Mischief in Mudbug (Ghost-in-Law, #2)(71)

“Yes,” Catherine said. “That would be very helpful.” She looked at Sabine and Beau. “I’m so sorry about all of this. The storm must have shifted at the last minute. If you’ll excuse William and me, there are some things we should tend to in case we lose power.” Catherine nodded at her husband and they left the room through opposite doors, the quickness in their step belying the calm presentation.

Sabine shot a look at Beau. No power meant no lights. Shut up in this house with a possible killer and no lights wasn’t an option Sabine hadn’t considered, and she didn’t like considering it now. As soon as Catherine left, Sabine crossed the room and retrieved her purse from the table in the corner. She opened it and ensured that her pistol was still safely tucked inside, then walked back across the room, purse in tow, and pulled a cough drop from a pocket inside. She sat the purse on a table within easy reach and looked over at Frances, who was sitting ramrod stiff, her face filled with fear.

“Frances?” Sabine asked. “Are you all right?”

Frances twisted the edge of her sweater with both hands. “I don’t like the storm. I put them in the garden, but they came back. It was the water.”

Adelaide came into the room and patted Frances on the arm. “Now, Frances, you didn’t plant any flowers this spring and besides, William fixed the drainage years ago. Those plants aren’t going anywhere.” Adelaide helped Frances up from her chair. “Why don’t you let me get you settled in your room before the worst of this comes? I’ll bring you a cup of hot chocolate as soon as you’re tucked down deep in them covers.”

Frances looked at Adelaide with a blank stare for a couple of seconds, then nodded. “Hot chocolate does sound nice.”

“Of course it does,” Adelaide soothed. She turned to Sabine and Beau. “Give me a minute to see to Frances, and then I’ll get you two some flashlights from the kitchen. Just in case.” She guided Frances out of the room and into the hallway.

“It’s the ‘just in case’ that worries me the most,” Sabine whispered. “What are we supposed to do now?”

Beau crossed the room and checked up and down the halls at both entrances. “I don’t know, but that storm is starting to worry me.”

“Maybe we should start home before it gets any worse.”

“Too late for that,” Martin Alford’s voice sounded from the front entrance, causing Sabine to jump. “The bridge is already under water, and the river was still rising. It will take hours after the rain subsides before the river will be low enough to cross.”

Sabine stared at him. “Surely there’s another way. A way around?”

“Not to speak of,” Alford said, as he wiped at his dripping wet face with a tissue. “A long ways back there was a road that ran north of here and circled the river, but when the Fortescues acquired the land containing the road about thirty years back, they closed off the road and it’s since grown over so you wouldn’t really know it was there unless you knew where to look.”

“Oh, I don’t know that I’d like living here knowing that every time it rained I was cut off from the rest of the world. What if they have an emergency?”

Alford brushed wet hair off his forehead and reached for a tissue to wipe his brow. “If there’s a serious situation, there’s plenty of room to land a helicopter, and those pilots can fly in just about anything. Of course, you’d have to take one of the horses to actually get into town as the phones usually go right along with the power, but it’s rarely necessary. The bridge usually doesn’t go all the way under. It just happens when it rains hard and fast, a real downpour.”

“Where did this come from?” Sabine asked. “Everyone thought the storms were headed east of here.”

Alford nodded. “They are, but not far enough east for us to avoid a bit of the lashing. It was clear as a bell when I left and not five minutes later the bottom dropped out of the sky. I thought I’d get past the bridge before it went under, but with all the rain we’ve had lately, the river was already running high and this storm is really pouring it out.”

“So what do we do?” Sabine asked. “I mean, if Mr. Alford is right and we won’t be able to get over the bridge until tomorrow—” A huge clap of thunder boomed through the house, causing the walls to shake. The lights flickered once, then again, then went off completely, leaving the room pitch black.

“Holy shit!” Sabine passed her hand over the table until she found her purse, then lifted it up and pulled it on her shoulder.

“Just stay still,” Beau advised and stepped closer to Sabine, finding her hand with his. “Adelaide said she’d be back with flashlights. She can’t be much longer.”

Sabine felt her pulse begin to increase and hoped Adelaide came before she was in cardiac arrest mode. She looked to the doorway that Adelaide had escorted Frances through and saw a faint flicker of light. She squinted, trying to make out the source, and as it grew closer, she realized it was an old-fashioned oil lantern. The lantern cast an eerie glow on Catherine’s face as she walked into the room.

Catherine’s gaze stopped on Alford. “Mr. Alford…I was afraid you might not make it out in time. I can only assume the bridge is underwater.”

“Yes,” Alford said. “I don’t think it’s going to be passable for quite a while after the storm stops.”