The Matchmaker Wore Mars Yellow by Shelley Adina

Author:Shelley Adina
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-939087-96-6
Publisher: Moonshell Books, Inc.

Chapter 14

Tuesday, September 10, 1895

1:05 p.m.

Bodie could not really be said to have neighborhoods. There were the saloons, hotels, and gambling establishments that lined the two main streets, thick as a crowd on Coronation Day. There was Maiden Lane and the narrow streets of the Canton community on the north, below the sluice ponds from the mine. And there were the houses and churches that sprawled up the hillsides behind the streets, much like a matron might pick up her skirts so that they might not be sullied by what lay at her feet.

Daisy and Freddie were directed to the Selkirk house, which was large and as imposing as a foursquare clapboard structure could be without gables, turrets, or any other architectural feature. What it did have in abundance were many-paned windows.

“Imagine how much those cost,” Freddie whispered as they went up the walk. “And the difficulty of transporting them here.”

Daisy imagined instead how the Selkirks might see nearly the entire town from any prospect. On the other hand, the entire town could see them. The family must have incurred another fortune in employing seamstresses to make the drapes.

Elizabeth was delighted to see them when the maid showed them into the front parlor overlooking the street. She slipped the paper on which she’d been writing under the blotter and greeted them with a smile. “I hope you have come with news of Mr. Carnegey.”

“He is as well as can be expected,” Daisy said, “and under Mrs. Boyle’s care aboard Iris.”

Beth’s expectant expression became fixed. “Iris? Miss Churchill’s ship?”

Since there were no other ships of any kind in Bodie, Daisy passed over the obvious. “Mrs. Boyle was convinced that he would make a sitting target should the murderer return.”

“And were you convinced?” Beth’s gaze searched Daisy’s face, her fine brows crinkled in concern.

“A person who wanted to harm Mrs. Moss might not have the same reasons for harming one of her boarders,” Daisy said carefully. “And Mr. Carnegey was not even home at the time to be a witness. The perpetrator has nothing to fear from him.”

“Then Miss Churchill has put Mrs. Boyle up to it,” Beth said with flat certainty. “What cheek!”

“There is some merit to the plan,” Freddie said. “It saves Mrs. Boyle running up and down the hill, and he is far from out of danger. She fears infection and fever.”

“He ought to be under the doctor’s care, and not that of a stranger.” Beth got up to ring for tea. “But neither you nor I have any say in the matter, I suppose, being merely his friends.”

“You know you have found a friend in Miss Churchill,” Daisy said, watching her closely. “And should you ever decide to leave Bodie, I hear there is a spare cabin aboard Iris.”

In the act of turning from the bell pull, Beth froze, her gaze on something—or nothing—outside. “What makes you think I have any interest at all in leaving Bodie or my father?”

Oh dear. Daisy wished she had kept her mouth shut.

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.