Helga said, “We’ve coffee made, Mr. Delacorte, if the maids haven’t yet brought yours up to your—”
WHUMP.
They all gave a start and whirled as something hit the front door.
In unified motionless silence, they stared at the door. Nonplussed.
“I’ve never heard a knock quite like that,” Dot ventured quietly.
“I... don’t think that was a knock, per se,” Angelique replied, cautiously.
“It sounded a bit like a bag of flour thrown at the door,” Helga mused.
And Helga would know what a thrown bag of flour sounded like.
“Perhaps a large bird crashed into it,” Dot suggested.
“How very colorful, Dot,” Delilah said a little tensely. They could do without surprises today.
Everyone continued to eye the door warily.
“Well, we wouldn’t want to leave either Mr. Bellingham or Mr. Tweedy waiting, would we, just in case this heralds their arrival?” Angelique said brightly. “Best have a look, Dot.”
So Dot took the liberty of opening the peep hatch. “Funny, but I don’tseeanyone... or anything...” she reported. “I suppose I’ll just have a look outside.”
Before Angelique or Delilah could issue any sort of message of caution Dot pulled open the door.
And in staggered a man.
Everyone gasped and leaped backward.
A glance told them it wasn’t Mr. Tweedy: the cravat, the fine coat, the boots as shiny as the marble floors—this was a capital “G” gentleman.
He seemed to struggle to remain upright, but he lost his battle with gravity.
He dropped hard to his knees, and they gasped again.
His hat bounced off and skittered across the foyer.
He attempted to right himself. He collapsed, and flopped over onto his back, his arms and legs splayed, head lolling.
Which is when they all saw a great red spreading stain on his clean white shirt.
For a tick of absolute silence, they stared down at him, mouths agape in horror.
Then Dot threw back her head.
And there emerged from her throat a scream so ear shattering and operatic and blood freezing that Rose shrieked and crumpled into her first actual swoon in an unromantic thud on the marble. Maggie saw the perfect opportunity to also shriek and feign a swoon, and dropped with more deliberation next to Rose on the foyer.
The foyer was now littered with bodies.
“Mr. Bellingham!Someone killed the vicar!SOMEONE KILLEDMR. BELLINGHAM!” Dot shrieked, sounding both absolutely indignant and horrified.
That’s when the ground began to vibrate beneath them.
Everyone gasped and moaned in terror again.
Aurelie’s heart lurched like a banged gong.