The House Party

Chapter 6

Annalise clutched the crumbled parchment against her chest. She gave Lord Arthur a strained smile and acknowledged his bow. Her pause in the wide corridor doorway was only momentary and she resumed her fast pace in search of her destination.

She had never been one to be awake this early and was surprised to find so many house party guests ambling about having just done their breakfast or heading towards it. The still drowsy girl had hoped for some privacy but she had to make do with the circumstances provided for her.

Annalise’s last waking thought had been to  gather all her peers around her and share her hypothesis but once the bright, rays of dawn struck her slumbering form she lost her determination. She was certain she had solved the puzzle given to her at the dance. Last night she herself had been startled to realise the puzzle had unravelled so easily in front of her but she had no wish to eat crow if she were proven wrong about the riddle’s solution. Montgomery would mock her relentlessly and she could not allow that.

She wanted to prove that just because she had very little inclination to be bookish did not mean she was slow. It did not mean she was foolish, incompetent and dim. The look on Montgomery’s face would be worth it when she was declared the winner. 

“...I hope my appearance hasn’t dampened your spirits. I’m afraid I was not thinking,” A familiar voice rang through the corridor. Annalise moderated her light footsteps. On the tip of the toes of her satin house boots she teetered against a doorframe. She could see two people conversing in the library although visual identification was unnecessary. Both voices were well known to her.

“If you think I’m pleased to see you, you are sorely mistaken,” Rose derided the man with an icy voice making the eavesdropper pause entirely. Annalise had never heard the pleasant hostess sound so curt.

“I apologize for the disruption. I accepted the invitation without thinking of the consequences...” Mr Merkle’s voice was low and deferential.

“The consequences are not your concern. My house, my family, me are none of your concern,” The girl’s light blue eyes blazed with her words.

“I don’t mean any harm to your happy household...” Mr. Merkle trailed off with a frown crossing his handsome face. He placed his open book on the desk face down.

Annalise wished to pursue the matter further but it seemed that Rose would barge out any moment. Annalise hurried into another doorway just out of view and watched the hostess prowl out of the library with a dreadful frown marring her fine features.

The eavesdropper vowed to give Elizabeth a full report as soon as they met. It would certainly add to her friend’s speculation that there was something brewing between Mr. Merkle and Rose.

Annalise’s wide eyes darted towards the chiming grandfather clock and realised she was losing time. She had matters to attend to and once again began her journey. Her destination was the butler’s pantry next to the formal dining room.

Annalise peered into the pantry and was relieved to find none of the servants occupying the room. The sink dresser and the cutlery dresser were inundated with piles of dirty plates indicating the master of the house was being attended to by the butler. The door that would lead to the wine cellar was consequently left unattended.

Annalise found a set of keys on a hanging ring and opened the chubb lock outside the wine cellar easily. She left the door wide open for she had no wish to be accidentally locked inside and stepped into the darkness. The narrow staircase ended in a receiving cellar which had a wide doorway leading into the actual wine cellar.


Once the girl lit her candle she could see the  large bins stocked to the brim with alcohol.


“Slow gin, slow gin, Sloe gin,” The blonde’s thin lips curved. The play on words was what convinced her she was correct.


Due to her father’s extensive interest in collecting wines she knew Madeira was named for an island of Portugal, and Malaga for an island of Spain. Annalise easily found the Madeira for it was required to be held at separate temperatures. Between the two wines rested three different bottles. The Port was next to the Malaga meaning it’s neighbour, according to the clue, was Sloe gin.


Sloe gin was a red liquor and having been a popular drink for the ladies made the Annalise quite familiar with its contents. She thumbed through the bins determined to find the next clue when she realised the bottles behind the first two were empty.


The blonde picked up one such bottle and found the bottle rattled with sticks instead of sloshing with liquid. Annalise’s eyes narrowed as she discerned a mast of a boat embedded in the glass. There was a boat in the bottle.


“The ship was cheered, the harbour cleared,
Merrily did we drop
Below the kirk, below the hill,
Below the lighthouse top,” Annalise read as she brought the candle closer. The words were pasted where the bottle label should be.

Annalise blew out her candle and raced up the stairs as fast as she could. It would not matter if she was caught for she was an esteemed guest of the house but she would rather no one knew she had answered the first puzzle. She wanted to surprise everyone with her prowess.

Annalise barged out of the butler’s pantry into the dining room corridor. She was nearly out of danger when she caught sight of Montgomery heading out to the sun room with a full plate.

“First time I’m seeing you up this early,” Montgomery muttered. There were circles underneath his dark, piercing eyes. Annalise knew him well enough to know he had spent the night up drinking. 

“Perhaps it shall be my last. Looking at you has ruined my appetite,” Annalise grinned. She gave a fluttery wave and scampered off before the bottle concealed behind her revealed itself.

Once she reached her room Annalise’s stomach grumbled but her excitement on completing the puzzle was drowning everything else out.

Eventually the euphoria settled and Annalise reread the words on the bottle. Unlike before she had no epiphany to help her. What did the words even mean?
...

