Page 22 of Thus with a Kiss I Die

“Serial killer,” I muttered. “No. It’s because your father asked me to—”

Elder advanced to a cackle, and I swung on him. “Oh, shut up!”

“Did you really do that? Discover a killer?” Elder was definitely interested in that information.

“He wants to know if I really discovered a killer,” I told Younger. “I did more than discover the killer, didn’t I?”

“You eliminated the killer at great cost to yourself. When I proposed, I did speak of my admiration for your steadfast courage and loyalty to your family, did I not? Are you fishing to hear it again?”

I considered him with a shock that shouldn’t have occurred. “You don’t think much of me, do you?”

“I do. What more proof of my esteem could you command than the princely betrothal with which I’ve graced you?”

“Be still, my heart.”

I had noted on previous occasions, occasions that occurred before Prince Escalus fixed his attention on me, that he was a man given to words spoken only with forethought. He paused now and seemed to retrace our discourse, and seemed to decide a change might improve its tenor. “Lady Rosaline, my father would never ask a gentlewoman to search for his killer. He believes women to be—”

“ ‘Gentle, sweet, and unfit for dangerous pursuits’?”

“His exact words! How did you know?” The stupid man still wasn’t getting it.

Elder chortled.

I crossed my arms and stared at Prince Escalus.

“Someone told you. He is not here.” But his gaze searched around me.

I’d put doubt in his mind. “This is mean,” I said to Elder. “Somehow show yourself to him!”

“Don’t you think if I could have spoken to him about finding my murderer, I would have?” Elder demanded.

“Don’t you think I’ve searched for his murderer to wipe him off the face of the earth?” Prince Escalus asked.

They were talking over each other, about each other, and both were tormented.

I placed my forefinger on my prince’s arm. “I know you have searched, sir, for the safety of Verona and your family, as well as vengeance for that bloody treachery, and I grieve with you for the loss of your father.” To Elder, I said, “Whycan you show yourself only to me?”

“The rules of beyond? I can only show myself to my reluctant future daughter-in-law?” He waved vaporous arms in exasperation. “I don’t know!”

“Lady Rosaline, do you talk to yourself often?” Prince Escalus asked. “Or is this a ploy to convince me you’re deranged so I’ll back out of the marriage?”

I didn’t lose my temper, exactly, but I was severely exasperated. Really, gentle reader, can you blame me? I pinned him with my most severe, elderly spinster stare and snapped, “How deranged do I have to be for you to back out?”

In wondering tones, Elder said, “You truly don’t want to marry him.”

The damnable man/ghost finally had the gist of the matter. I glared down at him. “Did you miss the obvious clue? Like the bargain I’m demanding in return for my cooperation?”

Elder jumped to his feet—actually, he rose a little above the floor—and shouted, “You’ll be the princess!”

“I don’t care!” I shouted back.

“I must go and think.” Elder slid backward into the stone and vanished.

I stared at the spot and sighed. “He’s gone. How I wish he’d never come.”

“Confess.” Prince Escalus tried hard to sound jocular. “This is all a game you made up to discourage me.”

“Let’s go to dinner.” I swept ahead of him through the passage, down the stairs, and into the great walk. There I waited for him to catch up. “For your information, I don’t play games . . . Cal.”