Chapter 18 #2
It was the opening I needed to broach my next, even more sensitive, topic. “Speaking of the power of stories, is it such a terrible thing for Bill Watson to believe he’s Blackheart’s grandson?”
Mr. Arkwright withdrew his hand and wagged a finger at me. “How clever you are, Miss Fox, using my own sentiments against me.”
“It doesn’t have to be against you. What harm is there in letting him continue to believe he’s Blackheart’s descendent?
Your stories about the pirate’s adventures comforted him when he was a child, and helped him bond with his father.
If you need to see the evidence of the effect your book had on the world, it’s encapsulated in his upbringing. ”
He patted my hand then closed his eyes again. This time they stayed closed as he seemed to fade even further into the pillow. His breathing became steady and I assumed he’d fallen asleep.
I stood and tiptoed to the door.
“I’ll call my lawyer this afternoon,” he said.
I turned to see his eyes open and gazing clearly back at me. “Why?”
“To change my will. It’s only fair that the heir of the man who made me very rich receives some of the royalties of his ancestor’s biography.”
Was he using the words heir and ancestor sarcastically or was he giving me the answer to another mystery. In the end, it didn’t matter.
“That’s very kind of you, Mr. Arkwright. I’m sure Mr. Watson will appreciate it.”
“Will you return tomorrow, Miss Fox? I’m tired now, but I want to hear all about your investigation. I love a good murder mystery.”
“Doesn’t everybody?”
* * *
I headed down to the foyer to see if Goliath had arrived yet. Mr. Hobart informed me he had, and he’d given Peter and Frank permission to spend a few minutes with him in the staff parlor even though it wasn’t time for their breaks.
I arrived at the staff parlor to see Goliath, Peter, Frank and Victor standing near a table at the back waiting for the kettle on the portable stove to boil.
If they’d been four women gathered to make tea, it wouldn’t have been such an odd sight, but seeing four men there made me smile.
I suppressed it as Goliath thanked them for not informing on him to the police.
“We’re not narks.” Victor sounded offended.
“We didn’t know where you were anyway,” Frank added.
Peter frowned at him. “You didn’t guess that Mr. Armitage was hiding him?”
Frank lifted a shoulder in a shrug.
Goliath clapped him on that shoulder. “Harry was good to me. I don’t know where I would have gone if he hadn’t helped me. He also worked out who the real murderer was, along with Miss Fox.”
Frank arched his brows. “’’Harry?’”
“We’re friends now. He’s joining us for a drink tonight at the Coach and Horses. I want you all there so I can thank you properly. Harmony, too.”
“She’s too busy,” Victor said.
“Then I’ll be sure to find her later and thank her for her silence.”
“Are you going to thank everyone in the hotel?” Frank asked. “Because all the staff recognized you from the picture in the paper, but no one said anything.”
“I’ll thank as many as I can when I see them, but I reserve my special regards for my special friends. Drinks are on me tonight.”
Frank grunted. “If you’re paying, I s’pose I’ll go.”
Goliath blinked rapidly at his friend. “I missed that unique attitude of yours.” He suddenly drew Frank into an embrace.
Frank patted Goliath’s back before extricating himself. “Get off me, you big idiot.” He tugged on his cuffs. “I have to get back to work.”
I’d gone there to tell them that Harry had done a marvelous job in hiding Goliath and solving the murder, but it seemed Goliath had it in hand. Satisfied that the staff knew, I focused on telling my family next.
After asking three members of staff, I eventually discovered Floyd and Aunt Lilian were in the dining room preparing for the evening’s special dinner.
Despite the late notice, it was decided to continue with the Saturday evening event as planned since the supplies were ordered and the private dining room hadn’t been rebooked.
I was curious to see how a political party wanted their private room set up, but I got no further than the entrance to the restaurant.
Mr. Chapman stopped me. “Do you have a luncheon reservation, Miss Fox?”
I refrained from rolling my eyes. Just. “You know I don’t.”
“Then I’m afraid I can’t let you in.”
I sighed. Sometimes he could be very trying.
“There’s a spare table over there. And another there.
” The restaurant was often busy Saturday lunchtimes, and although it was getting a little late, it wasn’t unheard of for arrivals to sit down at that hour.
I had no intention of occupying a table, but I did feel like annoying Mr. Chapman.
“A young lady shouldn’t dine alone. Sir Ronald wouldn’t approve, and I answer only to him.” He pointed to the ceiling even though the restaurant wasn’t directly below the rest of the hotel, but to the side on the ground floor.
“I know you revere my uncle, but you really shouldn’t talk about him as though he’s God. His sense of self is inflated enough as it is.”
Mr. Chapman’s face flamed and his jaw worked, as if he was struggling to hold back a biting retort. It must gall him that his position meant he couldn’t respond cuttingly when I refused to bow to his rules.
I was saved from a prolonged siege by the sight of Floyd, Harmony and Aunt Lilian leaving the private dining room.
It had two entrances, one into the main restaurant and the other into the service area.
Usually it was just the waiters who used the service door, but tonight, the politicians would enter that way.
Other diners in the restaurant wouldn’t even know they were there.