“What a fine day for a picnic,” Elizabeth sighed and Annalise could not fathom what emotion was behind the statement. Her friend was not her sprightly self today but she was not down in the dumps either.

“The picnic’s dissolved into a horse riding competition,” The blonde pointed out into the horizon. While the women lounged on picnic blankets, the men raced on horses in the distance, “Wonder if they’ll accidentally destroy all arrangements.”

“I don’t know,” Elizabeth sighed again, “Mother’s calling. She wants me to make an impression on Baron Desmond Lutworth. I hope I catch his eye because my patience is withering away.”

Annalise patted her friend’s hand and watched her depart from their resting place. The girl eventually called a servant over and made arrangements near the racing area for her own entertainment.

The servant girl brought a primed, white canvas according to Annalise’s directions. The dry linseed paint from her own stores was placed before her. The blonde decided to sketch an outline with pencil before adding paint to paper.

Annalise chose the racing horses as her subject. Her lead pencil made deft, strokes against the stark whiteness of her chosen canvas. The swirling dust, the flying hats and unravelling cravats made for an appealing subject.

Annalise’s eyes darted upwards to complete the face of the wining rider. Montgomery was bathed in the golden light of the decaying sun. The sunlight shone over his fine features highlighting his high cheekbones and inky dark hair. Annalise lost her breath and shakily inhaled in an effort to contain herself. Why the man affected her so was a mystery.

“That’s a beautiful portrait of the viscount,” Mr. Merkle murmured and Annalise aborted a motion to hide the painting. Her hands continued their work and her former friend’s dark eyes stared back from the canvas.

“I was in a hurry. This is the best I could do,” Annalise gave the man a friendly smile.

“You have true talent,” Merkle’s light blue eyes roved over the incomplete canvas, “Something tells me you do not wish for the handsome viscount to see this image.”

“Absolutely not,” Annalise suddenly laughed at the absurdity of the emotions, “He would tell me to take it to the lumber room and burn it with the rest of the rubbish. ”

“Then you better hide it for he approaches us fast indeed.”

Annalise draped the rag over the sheet despite the fear of smearing the pencil marks. Her ego could take all possible loses if it could survive Montgomery’s attacks.

Three horses raced down the pathway, flying muck all over the place. Annalise stood at the edge of chalked outline and the frenzy of the racing horses blew her hair asunder.

Montgomery’s eyes caught hers and he lifted his hat in greeting, his expression triumphant at his win. Annalise waved back with raised brow as if the prowess over his horse was nothing appealing. He could never know how just the mere sight of him had made her lose her composure.

Mr. Merkle snorted at her deception and swirled his fruity drink. In his hand was the history book she had seen earlier which he closed once again. It seemed even he knew there would be more entertainment if he watched the pair instead.

Montgomery’s horse took a sharp turn and slowed down enough for the rider to jump off. The groom took hold of the sweaty horse and began to scrap off the moisture from the horse with a scraper.

“What an inspiring performance. Very brave, Viscount,” Mr. Merkle.

“Hardly challenging. The boys are barely out of university,” The tall man announced as he waved away his valet who wanted to meddle with his wayward cravat.

He frowned as he noticed Annalise standing in front of the canvas with her face turned away. She carefully tucked her curls behind her ear though the slap dash job was far from satisfactory.

The girl noticed the inquiring gaze and repeated Mr. Merkle’s words unknowingly, “It was very brave, Montgomery.”

The man just snorted, knowing her praise was false. She gave him a

“Will you not show me your drawing? I remember you were fond of showing us your newest creations,”

“When I have an art master at my disposal why would I need your criticism,” The blonde flipped her straw coloured hair over her shoulder. She gave Merkle an indulgent smile.

“Perhaps, I shall bestow upon you compliments,” Montgomery’s brows furrowed further at the display of camaraderie before him.  

“I know you too well. Now, that you have assuaged your curiosity  you are free to visit with your adoring fans. I know you’ve gathered quite a few. I’ve heard the talk,” Annalise retorted.

“You always seem to be in a hurry whenever I meet you today. What are you hiding?” The foe suddenly asked not caring enough to be indirect.

“Nothing to do with you Monty,” Anna lied effortlessly and before she could resist she uttered, “Perhaps I am close to solving the riddle you and your boys have set forth.”

“Not a chance. You are very much lacking, Annalise. You are the last person I would suspect of completing the riddle,” The tall man declared.

“Tut, tut,” Mr. Merkle rose his brow at the ill bred comment.

“You need not champion me, Mr. Merkle. I can stand up for myself. Our Viscount here will be the one with egg on his face when I succeed,” The blonde’s lips curled in a humourless smile.

“I bet you cannot. I bet you anything you desire that will not win.”

“Anything?” Annalise’s dark blue eyes danced. She took a step forward observing Montgomery’s sharp features. His cheeks were ruddy from exertion and eyes bright from the exercise.

Can I have you? Annalise thought and laughed at her own ludicrous thoughts. Montgomery watched her bubbling smirk and stalked away, finding no amusement in the situation.

Sorry, this was the result of a super bad writer's block. I wrote one sentence a day literally.