Sowing Poison Read Online Free PDF Page A

lovely,” she said with a wave of her hand. “Thank you.”
    Daniel reappeared gleefully a short time later, just as Lewis set the last of the luggage down in the hall.
    â€œI was able to charge that woman more for two rooms than we normally get in a month for the whole lot,” he said in a low voice. “She didn’t bat an eye when I told her how much it would be.”
    â€œWho is she?” Lewis asked.
    â€œShe’s Nathan Elliot’s wife. She says her first name is Clementine. I don’t recall ever meeting a Clementine before, but then she’s American, and they do have strange ways, don’t they?”
    As a veteran of both the War of 1812 and the more recent Patriot Hunter invasions, Lewis had to agree. Still, he wondered why Nathan Elliott’s wife and, presumably, his son, would choose to stay at a hotel instead of at the Elliott farm.
    â€œI wonder why she didn’t come with her husband in the first place,” Lewis said as they carried a large trunk up the stairs.
    â€œHiram Elliott wasn’t expected to last nearly this long,” Daniel replied. “I expect Nate thought he could just skip up here, pay his last respects, collect his inheritance, and then skip back home again. Apparently, it’s the first time he’s been to visit his father in twenty years. I hear it was always Reuben who danced to the old man’s tune.”
    â€œWell, everyone must be regretting the visit now,” Lewis remarked. “Poor woman. It’s a desperate reason for a visit.”
    Susannah was busy in the kitchen making the tea that had been promised and was unable to supervise the preparation of the rooms, so she had given Daniel strict instructions about what needed to be done.
    â€œApparently, we need to turn the bed,” Daniel said as they stood in the large front room he had chosen for their guest.
    â€œWhy?” Lewis asked. “No one’s slept in it for weeks.” But he took one side of the floppy feather mattress and helped Daniel flip it over.
    Fresh linens were necessary, as well, apparently, and after a struggle the two men managed to make the bed adequately, although the coverlet refused to hang straight.
    â€œShould I find some extra blankets?” Daniel asked. “They won’t be used to the cold nights.”
    â€œDo it later,” Lewis said. “We’ve got to move the beds out of the other room and find a table and some chairs to move into it. And there are still bags and boxes that need to be brought up.”
    They went through the connecting door between the front bedroom and the smaller one beside it. The latter held two small beds. They moved one of them into the big room for the boy. The other they heaved out into the hall for the time being. They then brought up a small table and some chairs from the dining room. When they had finished, Daniel surveyed their handiwork.
    â€œWell, I don’t expect it’s what she’s used to, but it’s the best we can do on short notice.”
    Lewis carried the rest of the luggage up the stairs while Daniel went to inform their new patron that her accommodation had been prepared. There were three heavy valises and a number of bandboxes, besides the trunk he and Daniel had already deposited in the bedroom. Rather a lot of luggage for what Lewis assumed would be a fairly short visit, but then what did he know of city ladies and their sartorial needs? She probably changed her dress every day. He could only hope that it wouldn’t be he and Daniel who would be expected to do her laundry.
    Clementine wafted into the room just as the two men had delivered the last bag. “Oh, this is lovely,” she said, and again Lewis found himself slightly irritated by the timbre of her voice. She turned and smiled at Daniel. “Thank you so much for going to such trouble.”
    Daniel reddened, and stammered in return, “You’re most welcome, ma’am.