Hollis hugging and kissing a strange woman? It seemed suddenly that everything was flying out of control. She forgot about nailing down proof so Douglas couldn’t look down his nose at her, and burst into the estate room where her husband was in conversation with the twins. She looked at them all with new eyes. The twins were in on it, whatever it was. The three of them were in a secret conversation, she knew it, one that excluded her. She wanted to shoot all of them. Instead, she said, “Hollis is kissing a strange woman in the butler’s pantry.”
CHAPTER FIVE
When you have no problems, you’re dead.
ZELDA WERNER
DOUGLAS AND THE twins shut their mouths fast. Douglas said, “Er, Alex, my dear, did you say that Hollis was kissing a strange woman? In the butler’s pantry?”
“Yes, Douglas, and she was much younger than Hollis, no more than sixty years old, I’d say.”
“Hollis taking liberties with a younger woman,” Jason said, threw his head back and laughed, then stopped. “My God, Father, what if she’s an adventuress, after his money? I know he’s well-heeled. He told me you’d been investing his money for him for years and he’s nearly as rich as you are now.”
“I will ensure that Hollis hasn’t been snared by a rapacious grandmother,” Douglas said.
James said, “You’re sure they were actually kissing, Mother?”
“It was a rather passionate embrace, and yes, quite a bit of nuzzling and kissing,” Alexandra said. “I’ll tell you, it fairly made my eyes pop out of my head.”
She took a step closer to her husband and whispered, “They both appeared to be enjoying themselves immensely.”
Douglas said, “One hopes this is the young woman Hollis intends to marry.”
His wife and his sons stared at him.
“You know about this, Douglas?”
“He spoke of marriage several days ago-something to the effect that a young wife would make him feel just fine.”
“But-”
Douglas raised his hand to cut her off. “We’ll see. After all, it really isn’t any of our business.”
James said, “It’s Hollis, sir. He’s been here longer than you have.”
“Do not equate old with dead,” Douglas said. “A man isn’t dead in his parts until he’s six feet under. Strive not to forget that.”
Alexandra sighed. “All right, enough of this excitement. Now, Douglas, you will tell me what happened to you and you will tell me all of it. You will include all references to a bloody cloth found in the washbasin in your bedchamber, and you will not fob me off with a cut finger.”
“I told you she’d find out, sir,” Jason said.
“Mother even found out that I’d kissed Melissa Hamilton behind the stables when I was thirteen,” James said. He gave his mother a brooding stare. “I’ve never figured out how you found out about that.”
Alexandra looked at him. “I have spies who owe me their loyalty. It’s best you never forget that. Just because you’re men now doesn’t mean that I’ve sent my spies into retirement.”
“They certainly must be old enough,” Jason said, and gave her a beautiful smile.
Alexandra said, trying not to melt under that smile, “Now, Douglas, speak and make it to the point.”
“All right if you’re going to make a big to-do about it.”
Alexandra grinned at him. “I wonder, is that the Virgin Bride I hear applauding?”
TWYLEY GRANGE,
HOME OF LORD AND LADY MONTAGUE
AND CORRIE TYBOURNE-BARRETT