Tell Me, Pretty Maiden (Molly Murphy Mysteries, #7)

“If you want to dance again,” I said, “I know the very person. Blanche Lovejoy owes me a favor.” As I said this I realized that Blanche’s maid had killed somebody. Now that I was home again, I should find out if she had confessed to the police. She ought not to be allowed to get away with murder.

The afternoon post arrived as I was getting Jessie ready to leave with Mrs. Tucker. One of the letters was from Blanche Lovejoy, the other from Daniel. At last he bothers to write, I thought angrily, and read the other one first. It contained a check and a note thanking me for my services. And at the bottom an extra sentence in small letters. “Martha took her own life last night.”

So Martha had made the final sacrifice for the woman she loved so much.

I glanced at Daniel’s letter and almost decided not to read it. But curiosity got the better of me. I never could resist an unopened letter.





My dear Molly,

Please forgive my long silence. My decision to go home last weekend was a good one. I arrived to find my father’s condition had deteriorated. He continued to grow steadily worse and finally slipped away from us last night. He went peacefully. I was beside him when he died, for which I am truly thankful. The funeral has been arranged for Saturday.

Now I have a request of you. I know how busy you are, but I would like you to come for the funeral. It is my regret that I never introduced you to my father. I would like you at my side for the funeral.

Please let me know which train you intend to take and I will meet you at the station.

My love forever,

Daniel





I sat and stared at that letter for a long time while conflicting emotions went through me. The first, of course, was guilt. I had taken Daniel’s desire to see his parents as an excuse to miss a party, when all the time he had known how serious his father’s condition had been. And now he needed me beside him. If I went I would be cementing my position as his intended. I would, in effect, be saying yes to marriage.

Then suddenly I realized that I was only thinking of myself. Daniel was grieving. I remembered the hollow feeling I experienced when my brother was killed and the terrible realization that I would never see him, or my other brothers, again. The least I could do was go to Daniel’s side. And I realized that I wanted to be with him. I wanted to share his grief and joy, just as I wanted him to share mine. As to what that might mean for our future, we’d just have to let things take their course.

I went back to Jessie and Mrs. Tucker. “You’re sure Jessie will be all right with you?” I asked. “Because I have been called away for a while.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Mrs. Tucker said. “Jessie and I will do just fine, won’t we, my pet?”

At least one thing had ended satisfactorily, I thought, as I watched them go.





POSTSCRIPT


New Year’s Day, 1903





JJ Halsted’s body was located in a remote woodland. The stolen items from the Silverton mansion were found buried nearby, a few pieces of silver and some jewels. Three lives, almost four, had been squandered for such useless trifles. But at least Miss Van Woekem could now have the consolation of knowing that her nephew died with no stain to the family honor.

Later I introduced Jessie to Blanche. I saw Blanche’s eyes flash with interest when she heard that Jessie was an orphan from Massachusetts. It was too much to hope that I had produced her long-lost daughter, although stranger things had happened, but I could see that Blanche wanted to believe this and thus took Jessie under her wing. So something else ended happily.

And Daniel and I—well, we have been spending Christmas with his family in Westchester. His mother has taken to me quite well, almost leaning on me as a daughter in her time of grief. And I, deprived of a mother at the age of fourteen, have been enjoying the closeness and warmth of family life. With the New Year has come new hope. A new police commissioner will be sworn in this week and we are hoping that he will take speedy action to reinstate Daniel as a captain of police. After that, who knows. I have to think that our story will also end happily one day.





Read on for a sneak peek at Rhys Bowen’s

next Molly Murphy Mystery

In a Gilded Cage

Available soon in hardcover from Minotaur Books





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