Until Death Do You Vow

Ch6 Roses And Zinnias And Violets- Oh My!

(Warnings: Elias has a panic attack.)

"....I dunno. We'll think of something. Right now it's the only thing I can think of."

"Maybe we can also solve why the Gallagher's were cursed?", you suggested instead reaching out a hand to rub one of your ankles. "While we're here we might as well get some answers."

"Unless he really was a mastermind and hacked off the rest of his family."

"I doubt it. Elias might have been the only survivor but he doesn't really seem like the murderer type. If anything he's more of the excited lonely guy."

"Looks can be deceiving you know!," Taylor grumbled and you could picture him facepalming. "Alright. But maybe we can look for the treasure too. If Elias was the sole survivor then maybe he knew where it was hidden. We'd be solving an entire century long mystery! We could even be famous for solving it!" He sounded happy again at least.

"Let's be tactful about this though. My entire single life is on the line here, Taylor."

"Right, right. For now let's go along with his ceremony idea. That would buy us some time to be able to get a good look around here. Where in the mansion are you right now?"

"I think this is a study. It sure looks like an office."

"Great place to start! Offices are usually where you do paperwork so maybe there's some old documents laying around there. Take a look around and see what you can find before Elias comes back."

Not a bad idea but your feet were killing you. Sigh. Oh well. Honestly you were now invested in this new crime solving take and if it'll help you get out of this mess, then you'd take the chance. Your foot lowered again, and you stood back up. The scent of the chamomile tea and stale vanilla scented biscuits from the silver tray on the table mixed in with the slightly stale air and smell of old paper no doubt from the books Elias left on the table and the ones still stacked up on the shelf. You decided to start there. Seemed as good as a place as any to start. The echo of your heels clicking filled the otherwise silent room as you approached the shelf. F/c eyes scanned the shelf. Ok. What were you looking for? A date book? Maybe a diary? Maybe if you pulled one of the books out a secret passageway would appear like in those movies? You decided to try it. Going about pulling back any and all random books..but nothing happened. No dice there. Stumped and a little disappointed, you settled for just scanning the book spines. Some were pretty faded so you had to pull them out and flip through them to make out what they were. Most were just old novels with yellowed pages and faded ink. No help to you. The next one you actually recognized. 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn' by Mark Twain. One of the most popular old forms of literature you thought-

"Dearest?" The voice made you jump and whirl your head around to come face to face with Elias. He blinked at you from the doorway holding a second teacup in his hands. "What are you doing?"

"I was looking at your books," you answered him truthfully holding up the book in your hands. "I didn't know you liked Mark Twain.

Elias quickly smiled. "Ah. So you are familiar with the author?"