by Carol Durand
“A snack with that would probably be a good idea,” Chas’s voice said quietly behind her.
“Probably,” Missy said tonelessly, sipping her wine and longing to run into his arms.
“May I join you?” he asked, coming around to the other side of the table. Missy shrugged, taking another drink and not looking at him.
“Maggie set me up,” she murmured, sighing.
“No, actually, I set you up. I just used Maggie to facilitate it,” he said, sitting and leaning toward her.
“Why?” she asked dully, still avoiding his gaze.
“Because I realized that I’ve allowed this nonsense to go on long enough,” he admitted with a faint smile. “I told you that I won’t impose myself upon you, and that’s still true, I won’t, but there are some things that you should know before you make up your mind to write me off as undate-able, for whatever reason.”
“Chas, you don’t have to…” she began to protest.
“Yes, I do,” he interrupted. “Please, just hear me out,” he insisted, taking her wine glass from her hand and setting it on the table.
“I’m listening,” she said softly, beginning to feel the effects of the wine.
For a man of few words, Chas Beckett was about to speak volumes, and it quite frankly scared the heck out of him. “I left New York because I wanted to change the world, and was naïve enough to believe that I could. Still do actually. My family saw my idealistic values as frivolous and basically cast me out of their lives without a second thought, except for my mom. She always called me her little crusader, and I was devastated when she died,” he admitted, looking down for a moment.
“Because of the treachery and deceit that I had witnessed in my family’s social circle since childhood, I pretty much decided that I would avoid relationships entirely so that I wouldn’t be hurt. It was a strategy that worked for me…until I met you,” he gazed into her eyes.
“Suddenly the work that had meant everything to me, and gave me my only sense of purpose, became secondary to seeing your beautiful smile at the end of the day. When I didn’t see you, I thought about you. Even in the midst of sensitive work, you’d cross my mind several times a day,” he confessed shyly.
“I never thought I’d feel this way about anyone, Missy. You rocked my world and broke my heart when you said you didn’t want to see me anymore. I couldn’t even fathom what my life would be like without you,” he shook his head, looking down at his hands, then stood and moved over to her.
“C’mere,” he beckoned, holding out his hands. Missy put her hands in his and stood, a bit wobbly, but spellbound by what Chas had said, and the look in his eyes. Cupping her face in his hands, he gazed at her for a long moment. “I love you, Melissa Gladstone,” he husked. “I’ve known it for quite some time, and just didn’t know how to tell you, but it’s true. I love you and I believe I always will. I just wanted you to know that before you decided whether or not you’re going to break my heart by walking away,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.
Missy’s eyes widened as she grasped what he was saying, and she threw her arms around his neck, sobbing. “Oh Chas, I love you too! I have for a long time and I didn’t know if you felt the same way and I didn’t want to scare you away, and I didn’t know how to tell you,” her words came out in a relieved and heartfelt flood as she held onto him for dear life, sobbing into the hard planes of his chest.
“That’s what I wanted to hear,” he confessed, kissing her hair and holding her close. “Can we please go back to being normal with each other now, sweetie? I’ve missed you,” he hugged her tightly.
“Yes, yes, a thousand times yes,” she nodded, tilting her face to receive his kiss.
Chapter 13
Chas and Missy spent the rest of the afternoon under the willow, eating, drinking, laughing, and holding hands like teenagers.
“Oh, I have good news for you,” Chas said, as an afterthought.
“Really? What could that possibly be? I’ve had the best news I could ever hear today,” she smiled shyly at the handsome detective.
“Me too,” he agreed, squeezing her hand. “But the other good news is that the police have shifted their focus for the murder off of you. We’re just awaiting confirmation from the lab and the coroner, but it looks very much like the senator that Reggie mentioned killed Giles Heatherington.”
“Well, that’s certainly a relief,” Missy nodded, raising her glass for a toast. “Here’s to innocence,” she said clinking her glass with his.
“Here’s to love,” he toasted with an affectionate smile.
“I’ll drink to that,” Missy giggled and kissed him.
