Death of a Mad Hatter (A Hat Shop Mystery) (13 page)

I frowned.

“You thought I’d forgotten about that, didn’t you?” he asked.

“No—yes,” I admitted.

“Your word, Scarlett,” he said.

“But I don’t want to,” I said. “I want to see Tina again, and I want to know that she’s okay. I’m worried about her.”

“But you hardly know her,” he protested.

“I know, but I like her and I feel for her situation,” I said. “I get the impression she doesn’t have a lot of people she can turn to, and I can’t turn my back on her.”

“Ginger, you are quite possibly one of the nicest people I’ve ever met,” he said. Well, didn’t that make me feel special? I smiled at him right up until he added, “And one of the most misguided.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked.

“Just that you’re not the best judge of character, now, are you?”

“Meaning?”

“Your last relationship . . .” His voice trailed off.

“I was conned by a professional cad. You can’t judge me by that,” I said. “Besides, I also befriended Andre and Nick, and they’ve turned out all right.”

“Everyone gets lucky sometimes,” he said.

I rolled my eyes. “If I promise that I won’t go near the Grisbys, will you quit nagging?”

“Hold up your hands,” he said. I frowned at him and he said, “No crossed fingers or other loopholes.”

I held up my hands.

“Now give me your word,” he said.

“I give you my word that Viv and I will not go anywhere near the Grisby estate.”

Harrison studied me for a moment and then he seemed satisfied.

“All right, then,” he said. “I’ll ring you later.”

I waved at him through the door before he turned and headed down the street. I noticed several of the ladies he passed turned their heads to watch him go by. There was no denying the fact that Harrison was a very handsome man, if you were into that sort of thing, which, I reminded myself, I wasn’t.

As I made my way to the back room, I noticed that Ferd, the carved bird on top of Mim’s wardrobe, was watching me with its unblinking stare. I could swear it was smirking.

“No one asked you,” I said and mimicked Viv by sticking my tongue out at it as I went by.

“So, did Harrison put you in thumbscrews and make you swear not to go to the Grisby mansion?” Viv asked as I returned to the back room.

“How’d you know?” I asked.

“He’s fairly single-minded like that,” she said.

“So, did you promise?” Fee asked. She was standing by the sink, rinsing her cup.

“Yes, I did,” I said.

Viv looked surprised. “I didn’t really think you’d cave in like that.”

“You sound disappointed,” I said.

“No, it’s not that. All right, yes, actually it is,” she said. “Scarlett, don’t tell me that the recent events in your life have made you lose your fire.”

“Me, lose my fire?” I asked. I glanced at both of them. I lifted a hank of hair off of my shoulder. “You’re joking, right?”

Viv smiled. “Your fire is more than your hair color and you know it.”

“Indeed,” I said. “It is also my hot temper, my stubbornness and my tenacity, which is why we’ll be taking tea at the Savoy later today. I hear it’s where all the best families trying to get away from a murder scene hang out.”

“No!” Viv cried. “Oh, you are a clever one.”

“What?” Fee asked. “I’m not following.”

“The Grisby family is holed up at the Savoy,” I said. “Hiding from the press and I imagine getting away from the grisly scene at home.”

“But you promised Harrison . . .” Fee’s voice trailed off.

“That we wouldn’t go to the Grisby estate,” I said. “I said nothing about their hideout.”

Fee shook her head. “Harrison is going to be so unhappy about this.”

“Pish posh,” Viv said. “We’re keeping our word. Now, you have to promise not to tell him.”

“I’m sure I won’t have to,” Fee said. “These things always have a way of coming out, but of course, I do promise.”

“Good girl,” Viv said. “Now what should we wear to tea at the Savoy?”

The Savoy sits on the banks of the Thames River. Because Viv is a whiz at the Underground, I let her figure out the tube stop for us to get from Notting Hill Gate on the Central Line to the Embankment Underground Station on Villiers Street, which meant starting on the Central Line and switching to the Bakerloo Line. It was only three minutes from there to the Savoy, and the day was clear and sunny, so it was a pleasant walk.

Viv had insisted, of course, that we wear hats. I chose a demure navy cap with a small cluster of pale-yellow flowers on the right side, which matched my pale-yellow dress and navy sandals. Viv, being Viv, went with a bright-red cap that had black piping along the edge and three long ostrich plumes in matching red. She wore a flirty red dress and black sandals to pull the look together.

Standing next to her, I felt like I was about to check into the local nunnery and be issued my habit and wimple. It was simply not fair that we came from the same gene pool and she had panache while I had plainness.

“I haven’t had a proper tea, as in one I haven’t had to make myself, in ages,” Viv said as we left the station behind and made our way to the Savoy. I could see the London Eye across the river in the distance, but we were walking away from it as we headed toward the hotel.

“We should have made this a priority before now,” I said. “Do you remember when Mim would take us to tea at Claridge’s in Mayfair?”

