Yules of Yesterday: YESTERDAY'S MYSTERIES, #4

By Sam Cheever

Sins of the Past meet Present Company

It's an old-fashioned Christmas at the Nelson's. Duncan has invited several of his friends in Crocker to stay in the newly refurbished manor. He's feeling more himself now that he has Scarlett and Lissie around to keep him company, and he plans to make Christmas as much like the ones the family celebrated in its heyday as possible.

But when things go awry and the guests inside the manor become trapped, there might be more than plum pudding on the menu. Old misdeeds are coming back to haunt them. And murder just might become the main course.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Electric Prose Publications
• Release date: Dec 28, 2017
• ISBN: 9780999170359

Sam Cheever

USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author Sam Cheever writes mystery and suspense, creating stories that draw you in and keep you eagerly turning pages. Known for writing great characters, snappy dialogue, and unique and exhilarating stories, Sam is the award-winning author of 100+ books. NEWSLETTER: Join Sam's Monthly newsletter and get a FREE book! You can also keep up with her appearances, enjoy monthly contests, and get previews of her upcoming work!  https://samcheever.com/newsletter/ ONLINE HOT SPOTS: To find out more about Sam and her work, please pay her a visit at any one of the following online hot spots: Her blog: http://www.samcheever.com/blog; and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamCheeverAuthor. She looks forward to chatting with you! She has a technique for scooping poop that she knows you’re just DYING to learn about.

Book preview

SINS OF THE PAST MEET Present Company

It's an old-fashioned Christmas at the Nelson's. Duncan has invited several of his friends in Crocker to stay in the newly refurbished Nelson Hall. He's feeling more himself now that he has Scarlett and Lissie around to keep him company, and he plans to make Christmas as much like the ones the family celebrated in its heyday as possible.

But when things go awry and the guests inside the Hall become trapped, there might be more than plum pudding on the menu. Old misdeeds are coming back to haunt them. And murder just might become the main course.

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GLOSSARY

Since Joss and Bess are from America’s colorful past, I thought it might be good to provide a glossary of the colloquialisms they use in the text of this book. Some of them don’t require explanation. I haven’t included those, but the more interesting ones certainly could use a little clarification. Even within context, the meanings of some of the following terms can’t be easily ascertained.

Absquatulated: to disappear

All-overish: uncomfortable

Backing and filling: waffling

B’hoy: rowdy boy, ruffian

Cap the climax: beat all

Catchin’ a weasel asleep: referring to something that’s unlikely

Chirk: cheerful

Codfish aristocracy: a contemptuous term for rich business people

Coot: a simpleton

Cotton to: take a liking to

Fix one’s flint: to settle a matter

Fyst: A worthless dog, a mongrel

G’hal: rowdy girl, ruffian

Gotham City: New York City

Grab the little end of the horn: short end of the stick

Grum: gloomy

Hang up the fiddle: give up

Hoister: manipulator, operator

Hornswoggle: cheat

Humbugs: deceptions

Knock into a cocked hat: to knock senseless

Necktie sociable: hanging

Pucker: state of irritation

Puke: A person from Missouri

Right smart: a large quantity

Rip-snortin’: An impressive person

Saw the elephant: see it all clearly

sharper: a crook

Shut pan: shut up

Swan: swear

Wake snakes: raise a ruckus

Wrathy: to be angry

CHAPTER ONE

Yesterday, 1850

The grand parlor was done up in its usual, breathtakingly spectacular fashion, with candles twinkling from every surface, silver silks draping the massive tree in the very center of the huge space, and the familiar scent of pine coming from yard upon yard of fresh pine boughs decorating the room. The boughs were wrapped in red velvet ribbon and sparkled with thousands of glass beads that captured the flickering candlelight and turned it into fairy magic.

Young Elizabeth Nelson hid behind the banister of the upstairs walkway and watched through the wide double doors as the graceful beauties in the ballroom swayed and flirted behind delicate lace fans, their dashing dates fawning outrageously. She sighed, her eyes tearing up with happiness at the sight.

Someday she’d be a lovely dancer, with a slender frame made perfect under the auspices of whalebone and strapping. She wouldn’t even mind the discomfort of having her innards compacted, as her beautiful cousin Charlotte liked to lament. Lissie’s nine-year-old waistline had a ways to go to even become compact-able. Eyeing the elegant dove gray silks, burgundy-toned sashes, and emerald satins on the women swaying to the waltz far below, Lissie knew she’d be the Belle of the Ball one day. The thought made her smile, despite the moisture in her eyes that made stars dance around the candles.

