Page 22 of Her Cruel Dahlias
“Another one?” Anika gasped, cupping her mouth with both hands.
Bram pinched the bridge of his nose and cursed under his breath. “Did the authorities already come?”
“Yes, Charles and Miles showed up, then the carriage to take the body to the coroner’s followed suit. I had to—” Cricket was interrupted when Anika’s hand fell to her stomach and her face paled.
Bram circled his arm around Anika’s waist, holding her up. “Are you all right, darling?” he asked.
“I’m feeling nauseous again, and not only because of this news. I’m well now, though.” Anika stood straight and blew out a shallow breath when she brought a trembling fist to her mouth. “On the other hand, no, I’m not. This blasted morning sickness won’t stop.”
“You can lie down, Anika. I won’t be long,” Cricket said, worry lacing her tone. “I’ll come another time for tea and hopefully under better circumstances.”
“All right, I’ll see you soon.” Anika’s eyelids fluttered, her face becoming a shade of red as she held back nausea. “I’ve got it, Bram. Thank you.” She squeezed his hand and ascended the staircase. Bram watched her the entire way up, as did Cricket, afraid her friend might collapse, but she made it just fine.
Cricket glanced at Bram, concern swarming through her. “How often has this been happening?”
“Daily, but the doctor says it’s normal for some women to experience this. She’s better than yesterday morning. Her mother is normally here to help, but she’s visiting a relative. She’s due back today or tomorrow, though.”
Cricket didn’t want to know what Anika had looked like the day before.
“I’m afraid I need to go and see the coroner about the victim,” Bram said. “Would you like to stay here, or should I take you back to the carnival? I’m sincerely sorry.”
She glanced toward the empty staircase, thinking about her friend ill and alone. “No apologies. I’ll stay for a little while. I’d like to check on Anika after you leave.”
“Will you finish telling me first-hand what happened?” He grabbed a hat off the rack and placed it atop his head.
“Of course.” Cricket detailed the recent events, beginning with Zephyr walking with her and them stumbling on the screaming woman near the slain victim. How she retrieved Mistress Eliza and the necromancer’s failed attempt at bringing the victim back to life. The color of the woman’s hair being blonde, and her eyes blue. “No one saw anything, not even the woman who discovered the body.”
Bram ran a hand across his jaw, then tapped his fingers against it. Cricket wished these murders had never occurred, that she could’ve run into Anika in town before deciding to have tea together. They would’ve had the same conversation as earlier and could’ve moved on from the past, then laughed and chatted about everything else. But that wasn’t how it was.
“Anika isn’t blonde,” Cricket started, “and I know she doesn’t like to be a caged bird, but keep her safe.”
Bram gave her a half smile. “Anika does what she wants, just as you always did. You are both strong-willed women.”
Cricket needed to ask him the main question that nagged at her before he left. “Can you tell me the names of the victims? Maybe I knew them?”
“About three weeks ago,” Bram started, “Georgia Davies was the first to be murdered, and she was discovered in front of the Royal Oak Pub. Elanore Jones was found ten days later, not far from the library steps, then Phoebe Brown’s body, the most recent, was left in the alley near the western church. I went to school with Elanore, but we were never close.”
“I don’t recall ever having heard of any of these women. Did any of them work together?” Perhaps if they all danced like Cricket, it would mean something.
“No, their trades were all different. Georgia was a baker, Elanore a school teacher, and Phoebe didn’t have a profession but was engaged. None of them lived near one another or were friends. They had nothing in common besides their age, hair, and eye color.”
She bit the inside of her cheek and nodded.
“If there is anything you need, all you have to do is ask one of the servants, and they can fetch you some tea or anything else. I’m taking a horse, so if you want the carriage to bring you home, it’s there.”
The thought of tea still made her stomach churn. “Good luck, and thank you.”
“One more thing. If you need a place to stay, if this becomes too much to bear, Anika and I don’t mind you taking a room here in the least.”
“I’ll keep it in mind,” Cricket said as he hurried out of the room. If she stayed here, she would be pampered and have the softest of beds. It was quite tempting, but she’d grown used to the caravans and would miss the lumpy mattress and the sounds of the performers practicing.
Cricket wanted to check on Anika, so she went up the staircase, then turned down the hall, stopping at the first door. She knocked lightly. “May I come in? It’s Cricket.”
“If you can ignore the smell,” Anika groaned.
Cricket opened the door, and only a light smell of sickness permeated the air. Bram’s room looked less bare than it used to, and it was obvious it had a woman’s touch to doll it up. The floral curtains and matching rug, the vase of daisies and daffodils sitting on the desk.
“Bram left, but I wanted to stay with you a while. I suppose I couldn’t resist seeing your pretty face.” Cricket smiled, taking a seat beside Anika on the bed.