A Score to Kettle: The Magical Tea Room Mysteries by Erin Johnson

Author:Erin Johnson [Johnson, Erin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-04-20T22:00:00+00:00

12

Gossip

I headed into work, where Fitz warned me off my plan to tag along with Prescott at the theater. I imagined his concern came from a mix of worry about my safety and apprehension about me cozying up to DI Prescott. After putting in several hours of marketing efforts, I scooped up my cat and walked home to change.

I put on my green, long-sleeved velvet cocktail dress and heels, petted Tilda (who was curled up sleeping on my bed), and then carefully went down the steep, polished staircase. Gus, hair mussed from sleeping all day, poked his head out of his room. When I told him my plan, he thanked me for being a stalker.

I was unenthusiastic and embarrassed over my clingy behavior when I walked up to the Theatre Royal. A small crowd in dresses and dinner jackets filed in through the three arched doorways, which were topped with a gold royal coat of arms. I gulped and steeled myself to act chipper, despite wishing I was back at Gus’s in my sweats with my enormous copy of all Jane Austen’s works. My heels clicked along the cobblestones as I joined the other theatergoers and filed inside.

When the usher asked for my ticket, I panicked, until I spotted DI Prescott standing in the lobby. He flashed his badge and told the usher I was with him.

“Hey. Thanks for that.”

“Don’t mention it.” He gave me a boyish grin. It reminded me of the way he normally acted, before all the secrecy and bags under the eyes. “You look really great, by the way.”

Heat rushed to my cheeks. Maybe this wouldn’t be such a bad night after all. “Thanks. You too.”

He grinned. “I wasn’t totally sure you’d show up.” He winced. “Like I said—I’ve got to work. I’m planning to head backstage and ask around.”

I shrugged. “That’s all right by me. I don’t mind tagging along.” I grinned. “I’ve already seen the play anyway.”

Hopefully tonight wouldn’t end with another dead actress.

He chuckled. “True enough. But… maybe we’ll have time for a drink after?”

I pressed my lips together and gave a little nod, then followed Prescott through a side door that led down a dark hallway. When he pushed through another door at the far end, I recognized that we were backstage.

Unlike the luxurious and serene front of house—all burgundy velvet upholstery, draped curtains, and glittering chandeliers—backstage was raw, practical, and bursting with energy. Several stagehands hurried by, lugging a towering backdrop painted to look like a Regency-era home. I recognized it as Emma’s sitting room, complete with a fire in the hearth. A woman pushed a stuffed rack of costumes, and actresses in old-fashioned dresses strolled by, eyes glued to their cell phones.

I glanced at Prescott. Judging by his wide eyes, he seemed just as disoriented as I was. It was dark, crowded, and hectic back here.

I nudged him, and he jumped. “So… where are you going to start?”

That seemed to snap him back to the present. He cleared his throat and pulled out his cellphone.

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.