[Mrs. Lillywhite Investigates 00] - The Case of the Misdelivered Valentine by Emily Queen

Author:Emily Queen [Queen, Emily]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Independently published
Published: 2020-04-14T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Four

“This is it, Vera.” Rosemary stared at the building, a set of flats in an old three-story made of brick, with a well-kept front stoop bordered with plantings and freshly-turned soil. She wondered if Elizabeth Brown had begun planting early bulbs in order to brighten up the home.

Standing out like the rose among the proverbial thorns, the patch of garden struck a plaintive note amid the rest of the modest flats crammed into rows on either side of the street.

Taking the lead, Rosemary briskly approached the front door and pressed the bell for number three, where a dog barked from somewhere inside. A few moments later, an attractive woman not more than a handful of years older than herself answered the door.

“Can I help you?” she asked, her eyes widening at either the sight of the vase full of roses or the woman carrying them. Smiling face above the blooms, Vera made a pretty picture.

“I hope so,” Rosemary said. “Are you Elizabeth Brown?”

“I am,” she answered with some reluctance. “And you are …?”

“Rosemary Lillywhite, and this is Vera Blackburn. May we come in and speak with you for a moment or two?” Rose felt as though she was intruding, but this wasn’t a topic to be discussed upon the front stoop for all and sundry to hear.

Betty nodded, and politely ushered them inside. “Please, call me Betty. Everyone does. I’ve only just put the kettle on to boil. It will be a few minutes before tea is ready. Have a seat, won’t you.” She indicated a clean but slightly tattered sofa upon which Rosemary and Vera perched after setting the flowers on the low table. Once her guests were seated, Betty followed suit.

“I received these flowers this morning, along with a note.” Rosemary explained, handing the envelope to Betty. “I’m sorry to say I took the liberty. You see, I thought the flowers were for me as I live at Number 8 Park Road. She watched while the other woman opened the card and read the note that had been meant for her all along. Betty’s eyes clouded over, and an unfathomable expression settled on her face.

Vera reached into her clutch and produced the bundle of love letters. “We also found these in Rosemary’s attic. We thought you ought to have them back.” She held them out.

The color continued to drain from Betty’s face as she stood on what Rosemary assessed as shaky legs. “The tea. Excuse me, won’t you?”

“She’s positively flummoxed,” Vera hissed when Betty was out of hearing range.

“Can you blame her?” Rosemary returned, then raised her voice so as to be heard over the rattle of tea cups. “Please don’t trouble yourself on our account.”

Returning, Betty bumped the tea tray down next to the roses and collapsed onto her chair. “I never thought—never expected…but it is too late. Years too late. Oh, my head feels rather like a top. It spins and spins.”

A talented artist must, by nature, be a reader of faces. Grief. Rosemary recognized the signs clearly, as she’d gazed into the face of that emotion in her mirror for months.

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.