Murder at Longbourn Read Online Free PDF

this one, of course. I wanted one for the memory books. So,” she continued as she leaned back in the wooden chair, “you haven’t told me what you think of the place.” She paused dramatically. “How do you like the house, Lizzy?”
    I grinned. “I like it very much. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a house so happily situated.”
    Aunt Winnie laughed. “God, you’ve no idea how long I’ve been waiting to ask you that.”
    “Glad to oblige. Seriously, though, it’s wonderful. I’m still amazed that you bought it.”
    Aunt Winnie’s lips curled up in a self-satisfied smile. “Yes. And I suspect there are a few others who feel that way as well.”
    “Meaning?”
    “Meaning this place was in the middle of a nasty bidding war when I first saw it. Actually, one of the bidders was Gerald Ramsey. Oh, he was fit to be tied when the owner sold it to me and not him. I heard he turned eight shades of purple when he found out. He’s been a real pain in the ass ever since.”
    “How so?”
    “Well, he is something of a bigwig around here, and as such he does wield a lot of influence. Unfortunately, one of his cronies—Ted Marshall—is on the zoning board. Lately Mr. Marshall has pushed through several new B and B requirements that seem designed solely to make my life miserable.”
    “Such as?”
    “Oh, things like septic tank upgrades, proper fencing, adequate parking facilities, random Board of Health inspections, you name it. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him out front measuring the length of the grass come summer.”
    “Can’t you do anything to fight back?”
    “Oh, don’t worry about me,” she said with a smile. “I’ve dealt with the likes of Gerald Ramsey before. I know what to do with him. I have a friend who writes for the local paper. He’d be more than happy to do a piece on town council corruption. But it’ll probably never even get to that. I’m sure Gerald will eventually move on to some other obsession. Right now his pride is hurt because he lost this place—and he’s not used to losing.”
    “How did you manage to get the house, then?”
    “As luck would have it, the woman who was selling it was a fan of Jane Austen as well. When I told her my plan to turn it into a B and B and name it the Inn at Longbourn, the dear woman’s eyes practically misted over. We became good friends. I invited her to the party tomorrow but she’s visiting her grandchildren in California and can’t make it. Now, enough about me. How are you doing?”
    “The truth?” I asked, pushing my empty plate away from me. She nodded. “Well, I hate my job, my boyfriend turned out to be a two-timing creep, Kit calls me weekly to inform me that my chances of ever getting married are rapidly deteriorating, and George seems well on his way to becoming a permanent fixture in Mom’s life.”
    George is my mother’s boyfriend. They started dating a few years after my father died, apparently during a fit of loneliness on my mom’s part. My mother is an English professor who I thought would be attracted to men capable of multisyllabic speech. With George she opted for brawn over brains. And while George is a nice enough fellow, he needs to be watered once a week.
    “Well, then, this weekend is just what you need. And who knows? You just might find that Peter improves on closer acquaintance.”
    I rolled my eyes. “I’d sooner call George a wit.”
    Aunt Winnie laughed. “Oh, cheer up. I can’t fix George’s ignorance, or your job, or even Kit, for that matter. But I can show you a good time tomorrow night.” She yawned. “And, speaking of tomorrow, I really should get a head start on the muffins for breakfast.”
    “You go to bed,” I said, clearing the dishes. “I can handle the muffins.” Aunt Winnie protested, but in the end I won out. After mixing the batter for the banana-nut muffins and setting out the blue-and-white breakfast dishes on the dining room sideboard, I was still wide awake. I shut off