  Chapter 17

  Beatrice woke Violet and Kate the next morning.

  “My lady.” Beatrice shook Violet’s shoulder until she sat up. “My lady, please.”

  Violet pushed back her eye mask and met the girl’s gaze.

  “I…”. The wide concern in Beatrice’s gaze paused Violet more than anything else. With a shaking hand, the girl held out a white envelope.

  “Oh no.” Kate had pushed back the eye mask Violet had lent her the previous night. “How did he find me?”

  Beatrice shook her head, and Violet handed Kate the envelope. “What time is it?”

  “It’s 7:00am, my lady. Rouge and Gin need to go out early or they have accidents. Mr. Giles always gathers up Gin, and I get Rouge and take them both out for their business. I found the letter taped to the back door as I came in.”

  “Like they knew that would be the place where someone would find it the soonest.” Violet said and then shuddered, “When did you see it?”

  Kate gasped and Vi and Beatrice turned to her. They waited and Kate said, “He talks about women drivers. He talks about drinking here. He talks about…how would he know we had drinks? How would he know we had a holiday dinner?”

  Violet took Kate’s hand and squeezed. “Anyone who knows Lila and Denny know that they had at least one drink over the evening. Did he say when?”

  Kate shook her head.

  “For us, drinking in the parlor and having dinner quite so late—that was unusual. He’s guessing and making you think he saw. If he’d known everything, he’d have said something about you driving your protectors away. After all, Jack and Victor both left when we should have been eating.”

  Kate bit her lip, but she nodded.

  “He’s upset. He says I shouldn’t be spending time with sinners and harlots.”

  Violet laughed. “He must think I’m the harlot since Lila is married. If he thinks music, dancing, gluttony, and drinking are sins—he’s got me pegged.”

  “That is not true,” Beatrice snapped, almost surprised at her reaction, but she didn’t stop. “Sinners don’t take care of little orphans. Or become the guardians of street urchins. Or find loving homes for sweet little innocent babies.”

  Violet patted Beatrice’s hand and then got out of bed. She crossed to the armoire, to Beatrice’s consternation, and pulled out two kimonos.

  “Irregular to say the least, but I believe Victor may strangle me if I don’t wake him. Here, love.” Violet handed one to Kate. She gasped, running her fingers over it in sheer delight. The kimono was silk with dragons up the sleeves. Violet loved it, but Kate—it seemed—had fallen head over heels. “Take it, darling. It’s yours now.”

  “Oh, I couldn’t.” Kate shook her head and Violet held up a hand.

  “You must. When that expression hits a girl’s gaze, I cannot be the one who stands in the way of true love. Even the true love of a girl and her kimono.”

  Kate laughed and shook her head again.

/>   “You may as well accept,” Beatrice told Kate. “She gave me one too, and I tried to say no. Lady Vi held up nail scissors to it and said she’d destroy it or she’d see it loved by me.”

  Kate laughed again, and Violet said, “It’s just like the babies and King Solomon. You know the true kimono owner by the one who cannot stand to see it cut to pieces. I was merely holding it for the true home. Shall we have a moment of silence in the sheer appreciation of fate bringing these two soul mates together?”

  Beatrice laughed and Kate stared at Violet as though she were mad. “No? Ah well. A prophet is never appreciated in her own country. Excuse me. I shall go torment Victor awake. I suppose I must wake Jack as well. How awkward. I’d better use different techniques for Jack.”

  Kate looked to Beatrice, who was taking Violet in stride. So she shrugged and put on the kimono while Violet left, pausing only to watch Kate running delighted fingers down her sleeve.

  Violet knocked several times on Jack’s door and then left Victor’s open when she stepped into his room. She found her poor twin sleeping across the end of his bed, a stack of pages having fluttered out of his hands. Her poor darling brother must have been up late writing. That would cause a sharp pain when she yanked him awake.

  Violet crossed to her twin, licked a finger, and ran it along his chin.

  “Vi!” he groaned. “Why?”

