Catnip (Dunbarton Mysteries Book 1) Read Online Free PDF

way.
    “Mother appreciated fine
furniture,” James said, as if reading his thoughts. “The tables were made by
the firm and many of the other pieces are family heirlooms dating back, in some
cases, 100 years or more. Some of them are collector’s items now. Alice tried
many times to persuade her to refurnish, as the local museum is interested in
acquiring some pieces, but it seemed to comfort Mother to have the house the
way it was when Father was alive.”
    “I can understand that. The room
is charming,” he added diplomatically, with more ‘politesse’ than truthfulness.
“So is the rest of the house, from what I’ve seen of it.”
    “Rather more of a museum than a
home,” Alicia declared. “I sometimes feel that I’m walking through Grandmother’s
memories of life. When I was little, I used to dress up in the old gowns that
were stored in the attic, climb up to the Widow’s Walk and pretend I was a
princess in a tower. This was my palace and at any moment a handsome prince
might come riding up to carry me away on his beautiful white horse.”
    Chris remembered her Grandmother’s
comment about Sleeping Beauty and wondered again why no ‘handsome prince’ had
come to claim such a lovely girl.
    “That was when she wasn’t up
there dropping water balloons on anyone who happened to be passing below.” Her
father broke the spell and they were all laughing companionably when Alice
Dunbar breezed into the room.
    “Well, Mr. Mallory, how nice to
see you again.” Pointedly ignoring the presence of her four-footed landlord,
she offered him her hand. “Please forgive me for having kept you waiting, but
with such a large house to care for, without assistance I might add, as well as
all the meals to prepare, it doesn’t leave me a great deal of time to think of
my appearance.”
    He smothered a smile and rose to
meet her. “No need to apologize. The results are more than worth the wait.”
    Surprisingly, it wasn’t an empty
gallantry. She was still a very attractive woman and must have been stunning
when James Dunbar first met her. He was regarding her now with a mixture of
pleasure and pride, and it was with a sense of shock that Chris realized that,
in spite of everything, James was still in love with her.
    She was above average in height,
blonde and statuesque. Her skin was creamy and unlined, age showing only in the
fullness of jaw and throat. It was her eyes that held him, though. Large and
intensely blue, they should have been her best feature, but there was a
hardness in them, a brittleness, that belied the disciplined composure of the
rest of her face.
    “Please sit down, Mr. Mallory.
Alicia dear, why haven’t you offered our guest a drink? I’ve prepared some iced
tea, if you would care for some.” Chris nodded and Alicia rose obediently to
fetch it, Marmalade trailing after her. “I think you should know, Mr. Mallory,
that I contacted another solicitor about contesting the will.” When he said
nothing, she went on a little more stiffly. “It seems that as … unusual ... as
the contents are, the will is legal. James’ mother had the right to leave her
estate to whomever she pleased. The only grounds on which to contest it would
be mental incompetence which the solicitor felt would be difficult with the
evidence of yourself and Dr. Harris to the contrary. He would, however, be
willing to try if James were willing.” She looked somewhat scornfully at her
husband whose mouth tightened in a determined line. “He, however, seems to have
taken leave of his senses and refuses to question his mother’s sanity, and
since I have no recourse under the law, we will, of necessity, abide by his
mother’s wishes and will continue to live here and,” she hesitated as if
swallowing a bitter pill, “take care of the cat.”
    Chris smiled in relief. “I’m very
glad to hear that, Mrs. Dunbar. I’m sure that you’ll all get along just fine,
and once you get used to it, won’t find it as untenable a