Page 79 of Murder at the Dinner Party
I smiled to myself as I flapped it to hasten the ink to dry.
“Then would you mind informing Florence that Miss Cotton may not have time to do her hair for the next few weeks? She’s going to be busy helping Floyd, and you know how upset Florence will be to lose her favorite maid. You’re better at calming her than me.”
I was feeling quite thrilled for Harmony’s sake, so I dared make a quip. “You mean I’m better at fighting your battles as well as my own?”
He laughed lightly. “When it comes to my children, yes, you are. Now, off with you. I have work to do and you have an investigation that requires your attention.”
If only it did. The problem was, moving forward required putting pressure on Betty to urge her to confess, but I didn’t have the heart for it. She had enough burdens already. I didn’t want to add another.
* * *
As I expected,Flossy didn’t want to go out for a picnic. She lay sprawled on the sofa in her sitting room with a damp cloth across her forehead and her eyes closed. An electric fan whirred in the corner, but it merely pushed warm air around.
“It’s much too hot, Cleo,” she whined. “I can’t face walking anywhere at the moment.”
“It’s nicer outside than up here.” I crossed to the window and looked down at the groups picnicking beneath shady trees in Green Park. “If we go to Hyde Park, we could dangle our toes in the Serpentine.”
“But it’ssucha long walk to Hyde Park and the hotel coaches won’t be able to take us at short notice. They’re always busy on days like this.”
“We could take a cab.”
She wrinkled her nose. “No, thank you.”
“The walk wouldn’t feel so arduous if we removed our corsets—”
“Cleo!” She sat bolt upright, causing the damp cloth to fall onto her lap. “That’s too daring, even for you.” She reached out a hand to me. “Let’s have the kitchen send up ice cream.”
I was about to speak into the brass tube that connected her room to the kitchen when there was a knock at the door.
“Floss, let me in,” came Floyd’s voice.
I opened the door, and he stumbled inside. “You look dreadful, Floyd.”
“Good morning to you too, cousin.” He attempted to do up a cufflink, but gave up and thrust out his wrist to me.
I did up both cufflinks but drew the line at fixing his shirt. I pointed my finger at the buttons. “You missed one. And you’re missing your tie.”
“I know that.”
“And you need a shave, and your hair is…interesting.”
He licked his palm and smoothed it over the hair behind one ear, but it was the side that was already plastered to his head. It was the other that stuck out.
Flossy called to us to join her in the sitting room. “If you’re going to have a conversation, then have it here where I can hear you.”
“I was just telling Floyd how awful he looks,” I said when we joined her.
She wrinkled her nose at her brother. “Why have you come to my suite smelling like a drunken chimney in need of a bath?”
“Interesting imagery, Sis.” He flopped onto an armchair and sank into the cushion. “I’m hiding.”
“From Father?”
“From Harmony. She’s due to return to my suite in a few moments, after I sent her away almost…” He removed his watch from his waistcoat pocket and checked the time. “…thirty minutes ago.”
“Why did you send her away?” I asked.
“I’d just woken up and wasn’t ready for our meeting.”