**
Dinner that evening was a much more lighthearted occasion. Reggie entertained them with tales of his travels, and a good time was had by all. Olivia had surprised them by stopping in for dinner with her brothers, and Missy was a bit dismayed that whenever she glanced up from her plate, Livvy seemed to be watching her eat. She scooped up a forkful of mashed potatoes, and when she put it to her mouth, with Chas’s sister still watching her like a hawk, she smelled something vaguely unpleasant. Subtly lifting the potatoes closer to her nose, she realized that the strange smell seemed to be coming from her food. Sticking her tongue out just a bit after glancing around to make sure that no one was watching, she taste the fluffy white stuff and found the potatoes to be so bitter that they were unpalatable. The same thing happened with each item on her dish, and she quickly lost her appetite.
Pushing her food away and sipping her wine, Missy was content to hold Chas’s hand under the table and enjoy the banter that was bouncing back and forth between him and his brother, with Olivia occasionally supplying a dry remark. Her stomach gurgled and she felt a bit uncomfortable, wondering if she was coming down with something. Her condition deteriorated quickly, to the point where she had to suddenly jump up from the table and run to the nearest bathroom, emptying her cramping stomach of its meager contents.
“Missy, sweetie? Are you okay?” she heard Chas asking outside the bathroom door. She was about to answer, when her stomach convulsed yet again, causing her to retch uncontrollably. “Missy, do you need a doctor?” he asked, opening the door. Unable to speak in her misery, Missy leaned against the bathroom wall, trembling. He quickly wet a washcloth and dabbed her forehead with it.
“Dr. Ruston is on his way,” Reggie’s voice said from behind Chas.
**
Missy opened her eyes, uncertain for a moment as to where she was. Maggie hovered nearby, and Chas had fallen asleep in a chair beside her bed.
“Mornin, lil miss,” the maid beamed at her. “You’ve had quite a go of it, poor lass. How are ya feelin’?”
“Weak, and thirsty,” Missy smiled faintly. “What happened?”
Chas woke up at the sound of her voice and stood to kiss her forehead, wiping the sleep from his eyes.
“The doc says ya either had a wee bug, or ate somethin’ that didn’t agree with ya,” Maggie informed her, bringing a cup of ice water.
“Wow, that was awful,” Missy replied, gratefully accepting the water.
“Yes it was,” Chas agreed. “You had me worried,” he confessed.
“Anything interesting happen while I was out of commission?” she asked, drinking deeply from the cup and holding it out to Maggie for more.
Chas turned to the maid. “Maggie, do you suppose you could prepare a tray for Missy?” he asked.
“Don’t be silly, Mr. Charles, it’ll be my duty and pleasure,” the matronly woman assured him, heading for the door.
Waiting until Maggie had exited and closed the door behind her, Chas answered Missy’s question with a slight frown. “Well, the lab results came back, and Giles was definitely poisoned. There was a finely powdered, bitter substance sprinkled on the cupcake that matched the poison found in his blood stream, but there are some things that are problematic about the match.”
“Like what?” Missy asked, hoping that she wasn’t being
considered a suspect again.
“Well, for one thing, the victim never ingested any of the cupcake, according to the coroner, and the time that he died would indicate that for that type of poison, he had to have eaten or drunk it hours before the party ever started.”
“So, I’m off the hook, officially!” she said relieved.
“Yes, and unfortunately, so is the senator. He has a rock solid alibi for his whereabouts during the time the victim ingested the poison,” Chas frowned.
“So now what?” Missy asked.
“That’s a good question.”
“Wait a second…” she said, realization dawning.
“What?”
“Did you say that the substance that the victim ingested was bitter tasting and sprinkled on the cupcake?” she asked, clearly agitated.
“Yes, why?” Chas looked at her closely.
“I didn’t eat my dinner on the night that I got sick because it smelled funny and tasted bitter. Do you think that the same person who poisoned Giles might be trying to poison me?” she asked, afraid.
