No Clue at the Inn (Pennyfoot Hotel Mystery Book 13) Read Online Free Page B
Author: Kate Kingsbury
"Neither, m'm. It were Mr. Wrotham's widow. Said it was urgent she speak to you. Miss Bunkle said to tell you she'd be back tomorrow afternoon."
"Thank you, Jeanette." Cecily waited until the girl had closed the door behind her before turning to Baxter. "Well, what do you suppose the widow of Edward's manager would want to talk to me about?"
"I hesitate to speculate." Baxter raised his chin and closed his eyes. "I can guarantee, however, that she's not coming to welcome us to her dead husband's position."
"My thoughts exactly," Cecily answered with a great deal of satisfaction. "It seems as if we shall learn more about the late Barry Wrotham than I anticipated. I can hardly wait."
CHAPTER
3
The meeting with Miss Bunkle and her staff went very well. Cecily was relieved to discover she hadn't forgotten any of the intricacies of managing a hotel, and according to Miss Bunkle's reports, there didn't seem that much difference in the general day-to-day procedures involved. A country club, as she had already pointed out to Baxter, really wasn't that much different from a hotel after all.
Baxter visibly relaxed as the meeting progressed. He seemed to approve of Miss Bunkle, in spite of her odd hair ornament. When he complimented the housekeeper on her firm control of the staff, the woman actually blushed, much to Cecily's amusement. It would seem that marriage had not robbed Baxter of any of his suave charm.
She said as much to him later, as they stood at the wallof the roof garden looking down on the cove below. With his hair ruffled by the blustery wind blowing directly off the ocean, he seemed younger and more carefree than she'd seen him in many months.
This little interlude would be so good for both of them, she thought, as Baxter turned to face her with a quizzical expression.
"Charm? I wasn't attempting to charm the lady. I was simply trying to establish a working relationship. I have the impression that Miss Bunkle can be a bit of an old battleship when it comes to rules and regulations."
"A trait that I'm quite sure has earned your utmost admiration."
He tilted his head. "You're not just the tiniest bit jealous, by any chance?"
She laughed out loud. "Of course I am, darling. You happen to be an uncommonly handsome man."
"Who happens to be married to a very beautiful lady."
"You see? You can't help being charming. Even to your wife."
For answer he placed an arm about her shoulders and pulled her close. "So what do you think about the new rules? Not too confining, on the whole?"
"I thought most of them unnecessary. Particularly that ridiculous one about women being barred from the lounge bar and the card rooms."
"Ah, yes." Baxter heaved a heavy sigh. "I had a feeling you would raise some objections to that one. At least we can be thankful that since we are now a country club, the card rooms are no longer illegal. We do have to remember, however, that the new rules are tradition and have to be observed."
"They should be done away with, if you ask me. Positively Victorian. This will set the Women's Movement back five years. I find it utterly appalling that a man cannot take his wife into certain rooms of an establishment where they are both residing. Rooms into which, I might add, two years ago women were at least tolerated. It simply doesn't make sense."
"I do hope you are not going to make an issue of this, my love." Baxter tightened his hold on her shoulders. "We must remember that rules are set for a reason, and as temporary administrators, we have no right to question them."
"We might not have the right to change them," Cecily said crisply, "but I'll defend to my death the right to question them."
"Yes, I thought you might."
She shivered as a fresh gust of wind buffeted her body. "That wind is rather keen, don't you think? I had forgotten how cold it can be up here in the winter. I much preferred the summer, when we could linger in the warm breeze. I used to enjoy the scent of roses while we watched
"Thank you, Jeanette." Cecily waited until the girl had closed the door behind her before turning to Baxter. "Well, what do you suppose the widow of Edward's manager would want to talk to me about?"
"I hesitate to speculate." Baxter raised his chin and closed his eyes. "I can guarantee, however, that she's not coming to welcome us to her dead husband's position."
"My thoughts exactly," Cecily answered with a great deal of satisfaction. "It seems as if we shall learn more about the late Barry Wrotham than I anticipated. I can hardly wait."
CHAPTER
3
The meeting with Miss Bunkle and her staff went very well. Cecily was relieved to discover she hadn't forgotten any of the intricacies of managing a hotel, and according to Miss Bunkle's reports, there didn't seem that much difference in the general day-to-day procedures involved. A country club, as she had already pointed out to Baxter, really wasn't that much different from a hotel after all.
Baxter visibly relaxed as the meeting progressed. He seemed to approve of Miss Bunkle, in spite of her odd hair ornament. When he complimented the housekeeper on her firm control of the staff, the woman actually blushed, much to Cecily's amusement. It would seem that marriage had not robbed Baxter of any of his suave charm.
She said as much to him later, as they stood at the wallof the roof garden looking down on the cove below. With his hair ruffled by the blustery wind blowing directly off the ocean, he seemed younger and more carefree than she'd seen him in many months.
This little interlude would be so good for both of them, she thought, as Baxter turned to face her with a quizzical expression.
"Charm? I wasn't attempting to charm the lady. I was simply trying to establish a working relationship. I have the impression that Miss Bunkle can be a bit of an old battleship when it comes to rules and regulations."
"A trait that I'm quite sure has earned your utmost admiration."
He tilted his head. "You're not just the tiniest bit jealous, by any chance?"
She laughed out loud. "Of course I am, darling. You happen to be an uncommonly handsome man."
"Who happens to be married to a very beautiful lady."
"You see? You can't help being charming. Even to your wife."
For answer he placed an arm about her shoulders and pulled her close. "So what do you think about the new rules? Not too confining, on the whole?"
"I thought most of them unnecessary. Particularly that ridiculous one about women being barred from the lounge bar and the card rooms."
"Ah, yes." Baxter heaved a heavy sigh. "I had a feeling you would raise some objections to that one. At least we can be thankful that since we are now a country club, the card rooms are no longer illegal. We do have to remember, however, that the new rules are tradition and have to be observed."
"They should be done away with, if you ask me. Positively Victorian. This will set the Women's Movement back five years. I find it utterly appalling that a man cannot take his wife into certain rooms of an establishment where they are both residing. Rooms into which, I might add, two years ago women were at least tolerated. It simply doesn't make sense."
"I do hope you are not going to make an issue of this, my love." Baxter tightened his hold on her shoulders. "We must remember that rules are set for a reason, and as temporary administrators, we have no right to question them."
"We might not have the right to change them," Cecily said crisply, "but I'll defend to my death the right to question them."
"Yes, I thought you might."
She shivered as a fresh gust of wind buffeted her body. "That wind is rather keen, don't you think? I had forgotten how cold it can be up here in the winter. I much preferred the summer, when we could linger in the warm breeze. I used to enjoy the scent of roses while we watched
Readers choose
Kate Richards
Kent Harrington
Various
Candia McWilliam
Mercedes Lackey
Madeleine Reiss
Emily Jane Trent
Miranda Beverly-Whittemore
Dee Tenorio
Dawn Montgomery