Murder Most Egyptological (A Mrs. Xavier Stayton Mystery Book 3) by Robert Colton Page B
Authors: Robert Colton
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remarks about the dinner, tapped the doctor on the shoulder. “I can’t take much more of this conversation. The orchestra is at least making some attempt tonight.”
She stood, and hesitantly, Dr. Smith walked her to the dance floor.
Perturbed, Wilma’s dark little eyes followed her husband as he cumbersomely danced about the floor with Martha and her scarlet dress held some distance away from him.
Kinkaid tossed his napkin to the table and spoke for the first time since he had tried to control his wife. “The music is too loud for me; good night, all.”
Had he more personality, he might have stormed from the room, but instead, the professor darted out of the way of two waiters, only to walk into a couple headed to the parquet to dance.
Jacob smiled to me and said, “Would you like to dance, Mrs. Stayton?”
I batted my eyelashes and said, “You are too kind; perhaps Lucy might …”
Lucy jumped from her chair and said, “I would love to!”
Jacob turned his smile to her and led my friend away.
A moment passed before Wilma spoke to me while keeping her beady little eyes on her husband. “Alec is the finest man I know, after my William; the rest of them are all rot. I don’t know why he is so worked up by your visit. As for you, Mrs. Stayton, it’s the good Christian thing to do, to be worried over Percy, but he doesn’t deserve it.”
“Why is that?”
“He’s a dishonest man, an opportunist. I say good riddance to him.” She spoke freely, without her husband there to restrain her.
“Martha likes to shock people, doesn’t she?” I asked, following the woman’s gaze.
Wilma looked to me hesitantly. “That she does; she has to, or no one would pay any mind to her.” The woman sighed. “I don’t know why Alec even married her. All he cares about is the stuff he digs from the ground. That’s wrong too, you know. They might be heathens, but that doesn’t make grave robbing right.”
“Does your husband share your opinion?” I asked.
“He can’t afford to.” There was a long pause, as if she had said something she had not meant to. “He’s loyal to Alec, yes, true friends.”
I hesitated for just a moment, not wishing to put Wilma on her guard, and asked, “Tell me about the party, the night Percy was last seen.”
Wilma’s dark eyes grew large. “What about it?’
“Did Percy stay until the end of the party, or perhaps did he leave with anyone?”
“First, he trailed after Mrs. Keeley, but they returned shortly. I saw him make eyes with Martha, so shameful, and then something caught his attention and he was gone.”
“What was that?” I asked.
“Something outside the smoking room; I guess someone in the lobby.”
“Was anyone missing from the party?”
She thought about my question and replied, “I’m not sure … I think the only one missing was my William …”
The pudgy woman’s little dark eyes became quite nervous, and she sputtered out all sorts of excuses for her husband’s absence.
After Jacob and Lucy had finished dancing, I made mention that the night was growing late.
Jacob flashed me a toothy smile and then took Lucy by the hand and said, “What about a moonlit stroll in the gardens?”
I could see that the idea appealed to her. “Go on, you two, make a night of it.”
Before my friend could protest, I slipped away.
Lucy had her gentleman friends in London, shiny-faced young men who took her to dinner and the cinema. Yet, she always put me first, and I worried that she was letting the potential for romance slip her by so that she could keep me company. I guess, rather selfishly, I let this happen more than I ought to have.
While I knew that Jacob Saunders had lied to me about the mummy case, I trusted him to show Lucy a memorable evening.
Stopping at the front
She stood, and hesitantly, Dr. Smith walked her to the dance floor.
Perturbed, Wilma’s dark little eyes followed her husband as he cumbersomely danced about the floor with Martha and her scarlet dress held some distance away from him.
Kinkaid tossed his napkin to the table and spoke for the first time since he had tried to control his wife. “The music is too loud for me; good night, all.”
Had he more personality, he might have stormed from the room, but instead, the professor darted out of the way of two waiters, only to walk into a couple headed to the parquet to dance.
Jacob smiled to me and said, “Would you like to dance, Mrs. Stayton?”
I batted my eyelashes and said, “You are too kind; perhaps Lucy might …”
Lucy jumped from her chair and said, “I would love to!”
Jacob turned his smile to her and led my friend away.
A moment passed before Wilma spoke to me while keeping her beady little eyes on her husband. “Alec is the finest man I know, after my William; the rest of them are all rot. I don’t know why he is so worked up by your visit. As for you, Mrs. Stayton, it’s the good Christian thing to do, to be worried over Percy, but he doesn’t deserve it.”
“Why is that?”
“He’s a dishonest man, an opportunist. I say good riddance to him.” She spoke freely, without her husband there to restrain her.
“Martha likes to shock people, doesn’t she?” I asked, following the woman’s gaze.
Wilma looked to me hesitantly. “That she does; she has to, or no one would pay any mind to her.” The woman sighed. “I don’t know why Alec even married her. All he cares about is the stuff he digs from the ground. That’s wrong too, you know. They might be heathens, but that doesn’t make grave robbing right.”
“Does your husband share your opinion?” I asked.
“He can’t afford to.” There was a long pause, as if she had said something she had not meant to. “He’s loyal to Alec, yes, true friends.”
I hesitated for just a moment, not wishing to put Wilma on her guard, and asked, “Tell me about the party, the night Percy was last seen.”
Wilma’s dark eyes grew large. “What about it?’
“Did Percy stay until the end of the party, or perhaps did he leave with anyone?”
“First, he trailed after Mrs. Keeley, but they returned shortly. I saw him make eyes with Martha, so shameful, and then something caught his attention and he was gone.”
“What was that?” I asked.
“Something outside the smoking room; I guess someone in the lobby.”
“Was anyone missing from the party?”
She thought about my question and replied, “I’m not sure … I think the only one missing was my William …”
The pudgy woman’s little dark eyes became quite nervous, and she sputtered out all sorts of excuses for her husband’s absence.
After Jacob and Lucy had finished dancing, I made mention that the night was growing late.
Jacob flashed me a toothy smile and then took Lucy by the hand and said, “What about a moonlit stroll in the gardens?”
I could see that the idea appealed to her. “Go on, you two, make a night of it.”
Before my friend could protest, I slipped away.
Lucy had her gentleman friends in London, shiny-faced young men who took her to dinner and the cinema. Yet, she always put me first, and I worried that she was letting the potential for romance slip her by so that she could keep me company. I guess, rather selfishly, I let this happen more than I ought to have.
While I knew that Jacob Saunders had lied to me about the mummy case, I trusted him to show Lucy a memorable evening.
Stopping at the front
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