Allegra Fairweather_ Paranormal Investigator - Janni Nell [38]
Apparently Lady Justina couldn’t read. Yet she had worked in a bookshop. Hmm. I toyed with the possibility that, as a foreigner, she could read her own language but not English. It still didn’t make sense. How could she work in an English bookshop if she couldn’t read English?
I turned ingenuously toward her. “What was the name of the bookshop you worked in?”
Her pale skin turned even paler.
“You never worked in a bookshop, did you?” I said. “Where did you really meet your husband?”
Sir Alastair must have had a sixth sense. Or maybe it was just his good luck that ensured he reappeared at that moment.
“The storm’s still raging,” said Casper, looking very pleased with himself. “Sir Alastair has insisted we stay the night.”
Lady Justina managed to look alarmed and pleased at the same time.
“Which rooms will they have?” she asked.
Sir Alastair touched her shoulder. There was nothing overtly violent about his gesture but there was a subtext that sent shivers down my spine.
“Phillips will organize the rooms, my dear.” He turned to us. “Please excuse us. My wife is tired.”
She didn’t look tired. She looked as though she’d be happy to stay up all night. I guessed she’d do anything to avoid the marital bed.
Taking his wife’s hand, Sir Alastair led the way out of the drawing room. Casper and I followed him up a very grand staircase. At the top he wished us a good night and disappeared down the hall.
I turned to Casper. “What do we do now? Find our own rooms?”
A male voice said, “Certainly not, Ms. Fairweather.”
I whirled around to see Phillips standing beside me. I wasn’t sure where he’d come from, but I didn’t like the way he’d sneaked up on us.
“Please follow me.” Phillips turned right, the opposite direction Sir Alastair had taken, and led us down a long hall.
Opening one of the doors with a flourish, he said to Casper, “Your room for the night, sir. Breakfast is served from seven-thirty. Would you like a wake-up call?”
Casper declined. As he entered his room I caught a glimpse of masculine décor. I was counting the many different shades of brown when Phillips spoke again.
“This way, madam.”
I hurried after him, but we didn’t go far. He stopped outside the room next to Casper’s. Opening the door, he reminded me about breakfast and offered me a wake-up call. Unlike Casper, I accepted. I had a feeling I’d need a bit of help getting up in the morning. It was going to be a busy night.
Chapter Nine
The room had too many frills for my taste but I quite liked the color scheme. Peach and cream. Upbeat and soothing at the same time. After tugging off my shoes I threw myself on the quilt. It was sinfully soft.
Mom would have loved this room. She would have called it tasteful and elegant. She would’ve thought—but not voiced her opinion—that I was the one thing in the room that was out of place. She might have been right.
I had never shared her interest in pretty feminine things. Keeping up to date with fashion bored me, and I had never seen the point of having more than two or three pairs of shoes. Flat-heeled. Running shoes. All the better to chase those pesky paranormal buggers.
I knew Mom loved me. I did, really. She just loved my sister more. No, that’s not fair. Mom tried to love us equally but it was hard to do that when she had so much in common with Lily. Especially now Lily had married The Senator’s son. It’s not really incestuous. Lily isn’t related to Steven junior by blood.
Clasping my hands behind my head, I wondered what their kids would be like. The baby was due next month and I couldn’t help thinking that any child Lily produced would be as cute and plump as the cherubs that decorated the ceiling above me.
“Allegra.”
It was a whisper but I jumped off the bed as though I’d heard a gunshot.
“Casper?”
Slowly he appeared—right at the end of the bed.
“What’re you doing in here?” I asked.
“I had a feeling you might be planning something.”
He was right but, although I was glad of his company, I wasn’t too thrilled about him appearing unannounced in my room.