Chapter 18
The parlour was chaos when they all got downstairs, everyone's clothing restored to rights and Miss Alice set to watching over Winterson for now. Her pulse had stayed strong and steady for ten minutes, enough for Geoff to feel comfortable that she was unlikely to crash again.
Thus, it was the three of them that arrived to find everyone talking over everyone else, demanding fresh cups, and generally driving poor Chudleigh to the brink.
"She's going to be all right," said Geoff, coming over to where Chudleigh was beset by both servants and guests. "Alex and Julian helped."
"I guess all that help I've been doing at hospitals and with healing potions has sunk in," said Alex wryly. "Julian identified the poison, it wasn't the snake again, thankfully."
"It wasn't?" said Chudleigh, relieved.
"Magical baneberry," said Julian. "Not rare, but not common, either. Someone must've come prepared."
"We haven't got any on the grounds, anyway," said the butler, Rowlinson. "Not that anyone could get outside, anyway. The doors are still blocked by snow."
"Will we be able to fix that for tomorrow?" asked Chudleigh, ignoring the nobles trying to get his attention for now and focusing on the practical.
"Yes, once luncheon is served we'll have the manpower. They've already gotten paths out to the animals, too, and we haven't lost a single chicken." Rowlinson looked very pleased with himself about that.
"I'll let you get back to work, then." Chudleigh relaxed a little more. "Rowlinson can handle everything work-related for now," he added, looking at the two other servants waiting for his attention.
They nodded and all three moved off, heads together, while Chudleigh finally turned his attention to the other nobles.
Alex let Julian tug him away to an unoccupied corner with two chairs, leaving Geoff to support his boyfriend while they made their escape.
"That is so many demands," said Alex tiredly, tucking his feet between and around Julian's so their legs twined together. It was probably rude of them to be so cosy in public, but he didn't even care just then. "I'm going to expire before lunch at this rate."
"You will not, Geoff would never let you," teased Julian, shifting until they were comfortably ensconced. "We'll just hide here until food, and not worry about all the other panic."
Chudleigh got the room's attention and announced, "Lady Winterson will live, thanks to the help of our good doctor.
" He wisely didn't mention Alex and Julian's part in it, especially given that they were investigating as well.
"Luncheon will be served in the dining room in ten minutes or so, if you could all move there. "
Alex and Julian waited until the room was mostly empty to join them, watching as people filed out in twos and fours, gossiping all the while.
"I have literally no idea which of the five remaining suspects it could be," said Alex tiredly. "Wait, four if Smithson wasn't in here."
"He was not," said a voice to Alex's elbow, which turned out to be Rowlinson. "You are my two hearty eaters, correct?"
"That's us," said Alex. "Even more so now that we've done more magic."
"I'll lead you to your seats, then, if no one's taken them." Rowlinson stepped ahead, clearly expecting them to follow, which Alex did eagerly now that he had direction and the promise of a nice big meal.
Julian followed, sending him amusement over his hunger, with an underlying feeling of Julian's own hunger to go with it. They were sat to the left of the head of the table where no one had yet dared, with Geoff and Chudleigh settling into their spots, too.
"It seems like everything starting to calm down?" Julian inquired politely, and Alex took note of Chudleigh's drawn face and the bags under his eyes. He'd likely been up late dealing with everything from buried chickens to downed phones.
"Now that she's not another death, yes," said Chudleigh tiredly. "The household is adapting admirably. I'll have to arrange bonuses for everyone."
"They'll have earned them," agreed Alex.
"I'm just glad I came now," said Geoff. "I was going to try to find an excuse not to, sorry, love, but there's just so many snotty comments one man can take."
Lucas chuckled. "I'm glad you're here, and not just for the medical emergencies," he said, twining their fingers together and kissing the back of Geoff's hand. "You've been a rock."
"I'm glad this isn't putting a wedge between you two," said Alex, and Julian elbowed him mentally.
Alex poked back guiltily.
"I'm happy to see you two supporting each other," corrected Julian pointedly.
Chudleigh gave another tired laugh. "It's fine, I'm growing used to Alex's ways. I know he means well, and it's not like I don't agree."
"I'm glad, too," said Geoff. "I'd hate to be at this party and on the outs with my Lucas."
"The vultures might descend on you both," said Alex. "Well, anyway, we'll go check on Miss Winterson later, she should be awake by the time lunch is over."
"And then what?" asked Chudleigh.
"Mingling and listening for more poison, probably," said Alex, quietly enough that he might not be overheard. "More interviews won't do me any good, I have no idea what happened this time."
"And everyone will have a different tale now that there wasn't a single reliable witness," added Julian. "We know what we saw the first time, but there's no one that was paying attention to the whole affair this time around, not even the victim."
Lucas smirked. "Not going for more alone time with all the young ladies?" he asked.
"Ugh," said Alex.
They were interrupted by lunch, a nice hearty meal of chicken salad sandwiches, warm cheesy potatoes, and green beans with crispy onions.
Alex and Julian's plates were piled high, and Geoff had more than Chudleigh this time, the servants having decided that he, too, looked like he needed feeding up.
Alex approved, and dug in. The chicken salad had a simple, creamy dressing, crispy celery, and sweet apples in with generous chunks of chicken, and was delicious presented on thick wheat bread that was still soft and probably this morning's bake.
