Page 93 of Dead Serious Case 4 Professor Prometheus Plume

Suddenly everything clicks into place. The way Dusty keeps springing up in full celebration mode. The way she keeps eyeing my hand. Danny acting all nervous and jittery every time he looks like he’s going to ask me something and we get interrupted. The romantic weekend away…

I slowly kneel down, picking up the box. My mouth is dry and my hands feel clammy. Glancing up, my eyes meet his, but he makes no move to stop me so I reach for the lid with trembling fingers. It opens with a little creak and there, nestled into satin cushions, are two matching platinum bands etched with the most gorgeous designs.

“Danny,” I whisper as I stand slowly.

Danny lets go of Mr Greyson and comes over to where I’m standing beside Professor Plume’s body.

“What… I mean… are you…” I break off and swallow hard. “Does this mean what I think it means?”

Danny takes one of my hands as I clutch the small box in the other and smiles at me, all trace of nerves gone.

“Tris.” He reaches up with his free hand and cups my jaw. “I’ve been trying to find the right words, the right moment, for weeks. But do you know what I’ve realised?”

I shake my head.

“Every moment is the right moment with you,” he says softly. “I’m so in love with you, Tris. I can’t even remember what my life was like before you. All I know is, when I look ahead, I only see you. I want to grow old with you. You once told me that you were afraid I was going to leave, that all of this would be too much. I know our life can get a bit crazy, but no matter what happens, whatever goes on around us, we have each other.” He smiles and the love I see in his eyes makes my heart stutter. “ I can’t promise things will always be easy. I don’t know what’s going to happen and we do lead very strange lives, but I can promise you that I’ll love you like no one else, I’ll protect you with my last breath, and I’ll hold you up when the world tries to drive you to your knees. Because there is no me without you.”

“Danny,” I whisper. My eyes burn and my throat is tight with emotion.

“You, Tristan Everett, are my family, my best friend, my confidant, my lover, my everything, and I want you to be my husband.”

I suck in a sharp breath as the first tear breaks free and slides down my cheek.

“Tristan, will you marry me?”

“Are you seriously proposing over my dead body?” Professor Plume’s voice rises incredulously.

The air is suddenly punctuated by the sound of a hard slap and Dusty’s hissed whisper. “If you ruin this, I swear to all the drag gods that I will fucking murder you myself.”

Danny and I laugh even though the tears are sliding down my face and my heart is so big it feels like it’s going to explode out of my chest.

“Yes,” I whisper and nod furiously. “Yes, I’ll marry you!”

Danny’s face breaks into a wide smile as I encircle my arms around his neck and jump into his arms, still gripping the ring box tightly. My legs wrap around him as he holds on tightly, and I fuse my mouth to his. Nothing else exists outside of the little world we create together. I’m drowning in him, my heart pounding, my belly tight with excitement at the thought that this man—this gorgeous, sweet, patient, incredible man—is going to be my husband.

The air is filled with whoops and applause and a rather loud bang. Brightly coloured shapes flutter down around us. I huff out a laugh against Danny’s lips and then pull back, thinking Dusty’s at it with the confetti cannon again, but I realise it’s actual real confetti this time.

Danny and I look over to find Ellis and Rosie cheering loudly, Rosie holding a confetti cannon and Ellis brandishing a bottle of champagne. He pops the cork and the liquid gushes up and sprays all over the place before pouring to the ground in a bubbly waterfall.

For a moment, I wonder where they got it all from, then I recall that we’re in the library. This was supposed to be the room where the murder mystery concluded and the murderer was revealed. They must have stashed champagne and confetti in here to celebrate the winner.

I hold on to Danny as we grin widely. Bertie, Roger, Leona, and Arthur are all behind Rosie and Ellis, clapping their hands in wild applause. I glance around the room to where Dusty is dressed as a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, complete with blue and white pom-poms, and hollering louder than anyone. Beside her, Professor Plume stands disgruntled with a red handprint across his cheek. But as my gaze scans the room, all the guests seem to be happily congratulating us, even Mrs Snow. Although Ruby and Mr Greyson look quite sour.

“Oh my god, this is insane.” I laugh, looking back at Danny.

“But you have to admit, it’s very us.” He grins as I swoop my head back down to kiss him.

Suddenly, the doors to the library burst open and several bundled-up North Yorkshire Police officers, lightly dusted with snow, burst into the room. I wince as they stop dead and stare.

The ghosts thankfully have all disappeared except for Dusty, who they can’t see anyway. However, there’s still a dead body on the floor wrapped in bin bags, a load of people dressed like they’re from the 1930s, not to mention a burly maid, a short cook, and a passed-out horror fiction writer.

Rosie’s eyes widen and she quickly hides the confetti cannon behind her back while Ellis gapes in surprise, the open bottle of champagne still clutched in his hands.

I’m wrapped around Danny like a koala, clutching a ring box, and he’s gripping my arse.

“Uh, hello, officer.” I wince as I address the lead constable. “Ummm, believe or not, there is actually an explanation for all this.”

He slowly surveys the scene before turning back to me. “I sincerely hope so for your sake, sir, or you’ll all be celebrating what looks to be an engagement from behind bars.”