D is for Deception: A Langley & Porter Mystery

1 Genesis

It was the first snow of the season and I stood at the window, staring out at the elegant lawn and the falling pure white flakes. The fountain in the center of the round drive was frozen, the little cherub statues on either side spitting icicles into the goblet between them. The servants were hard at work constantly clearing the drive and a path from the drive to the door of newly fallen snow. Carriages were arriving, women in elaborate gowns and men in their best waistcoats emerging from them, entering the manor from the door directly beneath me. I heard them even from here, an entire floor and several closed doors away. I closed my eyes, letting my breath fog the glass in front of me.

"Have you seen Ada?"

I turned to Elena. She stood on a small pedestal, long white lace train trailing off of her and pooling in an elegant puddle on the floor to her right. She was a vision in her brand new, custom made wedding dress. The hired help had done an incredible job twisting her blonde waves into a beautiful updo with tendrils falling around her angelic face to touch her shoulders below. I could hardly stand to look at her for, every time I did, I threatened to tear up which was unacceptable because, as I had been told, that would smudge all of the hard work that the servants had done on my face. I smiled at her now, forcing steel into my nerves and putting on a brave face for the both of us.

"I can go and find her," I told her as I approached, reaching out and giving her arm a squeeze, "If it would make you feel better."

She thought for a moment, the concern and anxiety written plainly on her face. She bit her lip and was immediately scolded by a nearby aunt who rushed forward with a tube of lipstick to correct whatever error Elena had made. Finally, she nodded.

"Please," she said then and I could hear the nervousness in her voice as she took a shaky breath, "But don't disappear for long. I can't have you vanishing on me as well."

I nodded and left the room as quietly and demurely as I could so as not to exacerbate her anxiety further. I shut the door tightly behind me and then hefted my sage green dress up enough to make my way quickly down the hall. I had suspected that Ada would have avoided the bride's dressing room. All the primping and polishing and gushing about one another's gowns was far from her scene. But she also didn't know too much about the layout of Mr. and Mrs. Langley's estate, having only been here once before, so there were truly only two places she could be and I thought one of them far more likely than the other.

I was rewarded for my knowledge of my friend's behavior by the sight of her seated firmly at the bar, whiskey in hand, waving it around as she gestured wildly at whatever tale she was telling the poor uninterested barkeep. Her fiery red hair was piled into an updo which mimicked my own but hers was already beginning to escape from it's bounds. I sighed. Undoubtedly, her makeup would be smudged as well. I smiled politely as I made my way through the gathering crowd, and caught sight of the senior Mr. Langley long enough for him to shoot me a private gesture in the direction of Ada. I nodded to assure him I was handling it and continued to push my way through until I reached her. I tapped her on the shoulder and she turned, grinning widely as soon as she saw me standing beside her.

"Lottie!" She called me for the first time in her life, nearly falling right off of her stool in her effort to toss her arms around my neck, "There you are! I was just tellin' this gentleman about that conman we caught when we first got here! You 'member him? You and Alex got there first 'course but if we hadn't come-"

"Yes, Ada, I remember," I told her as I helped her off of the stool, taking her weight as I pulled her toward a familiar back door which led to the servant's halls. Once we were out of sight of the guests, I let her lean even more upon me as I followed the sound of clanking pots toward the kitchens. She continued to ramble along our journey but I was determined and we pushed through the swinging doors a few moments later. Servants were running about, passing us with cake, appetizers, bottles of liquor, and anything else a proper wedding might need. I plopped Ada down on a nearby stool and called out to no one in particular, "Can I get some coffee over here?"