Alex had no idea how they kept producing all this food with the other chaos, but there was plenty for all the guests and, he suspected, the staff as well.
The cheesy potatoes had herbs layered into them that almost reminded him of Alys, though the cheese sauce wasn't as perfectly smooth as she'd have managed.
They were nicely browned on top, probably baked after being assembled, and had a wonderfully savoury feel compared to the light sweetness of the chicken salad.
The green beans were clearly canned but probably by the household, and had been cooked and seasoned well before bringing them out for guests.
Alex sighed and took a long drink of the water that was all they had for this meal, feeling like he might survive the afternoon after all.
"They're not going to stop bringing me tea, are they?" asked Alex, after a horrible idea hit him.
"No, no," said Chudleigh, "but it's by request only for now. They'll figure something out for later, I suppose."
"How is Lady Darlington holding up?" asked Julian, after a few moments of everyone eating silently.
"She's hiding in her rooms, mostly. She'll have to stay to speak with the police, but I hear she's had her husbands things packed away so she doesn't have to deal with them," said Chudleigh, eyes distant. "Rowlinson assigned Gracie to attend her for now, so she'll be given food in her rooms."
Conversation died again in favour of food; no one sat next to Geoff, and Julian had Jefferson Smythe-Darbyshire and his wife on his left.
They were talking amongst themselves, mostly plans for getting their car to pick them up a day early as far as Alex bothered to listen.
He mostly concentrated on eating, the food fresh and enticing to his starving body.
He wasn't sure when he'd grown quite so dependent on the Source for keeping himself going, but he was going to have to work on that. They couldn't be at the house all the time, nor could they rely on not having to work any larger magics while they were away.
Of course, it could also just be the winter, and the snow muffling everything. Not a lot of magic about in nature to be tapped, and the earth slumbering with its own magics buried deep this time of year.
He'd have to talk to Julian about it when they were alone.
"Do you think this lot would play charades at this point, or should I just let them run wild?" asked Chudleigh, looking out over the long table, everyone sat in little groups of friends and talking as much as eating.
"Just ask them," said Julian gently. "And do set up the card tables. You can put them in the ballroom if you have to, since you'll want the parlour clear for the servants to set up tea in a few hours."
"Oh, yes, I'd forgotten," said Chudleigh, brightening. "Everyone here likes some sort of cards, we'll put tables up in the den. That way anyone who wants cards can hide in there, and anyone who wants to gossip can stay in here until it's time to clean up for tea."
"There you are, then," said Geoff, patting Chudleigh's arm.
Alex wrinkled his nose. "They're grown adults, Lucas, you can trust them... well. No, I suppose you can't, can you? Who knows what other mischief our poisoner might get into."
"I wonder why Miss Winterson," said Julian, staring off into the distance. "She wasn't hurting anyone, either."
"Maybe harmlessness offends our murderer's sensibilities," said Geoff with a dark chuckle. "They also hate puppies and babies."
"Who doesn't hate babies," said Alex dryly. "They're all squishy and they smell weird."
"Alex, you're terrible," chided Julian, giving him a poke through their bond again. "You don't mind them once they get old enough to enjoy magic tricks."
"That's true." Alex took another big bite of sandwich instead of defending himself.
"I wonder if the artist saw anything," said Geoff idly. "She was in there doing quick drawings of people, silly ones."
"I suppose we could ask," said Alex. "I'm not interviewing any of the ladies again, though, not without Lapointe or someone there."
"That's probably wise," said Julian.
Alex sent him a little poke, not that he wasn't right. "What about you, Lucas? Going to get a little nap in after this, now that Rowlinson has everything in hand?"
Lucas sighed. "I don't think I can get away with it. Everyone wants a word, you know, just to be assured nothing's going to tarnish their reputations or ruin the party or, I don't know, cause a missed meal."
"That one's me," added Alex.
"Well, I prescribe a nap for us both," said Geoff, in his best doctor voice. "You two should nap after tea, before you get ready for dinner."
"The cats will probably like that," said Alex. "They slept in bed all night last night, usually they get bored and leave us at some point."
"Not that we don't know they didn't leave and come back," corrected Julian, "but it's still unusual to wake up to them still snuggling instead of trying to poke us awake for something."
"There was a little poking," Alex reminded him. "Mostly for petting, though."
"They're very spoiled, I suppose," said Julian, not that either of them minded. Cats were for spoiling, that was their truest function, even away from the Source like this.
Alex finished his sandwich half and had more water. "Whoever decided we needed feeding up is my hero, by the way. I have already used way more magic than expected and it's barely after noon."
"After you asking for food all evening yesterday, the staff asked me and were granted leave to treat you like a hungry fieldworker," said Chudleigh, amused. "This is about what they get during harvest season for lunch."
"Lucky them," said Julian, having another big bite of potatoes. "This is all really good, and filling. Good energy."
"I could use some sugar later," said Alex, "but tea will probably be soon enough."
"Especially if we get caffeine before then. Maybe they can switch to coffee, get the whole party wired," said Julian.
Alex sent him a wave of love for the suggestion. He definitely needed more caffeine to face the rest of the day.