Summer Secrets: A 1920s Historical Cozy Mystery (A Lady Gayle Summer Mystery Book 3) by Cassie Rush

Author:Cassie Rush [Rush, Cassie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Gordian Knot Publishing
Published: 2023-08-30T16:00:00+00:00

‘Lady Gayle, are you quite alright?’

Lady Gayle blinked at the woman before her. ‘Miss Blues,’ she said, finally recognising the face. ‘Are you here to sing?’

Jane Blues laughed, a gentle tinkle like the sound of a brook rushing over stones. ‘No, I’m here looking for a friend. He’s not an opium addict but he finds it helps every so often. I wanted to take him home. I didn’t realise you partook too.’

‘I don’t,’ replied Lady Gayle. ‘Although how long that will be the case if I stay in here any longer, I couldn’t say. Have you found your friend?’ Staring around the dimly lit room Lady Gayle struggled to see much through the clouds of thick smoke from the smokers’ pipes.

‘He’s not in here. I’ve had a good look. Perhaps we need to get you some fresh air?’

‘Yes, I’d like that.’ Lady Gayle turned around and Jane Blues opened the door for her. They slipped into the gaming room.

Jane closed the door firmly, but a waft of smoke escaped and hung in the air, resistant to dispersing until a waiter flicked at it with the white cloth he wore over his arm. Jane smiled her thanks at him and led Lady Gayle through the gaming room. Suddenly she halted, ‘What’s he doing here?’ she hissed.

Still suffering the aftereffects of the opium smoke she’d inhaled during her brief sojourn to the smoking room, Lady Gayle took a moment to recover her wits. She shook her head, with the hopes of clearing her vision and her thoughts. Then she forced her eyes to follow where Jane was pointing. ‘That’s Mr Devine,’ she said. ‘He brought us here this evening. Do you know him too?’

‘He’s—oh, Oliver no!’ Jane squealed as a tall man rushed over to throw a punch at Teddy Devine.

The punch missed by a mile and Teddy’s attacker was wrestled to the floor by three waiters. The man Jane had referred to as Oliver, was hauled to his feet and roughly escorted from the gaming room. Teddy Devine merely shrugged and returned to his card game.

‘I must go and find him.’ Jane ran from the room and Lady Gayle found herself following.

As they reached the foyer, the three waiters re-entered the building laughing and dusting off their hands. Jane ignored them and dashed outside.

Lying on the steps of the hotel was the tall man. He was trying to get up and Jane urged him to sit while she tended to the cut on his forehead.

‘Oliver, what do you think you’re playing at?’ She dabbed at the cut with a large handkerchief, then opened her handbag and brought out a bottle of disinfectant.

Even in her befuddled state, which was clearing in the warm night air, Lady Gayle was impressed with the foresight Miss Blues demonstrated. Then it occurred to her that perhaps finding the young man needing medical attention was a frequent event.

‘I take it that this is your friend.’

Jane glanced up at her and gave her a quick nod. ‘He’s not normally like this,’ she said.

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