Herald of Death by Kate Kingsbury

Author:Kate Kingsbury
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Penguin Group
Published: 2011-10-14T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 11

Pansy scuffed her feet as she walked slowly down the hallway to the ballroom. From the far end she could hear music and a chorus of out-of-tune vocalists. The pianist sounded as if he was taking his anger out on the piano. That didn’t surprise Pansy. Every year Phoebe Fortescue had to hire a different pianist. They never came twice.

Pansy heard one say that he wouldn’t work with that screaming witch again if his life depended on it. And now she had to tell that witch that Gertie’s twins would not be at rehearsal.

Pansy knew what that meant. It meant she’d get screamed at, that was what. Phoebe Fortescue wasn’t all that friendly at the best of times, but when she was working on one of her events, she’d tear someone apart if they didn’t do what she wanted when she wanted it.

Pansy was not looking forward to being torn apart.

She reached the doors of the ballroom and slowly eased one of them open. Phoebe was marching back and forth in front of the stage, shouting directions at everyone while the scarlet-faced pianist thumped the keys in a desperate effort to drown her out.

The women up on the stage completely ignored Phoebe as usual. They were used to her tantrums and blithely turned a deaf ear, much to Pansy’s admiration. They were all singing, but it sounded as if they were singing different songs. Some were singing faster than others, and some were so off-key it hurt Pansy’s ears to listen.

Phoebe leapt up and down, shrieking, “Stop! Stop!”

No one listened, and the women went on warbling their awful medley until finally Phoebe stalked over to the pianist. “I said, stop!” she yelled in his ear. Apparently running out of patience, she grabbed the lid and slammed it down.

The poor man snatched his hands off the keys and out of the way just in time. “I say!” he said, in a pained voice. “You don’t have to be so vicious. I heard you.”

“Then why didn’t you stop?” Phoebe leaned forward so sharply her hat toppled over her eyes.

Giggles erupted on the stage, interrupting the singing. One by one the voices faded into blissful silence.

Struggling to straighten her hat, Phoebe’s voice cut across the room like ice. “If any of you want to appear in this prestigious event, I suggest you pay attention and obey instructions. I should hate to have to dismiss you for insubordination.”

The women looked at one another, whispering and shrugging.

Phoebe walked to the front of the stage. “The word means disobedience!” she yelled.

“Oh,” said one of the performers, a hefty woman with ginger hair and a double chin. “Why the flipping heck didn’t you say so, then? I thought it meant not being able to sing.”

“If I were going to dismiss any of you for that,” Phoebe shrilly declared, “none of you would be in . . . this . . . pantomime !”

She’d shouted the last three words, making Pansy wince. Deciding that to prolong the wait would only make matters worse, she crept forward until she was within three feet of the woman.

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