Chas shook his head. “No, that doesn’t make sense. You and Giles had never met before the party, no one here has a motive to want to poison you, and that specific type of poison took hours to take effect. You felt sick while you were still sitting at the table,” he reminded her.
“Yeah, I suppose you’re right,” she murmured, not at all convinced. Just then, Maggie knocked on the door and entered bearing a tray of easily digestible goodies for her patient. “Thank you Maggie,” she said eyeing the food warily. “Who prepared this delicious feast?”
“I prepared it with me own hands, lass,” she beamed maternally. “And I’m not gonna take it back until you’ve eaten your fill,” she warned.
“Eat up,” Chas encouraged with a smile. “I’ll be back to check on you in a bit.”
Chapter 14
Chas was in his father’s study on a phone call when Missy finished her lunch, so after a nice warm shower which made her feel like a new person, with Maggie’s encouragement, she went for a walk in the garden. Being careful not to push herself too hard, Missy followed the path through the gardens, actually stopping to appreciate the breathtaking beauty around her this time. When she reached the willow tree, her strength left her and she sank down against the trunk of the lovely tree to rest. Gazing out over the pond in front of her, she sighed happily. While she was still worried about whether or not she’d been poisoned (and who would do such a thing), she was a woman in love. Thoughts of Chas made her feel warm all over, and she was so distracted that she never saw the shadow which rose up behind her just before her world went black.
**
Missy’s head throbbed as she put her arm over her eyes to block out the light. Swimming up into consciousness, she tried to open her eyes to see Chas when she heard him calling her name, but they were just too heavy. She felt herself being scooped up easily, as though she were weightless, and drifted into oblivion once more.
“Oh, lass,” Missy heard Maggie’s voice speaking to her. “Mr. Charles would just love it if ya could open yer eyes just a wee bit,” the maid confided.
With Herculean effort, she managed to do just that, blinking slowly. She felt Chas’s hand enclosed hers and saw a dark shadow through the slits of her eyes that she assumed was her handsome detective.
“Welcome back, beautiful,” he said tenderly, kissing her hand.
She tried to respond, but her throat was too dry to produce sound. As if by magic, Maggie appeared at her other side, holding a straw to her lips so that she could drink. After a few swallows of water, it was easier to keep her eyes open, and she gazed up at Chas with unmasked adoration. “Did I fall?” she asked, wincing when she tried to turn her head.
“No,” he growled. “You were attacked from behind with a blunt instrument of some sort,” he informed her grimly.
“Really?” Missy was surprised. “But who…?”
“I don’t know. But you can be certain I’m going to find out,” he promised, kissing her. “Reggie is leaving for Europe next week and is having a small gathering tonight if you’re up to it,” he said, changing the subject to a more positive topic.
“I think it’s possible, once I have a shower and some water,” she said, reaching up absently to touch her hair and feeling something stiff and prickly. “Chas, what’s on my head?” she asked, alarmed.
He stroked her cheek and replied. “Whatever hit you, split your scalp, so you have a shaved spot that’s about two inches wide by four inches long. In the center of the shaved spot is a line of stitches, and Maggie tried her best to clean you up, but there’s some dried blood there as well,” he explained gently.
Tears filled Missy’s eyes. “Why did this happen to me, Chas? Why is someone trying to hurt me?” she asked plaintively.
“I don’t know, sweetie, but don’t you worry, you’re not leaving my sight until we find out.”
Chapter 15
A bowl of Maggie’s soup and a great deal of water went a long way toward restoring Missy’s energy and mood. By the time Chas asked if she thought she’d be able to attend the dinner, she cautiously agreed, requesting that Maggie help her dress for the occasion. She was more than surprised when the maid came in carrying a garment bag.
“Mr. Charles noticed that you’d been losin’ weight, lass, and he had the family tailor whip up somethin’ pretty for you to wear tonight,” she said, smiling proudly, delighted to be the one to present Chas’s surprise.
