Storing Up Trouble, стр. 103

“Harvey!” Miss Burden screamed. “You can’t leave me to deal with all this. Grab the knife that’s right in front of you and help me for once.”

Harvey didn’t move a single muscle.

Beatrix couldn’t help herself, she snorted. “In all frankness, Miss Burden, you must have realized at some point that marriage to Harvey will always leave you dealing with everything.”

Miss Burden pressed her lips together, sent Beatrix a scowl, then presented Beatrix with her back right as a policeman rushed into the Pullman car. He glanced around, pulled out a whistle, and gave it a blow, which resulted in five more policemen entering the car in short order.

Within ten minutes, the police had taken Miss Burden, Martin, and James into custody, Miss Burden screaming all the while that she was innocent and that her father would be having something to say about the unacceptable treatment she was experiencing. The two policemen holding on to her arms didn’t seem concerned about that as they dragged her away, her screams falling on deaf ears.

Harvey, who’d refused to open his eyes even though Beatrix was relatively certain he was conscious, was placed on a stretcher and taken out last. He stirred feebly and opened his eyes as he passed her, then quickly closed them again, as if he couldn’t bear the sight of her.

“Are you all right?” Annie asked, coming to stand beside Beatrix, smoothing a strand of her hair away from her face.

“I’m fine, but how did all of you become involved with this latest drama?”

Annie smiled. “We’re family, dear, which means we’re nosy when it comes to family matters. After Norman and that delightful Theodosia showed up with Gladys and Edgar, we told Norman where he could find you. We gave him a ten-minute head start before we followed, wanting to find out how he was going to make amends to you.”

“They ran across Murray and me as we were giving chase to the carriage you and Norman were thrown in,” Theodosia added, coming up to join Beatrix as she nodded to Murray, who was dabbing blood from a nose that was already beginning to swell.

Beatrix’s eyes widened as she took a step toward Murray, remembering full well the aversion Murray had to blood. He waved her off as he took a seat on the floor of the Pullman car.

“I’m fine, and no, I won’t be fainting today. Just need a second to compose myself. Is Norman all right?”

Beatrix turned and settled her gaze on Norman, who was wiping blood from his face with the sleeve of his jacket.

He was looking the worse for wear, but she’d never found him more appealing.

He looked up and sent her a hint of a smile, and then he was moving toward her, his gaze turning more intense the closer he got. His progress was delayed, though, when Edgar cut in front of him on his way toward Aunt Gladys, who was speaking to Arthur. She abruptly stopped that conversation when Edgar stopped directly beside her, took hold of her arm, and pulled her toward him.

“You could have been killed” were the first words out of Edgar’s mouth.

“But I wasn’t,” Aunt Gladys pointed out.

“But you could have been,” Edgar argued before he shuddered. “The sight of that woman with a knife pressed to your neck took a good twenty years off my life.”

“Which means you’re now, what . . . about eighty-five?”

Edgar’s lips curved just a touch. “Indeed, and at that advanced age, I should know better than to behave like a stubborn old man, resisting the notion of marrying you simply because of my pride, but . . . no more.”

Aunt Gladys blinked. “What does that mean?”

“It means I love you—have always loved you—and it’s past time I did something about that.” He dropped to one knee, winced, then took hold of Aunt Gladys’s hand. “I don’t currently have a ring, but I would be honored if you’d agree to marry me.”

Aunt Gladys considered him for a moment. “You do realize that I’m still a very wealthy woman, don’t you?”

“’Course I do, and while that was the main reason I resisted the idea of marriage to you, I’ve now realized that your wealth doesn’t matter. It also doesn’t matter that people are going to be talking about us for years, what with me being a butler and you being a wealthy woman. The only thing that matters to me is you.”

“I could always terminate your employment.”

Edgar grinned. “True, but then I’d have nothing to do with my days but bother you.”

Aunt Gladys returned the grin. “What a delightful prospect.”

“Does that mean you’ll marry me?”

“Of course I’ll marry you, Edgar.”

A second later, Edgar was on his feet, and then he was kissing Aunt Gladys, clearly unconcerned that they had an audience.

“Well, that’s just unfortunate,” Norman muttered as he came to stand beside Beatrix.

“You aren’t happy for my aunt and Edgar?” Beatrix asked.

“Oh no, that’s not it at all, but Edgar, what with his charming proposal, just threw into doubt what I hoped would be a rather spectacular moment for us.”

The entire Pullman car fell silent as everyone turned Norman and Beatrix’s way.

“I don’t believe this is how you should go about this, Norman,” Theodosia said, marching her way up to Norman as she pulled a fashion magazine from her bag. “And even though we recently decided to abandon the research we did, every article I read stated most emphatically that a romantic setting is a must for what I know you’re about to do.” She gestured around. “This isn’t what I’d call romantic.”

“Seems fairly romantic to me,” Aunt Gladys said, her eyes twinkling as she settled a smile on Edgar.

Norman turned to Beatrix. “Perhaps I should wait.”

Beatrix tilted her head. “I’ve never been an overly patient sort. So . . .”

“You want me to get on with it?”

“Indeed.”

Theodosia threw up her hands and marched away, joining Murray on the floor.

After she got settled, Norman took hold of Beatrix’s hand. “I made you