“Yes,” Viv grinned. “We’d all dress up and have a ladies’ afternoon and then she’d take us shopping at Selfridges.”

“I miss her,” I sighed.

Viv put her arm around me and gave me a solid squeeze. “Me, too, pet. Me, too.”

We were quiet as we walked. When the Savoy came into view, I rehearsed what we’d planned. “So, while we’re having tea, we keep an eye out for any of the Grisbys,” I said. “If we get lucky and run into one of them, we’ll take it from there and see what we can find out.”

“And if we don’t”—Viv paused to pat the hat box that dangled from her arm—“then we simply tell the hotel concierge that we have a delivery for Dotty Grisby.”

“You did put a hat in there, didn’t you?” I asked.

“Yes, it’s a lovely black number with a fine veil trimmed in black lace, perfect for a grieving mother,” she said.

“This makes me feel a bit like a ghoul,” I said.

“The police are investigating our shop for poison,” Viv said. “We’re not being ghouls; we are merely protecting our business by trying to discover what our shop has to do with Geoffrey’s poisoning.”

“Then we seem like cold, calculating businesspeople,” I said.

“Might I remind you that this was your idea,” Viv said.

“That doesn’t mean it’s not cold,” I said.

The doorman held the door for us as we entered the glamorous Savoy. The lobby caught my attention as we stepped into a room with dark paneled walls and a black-and-white floor polished to a high gloss. Sparkly chandeliers hung overhead and I suddenly felt as if I’d walked into a world more suited to Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald than Vivian Tremont and Scarlett Parker.

“Come on,” Viv said. “Tea is in the Thames Foyer.”

I began to follow her but was distracted by the window of a chocolatier across the lobby.

“Hang on,” I said.

I moved closer and watched the man in the white chef’s coat working with what looked like bars of caramel that he was dipping into a vat of chocolate.

“Scarlett, come on,” Viv said as she took me by the hand and dragged me past a beautiful bouquet of orchids in the center of the vestibule, across the black-and-white floor and down the steps to the tea room.

A gazebo was set up under a large stained-glass dome in the ceiling, and a piano player sat inside of it, playing softly. I glanced around to see that it was quite crowded but the conversation was muted, probably by the plush furniture that was well spaced out.

Looking at the tables, I wondered if I wanted afternoon tea, which was sweet, or high tea, which was savory. Decisions, decisions, but I was pretty sure my MoonPie-loving sweet tooth was going to win this battle and afternoon tea it would be. Is it bad that I sort of hoped we had to wait around enjoying tea for a while before spotting a Grisby?

The hostess approved of our hats and Viv took the opportunity to press her business card on her. When the woman realized it was Viv, who is pretty famous for her hats, she looked delighted.

I couldn’t swear to it, but I was pretty sure our seats got upgraded to plusher ones, two wing chairs with a low table between us. Honestly, they were so comfy I think I could have taken a nap—you know, if we weren’t on a mission.

Our waitress came right over and introduced herself. “Good afternoon, ladies. I’m Chris and I’ll be your waitress today.”

“Are you from the States?” I asked. She looked at me in surprise and I was certain my American accent had struck her as much as hers had hit me. It almost made me homesick to hear someone taking a nice bite out of their “R”s.

“Canada, actually. I’m from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to be exact,” she said. “And you?”

“Florida,” I said. “Just a bit south of there.”

We smiled at each other and then her eyes narrowed. “You look awfully familiar,” she said. “Have you been to the Savoy before?”

“Not in ages,” I said. I realized that she had probably seen me on the Internet video that would not die. You know, the one of me lobbing cake at my rat-bastard boyfriend. I decided to nip it in the bud. “But I get that all the time. People think I’m their neighbor, cousin, sister’s best friend—”

“Husband’s girlfriend,” Viv added with a sly look.

“Cute,” I said. “Really adorable.”

I gave Viv my best quelling glance and she adjusted her hat with one hand and gave me an innocent smile.

Chris, our new buddy, seemed to think Viv was just teasing me and laughed. She then handed us menus and went over the amazing selection of tea that the Savoy offered. I decided on a rose tea and Viv and I agreed on the afternoon tea, which my sweet tooth appreciated very much.

Chris left with our order and Viv and I settled into our comfy chairs, looking very much like two ladies of leisure. At least I hoped we did. It was a hard pose to maintain, as I was keeping an eye on the door in case a Grisby happened to enter the room.

“So, if we should see one of the family, what do we say?” Viv asked. I noticed she was turning her head to scan the room just as I was.

“We’re here to meet a customer to deliver her hat,” I said.

“But I thought the hat was for Dotty,” Viv said.

“Only if we don’t see a Grisby, and then we use it to go up and visit her,” I said.

“But what if it is a Grisby that we’re not interested in?” Viv asked.

“Such as?”

