Murder at the Majestic Hotel by Clara McKenna

Author:Clara McKenna [McKenna, Clara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-07-26T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 17

“Are we late?” Stella asked.

They’d agreed to meet Owen and Aunt Winnie in the lobby and set off from there. Yet when Stella stepped off the elevator on Lyndy’s arm, no one was there to greet them. Besides a bespectacled clerk Stella had never seen before behind the registration desk, they were the only souls in the entire lobby.

“There you are.” Owen strode confidently through the front doors. He wore a black cutaway coat and top hat identical to Lyndy’s. Owen’s roving attention inspected Stella’s floral tulle dress of cream and dark rose with an embroidered burgundy silk panel accenting the bodice. “My, you look smashing, Stella.”

Stella adjusted her hat with a matching burgundy bow and blushed.

“Now, now,” Lyndy playfully chided, a proud, thin smile stretching his lips. “That’s my wife you’re talking to.” He put his hand over Stella’s and glanced around the empty lobby. “Where is anyone?”

“Making their way to the unveiling. Which is what we should be doing, old chap.” Owen led them toward the doors and down to several awaiting black coaches. “Your carriage awaits, my lady,” he said with a laugh. “As does my lady mother and the rest of our party.”

Owen wasn’t kidding. Standing beside the second hired coach were Morgan, Miss Pegg, and her father, all dressed in their finest, patiently waiting. Aunt Winnie waved from the shadowy recesses of the first coach.

Stella understood why Aunt Winnie, who could barely put weight on her ankle, would need to ride, but why couldn’t she, Lyndy, and the others walk? The Guildhall was a few blocks away. When she asked Lyndy, he mumbled something about needing to present their best. She acquiesced but only because she wanted time with the lead coach’s matching pair of dappled grays; they reminded Stella of Tully. She hadn’t realized how much she missed the mare. She tripped lightly down the steps ahead of Lyndy and Owen to say hello.

Sidestepping the coachman holding the carriage door, Stella approached the nearest horse to stroke its forehead. When the second horse neighed, in hopes of getting similar attention, Aunt Winnie, dressed in gold and white satin with blue and green peacocks embroidered on the bodice, poked her head out. The faux grape bunches and plumes of peacock feathers on her green toque bobbed as she nodded in appreciation of Stella.

“Aren’t you lovely, my dear,” Aunt Winnie said.

“Not as lovely as these two.” Mindful not to get her hem dirty, Stella arranged herself before the horses so she could pet both at once.

“She’s a credit to our family, Lyndy,” Aunt Winnie added when Lyndy and Owen caught up. “I can’t imagine how your mother managed such a perfect match.”

Stella shot Lyndy a warning glance as he opened his mouth in what was sure to be a retort on the fact that his mother had done nothing to encourage the marriage and everything to sabotage it. Stella didn’t think there was any call for such comments now. She was confident that she and Lady Atherly had come to an understanding.

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