“It must have been difficult having your mother leave you like that,” he said.
“Mother and I were never close,” Eunice said. “I’ve always believed she saw my father every time she looked at me. From what little she told me about him, he was the love of her life, and I was a reminder of a love she no longer had. She seemed content to let Grandfather raise me, which was why I was surprised she stepped in about the mining situation. Clearly, the argument with Grandfather was a deciding factor in her decision to leave me, but I don’t care to discuss this matter further.” She blew out a breath. “I’m soon to find myself face to face with her for the first time in over ten years, and it’ll hardly be a pleasant reunion if I concentrate on the hurt she inflicted on me by leaving without a word.” She turned her attention to a small watch dangling from a chain on her wrist. “It shouldn’t be much longer now. Herman said the artist colony was only a forty-minute carriage ride from his home.”
A moment later, the carriage turned onto a side road and then slowed to a stop. It rocked as someone jumped off the driver’s seat, and then one of the Henderson groomsmen appeared, holding his hand out to Eunice, who took it and stepped from the carriage.
Arthur joined her, frowning as he looked at a wrought-iron gate that rose a good ten feet into the air, complete with spikes on the top that were clearly there to dissuade intruders. The iron gate was flanked by hedges that were at least ten feet high as well and ran as far as the eye could see. Given the heavy chain and lock wrapped around the gate, it was obvious that gaining entrance into the artist colony was going to be trickier than expected.
“I’m getting the distinct impression Etta doesn’t care for unexpected guests,” Judith said, coming to stand beside Arthur and pointing to a sign that was sticking out of the hedge. “Seems rather ominous.”
“‘No Trespassing or Risk Imminent Death,’” Arthur read out loud, his lips twitching. “Not exactly a warm welcome and does leave me wondering if we should return to Daphne’s, send a telegram, and then await your mother’s response before we try to pay a call on her again.”
“I’m not going to delay this reunion by taking time out to send a telegram,” Eunice said. “We’ll find a way through the hedge.”
“But what about the risk-imminent-death business?” Judith asked.
“While Mother is better with a pistol than I am, which means imminent death could be possible for strangers gaining access to her artist colony, she’s not going to shoot me, her one and only daughter. With that said, though, perhaps I should go through the hedge alone. She’ll recognize me straightaway, whereas she might get a little quick with her trigger finger if she catches sight of the rest of you before she sees me.”
“Your mother knows who I am,” Ivan pointed out. “Which means I’m going with you.”
“And I’m not staying behind,” Judith said, speaking up. “If you’ve forgotten, I’m an inquiry agent, and it seems to me that an inquiry agent shouldn’t be left cooling her heels while an investigation is unfolding.”
Eunice rubbed a hand over her face. “An excellent point.” She looked up at the foreboding wall of green in front of her. “Butthere’s every possibility that we won’t find a hole in the hedge, which means we’re going to have to climb over it.”
Judith lifted her chin. “The hedge won’t pose a problem for me because I, unlike you, have been forced to avail myself of Cooper’s thrice-weekly physical exertion lessons. I assure you, scaling a hedge won’t be difficult for me. I’m also very good at dodging. Cooper recently decided we had to participate in dodging-the-ball exercises that have left me fleet on my feet because the ball we use in that exercise is heavy and smarts if it hits you. That means I should be able to dodge a bullet if your mother turns a little aggressive with her pistol.”
“Dodging a bullet is not the same as dodging a ball,” Eunice pointed out.
“Which I’m sure Judith knows,” Ivan said, sending a warm smile Judith’s way. “But she really has excelled at those physical exertion lessons. I can attest to the fact she’s mastered climbing, so I’m in full agreement that she needs to come with us.”
Eunice threw her hands up. “Fine. Since I’m evidently outnumbered, everyone can go over the hedge. But if Mother starts shooting at all of you, you’ll have no one to blame but yourselves.” With that, Eunice headed off along the hedge, Arthur, Judith, and Ivan hurrying to catch up with her.
“Aren’t you curious why Etta’s outfitted the perimeter of her artist colony like a fortress?” Judith asked.
“I’m sure she has her reasons, although you should know that Mother was never addressed as Etta. She signed her paintings that way because my grandfather didn’t want anyone to know that his daughter dabbled in the arts.”
“Dabbling in the arts is an insult to your mother’s talent.”
“I can’t argue with that,” Eunice said before she stopped and eyed a hedge in front of her. “This one seems a little shorter.” With that, she stepped closer, took hold of a branch, and began climbing.
“How surprising that Eunice can climb so easily,” Judith said, shading her eyes with her hand as she watched Eunice’s progress.“I was under the impression she avoided physical activity since she refuses to participate in Cooper’s exertion lessons.”
“She only refused to do that to avoid questions about her athletic abilities,” Ivan said, positioning himself directly underneath Eunice in case she fell. “She’s actually climbs a rope four or five times a week in the warehouse where we box.”
Judith sent an unexpected flutter of lashes Ivan’s way. “I’ve always longed to learn how to box.”
Arthur wasn’t exactly surprised when Ivan and Judith immediately began staring at each other in a rather flirty fashion, which had him nudging Ivan out of the way since, clearly, the man was far too preoccupied to catch Eunice if she fell.
“Before you promise Judith you’ll teach her how to box, Ivan,” Eunice called, “remember that it’s highly unlikely you’ll be comfortable doing that, not when there’s always the possibility you’ll unintentionally hit her.” She reached for a limb and pulled herself up a foot before she glanced down, catching Arthur’s eye. “Ivan once tried to discontinue our boxing lessons after his fist glanced over my cheek.”
“I didn’t sleep for a week after that accident,” Ivan said, pulling his attention from Judith to send Arthur a wince. “The only reason I agreed to continue boxing with her was because she was the only grandchild of one of the wealthiest men in the country, and she needed to learn how to handle herself in a fight if anyone ever tried to abduct her and she wasn’t able to get to a weapon.”
“No, you agreed to continue boxing with me because I threatened to trot down to the local boxing gym and hire a few men to spar with me.”
“That might have been another reason,” Ivan muttered as Eunice stopped climbing and sent Arthur a nod.
“I’m going over,” she called. “Be mindful of the branches on your way up. They’re prickly.”
A second later, Eunice disappeared over the top of the hedge, and a second after that, the distinctive sound of a pistol rang out.