“That’s so thoughtful,” Missy said softly, her eyes shining. “Let’s see it!” she exclaimed, excited to see what Chas had selected for her. Maggie unzipped the bag to reveal a cocktail dress in a stunning peacock blue satin. Missy gasped and stepped forward to lightly touch the luxurious fabric. “Oh, Maggie, it’s beautiful,” she whispered.
“Aye, lass, Mr. Charles has quite an eye,” the maid nodded happily.
Missy stood in front of the full-length mirror, and noticed with dismay that the wound on her head made her look like Frankenstein, despite the fact that her amazing new dress fit perfectly. “Maggie, can we do something about this horrible mess?” she gestured to the prominent line of stitches in her scalp.
“I think we can hide it a wee bit, lil miss,” she nodded thoughtfully. “Go set yerself down at the vanity and let me see what I can do.” She gently maneuvered Missy’s golden curls so that they covered most of the stitches without rubbing on the tender skin, and pinned them carefully in place. Missy looked at herself critically in the mirror, seeing nothing but the threads that looked like spider legs peeping out between her curls, but realizing that there was only so much that could be done.
“Thank you, Maggie. Hopefully, no one will look,” she sighed.
“A young woman in love is a thing of beauty,” the maid encouraged her. “Now you wait right here, and I’ll fetch Mr. Charles to escort you to the dining room.”
**
“Missy, you look absolutely beautiful,” Chas grinned, kissing her for a long, lovely moment.
Breathlessly she replied, “Thanks to your exquisite taste.”
“In women and in dresses,” he teased.
“You’re too kind,” she blushed at the compliment.
“Shall we?” he offered her his arm.
“We shall,” she took his arm and the couple made their way slowly to the dining room, mindful of Missy’s recovery. Chas led Missy to her chair, pulling it out for her and seating her next to Reggie, who had selected the head chair. Instead of sitting across from his lovely girlfriend, as was the norm, Chas elected to sit next to Missy in case she needed anything.
Platters of appetizers were laid out, and the attentive detective fixed a plate for Missy before loading up his own. She nibbled on a toast point spread with pate, and refused wine in favor of water because of her injury. The giant step forward that their relationship had taken was clearly obvious to all present as they had their heads together most of the time, smiling into each other’s e
yes, and sharing private conversation.
Missy noticed a nearly palpable chill in the room, and realized that everyone had gone quiet. She looked up just in time to see Amanda Heatherington take the seat directly across from her. The grieving woman stared Missy down as though she were still a suspect, and Missy tried to convince herself that the widow should be treated with kindness no matter how rudely she behaved in her grief. Chas shot a quick, accusing glance at Reggie, who raised his eyebrows and shrugged, playing the innocent. Olivia appeared, almost immediately, sitting next to Amanda and engaging her in conversation to help make the awkward moment pass.
Missy and Chas made it through the first courses of dinner by merely pretending that Amanda didn’t exist, and if Missy were a betting woman, she’d have laid her last dime on the certaintly that Reginald Beckett would be receiving quite the dressing down later from his older brother for having invited the widow. Just prior to dessert, while coffee was being served, Amanda excused herself and left the room. Olivia followed shortly thereafter, and Missy felt guilty about hoping that the widow had left for the evening, sighing to herself in disappointment when the woman returned to sit across from her with a strange smirk this time. Chas’s sister resumed her seat a few minutes later, glancing at Amanda and looking troubled.
Missy and Chas were chit-chatting about life in LaChance, Louisiana, and how much they missed it in the short time that they’d been away, enjoying their coffee. The serving staff came out bearing pieces of the most decadent-looking pieces of chocolate cake that Missy had ever seen, and her mouth watered. She loved being exposed to other people’s dessert creations, and often found inspiration for her shops when sampling new treats. Each slice of the dense, dark chocolate cake was sprinkled with powdered sugar, and drizzled in a rich, red raspberry puree, with a dollop of fresh whipped cream finishing it off. Cutting off a tiny piece with her fork that had a bit of all three flavors on top, Missy nearly jumped out of her skin when she lifted it to her mouth, only to be stopped by a scream from Olivia.
