When Mrs. Finch had finished, she stood back like an artist inspecting her latest work of art.
“Aw right!” Lily exclaimed. “All ye need is the wig and yer hat.”
Wig, hat, and slippers that were to go along with the rest of the costume. I looked in the full-length mirror.
Oh, my. Elvira Finch had outdone herself. I had to admit it was rather spectacular and could only wonder what Brodie’s reaction would be, if he even figured it out.
Together Mrs. Finch and I then helped Lily dress. The chain mail, coif, and gloves had been delivered earlier by my sister. With a few adjustments— Elvira Finch was up to the challenge, Lily emerged as a knight, complete with Montgomery family crest and colors.
She did make quite a stirring sight that would have impressed the first Montgomery ancestor.
Together we navigated our way downstairs to the main ballroom. I could only imagine the sight we created as hotel staff, my aunt’s servants and guests made way for a young knight and the pirate who accompanied her.
There were monkeys, witches, ghosts, cats, devils, bats of course, as well as Harlequins, several people draped in black cloaks, and one guest dressed as a skeleton who held out his hand and bowed before the Knight.
Lily bowed her head, as much as she could manage with the weight of the coif and took the offered hand. It immediately came away from the rest of the skeleton and Lily laughed in delight at the disembodied hand she now held.
“He might need it,” I suggested with a sound very much like Mr. Cavendish had made. After all, a good pirate always made those sounds, didn’t he? “Aaargh!”
The skeleton retrieved his hand and disappeared in the darkened ballroom to seek out anothervictim.
“Oh, Miss Forsythe!” Lily exclaimed. “I never had such a time!”
“Miss Forsythe?” I heard behind us.
I knew that voice. I turned, tipping my head to get a better look through the mask I wore beneath the tricorn pirate’s hat.
“Mikaela?” Brodie ventured with just a hint of doubt that was most satisfying.
“Yer fortune or yer life!” I demanded, playing my role to the hilt as Lily wandered off into the crowd.
There was a familiar curse. “I canna leave ye alone for an hour and ye’re up to this mischief.”
The ballroom was quite dark with only those two roaring fires in the fireplaces, enormous candles in medieval holders spread about the room that gave it an eerie light, jack-o’-lanterns by the dozens, and fake snakes that danced from the heat of the fires and reached out to the guests that passed by.
I took out the dirk that was part of my costume and pressed it against his chest at the same time, I wrapped my other arm around his neck.
“Yer fortune or yer life!” I repeated.
It really was too tempting, with that expression on his face that was half scowl half grin. As if he didn’t know whether to curse or burst out laughing. I settled the matter. I kissed him and it was most delicious. A pirate could do that, I thought, as I lingered and took advantage of his surprise.
Oh yes, cinnamon and Brodie. And a pirate with a mustache that came away as he lifted his head.
“Mikaela…?”
I could have sworn there was a curse in there as I stepped back with great fanfare, swept my hat before me, and then placed it once again on my head. I then held out my hand, complete with pirate’s jewels— courtesy of my aunt’s collection.
“I believe that you have something of mine, sir,” I admonished him as I demanded my mustache back.
He handed it to me, and I affixed it once more on my upper lip. He pulled me against him.
“Ye have it wrong way around.”
He removed it, kissed me quite thoroughly, then returned the mustache to my upper lip. “At least it’s better than the damned mole.”
The mole in question, I had worn in a previous disguise and a previous case. I was impressed that he remembered.
I stepped back, bowed once more, when I would have preferred to stay right there.
