Fine Spirits by Alice Duncan

Author:Alice Duncan
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2010-03-04T18:30:00+00:00

Spike fit right in with the rest of the family. In time, Sam forgave him for piddling on his shoe. As the three men played with the dog, with intermittent games of gin rummy tossed in while Spike caught his breath and napped, I slipped away to pack some things in a sack for Marianne.

I was having good luck that day, aside from the fact that I was probably going to spend the rest of my life in jail. But Ma and Aunt Vi had gone out visiting, and Spike was keeping my father, husband, and mortal enemy engaged in the living room. Without anyone noticing, I slipped down to the basement, carrying a sandwich and a glass of milk for the stowaway.

Marianne threw herself at me when she saw me. “Oh, Daisy! I was beginning to think I'd die down here!”

“Sorry. This house isn't as easy to hide in as Mrs. Bissel's.” I laid the food out on a suitcase. “Here, eat up, Marianne. I have good news for you.”

She'd already stuffed her mouth full of sandwich, but that didn't stop her. “You do?”

“I do. Thanks to Harold Kincaid, you now have a place to stay while we figure out how to keep you safe from your father forever.”

She swallowed before speaking again. “In Mr. Kincaid's house?”

I shook my head. “He can't keep you because he'd got company coming, but another gentleman, George Grenville, has a whole entire cottage that's currently unoccupied. You can stay there for at least a couple of weeks.”

She looked at me without speaking as she chewed and swallowed another bite of sandwich. I was glad she didn't talk with her mouth full again, mainly because I'd begun to think of myself as having an unfortunate influence on her. But I suspect she'd only been really hungry when she'd first spoken.

“Then what?” she asked. She didn't look as overjoyed as I thought she should.

“I don't know what then,” I told her, a trifle put out with her attitude. “Golly, Marianne, let's take this one step at a time, all right? I've never tried to keep a human being hidden before. It takes some practice.”

“I'm sorry.” She looked repentant as she slugged back half a glass of milk. “I'm just so scared.”

“I'm sure you are.” I was, too, if it came to that, although I didn't burden the girl with my worries. “But Harold and I will be able to think of something, I'm certain.” Liar. I was certain of no such thing, at least in regard to my own personal self. But I had great faith in Harold.

I left Marianne to her milk and sandwich and went back upstairs to tell Billy I was leaving him for the afternoon. I anticipated he would be less trouble than usual since he had not only Sam and Pa to play with, but Spike, as well.

Claiming I had a séance to conduct--fortunately, Billy didn't bring up the fact that I never conducted séances on Sundays--I managed to get Marianne out of the house slightly before four that afternoon.

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