The Masque of the Black Tulip by Lauren Willig Read Free Book Online

been taken ill, I had hustled Serena off to the bathroom. Of course, what Colin had neglected to mention was that the party had been a huge PR extravaganza thrown in Pammy's professional capacity, not an intimate little cocktail party; Pammy had invited Serena, along with a whole group of her other old school chums; and I, in my role of Pammy's oldest friend in the world, had been tagging along after Pammy. I had been as surprised to see Colin and Serena as they were to see me. At the time, I had also been laboring under the misapprehension that Serena was Coün's girlfriend, but that was a whole other story.
    Put the way Colin had put it, the whole thing did sound pretty damning—and it was clear that Joan was jumping to all the conclusions he wanted her to jump to.
    "I thought you were here for the library," she said accusingly.
    Colin stretched in that infuriating way men have and rested a casual hand on the back of my chair. It would have been funny if I weren't so miffed; I was sitting far enough away that the tips of his fingers barely brushed the chair back. As it was, he had to scoot slightly sideways in his chair to reach that far.
    "Oh, I don't know. Eloise is more of a houseguest, really. Wouldn't you say, Eloise?"
    What I wanted to say was unprintable. If there were any family ghosts in residence, I was going to sic them all on him. Headless cavaliers, wailing women in white, you name it. I never liked being the monkey in the middle. Especially when I had not been informed that there was a game in progress.
    I directed an acid smile at Colin. "I would never presume."
    Colin choked on a laugh. "Yes, you would," he said bluntly. "If there was a historical document in it for you."
    Despite myself I started to chuckle. "It would have to be a really, really important historical document."
    Thwomp!
    Joan's riding helmet smacked down onto the middle of the table between me and Colin, jarring a piece of precariously balanced toast off my plate.
    "I'll just be off then, shall I?" she said in saccharine tones. "Colin, you are coming to our little drinks party tomorrow night, aren't you?"
    "I don't—" Colin began, but Joan cut him off.
    "Absolutely everyone will be there." She began rattling off a list of names, clearly designed to convince Colin that he would be ragingly out of the loop if he didn't don a sport coat and sally forth. I retrieved my toast.
    "Nigel and Chloe are coming, and they're bringing Rufus and his new girlfriend. And Bunty Bixler will be there—you do remember Bunty Bixler, don't you, Colin?"
    Towards the end, I was convinced she was making up names, just to have more people I wouldn't know. From the look on Colin's face, he didn't recognize half the names, either, and I got the feeling that he wasn't overly fond of Bunty Bixler, whoever that unfortunately named person might be.
    Sensing she was losing ground, Joan resorted to desperate tactics. "You can bring—" Joan looked at me blankly.
    "Eloise," I provided helpfully.
    "—your guest, if you like," she finished, in the tones of one making a great concession. Turning to me, she said hospitably, "Naturally, it won't be terribly amusing for you, not knowing anyone. I suppose you could talk to the vicar. He does enjoy going on about old things.
    Churches, and all that." I had been properly relegated to my place, doddering in the corner with the clergy.
    After such a gracious invitation, how could I refuse?
    "Thank you."
    "Of course, if you're too busy in the library…"
    I bared my teeth, which weren't nearly as large or white as hers. "I wouldn't miss it."
    A muffled snicker emerged from the head of the table.
    I looked pointedly at Colin.
    "So sorry," he said blandly. "Bean in my throat."
    Indeed.
    His ill-advised humor had had the well-deserved side effect of refo-cusing Joan's attention on him. "We'll see you tomorrow then, yes? Don't forget, tomorrow night at half-seven."
    The kitchen door slapped soundly shut behind her.
    I stood, plunking my