There was a commotion near one of the veranda doors and she turned to find Papa returning from a smoke in the gardens with several older gentlemen of a certain wealth and status. The men had rosy cheeks and were even more animated than usual, no doubt nurturing the brisk December air in the center of their well-padded breasts.

Lissie watched her Papa with a regretful gaze, knowing that if she were down there with him he’d wrap her up in his big strong arms. He’d smell of crisp clean air and his favorite pipe. She’d love nothing more than to sit on his substantial lap and watch the dancing from only a short distance away...to experience the music as the dancers were...a beautiful memory in the making.

The thought made her sigh wistfully.

A servant ran up to Papa and whispered in his ear. His handsome round face folded into a sudden frown and he nodded briskly, quickly addressing his friends before hurrying away to attend to whatever the servant had revealed. Lissie returned her attention to the dancers, her small chin propped on a pale, pudgy fist.

She was so entranced by the people and the music the first scream didn’t quite register in her mind. It wasn’t until a moment later, when one scream became several and the music stuttered to a halt, that Lissie finally turned to see what horrible consequence had occurred to mar the annual Nelson Christmas Ball.

A beautiful young woman Lissie knew all too well stumbled out of the downstairs hall and fell against the banister. She was white as a sheet and her beautiful dress was covered in a glossy splotch of vivid red blood. Lissie leapt to her feet with a gasp as she realized the woman was mortally hurt. She was ready to run down the stairs. To help in any way she could.

But then Papa ran from the shadows, his face pale as paper and his big hands covered in blood. In that moment Lissie realized her comfortable, beautiful world might have been irretrievably lost. That was when she screamed. When the nine-year-old saw a version of her much-anticipated future she didn’t want to see. And when Papa’s haunted gaze lifted to hers, it was the reason Lissie ran sobbing away from him, instead of into his once comforting embrace.

PRESENT DAY

Pratt’s big hands clutched the steering wheel, capturing Anna’s attention and holding it as the sun caressed the bleached blond hairs along his strong forearms and burnished his short-cut dark brown hair. She smiled, feeling lucky to be in the company of her two favorite men, heading for a party.

Pratt turned at her perusal and fixed his wide, golden brown gaze warmly on her. You okay?

She nodded, feeling excitement churning in her stomach as Pratt turned into the long, winding driveway. I’m perfect.

Yes, you are.

She bit her lip to squelch a pleased grin and turned toward their destination. Oh, look at the lights! Up ahead, perched on the top of a hill and burnished by what looked like a thousand strands of silvery lights, Nelson Hall looked like something out of a fairy tale. It’s beautiful.

Pratt threw her a smile, nodding. Duncan has really done some work on the old place.

It was true. The last time they’d visited the big, historical Hall it had been in a terrible state of disarray, with overgrown trees and grounds, a broken gate and crumbling structures everywhere. Duncan himself had been broken, a lonely man who’d given up on life. But things had changed for the better at Nelson Hall and Anna knew she and her friends had had some small part in that.

Not the least of which was returning one of Duncan’s ancestors to the fold to keep him company. With that thought in mind, Anna turned to observe the overly quiet passenger in the backseat. Joss had his trademark cowboy hat pushed back on his head and was perusing the spectacle on the hill with a slight frown on his handsome face. She took a beat to enjoy the view, taking in his long, muscular legs, thick dark gold hair and broad, chiseled jawline, complete with a permanently etched stubble that made him seem a little bit dangerous. A useful thing in a ghost from the 1800s. Penny for your thoughts? she offered with a smile.

Joss didn’t notice the smile, he was laser-focused on their destination. The place brings to mind Gotham City in its day.

She turned in her seat, giving him her full attention. You’ve been to New York City?

Not directly, no. He finally looked her way, fixing her with an intense, dark-blue stare. Old friend of mine went there once. He described it in a post card and this here’s exactly the way I pictured it in my mind.

Pratt eyed their friendly specter in the rear-view mirror. I’ll bet Lissie will be glad to see you.

