Home > Dead In The Dining Room(4)

Dead In The Dining Room(4)
Author: Leighann Dobbs

Araminta had a feeling he was really snooping around in the company books, because she had seen Daisy and Archie store them there once when they’d finished going over them in the evenings. But if he’d been looking at the books, why? As CEO of the West Coast operation, surely he would already be privy to whatever information lay inside.

“News of Archie’s death will be such a shock to the investors, won’t it?” Araminta asked her nephew. “With him gone, I wonder who will be taking care of the East Coast side of Moorecliff Motors.”

Bernard shooed the cats off the desk, away from the cupboard where he’d just closed the door. Arun tried again, but Bernard caught him and carried the disgruntled feline to the door. Sasha followed as he stepped out into the hallway, where he deposited Arun on the floor then went back into the study, where Araminta still waited. He closed the door, leaving the cats to wait for her outside.

“I will take over the East Coast division, of course. With Archie gone, the entire company will be my responsibility. I can assure you I shall manage it with pride.”

“Hm. Well, I suppose we will just have to wait and see. Surely my nephew had a will. One wonders precisely what he’s put inside.”

Bernard nodded, and for some reason, Araminta thought he looked a little smug. “Of course. But I’m certain I would be left in control of the business. After all, besides Archie himself, who knows it better than I?”

 

 

Chapter Four

 

 

Araminta had waited for Bernard to leave Archie’s study before leaving the room herself. She stepped out into the hallway, closing the door carefully, but still there was a gentle “snick” when the lock caught. The noise startled Reginald, who was standing by an antique marble-topped mahogany table, holding an even older antique vase. For a second, she thought he would drop it onto the floor, but he managed to recover and hold on to the thing.

“Oh! Aunt Minta, you startled me!” Reginald cradled the vase for a moment then placed it carefully on the hallway table before turning to her with a wobbly smile. “I was just headed upstairs.”

Araminta’s gaze drifted to the vase. They had vases galore all over the house, most of them filled with freshly cut flowers, but this one was empty. Good thing, too, because she recognized the vibrant blue and white birds and Oriental figures depicting a fishing scene as a rare Ming dynasty vase worth thousands. Had Reggie just saved it from toppling to the floor? Lucky thing.

“How are you doing?” Araminta noticed how much Reggie resembled his father. He was in his late twenties now, and his dark hair had a few gray strands. He was much slimmer than Archie, but he was young still and unmarried. The added weight would come once he found a wife and settled down.

He scrubbed his hands over this face, and Araminta could see his gray eyes were bloodshot and his mouth sad. She was sure the loss of his father was hitting him hard.

“I’m okay. I still can’t believe it. Dad’s gone.” His eyes misted. “It feels awful.”

It sure did. “I know, dear. It was so painfully sudden.”

Reggie nodded then took a deep breath. “That’s why I was going to my room so early. I just need to be alone and let it sink in.”

“Ah, well, you’d best get to it, then. Good night, scamp.” Araminta lifted her cheek for a kiss from her great-nephew, which he disbursed in an unusual hurry then rushed upstairs to his room. Araminta watched him until he reached the top of the stairs then looked down at the cats.

Arun and Sasha didn’t waste time watching him. They leapt onto the table and began to inspect and sniff the vase.

“Everyone seems a bit off-kilter, yes?” Araminta reached over to stroke Arun’s silky fur, and he arched his back to meet her hand. “But I guess it’s to be expected, considering the recent death in the house.”

The cats continued to have a look at the vase then jumped from the table. Scampering toward the stairs, Sasha looked back as if to check to see if Araminta was following.

“Yes, yes, I’m right behind you.”

Araminta’s suite of rooms was on the second floor on the north side of the house. As she headed in that direction, Daisy opened her bedroom door and stepped into the hallway, letting out a gasp as she saw Araminta. “Araminta. You surprised me. I was feeling a bit peckish and thought I would head to the kitchen to see what’s detained Harold with my tray.”

Daisy glanced at the now-closed bedroom door, tears pooling in her eyes. “The room is so lonely without Archie!”

The tears began to fall, and Araminta patted her shoulder then tried a gentle hug in an effort to console her. “There, there, dear. I know it’s difficult, losing Archie so suddenly. But there is one thing to be grateful for. I’m sure you will be well taken care of, and at least you won’t have to deal with trying to run a company in addition to dealing with this terrible loss.”

Daisy pulled back and frowned. “Why do you say that? I will be the one running the company. It’s what Archie wanted. I—I thought everyone already knew that.”

“Oh, well, I…” Araminta had never considered that Daisy would take over the company, and judging by her earlier conversation with Bernard, she hadn’t been the only one to make assumptions.

“Yes, I will inherit his stock in the company and assume control. And of course, the house and a good chunk of the money. There are trust funds, of course, for the kids. Archie didn’t think they were ready for the responsibility of dealing with so much money yet. Those, too, are to be administered by me.”

A slight smile curved her lips when she heard Harold coming up the back stairs. He held a shiny silver tray, upon which sat a dainty white porcelain soup bowl with what looked like lobster bisque and a matching white plate with half of a grilled cheese sandwich.

Daisy took the tray then stared at the food. “I don’t even know if I can eat any of this. I feel so out of sorts.”

“You have to try, dear.”

Arun must have gotten tired of waiting for Araminta to go to her room, so he jumped up on his back legs and kneaded her knee with his front ones. Araminta scooped him up and nuzzled his fur then put him down and sent the cats on ahead. “Run along, you two. I’ll be along in a minute. It’s past all our bedtimes.”

But Arun wasn’t leaving yet. Instead, he started circling Daisy’s feet, which reminded Araminta of her thoughts in the garden. Daisy had been out there the other night… only a day before her husband’s death… and she hadn’t been alone.

“Maybe some air in the garden will help like it did the other night. I saw you from my window the other evening. I assumed you were unable to sleep… until I saw your visitor, of course.”

Daisy’s eyes shuttered, and she looked away. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I wasn’t in the garden. Perhaps you saw Mary and Harold. Sometimes they go out there in the evenings to have a bit of tea.”

Araminta didn’t want to accuse her niece by marriage of hedging or denying the truth, but she knew what she saw. It was definitely Daisy out there.

Daisy backed toward her room. “Or Reggie? Yes, perhaps you saw Reggie and—and a girl, right?” A nervous laugh escaped her. “You know how young men his age are.”

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