Page 80 of Murder at the Dinner Party
Flossy glanced between her brother and me, realizing I knew what he meant. She must feel left out. “What meeting? What’s going on?”
“Father has asked me to organize the Hessing-Liddicoat wedding, with Harmony’s assistance, of course. She wanted to get the ball rolling this morning and make a list of things to do, but I’m not ready. I haven’t even had breakfast.” He looked around the suite, perhaps hoping to find some leftovers the maid hadn’t cleared away.
“I don’t know why she bothers involving you at all,” Flossy said. “She did the restaurant opening all on her own.”
“She did not!” He sniffed. “I had an important role. Perhapsthemost important role.”
“You made a guest list, Floyd,” I said with a roll of my eyes.
“If the most important and fashionable people hadn’t come, it would have been a disaster, and you know it, Cleo. Don’t worry. I gave Harmony the credit she was due, and I will do so again when this wedding turns out to be a bloody marvel.” Spotting a jug and cups on a side table, he waved a lazy hand in their direction. “Be a good girl and pour me a glass, will you?”
I wasn’t sure whether he was asking Flossy or me, but since we were both seated as far from the jug as he was, neither of us was going to indulge him. Flossy ignored him and I told him to fetch it himself.
He merely sighed.
Flossy lay down, then suddenly sat up again. “Does this mean Harmony won’t be able to do my hair anymore?”
A knock on the door postponed that drama. Since neither of my cousins rose, I answered it. Harmony stood there in a skirt, blouse and waistcoat ensemble that suited her better than the maid’s dress.
“You look smart,” I said.
She flattened her hand over her stomach. “Thank you. Is Mr. Bainbridge here? He isn’t in his room, and we’re supposed to have a meeting.”
“He’s here,” I said, loudly so that Floyd could also hear. “He’s avoiding you.”
“I am not!” he called back. When Harmony and I joined them, he said it again. “I couldn’t do up my cufflinks and I didn’t want to meet you looking like a wastrel who’d just got out of bed.”
Harmony took in his missing tie and messy hair. Although she didn’t say a word, Floyd looked like a boy who’d been scolded by his teacher. He cleared his throat and attempted to flatten his hair again. It didn’t make a difference.
“Harmony,” Flossy began, “last time you helped Floyd, you managed to find time to do my hair of an evening. Will you be able to do that again?”
“I’m sure I can, Miss Bainbridge.”
“And Cleo’s.”
“Of course.”
“Harmony is going to be very busy,” I told her. “We can’t expect her to be at our beck and call.”
“It’s only our hair, Cleo. We’ll have the other maids fix our outfits for us if needed. Thank you, Harmony. You’re wonderful. And you’re going to do an excellent job with the wedding, I just know it. I can’t wait to see what the ballroom will look like.”
“Thank you, Miss Bainbridge.”
“Yes,” Floyd added, “thank you, Floss. I thinkwe’regoing to do a marvelous job of it.”
Flossy snorted. “Stop pretending you’ll have anything to do with it, Floyd. Everyone knows Harmony will be the driving force of the entire thing. All you’ll need to do is be present in the meetings with Mrs. Hessing. She’s such a snob that she’ll insist on having a Bainbridge in charge so she can boast about it to her friends. I’m sure that’s the only reason Father is including you at all.”
Floyd was so taken aback by her insult that he was rendered quite speechless.
Harmony quickly spoke before he could recover and begin a duel with Flossy where insults were the weapon of choice. “I’ve set up a lunchtime meeting with Mrs. Hessing in the small sitting room at two, which will give you and I enough time to discuss our thoughts beforehand. Shall we return to your suite to work, sir?”
Floyd removed his watch again and flipped the cover open. “Excellent plan. I’ll have tea sent up. I’m parched.” He rose to leave, but the gold of his watch flashed in the sunlight coming through the window, catching my eye.
“May I see your watch?” I asked, taking the device before he could pocket it.
The gold chain was short, so I had to step closer to take a proper look. The watch’s case was engraved with an elaborate swirl that included his initials. Inside the cover, the watchmaker had engraved Floyd’s date of birth.
“If you’re going to steal it, you should wait until I’m not wearing it,” Floyd said, sounding amused.
