Murder at the Mansion (Hearts Grove Cozy Mystery Book 8) by Danielle Collins

Author:Danielle Collins [Collins, Danielle]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Fairfield Publishing
Published: 2019-11-18T16:00:00+00:00

Later that evening, once most of the guests had gone to bed and the sitting area was nearly empty, Henrietta sat with Ralph on a couch in the corner by the fireplace. Soft tones of classical Christmas music floated around them and Henrietta sipped from a warm mug of peppermint tea.

Just minutes earlier the room had been filled with more lively banter as Ralph and Dan recalled a case they had once worked on. The retelling had been animated and accompanied by Henrietta’s laughter in many parts, but once they’d reached the end of the tale Dan had finally succumbed to exhaustion and headed to bed.

Part of Henrietta wanted to follow suit and retire to her room, but there was something so lovely about the atmosphere of the room and Ralph’s steady company that she remained, cushioned by the leather couch and comforted by her tea and the warm fire.

Outside, the storm raged on. Rain pelted the windows and the occasional crack of lightning lit the night sky with jagged streaks.

“It’s a beaut, that one.”

“What?” she said, coming out of a haze of thought.

“The storm. I haven’t seen one this bad this year yet.”

She nodded, her gaze going to the dark window then the last couple still in the large sitting room. Bridget and a handsome young man who hadn’t arrived with her sat talking, wine glasses in hand.

“Henri,” Ralph said, drawing her attention back.

“You have a look that says something’s afoot.”

“You going all Sherlock Holmes on me?” he said with a grin.

“Am I right?” She took a sip of her tea.

“I suppose you are. I just,” he rubbed at his chin, a pensive look coming over him. “Something feels off about Ms. Louella fainting like she did in the hall.”

“I’ve been thinking about that too.” Then again, he already knew that she had been, and she saw as much on his features as his smile broadened. “I appreciate the fact that Mack seems to know Louella well, but…”

“You think he was guessing it was alcohol in her glass then?”

“Perhaps not guessing but,” she couldn’t put her finger on it, but something seemed odd about the man’s quick assumption that her fainting spell was due to drink rather than her health or, perhaps, something else.

“He was awfully quick to jump to intoxication, I’ll give you that.”

“Though it didn’t seem to come out of malice,” she had to admit.

“True, that.”

Just then a large bolt of lightning lit the night sky. The next instant the sound of a gunshot shattered the silence. Directly after, a booming clap of thunder rattled the windowpanes.

“Ralph, was that—?”

“A gunshot?” he said, already rushing to his feet. “You bet it was. Coming from outside too. Come on.”

They both rushed to the hallway, the other couple looking alarmed and a little dazed as if they’d had too much to drink, which was quite possible.

“Stay here,” Henrietta assured them. “We’ll check on it.”

Bridget looked as if she might protest, but Henrietta was already out of the room and into the foyer before she could say anything.

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