Murder & Mistletoe: A Violet Carlyle Historical Mystery (The Violet Carlyle Mysteries Book 38) by Beth Byers

Author:Beth Byers [Byers, Beth]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Published: 2022-11-26T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 10

The earl arrived in a long Rolls-Royce driven by a man that Vi had known when she was a school girl. He was tall, slim, and cut the figure you’d assume belonged to an earl. He did, however, have the aura of a man who’d started drinking already. Given the look on his wife’s face as she got out of the auto and looked up at the house, Vi didn’t blame him.

If Lady Eleanor didn’t hate Vi, she was only one step removed from that feeling.

The next auto held her oldest brother, Gerald, his wife, and his son. Gerald had shared an auto with their youngest brother, Geoffrey. Following them was Isolde and Tomas along with their three sons. Vi’s head tilted as she watched them exit the vehicle. There was a moment of something on Isolde’s face, and Vi had to wonder if it meant their temporarily sweet relationship had been ruined.

Vi hesitated as she looked out at her sister. They’d spent weekends together here and there. Or been in London at the same time and had lunch. For the most part, however, Isolde had leaned on Vi when she’d needed her and almost disappeared after marrying Tomas. Vi knew why. Tomas suffered from shellshock and did better in the country with Isolde near.

Even still, the sight of them made Vi’s heart hurt. She felt Jack’s hand take hers and wished that she didn’t feel quite so…shattered…about watching the others get out of the autos. There was a link between them that she didn’t feel.

“Quit reading into everything, Violet.”

She shot him a dark look.

“Just pretend that everything is well and maybe it will be.”

“Just so,” Victor added, stepping up on her other side, and putting his hand on her shoulder. It reminded her, more than anything else, that she was never fully alone. Not with her twin, Jack, and their friends.

Then Jack tugged her towards the door and Vi pretended she wasn’t feeling shattered as she ran down the steps to Isolde. Vi grabbed her sister’s hands, and then leaned in to kiss each cheek before hugging her tightly.

To her surprise, Tomas lifted Vi up in a big hug and squeezed her breathless. Then she was passed along rather like a sack of potatoes, squeezed by each brother, her father, and ending up next to her sister-in-law. Vi kissed her cheek and then leaned into comments about the weather and refreshments inside, and the worst first moment was over without it being too obvious that Lady Eleanor and Vi had hardly spoken.

As they walked into the front hall, her father took in their holiday decorations and said, “I assumed there would be more.”

Vi shrugged. “The party is at Ham and Rita’s.”

“But you invited us,” Lady Eleanor snarled. The offense of inviting people to someone else’s party was clear, but Vi ignored it. “Quite irregular.”

“Of course she did,” Gerald said, ignoring their stepmother. “I’m sure they’re doing the party together, Eleanor.”

Vi glanced at her brother, not missing the irritation in his tone.

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