The Silver Snuff Box Read online

  Mariella was upstairs, waiting in Malcolm’s room with a member of the local constabulary. Gabby had objected to her friend and co-worker staying up there, but she had insisted. Colin had said if they were not at the party, they would be missed, and Honoria and Freddy would know something was happening.

  The festive atmosphere made Gabby smile, even though she knew Fergus was on edge. Malcolm’s loss was hard on him, and he had other things on his mind, she knew.

  “Should we invite Bonnie to come live with us?” she asked, even though she wasn’t keen on the idea. To her, the best thing would be to find Bonnie a house of her own in London, and close up the one here for a while. The staff could move with her, if they wanted.

  “I don’t think we’re going to have a problem with what happens with Bonnie.” He nodded to where she stood with Colin. “While we were waiting for our unwanted, and no-show, guests, Collin spoke with me last night. He wants to court her.”

  Gabby giggled. “I’m not surprised at this turn of events, just at the timing.”

  “He told me at their age it was best not to wait around,” Fergus said. “Of course, I gave him my approval, not that he really needs it. Bonnie can think for herself.”

  “I think it’s wonderful news,” Gabby said. At just that moment she saw Juliette standing near the doorway. The maid cocked her head toward the stairs, and Gabby knew what she meant.

  “They’re upstairs,” she whispered. “We’ll take the back way.”

  “We need to tell Colin first,” Fergus said.

  Gabby nodded, but when she looked in his direction, she could see he already knew. Tom, one of the footmen, was whispering in Colin’s ear. Colin glanced at them and Fergus nodded.

  “Stay here,” Fergus said to her.

  “Not on your life.” She started after him as he headed for the back part of the house. As they made the top of the stairs, she heard angry voices and the sound of flesh hitting flesh. They reached Malcolm’s room just Colin arrived. What they saw made Gabby gasp.

  Honoria was on the floor. Mariella stood over her, a fire poker in her hand. Bud wrestled with a man whom Gabby figured was Freddy. Bud was screaming about how the man had killed his master, and he deserved nothing more than to die himself. Several men she didn’t know, charged into the fray, and moments later, both Honoria and Freddy wore manacles.

  “Put them in separate rooms and leave a footman to guard them,” Colin ordered. “We’ll question them after the party.”

  “Don’t question us, he made me do it all!” Honoria screamed. “He threatened to kill me. He killed the woman in Bath, and he and the doctor killed Malcolm.”

  “Liar!” Freddy lunged for her, but Bud held him back. “It was all her idea. She killed the woman, and the man here. I had nothing to do with it at all.”

  “I do love killers who turn on each other,” Colin said. “The hangman can tie two nooses as easily as one.”

  Gabby wanted to say he could tie three, because she felt Montgomery needed to be added to that list, but she stayed silent.

  “Despite their confessions, they stay here until after the party,” Colin said. “The local constabulary does not have a jail. I will take them back to London tomorrow.”

  “We’ll go with you,” Fergus said. “Taking Bonnie’s carriage will be better than taking them on the train, I believe.”

  “I agree,” Colin said. “They will face the charges soon, and be dead before the first of the year.”

  “It’s so wonderful to be back in our own bed,” Gabby said. She dropped her dressing grown to the floor and slid in, naked, next to her husband. It was Boxing Day, and she had a great deal of gifts to give to their staff, both here and at the newspaper office, that afternoon.

  But right now, they were exhausted. Instead of taking Bonnie’s coach, they’d hired two. Gabby and Fergus rode with Freddy and a hired man in one; Colin, Bonnie, Mariella and a second hired man rode with Honoria in the second one. They’d changed horses at several different locations and rode through the night, making it to London in a little more than twenty-four hours’ time.

  The prisoners were transferred to prison cells. Colin had left Doctor Montgomery behind in Scotland. He needed, he said, to talk with his superiors to find out if the man would face charges. If so, he would go back for him. But for now, Colin was focused on Honoria and Freddy.

  “You have a big story for the newspaper,” Fergus said. He put his arm around Gabby and held her close.

  “Mariella will write it,” Gabby replied. “I feel I’m too close to the situation. She can be objective.”

  She snuggled against her husband. She wanted him inside her, but she knew the two of them were so tired it wouldn’t be the best time for sex.

  “Happy Christmas,” she whispered.

  “To you, too,” he said. “Shall we exchange gifts?”

  “What sort of gifts?” she asked. They’d yet to blow out the candles, and she could see the sweet look on his face. They’d had electric lights installed in the lower part of the house, but had yet to have it done in their personal rooms. Instead they’d gone for indoor plumbing, which was the better of the two to her.

  “I have two,” he said. “One for us, and one for you.”

  “I’ll take the one for me first.” She sat up and let the sheet fall away. “You know how selfish I can be.”

  Fergus got up and took a package out of his wardrobe. He sat on the bed and offered it to her. “Happy Christmas, my love.”

  Gabby tore at the paper, then she said, “It’s a copy of The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe.”

  “A first edition signed by the author upon its publication in 1794. It took the dealer forever to find it.”

  Tears filled her eyes. She opened the book and ran her fingers over Ann Radcliff’s signature. “Fergus, this is perfect. I can’t believe… My favorite novel.”

  “Can you count the number of times you’ve read it?” he asked.

  “No.” She laughed softly. “But I will never read this one. It will have a place of honor on my bookshelf.”

  Gabby gently placed the worn book on the table near her side of the bed, then straddled her husband and kissed him deeply. He knew her so well. She was afraid her gift would not compare. To stall for time she said, “What’s the second gift?”

  “Electricity for the top part of the house,” he said. “They start after the first of the year.”

  Gabby clapped. “That is fantastic! We’ll make it into the next century with all the modern conveniences.”

  “Undoubtedly.” He stroked her arm. “And now, do you have something for me?”

  “I do.” Gabby stood, shrugged into her dressing gown and ran from the room. She was back moments later with a small package, one that fit in the palm of her hand. “For you.”

  She straddled him once more and watched as he carefully opened the package. Inside the paper was a box, and he lifted the lid and pulled out a queen from a chess set.

  “What have you done?” he asked.

  “The board is carved into a table in the library,” she said. “The set was carved from wood and is hand-painted. It’s beautiful, if I do say so myself.”

  He turned the queen from side to side and said, “If this is any indication, I believe you’re right.” He kissed her gently. “Tomorrow, let’s move the set to the bedroom, and we can play up here at night.” The seductive look he gave her made her nipples tingle. “When you lose a piece, you lose a piece of clothing. How does that sound?”

  “It sounds as if chess is going to be my new favorite game,” she said.

  One that she would want to play every night.

  The End.

  Melinda Barron

  Melinda Barron loves to explore Egyptian tombs and temples, discover Mayan ruins, play in castles towers, and explore new cities and countries. She generally does it all from the comfort of her home by opening a book.

  Melinda loves to lose herself between the pages of a book. The only
thing she loves more is creating stories from the wonderful heroes and heroines that haunt her dreams and crowd her head. She believes love is for everyone, not just those who are a size 2. Her books are full of magic, suspense and love, in all sorts of shapes and sizes.

  Mel currently lives in the Texas Panhandle with two cats and a file stuffed with new ideas to keep her typing fingers busy and your heart engaged.

  Mel also writes as Maura McMann.

  Visit her blog here:

  http://barron-chronicles.blogspot.com

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