“Rose or Lily,” she said. “Neither of them strikes me as the murdering kind.”

“No, Rose is too timid and Lily seems above it all,” I said. “But there is a fortune at stake here, so we really shouldn’t rule anyone out.”

“But which of them would be familiar with the toxic properties of formaldehyde?” Viv asked.

“That could be anyone,” I said. “The information is out there.”

“I suppose,” Viv said. “Although to murder one’s own brother seems downright evil.”

“A lot of money and a really big house can harden a heart, I suppose,” I said. “You know, when you were missing, Harrison actually suggested that I had something to do with it because we were business partners and I was the one with the most to gain from your death.”

“He didn’t!” she cried.

“Did,” I confirmed. Of course, I neglected to add that I had accused him of being involved in Viv’s disappearance first. No need to muddy the waters.

“Well, no wonder you’re not eager to date him,” she said. “Not if he could believe you to be a murderer. Of course, now it’s easy to see he’s quite besotted with you.”

“On the contrary,” I said. “I don’t think it’s me that he’s interested in at all. I’m afraid I’m a bit long in the tooth for him.”

“What does that expression mean?” Viv asked. “Do your teeth really get longer when you age? I don’t think that will be a very attractive look on me.”

“I don’t know what it means,” I admitted. “I just remember Mim used to say it and I think in regard to Harrison, it’s true.”

“You sound jealous again,” Viv said.

“I’m not jealous,” I protested.

“Really?” a voice asked from behind me. “And here I had hoped you were stalking me out of fear that some other girl might capture my interest—not that any girl stands a chance beside you, but still it would have been quite flattering to be stalked.”

“George!” I cried as I stood up and turned around.

“Hi, Scarlett.” He leaned forward and we kissed each other’s cheek. Viv stood up and they exchanged the same greeting.

“How are you?” I asked. I gestured for him to sit down and he took the empty chair next to mine.

“I’ve been better,” he said. His tone was rueful. “I can’t say I was ever close to my uncle, but it was awful to discover he was poisoned like that. The family is a wreck.”

“I’m so sorry,” Viv said. “I imagine it was a horrible shock. How is Dotty taking it?”

“Grandmother seems . . . well, after the initial shock passed, I’m not sure she really understands what has happened, which I suppose is a blessing,” he said.

Our waitress, Chris, returned and brought a menu for George. He said he didn’t want to intrude, but Viv and I insisted, so he ordered afternoon tea as well.

“How is the rest of the family holding up?” I asked. I was hoping to get some information about Tina.

George frowned.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “If you don’t want to talk about it, I completely understand. I didn’t mean to pry.”

Sometimes I worry that my American ways are a bit too in-your-face for my British relatives and friends. I think I’m supposed to talk more about the weather and less about personal matters, but I’m not very good at checking my concern for others, even if it appears rude.

“No, it’s quite all right,” he said. “I’m just not sure how to reply. Everyone is reacting about how you’d imagine. Liam is probably the most distraught. I don’t think he’s ever wanted the responsibility of the Grisby fortune, and now that it might be thrust upon him, he’s up a gum tree.”

Viv glanced at me in an I-told-you-so sort of way that I chose to ignore. From my youth, I knew “up a gum tree” meant in great difficulty, kind of like “up a creek” in the States. So Liam wasn’t happy about this turn of events. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t rally, especially when they handed him the keys to the castle, as it were.

Our tea arrived and I fell immediately in love with the smell of the rose tea and was not disappointed in the taste either. Our sweet cakes followed and I almost forgot our purpose as I set to eating my petit fours.

“So, what brings you two to tea at the Savoy?” George asked.

I opened my mouth to speak but Viv got there first and instead of sticking to our story about meeting a client, she actually told him the truth—so much for our covert operation!

“We’re here to see if anyone in your family poisoned Geoffrey,” Viv said.

She caught George on an inhale and he spluttered into his teacup. Several heads turned in our direction as he tried to clear his lungs out with several wracking coughs.

His eyes were watering when he choked out, “Beg pardon?”

I decided to take control of the conversation and attempt to do damage control.

“Detective Inspector Finchley stopped by the shop,” I said. “Poison was found on Geoffrey’s hat. They seemed to think we had something to do with it.”

“Which we did not,” Viv added.

“So we thought we’d stop by and visit you and see if you knew anything,” I said.

“Me?” he asked. He gave me a hopeful look. “I’m flattered.”

“‘You’ meaning ‘your family,’” Viv corrected him.

“Plus we brought a hat.” I gestured to the hatbox at Viv’s feet. George nodded as if this made perfect sense, which it did not.

“Oh, so it isn’t me.” He looked a bit crestfallen but quickly rallied. “Well, tea with two pretty ladies is still an afternoon well spent.”

I patted his knee encouragingly.

“So, any idea on who might have wanted your uncle dead?” I asked.