Murder at Bray Manor: a cozy historical mystery (A Ginger Gold Mystery Book 3) by Lee Strauss

Author:Lee Strauss [Strauss, Lee]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781988677057
Publisher: La Plume Press
Published: 2017-07-31T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

Like the skin of a drum on a winter’s day, Ginger’s chest tightened. She felt trapped in Bray Manor, senselessly claustrophobic. The waves called to her, lapping through the grass, slapping against the jetty. Perhaps, out there, she could breathe.

Basil stared at her, his hazel eyes registering surprise at her suggestion to venture out. “Isn’t it raining?”

“Just a drizzle,” Ginger said. “Besides, it’s calming. It might clear our heads so we can get to the bottom of this awful business.”

“Let’s go, then.” Basil disappeared into the entrance hall to gather their coats and scarves and returned waving two umbrellas. “I pulled these from the brolly rack, just in case.”

Ginger gathered the wool blanket that hung over the back of the settee, and called to Boss. “Hey, lazybones,” she said. “We’re going outside!” The pup scampered to his feet and followed Ginger and Basil out of the French windows into the garden. A pair of rubber boots had been left on the patio, and Ginger took a moment to slip them on. Much more suitable than the strappy shoes she’d been wearing.

Together Ginger and Basil pulled the rowing boat out of the boathouse. Basil guided it by the rope towards the jetty as Ginger collected the oars.

The fog swirled above their heads. With a deep breath, Ginger inhaled the fresh air—a mix of old earth, damp trees and lake mildew. The tension in her chest gave way little by little. “I know everyone gets so excited when the sun shines,” she said, “but I’m rather fond of the moody atmosphere. It’s brooding and mysterious.”

“It’s mysterious all right,” Basil said as he helped her into the small boat. “One can barely see beyond one’s nose.”

Boss jumped in and onto Ginger’s lap. Basil sat at the back of the boat and pushed off the jetty with one oar. They slipped quietly through the water. Ginger found the sounds of nature soothing to the disquieted churning within. Geese skimmed along the lake surface squawking out their disapproval at this interruption. Boss let out a string of short barks, encouraging the fowl onward. Smaller birds sang, their high-pitched trilling echoing along the lake’s surface.

“The reed bunting nests here.” Ginger pointed to a cluster of reeds poking out of the water, and the small grey bird singing with a loud, beautiful voice.

Basil watched the bunting in its habitat with appreciation. “Lake Livingston is more of a large pond, isn’t it?”

Ginger grinned. “Don’t let Ambrosia hear you say that.”

Basil paddled with slow, intense strokes, and Ginger relaxed into the sound of the wooden blades lapping through the water. The vice-like anxiety squeezing her ribs was nearly gone.

Ginger knew it wasn’t the case that was troubling her, though she did have grave concerns about Felicia’s life choices. It was the little graveyard on the other side of the lake, the marble crosses visible from their position.

Basil followed her gaze and stated plainly, “You miss him.”

“I do,” Ginger admitted. “It’s been five years since the war took him, but at times it feels like yesterday.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.