The Gilded Curse: Will the young heiress be the next victim of her family's curse? (13 page)

“Actually, between the main clubhouse and the annex. You’ll find it.”

“I’m sure I will.”

As she went down to her room, the picture in Russell’s office remained planted in her mind. For some reason, it made her feel uneasy. Was it the expressions on their faces? Her heart lurched. Was this picture taken the day her father was killed?

Chapter 14

G
lancing over his shoulder to make sure Lexie wasn’t around, Russell crushed out his cigarette. He needn’t get her all worked up over his smoking. She had enough concerns already. Good thing she couldn’t read his mind. The way she looked at him with those big blues made him think she was trying. That was okay. He’d been keeping secrets for years for a lot of folks, so he’d stay mum. But she was curious. And smart.

He blew on his hands and rubbed them together before putting them in his coat pockets. Best be getting into the billiards room before she did. Just as he reached the door, Stella rushed past. He stepped into her path to intercept her.

“Stella! Can I have a word with you, please?”

She halted before jerking her head to face him. “What do you want?”

He ignored the lack of respect in her voice. She always acted as though she was better than he was, better than any of the staff. Back when she was younger and prettier, the men of the club used to flirt with her and she got snooty. She’d been a head-turner, sassy too, so she’d gotten big tips from the wealthy club members. But those years were gone, along with her youthful charms, replaced with bitterness and sarcasm. Poor Jack. She made his life miserable trying to please her. The good thing was she kept her mouth shut around the guests these days, so they thought she was just shy.

“Say, did you help clean Destiny Cottage this morning?”

She huffed a short breath of frosty air. “I tried, but that place was a wreck. Needs a going-over again.”

“So, who else worked with you? I asked for several housemaids to work on it before Miss Smithfield went back in today.”

A sneer contorted her face. “Louise and Jane and me, that’s all. We needed more help, but that was all they said could be spared. Of course, the three of us got behind on our own work to make sure
Miss
Smithfield was taken care of.”

“Stella.” He wanted to reprimand her for her attitude toward Lexie but changed his mind. That was one battle he wouldn’t win.

“So why do you want to know? Did
Miss
Smithfield have a complaint?” She crossed her arms.

“No, not really. However, the back door was open, and it rained inside some.”

“You told us to leave the house unlocked. The wind must’ve blown it open. That’s not my fault.”

“I didn’t say it was, Stella.” He shook his head. “Was anyone else there besides you three?”

She glared at him. “I told you it was just us.” Then, she nodded and pointed in the air like she just remembered something. “Yeah, that crazy old coot was hanging around there, like always, doing something in the yard.”

“I assume you’re referring to Abner.”

“Who else?” She twirled her finger beside her ear motioning craziness. “Anyway, why do you want to know?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Just curious.” Forcing a smile, he said, “That’s all. And thank you for your hard work getting the cottage clean.”

“Hmmph!” She spun and hurried back to the clubhouse, passing Lexie on the way. He noticed how she slowed her steps when she neared Lexie and took on her humble persona. He exhaled a deep sigh. If he didn’t care about her family and didn’t need her, she might have been dismissed already. But she was a hard worker and he had to keep her.

Lexie recognized the maid as they passed and gave her a smile. However, Stella, if she remembered her name correctly, averted her eyes and walked on. The woman acted like Lexie had a contagious disease.

Up ahead, Russell stood waiting with a big grin on his face. As she walked up, he opened the door and gestured with a sweep of his hand for her to enter.

“Are you sure you know how to play this game?” Russell gave her that quick wink that made her heart flutter. She wished he wouldn’t do that. It was so distracting.

“Russell, I bet I know this game as well as you do. After all, we did have a billiards table in our home in New York.”

“I’m sure you did. Did Robert ever play with you?”

“Of course. And I must warn you, I beat
him
too.”

Russell drew back. “No! Well, I see I have a challenge. How ’bout we make a wager on the game?”

“Wager?” Lexie’s face began to warm. She didn’t have money to throw away on a billiards game. “I don’t play for money.”

“Ha-ha!” He threw back his head, laughing. “No money required.”

“Then what?” Maybe she’d gotten herself into more than she wanted.

“Movie and popcorn. If you win, you treat me to a movie and popcorn.”

“That doesn’t sound right. And what if you win?”

“I’ll treat you to a movie and popcorn.” “You’re impossible!”

They took off their overcoats and hung them by the fireplace. Lexie placed her hat and gloves on a small table nearby. Russell removed his jacket as well, adjusted his suspenders and tucked his tie inside his shirt before choosing his stick. Lexie chose hers while Russell racked the balls.

He glanced up at her. “Would you like to break or do you want me to?”

“Oh, please help yourself. It might be the last time you hit the balls.” A familiar thrill of competition energized her.

Russell raised an eyebrow, leaned over the table and sent the balls spinning in all directions with his break. None of the balls fell in a pocket, though, and he twisted his lip in disappointment.

“Your choice.” He motioned to the balls, stepped away from the table, and leaned on his cue stick.

“Solids.” Lexie sighted a red ball, took aim, and sank it with the white cue ball. She gave him a wry smile and strolled around the table before choosing her next target, the yellow ball. She banked it off one side before it headed for the corner pocket.

