Free Murder in the Devil's Cauldron by Kate Ryan Page B

unreasonable number of hours. But it
was new, it was at the Ordway and had been the perfect button to
push. It hadn't taken long before she was head over heels.
    The wedding this afternoon had been small and
tasteful - perfect given the quick courtship. It didn't hurt that
neither were in their thirties any more and there was no desire for
the big overdone production that young first-timers generally
hankered for. He had suggested an early afternoon wedding with a
nice late lunch reception.
    "That way, our friends can celebrate with us,
and we'll be able to go home, rest up and then go out for a lovely
intimate dinner," he said. "We'll have it all for our special
day."
    "You think of everything," she had said. The
idea had appealed to her romantic nature as he had known it would.
She would see nothing but the romantic that day, blinding her to
everything else he might do. She had also gone along with the idea
of spending a few days at the mansion before going up to the North
Shore for their official honeymoon.
    "Just the two of us for a few days," he had
said. "The North Shore will be a wonderful way to spend our
honeymoon, but there will be other people around. I'd like to have
you all to myself for a day or two. It'll start things off so
nicely."
    Besides, he thought, even though he'd have to
put up with her for those few days, it would give him the time he
needed to get the information he needed to put all the pieces in
place for the next part of his plan.
    The wedding and luncheon had gone very well
and Fowler had played his part to perfection around her friends and
small (and fortunately distant) family. Now, as they returned home,
Fowler got out of the Bentley he had leased for the duration and
came around to let her out.
    "You really don't have to do that," she said
as she got out of the car.
    "Of course I do," Fowler said. "I still can't
believe I finally met the one woman I could lose my heart to. I
want you to always feel as special as you are." He put his arms
around her and kissed her gently. "What do you say we take a little
siesta before we go to dinner."
    "You are such a naughty man," she smiled.
    As they went in, Fowler let his eyes linger
on the oriental rugs and other priceless furnishings. He drank it
all in as he escorted her up the stairs. It was now all his. And,
better yet, in a few days, he wouldn't even have to share it.
    She stopped on the stairs, one hand on the
banister. "This was such a good idea, darling," she said. "It's
been such a whirlwind the last few days and I'm exhausted. Much
more than I expected."
    "I'm so glad," he said warmly as he joined
her on the stairs, his fingers caressing the polished banister.
    "Tell you what," he said as he nuzzled her
neck. "Let's make today all about us. Tomorrow you can show me
where everything is and maybe I can find a way to take a few things
off your shoulders. But right now, let's not even think about
anything but us."
    "That sounds heavenly," Diana said.
     
     
* * * * *
     
     

Chapter 17
     
    That afternoon, Starr took the jam out of the
desk drawer and popped it back into her backpack, along with the
biscuits she had filched from the breakfast buffet and a blanket
and went to sit out on the edge of the lake. She found a boulder
shaped like a giant's armchair that gave her a wide view of the
lake. She folded the blanket so it was nice and thick, then sat on
it cross-legged, her back against the warm rock and the backpack
next to her. She'd forgotten to bring a knife, so she simply broke
the biscuits into pieces and dipped them into the jam. While she
couldn't see the bottom of the cliff from where she was sitting,
the land curved off into the distance and she could see the water
beating up against the rocks with bursts of white spray.
    It felt so good to sit and do nothing after
all the days of work needed to pack, move, and unpack. Even now it
wasn't quite done. There were still a few boxes the movers had
brought that still had to be unpacked, but