  “Wake up, son!” she trilled into his ear. “It is time to mount that fine white steed and save the princess!”

  “What? Bloody hell, Vi—”

  Jack stood in the doorway with his hands on his hips. He was fully dressed in a suit and looked as though he had been a moment from leaving the house. “Do you wake him this way often?”

  She grinned and winked at Jack. “Just often enough for him to appreciate the mornings when I don’t.”

  Jack’s expression was utterly baffled as she ran her fingers through Victor’s hair. “No siblings?”

  “No, I have two sisters, but they would never…”

  Vi winked as she cackled. “Well, of course, they wouldn’t. They aren’t me. And you aren’t twins.” Violet turned at look at her brother before she said, “Beatrice is in my room, Jack. Send her for Turkish coffee, please? Victor is going to need a large cup.”

  Victor ran his hands over his face. “Did we suddenly become plebeians who must be up with the sun?”

  “There’s another letter, Victor. It was left where Beatrice would find it when she took out the dogs. It’s time for you to put on your shining armor and prepare to save the damsel.”

  Victor groaned. “This fellow must be stopped.”

  “Come, my lad,” Violet told him. “I know you have it in you. Also, coffee is coming. Just picture the dulcet face of your mademoiselle.”

  “I believe it is voices that are dulcet,” Victor countered, “and yours is not.”

  “Ahhhh,” Violet said. “Nothing like a twin brother to crush one’s hopes of operatic stardom.”

  She left him to wash his face and change out of his pajamas. She might be able to get away with a kimono, but she didn’t think that he would do the same. Not when he had yet to secure his love. Or even entice her.

  They gathered in Violet’s room despite the completely inappropriate nature of the meeting. Lila read the letter.

  “I guess we’ll find out just what this fellow knows.” Denny crossed his arms over his chest as he added, “We are all in our bedclothes discussing this bloke. I wonder if he can feel it.”

  “What? Psychically?” Kate shook her head and glanced at Lila, who was rolling her eyes at Denny.

  “He wants us to talk about him.” Jack was the only one fully dressed beside Victor, who had taken the time to put on a suit. Denny wore pajamas with a large robe over the top. It didn’t seem to matter that it was the day before Christmas Eve, Jack had intended to work. To be honest, Violet was grateful he was. “This man wants to think we’re helpless and scared. It’s why he’s doing what he’s doing.”

  “We are neither of those things. I suppose you’re working?” Violet asked as Victor read the latest letter.

  Jack nodded. “I have a mountain of things to discuss with Pomeroy. I will be by for luncheon and to discover what you’ve uncovered from the letters.”

  Beatrice came in a moment later. “They’re setting up an early breakfast in the breakfast room with the Turkish coffee. They’ve got that out and tea should be set up by the time you arrive.”

  The group looked at each other and then adjourned to the breakfast room with full plates and full cups. Kate examined her own cup of Turkish coffee—Violet had made Kate one while making one for herself. Kate had made herself a cup of tea as well, so she had an alternative if she despised it.

  Violet had placed a cinnamon bun, fruit, and bacon on her plate that morning. On occasion, the very sight of eggs made her stomach turn. For some reason, the very next day she enjoyed them immensely. There was no account for herself, she thought as she bit into some of the hothouse fruit.

  “So, what do we know about this letter?”

  “It just makes assumptions,” Kate told Jack, handing it over. “At first, I thought that he must have seen everything. But as Violet said, he’d have remarked on Victor hitting the wall or the fact that we had those drinks when we did. It’s too vague to be really sure of what we’ve done. Clever how he makes it seem that he sees all. If you believed it, you’d think he was hiding in the corner or under the table at the moment. I don’t know how Harriet stood it.”

  Jack grunted and read it over. “I might not have seen that immediately. Wicked smart, Vi.”

  “It was the peignoir that he talked about for Harriet that made me figure it out,” Violet admitted. “I found two letters that referenced her nightwear. The first one—maybe he saw her? There is no way she wasn’t fully dressed with an open curtain again. No woman would let some man have that visual when it was a simple curtain closure away.”