“So you’re lucky. Big deal.” Russell taunted from the other side of the table.

“I assure you, luck has nothing to do with it.” Lexie re-chalked her cue stick, eyeing him over the top of it.

Her next shot bounced off the edge of the pocket before going in. She couldn’t resist the grin that claimed her face. Should she tell him she’d belonged to a billiards club in college? The next shot missed the pocket, so she moved aside to let Russell approach.

“Your turn, or do you want to concede now?”

“Not on your life! Step back, now. I don’t want anyone to get hurt.” He motioned for her to move farther away.

She burst out laughing. He could be quite entertaining. Soon the game was over with Lexie the winner. Russell asked for a rematch, so they played again, but this time he won.

“Shall we play a tie-breaker or would you like to call it even?”

“Even is fine for now,” she said.

“Let’s have a seat over there and give it a rest.” Russell pointed to two large armchairs in the corner. When they sat down, he nodded to the decanter on the coffee table before them. “Would you like a cordial?”

Lexie shook her head, but Russell poured himself a small glass of the amber liquid. Her father’s attraction to alcohol had killed any desire she might have had for it. She blamed liquor for the change in her father from a happy, carefree family man to an irritable person no one wanted to be around. Others attributed the cause to the stock market crash when he lost a fortune, driving him to drink for consolation. Other men had reacted the same way, but they weren’t her father.

Russell lifted his glass to her. “To a pretty good billiards player.” He took a sip before resting his elbow on the armrest.

“Pretty good? We’re even, remember?”

“For now, that is.” He eyed her pants and chuckled. “I see you’re wearing your trousers again.”

Lexie crossed her legs and reached down to straighten a cuff on the full pants leg. “Of course. They’re much warmer than skirts.”

The radio in the room played a Benny Goodman tune, reminding her of Robert and how much he liked to dance. Her heart twisted as tears pooled in the corners of her eyes. Oh, how she wished he were there with them. Wouldn’t it have been grand if the three of them could have played billiards together? The music ended and an ad for war bonds came on.

“Are you going to buy some of those?” Russell motioned to the radio with his glass.

“Sure.” If her accountant said she could afford to. “I’d like to do something to help.”

“You might want to go to one of the ladies’ club meetings then. I hear they’re working on various ways to support the cause. Of course, a lot of our members contribute financially to the war anyway.”

She wasn’t surprised to hear that. Her grandfather had helped support the Great War out of his own pocket. However, she’d have to
find another way to help.

“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to go to one of the meetings. I just don’t know how long I’ll be here.”

“So what will you do when you go back home?”

She fingered the pearls at her neck. “I hope to return to what I was doing before.” At his raised eyebrows, she continued. “I worked in a hospital.”

“Is that right? Never pictured you as a nurse.”

“I’m not a nurse. And it wasn’t an ordinary hospital. It was the one where Mother was, a hospital for people with mental problems.”

Russell’s face lost the casual smile. “So, if you’re not a nurse, what do you do there?”

“I’m a doctor’s assistant. I want to learn more about mental illness. I don’t think the treatment we give mental patients is the best we can do. There’s so much more to it than what we’ve thought for centuries. The doctor I work with has some different ideas about treatment.”

“That’s very brave of you, Lexie. And commendable.”

“Brave? How so?”

“Well, I mean, with your mother’s problems and everything, well, I’m just surprised you’d want to be around that sort of thing anymore.”

“It’s not that I
want
to, Russell. It’s more of a
need
to.” She looked away. “It’s hard to explain. I don’t suppose you’d understand.”

He leaned forward and placed his hand on her knee. The shock of his touch sent a warm current through her. “I’d like to understand, though. I admire you for what you’re doing.” He sat back. “At least you know what you want to do.”

This serious side of him took her by surprise. “You don’t?”

“I’m not sure I have a choice. I just took over my father’s duties when he retired, since I seemed to be the
obvious
choice. Looks like I’ll always be here.”

A pang of sympathy touched Lexie’s heart. It hadn’t occurred to her that he might prefer to be somewhere else.

“You went away to college, didn’t you?” She remembered the diploma hanging in his office.

“Sure. Studied business and came right back to help Dad, like a good son.” He made a face and laughed as the familiar jovial attitude returned. “Ready for that tie-breaker?” He stood and reached for her hand.

She smiled and allowed him to pull her to her feet. As Glenn
Miller’s band played “Chattanooga Choo Choo” in the background, they commenced another game of billiards. During a particularly tricky shot, Lexie had to position her body at an odd angle to make the shot, and Russell teased her.

“You’ve got great form!”

She made her shot, twirled around, and threatened him with the cue stick. Laughing and cutting up with Russell lifted the somber mood that circumstances tried to impose. The game drew to a tie with one ball each left on the table. Russell attempted to show off and make a fancy banked shot, but the ball didn’t go in. When Lexie took her turn, she stretched out to reach the cue ball. As she did, her gold necklace fell out of her blouse. She sank her shot and jumped up with an exultant smile.

“I won!” She resisted the urge to leap into his arms for a hug. Instead, she crossed her arms and gave him a nod. “Again. Guess I’m the real winner.”

Russell lifted his hands in surrender before fixing his gaze on the locket. “Nice necklace. I didn’t notice it before. Somebody special give that to you?”

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