Before Mr. Chapman spotted the three approaching us through the restaurant, I beckoned the tall steward to lean down to my level. “What if I told you a secret in exchange for letting me in?”
He hesitated a mere moment before leaning closer. “This needs to be good.”
“Goliath has come out of hiding.”
“That’s not a secret. I saw him a few minutes ago.”
“He was being hidden the entire time by Harry Armitage.”
He straightened. “That’s not very interesting.”
“It is to me.”
Before he could respond, I smiled and greeted my aunt. She took my hands and kissed my cheek before turning to speak to Mr. Chapman.
I moved away with Harmony and Floyd. “Goliath is back. Harry and I solved the case and the murderer has been arrested.”
“Congratulations, Cleo,” Harmony said. “Very well done.”
We both looked to Floyd and waited until he finally echoed her praise. “Yes, well done and all that. We’re all glad Goliath’s back.”
“Harry hid him,” I said.
“And?”
“And I’m sure you and Uncle Ronald will thank him next time you see him.”
“There’s won’t be a next time. We have no reason to see Armitage again. Nor do you.”
It was the best I could do. It was time to change the subject. “Is all in hand for tonight?”
Floyd suddenly flashed a boyish grin. Clearly this topic of conversation was more to his liking. “It is. Harmony has been a trooper at getting things going again on such short notice. I couldn’t have done it without her.”
The tall dark-haired politician stood and made his way toward us to exit the restaurant. I hadn’t seen him there, dining alone in the corner. “Don’t look now, but Mr. Janson is coming.”
Mr. Janson stopped to greet Aunt Lilian, nodded at Floyd, then went on his way. He didn’t show any recognition toward Harmony, whom he must have met by now. It would have been suspicious to onlookers if he’d acted any other way.
Harmony pretended to study the papers on her clipboard. “I hear he took a new mistress to his room. This one’s just as beautiful as the last.” She clicked her tongue in disapproval. “That’s our political representatives for you.”
Floyd fiddled with one of his gold cufflinks. “If it makes you feel any better, they all keep mistresses, no matter what side of parliament they sit on. At least Janson’s discreet.”
“Why did you want me to flirt with him?” I asked my cousin.
“I didn’t know he kept mistresses until the other day.”
“That doesn’t answer my question. Did you think I’d like him because he looked a little like Harry?”
“No. I merely thought you’d be a good match.”
Harmony and I exchanged shrugs. Neither of us knew what he meant.
He rolled his eyes. “Must I spell it out, Cleopatra?”
I narrowed my gaze at him. “Why are you saying my name as if I don’t know it?”
“His name is Mark Antony. As in the Roman general. And you are the Egyptian queen.”
I broke into giggles, which set Harmony off, too. “Nobody would take us seriously as a couple,” I said through my laughter.
“Any relationship between you would be doomed,” Harmony said, still grinning.
Even Floyd joined in with our laughter at that point. “I suppose you’d be the butt of a lot of jokes.”
Aunt Lilian joined us, a bemused look on her face as she eyed us all in turn. “What’s so funny?”
“Cleopatra and Mark Antony,” Floyd said. “Come on, Harmony, we should go. We have work to do.”
My aunt and I watched them depart then followed at a more leisurely pace. She looped her arm with mine and hugged it. “I did warn Ronald that you’d never fall for Mr. Janson, despite his handsome looks.”
“And his name,” I said with a light laugh. “It seems you know me better than Uncle Ronald. I can’t believe he thought I’d be interested in a politician.”
“Ah. It’s not his being active in politics that made me think you were all wrong for him.”
“Oh?”
She stopped and turned me to face her. “It’s your feelings for Harry Armitage.”
I stared at her, scrambling to think of something to say that wouldn’t be a lie but would reassure her that I had no feelings for Harry. Unfortunately, my mind remained quite blank.
She squeezed my hands. “You don’t need to look quite so panicked about it, Cleo.
I’m not going to say anything to Ronald, as I have nothing more than a hunch to support my theory.
Do not say a word about it right now. I don’t want confirmation that my hunch is correct.
I want to live in blissful limbo for a little while longer.
When I am stronger and my vigor has fully returned, I’ll be your unwavering support, no matter what you desire.
Until then, let’s make sure your uncle has no reason to have the same hunch as me.
” She hooked her arm with mine again and we continued ambling across the foyer.
“Fortunately, Ronald is spectacularly oblivious to matters of the heart.”
I smiled, but I didn’t quite agree with her. Uncle Ronald noticed the things that mattered to him and my relationship with Harry bothered him. He also had eyes and ears everywhere in the hotel, and many of them were quite insightful.
With Aunt Lilian in our corner, however, the future was looking less turbulent. Knowing that she would fight for us gave my mood a boost. All she needed was a little time until she was well enough to go in to bat for Harry and me. We could wait.
I kissed her cheek. “We should dine in the restaurant tonight as a family,” I said. “That way we’ll be among the first to know if Mark Antony is successful in assassinating his Caesar.”
“I thought Mark Antony was one of Caesar’s closest friends.”
“I don’t recall much ancient Roman history, but I do know that in modern politics friends stab one another in the back all the time. Besides, betraying a friend makes a more interesting story, and I do love a good tale, even if the truth needs to be bent a little to tell it well.”