A Murderous Little Christmas : A Violet Carlyle Cozy Historical Mystery (The Violet Carlyle Mysteries Book 43) by Beth Byers

Author:Beth Byers [Byers, Beth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-11-29T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 4

“Vi,” Jack whispered into her ear. She could feel his lips smile against her ear. “Vi, darling. Vi….wake up, sweet Vi.”

She cracked one eye and saw Jack’s wide grin, only inches from her face. She groaned and tried to snuggle deeper into the covers.

“Darling, darling Vi. Wake up. Come and play with me.”

“What?” her voice was a croak. After a long moment, “Why?”

“Fishing?”

She frowned at him. “What now?”

“Fishing, darling. We must be off. Come, come. Where something warm?”

“Since when?”

“We’ve friends, darling. Friends who need escaping from the house and all that has gone made here.”

Slowly, Vi pushed up leaning back and squinting at him. “We’re escaping the children?”

“Did you hear them last night?”

The chorus of screaming babies, toddlers, the sound of Agatha and Tori fighting once again? Oh, Vi had heard. It had carried on far past

“Please come, Vi,” Ginny called from the hall and Vi’s head tilted.

“Ginny,” Vi mouthed to Jack who grinned at her. Her adopted daughter had been at school and traveling almost without ceasing lately and Vi had been worrying that she’d lost the girl’s affection, especially with the coming natural chid.

“Ginny,” Jack repeated having told her time after time that Ginny was just young. “She wants to go fishing with you.”

“With me?”

“Specifically.”

Vi swung her legs over the side of the bed and dressed warmly. Italy was significantly warmer than London in the winter, but going out on the water was asking for a chill. She hurried through her dressing, leaning into a large fur coat—ridiculous though it may be for a fishing boat.

When she reached the front of the house, Jack snorted at her in laughter for the fur coat, but she shrugged. If ever there was a time to wear one, it was when she was cold and she was with child.

“What the devil?” Victor asked, but his grin was approving when he announced, “I like it.”

She paused when she realized these autos were not their own. Slowly, she looked around more carefully. There was Anthony Sharpe, handing Kate into the auto. There was another version of Sharpe. This time, the man was a bit younger with more hair and less chin. Vi slowly turned to Jack who held up his hands in defense.

“What the devil?” Vi murmured to Victor avoiding her husband before he turned into whatever odd, horror he’d become the last time they were around Anthony Sharp. The villa was on the top of curving roads and a cliffside overlooking the sea, but the drive down to the harbor was swift all the same.

She could see why Jack agreed to the fishing trip when she realized the boat was more yacht that fishing boat, and the deck chairs were chaise lounge chairs. This yacht was pure luxury complete with uniformed servants, hors d’oeuvres on trays, mimosas at the ready, and Vi took a deep breath in.

Maybe this would be all right.

Jack seated her and then Ginny, who immediately abandoned her own lounge to join Vi on an extra wide one, and they both froze.

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