Anna saw the quick concern darkening Joss’s handsome features before he quelled it. She wondered at its cause. He’d had a similar reaction every time they’d mentioned seeing the sweet but troubled ghost again. Even though he’d worked hard to hide it from her. "Are you glad to be seeing her?" she asked softly.

To be honest, the prospect does make me a mite all-overish. The gal was a bit unpredictable the last time we saw her. I just hope she don’t hit the ether runnin’ when she finds out poor Bessy couldn’t come as promised.

Bess. Anna sighed. The long-dead saloon girl had always been ...difficult...but she’d been uncharacteristically morose all week since realizing she wasn’t going to be able to attend the party with them. I’m at a loss as to what’s holding her to Yesterday’s, Anna said. She glanced at Joss. You know I’d find a way to bring her if I could, right?

Something in her tone must have reached through Joss’s weighty thoughts and yanked his attention, finally, to her. Don’t you worry yourself about it, darlin’. I reckin’ I’ve just grabbed a rattler by the tail one too many times of late. I’m a bit horse-shy.

Pratt chuckled. I know the feeling. That’s why this outing will be perfect. The Apple Blossom Ball is behind us. All that ugliness is shoved into the past. This will be good for us. He gave Anna a gentle smile. It’ll be fun to just enjoy the holidays with friends.

The past ain’t inclined to stay there, Puke, Joss grumbled. Me and Bessy and Lissie are proof of that. Still, when Pratt pulled around the newly repaired fountain to the base of the wide front steps, Joss did perk up and look a bit happier.

Anna shoved her door open and stepped outside, her gaze drawn immediately to the happy fall of water from the large fountain. The naked woman at its center carried a stone vessel on her shoulder and the water sprouted from the top of it, cascading over the pocked form of the ice-covered statue and splashing in silvery sparkles into the deep basin at her feet. Red and green lights, fixed on the inside lip of the basin, bathed the woman’s form in Christmas colors. The last time they’d visited Anna remembered the basin had been full of leaves and it had been dry. Certainly, there had been no cheery lights.

I’m surprised Duncan has this thing running right now. It’s likely to be a giant popsicle before we leave.

I’m glad he does, Anna told Pratt, smiling. It’s such a happy sight and sound.

Much better than before, he agreed with a nod.

There you are!

They turned to find Duncan smiling at them from the open door. Come on in before you freeze to death.

Placing a hand in the small of Anna’s back, Pratt leaned close and lowered his voice. Dangit, I was hoping to get to use the Ebeneezer Scrooge door knocker again.

Anna chuckled softly. We’ll come back out and give it a pound or two later, when Duncan’s not looking.

If you don’t mind, darlin’, I’m gonna pop off and find Miss Lissie.

Of course, Joss. She started to reach out and touch his arm, stopping just before her hand found his to avoid the snap of electricity her touch would create. Tell her I said hi, will you? I’ll look for her later and we can have a nice chat.

Joss inclined his head and, after throwing Pratt a look filled with meaning Anna couldn’t decipher, he disappeared.

She would have asked Pratt what the look had been about, but Duncan was frantically ushering them inside. She made a mental note to ask Pratt later. It wouldn’t be the first time the two men made a plan behind her back. Usually it involved ensuring her protection. She didn’t mind the fact that they cared about keeping her safe. It was the implication that she needed protection at a Christmas party that was making her stomach tighten.

That thought threatened to put a damper on her day. Fortunately for her the dire thought was chased completely away when she stepped through the door.

And found herself smack dab in fairy land.

DUNCAN’S EYES SPARKLED as she stood before the thirty-foot Christmas tree, its graceful branches dipping under the weight of candle-shaped lights and silver silk. What do you think?

Anna shook her head, too filled with emotion to speak. It’s beyond amazing. She looked around the huge ballroom, taking in the rich green of the draped evergreen boughs wrapped in the vibrant red of fat cranberries, and the abundance of spluttering white candles in polished silver holders. Everything is gorgeous. I can’t believe this is the same place I visited before.

He nodded, clearly pleased. I’ve tried to make it as much like it used to be as possible.

It looks very authentic.

I had an expert help me.

She skimmed him a look and found him grinning widely.

Lissie?

Duncan nodded. She’s been such a joy, Anna. I can’t thank you enough for bringing her to me.

A ponderous knocking sound filled the space, halting Anna’s response.

Duncan