Page 20 of A Dark and Stormy Night

"With the fireplace going."

"That's my boy. So passionate. Like a lion."

Landon soundlessly shut the door behind them.

Cecily glanced into the large living room. The ceiling towered two stories above the floor, drawing the eye up to the massive chandelier which glowed in soft shades of blue. It wasn't a normal chandelier, either. The hangy part was heavy stainless steel, and around that in a wide circle forty blown-glass sperm-looking shapes raced in a clockwise circle. As if that wasn't appalling enough, two matching scones hung on either side of the floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace. The second-level gallery ran the length of the living room, with a stainless steel railing and some blobs of glass inserted here and there. And most awful of all, the furniture was uncomfortable. "Cousin Gwen could really use some advice with her decorating."

"You know when we were in here the first time, she said the views were so spectacular, they didn't need any embellishment."

Cecily looked at him.

"I guess she was wrong," he said.

Cecily considered the curved flight of hardwood stairs that led to the second level, and sighed. "My poor joints. Thank heavens I took a rest after she dragged us out to that hideous cottage or I'd never be able to make it. And me falling through the crack on that deck was clearly a sign of their criminal negligence." She gripped the handrail, then paused—and listened—between each step.

"Do you want some help, honey?" Landon cupped her butt.

"You're a naughty boy!" She reached the gallery, and started toward the kitchen—and heard a muffled noise that sounded like voices from the back of the house. "Landon, why don't you go down the hall and check out the guest bedroom Cousin Gwen didn't want to put us in? I can't believe it's all that awful."

Landon glanced around, shrugged, and headed down the hall.

Cecily watched him affectionately. He was a good man. He really was. She hadn't married him merely because he was easily manipulated. He was also good in bed and his family had an established business. Mind you, his mother despised Cecily and made them live above the garage, but when she really got to hating on Cecily, she would buy them plane tickets and send them on vacation for a week or two. And she would never let him starve.

That kind of integrity meant a lot to Cecily.

Again she heard those muffled voices, and she glanced at Landon.

He paused as if he'd heard them, too.

"Go on, darling!" she trilled, but quietly.

He went on.

When he took a turn into one of the doors, she headed through the library, past the half bath, and into the kitchen.

No one was here. Perplexed, she looked out the window at the patio. No one was out there, either. Then she heard muffled voices coming from the closed door across from the bathroom. She tiptoed back and leaned her head against the wood.

Bingo!Mario's deep voice and Gwen's sickeningly cheerful one. Cecily could almost make out the words . . . She was sure she heard her name . . .

"What are you doing?"

Landon's furious whisper made Cecily jump hard enough to clink her teeth together. She backed away and whispered back. "Don't do that! Don't you know I could rupture a disk in my poor back?"

"What are you doing?"

"They're in here." She pointed. "In the . . . the pantry, I guess."

"But why are you listening to them?"

"I'm not listening to them. I can't quite hear them!" She would have to order an electronic listening device. She had one at home, straight from Amazon.com, and she'd heard some interesting conversations between her in-laws.

Then she realized—Cousin Mario and Cousin Gwen had stopped talking. They must have heard Landon and his big fat mouth.

Grabbing him by the shoulder, she steered him back toward the stairway. When they got to the gallery overlooking the living room, she called, "Cousin Mario! Cousin Gwen! Where are you?"

She heard the click of the latch as they came out of their secret room, and the scurry of Gwen's feet into the kitchen.

Cousin Mario came around the corner and through the library, his arms spread expansively. "Come in. Come in! We are preparing your dinner. I hope you like poached salmon. But if you don't, we also have a lovely lean steak we can place on the grill."

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