Mistletoe in the Mortuary (Inspector Rames)

Chapter 2

Sebastian was relieved when he finally got away from the potter's wheel. Pottery was not relaxing -- not for a man like him. He was used to taking a rough approach with almost everything, and it was difficult not to just keep slamming his foot down on the peddle. He'd also been paying more attention to Cassia than the clay, so his bowl looked like a lopsided pen pot.

Jack took it away to be put in the kiln, and Sebastian went back to the table. Cassia was animated, her clay forgotten as she talked with her hands. Nathaniel and Mason didn't take their eyes off her, but Sebastian knew they were focusing on her words rather than her face.

He wasn't. He was watching her full lips curve into a smile and her deep-set eyes sparkle with passion. He was watching her platinum blonde hair, too often tied back, swish freely over her shoulders as she moved. And he was thinking that, although the men were already taken with her, they would never know just how wonderful she was. They would never see her prowess at a crime scene, or feel the lash of her witty tongue, or understand how brave she was. How special.

Maybe no one would ever see that apart from him. Miles Grant certainly hadn't before he'd broken her heart.

He sat down, and Cassia's smile widened. "How was the potter's wheel?"

"I think you know."

Mason, the taller and broader man, finally started to roll his clay again. Nathaniel glanced between them. "Cassia mentioned you're a funeral director."

"A funeral director?" He knew precious little about the profession. "Yes. That's right."

"What's it like?"

He searched his mind. He still had no idea. "Grievous."

They all laughed, apart from Abigail, who was watching Jack as he came back to the table. Jack was looking at Cassia. "Do you want to try using the potter's wheel now?"

She glanced at Sebastian, and her lips twitched. "No, thank you. I think I prefer doing it like this."

"Okay. Nathaniel?"

Nathaniel got up and followed Jack across the room. Abigail trotted after them, trying to ask Jack a question. Mason went to get a bigger rolling pin.

Sebastian turned towards Cassia and lowered his voice. "A funeral director?"

"Sorry. I didn't think you wanted me to say --"

"No, you're right. Don't mention that word in here."

She gave him a long, hard look. Her pale blue eyes seemed to skim beneath his surface. "You didn't really come because you fancied trying pottery."

He glanced around, checking the coast was still clear. "No."

"What kind of criminal am I sharing the room with?"

"A murderer. Possibly."

She raised one eyebrow. "Great."

Mason came back, and they refocused on their work. Sebastian ended up ruining his bowl with fingerprints, but he bashed it out of the mould anyway. Beside him, Cassia had reached the same point, but she was struggling to get her bowl out. She'd started off by tapping the mould with her hand. Now she was attacking it with a rolling pin, her cheeks turning pink. The lesson didn't actually seem to be relaxing for any of them apart from Nathaniel and Jack.

Sebastian took the mould off her, then the rolling pin, and gave it an almighty whack. The bowl fell out with folds and bubbles in. Cassia turned it the right way up and laughed. "Thanks. I don't think I've really got a knack for this."

The lesson was drawing to a close. Abigail and Jack were using the potter's wheel, but Nathaniel and Mason were also taking their creations out of the moulds and smoothing the edges down. When Jack and Abigail were finished, they came over to look. Jack's gaze didn't linger too long on the pair of bowls.