  “So how did he do it?” Victor asked.

  “Clothing lines,” Violet said. “How else?”

  Victor blinked a little stupidly and Violet affectionately patted him on the head. “Drink up that coffee, Vic. Catch up with us.”

  “I couldn’t sleep,” he admitted and downed his coffee in one go. He rose to refill it and Violet wondered just how many cups of coffee he’d become accustomed to. For Violet, she generally had one in the morning and then switched to tea.

  “It does make us sound like a den of vipers, doesn’t it?” Jack set the letter aside. “Are they all like this?”

  “We didn’t get very far into them,” Violet admitted. “I think that shall be my goal for the day.”

  “I’d prefer for you to stay close to the house at least until we have a better idea of how this fellow might have been getting his information.”

  Violet didn’t argue. She had no intention of leaving the house anytime soon, and she wasn’t going to make him worry for no reason.

  “We aren’t leaving them alone,” Victor said. “The girls will have to stay together and we’ll stick around too.”

  “Lovely,” Lila declared, “it’ll be easier for us to keep an eye on you that way.”

  Victor looked up and Lila winked at him and said, “This is a merry little holiday, isn’t it? Maybe on our next trip we can visit a leper colony or a city full of orphaned children and see what further damage we can do.”

  “Cuba, I’m telling you. I’ve thought about Vi’s suggestion and now nothing else will do.” Victor said. “Maybe we’ll even pick up Isolde if she’s managed to secure Tomas. Should be lovely there. I think it’s warm all the time. You’ll have to get some of those loose-pants women wear. Beach pants? Is that what they’re called? Perhaps one of those hats that has a brim all the way out to your shoulders.”

  “And then swing over to California,” Lila declared. “We’ll be almost there anyway, right?”

  She winked at Jack when he shot her a disbelieving look.

  Denny, on
the other hand, said, “You’ve got a point there, love. We’ll be closer than we’ve ever been before. Might as well just finish the visit out.”

  Lila laughed at her husband, but he was serious. She lifted a brow and shrugged. Violet guessed that when it came right down to it, Lila didn’t have any objections. To be honest with herself, however, Violet was pretty sure that Lila would follow Denny wherever he wanted to go. She wasn’t one who burned to see the world, but she was happy enough to accompany those who wanted to travel.

  Violet leaned back. She felt ridiculous to be having breakfast in the kimono but then she said, “You know…this…” she gestured to her kimono and then Kate’s. “This would make the admirer furious.”

  They all looked at Violet. “He’d be sure to say something about it, I think. If he knew…we’ll get an idea of just what he knows when we see if he calls her to account. Or threatens her. Or pleads with her to leave this…what did he call us? Sinners and harlots?”

  Victor snarled a little and then refilled his coffee cup again.

  “How late were you up, Victor darling?”

  “I wrote a rather terrifying scene for our damsel. She saved herself. We’ve definitely moved on from damsel to heroine.”

  Violet knew he’d been working through his thoughts in the book. It was an easy way to discover your worries and concerns. If only it were so easy to save yourself from real life villains as it would end up being for their heroine to save herself.

  Chapter 18

  When Violet dressed, she put on a new day dress. It was a long-sleeved grey plaid wool worked through with red and black stripes to provide the plaid detailing. The dress tied in the front and had a drop waist and pleated skirt. It was warm on a day where the chill never seemed to leave Violet, but she was pretty sure that was because she was horrified in her soul.

  She left the jewelry off except a ring to play with when she paced. She added rouge and lipstick and kohl on her eyes because she loved the creativity of makeup and the way it made her look healthy and vibrant even when she was having longing thoughts of returning to her bed.

  While Kate dressed, Violet sent Beatrice down to Inkwell to see if he would be able to locate a chalkboard. Violet had some ideas, but she felt that she’d do better to sketch them out in front of her. Rather like her journaled list of suspects but on a larger scale.