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Chapter 1: The Proposal

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“Explain to me again why you’re marrying him?” I said. “He’s a total creep and raging misogynist to boot.”  I stared at Lynn with set shoulders as I waited for her response. Lynn glared at me over the laptop. I met her gaze and refused to blink. Lynn was my best friend. We had known each other since kindergarten. We shared nearly everything in common, except our taste in boys. Rain pounded on the windows of the girl’s academic dormitory, and I could actually feel the wind shifting the building. Outside, lightning spiderwebbed across the sky, and then the thunder rattled the windows. I hadn’t had time to draw a breath between lightning and thunder.  Lynn shook her head. “I’m marrying him because that’s how it is. That’s who I marry. Period. No way around it.” I picked up my wine glass and paused. Was it my wine glass? It couldn’t be Lynn’s. She was holding hers. But we were the last two girls standing tonight. Lindsay was asleep on the couch. We had held Sophie’s hair out of th...
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The Husband Poisoning Society, Chapter 25

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We made our way back to the castle. We stayed in the shadows and managed to avoid the guards. I could hear the clamor of men back where we had left the carriage and the giant’s corpse. The guards must have found that mess. But it helped us slip back to the castle. The main gate was guarded. But, as before, Laila knew a secret way in. She led us through a cave at the base of the hill, and into another part of the catacombs. Twenty minutes later we were sneaking through the castle.  The castle felt empty to me. I suspected that the guards were out on the streets looking for us. We reached Lynn’s room and knocked on the door. Lynn answered and Quincy burst from under her dress and began dancing around my feet. Lynn stared at us. “Get in here before somebody sees you.”  We stepped into Lynn’s room, I grinned. “Lynn you don’t have a spare gown laying around do you? This one is kind of done.” I stopped. Monique was standing behind Lynn. “Your grace!” Laila stumbled into a curtsy. “O...
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The Husband Poisoning Society, Chapter 24

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Sven was beating Laila and Ada as they covered for us. Meanwhile, we cowered in boxes. Fiona could deal with Sven in seconds. So could Vincent for that matter. But that would be one more body we’d have to explain. I didn’t like it. Each smack caused me to clench up. Finally I heard a loud crack and then a thump. Somebody had fallen to the ground. It was too much. I moved to climb out of the box and do what little I could to intervene.  “Out with it. Whose footprints are those?” “Husband, if you want to know whose footprints they are, then go track them back the way they came. I do not know. Hit me again and I will go fishing for luckfish.” That stopped me. I waited. Silence.  The silence stretched, and I waited.  Finally. “Learn your place, woman. I am the man here.” “And I am the woman of this longhouse. That is my place and you are standing in it. You will respect that, or you will learn the cost of refusing to do so.” “There is a general alarm. The duke’s murderers hav...
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The Husband Poisoning Society, Chapter 23

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We approached the longhouse from the rear. Laila slipped inside to check that the way was clear. A moment later she returned to the door.  “It’s only mother. Get in here.” We slipped in to find ourselves facing Ada.  “Laila, what is going on? There’s a general alarm. And now the foreigners.” “Somebody is trying to frame the foreigners for the murders. Which means the real murderer is still free.” “They are trying to frame you?” Ada stared at me. Vincent nodded. “They’re afraid the killer is Hyperborean. They’re terrified of the potential scandal. And they think they can use this to their advantage.”  “They want. Want to frame me.” I managed, I had started shivering.  “You didn’t kill his grace though. We were together the whole time. We were drinking.” I nodded. “Ada is your alibi.” Amy exclaimed.  “Which puts her in danger too.” Fiona said. “Oh dear, it does. Doesn’t it?” “Indeed. But we still need the real killer. We have assaulted a duke and killed royal guar...
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The Husband Poisoning Society, Chapter 22

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Fiona took her two flintlock pistols, now reloaded, and fired both together. The giant’s knees popped like crushed tomatoes, and the monster collapsed in a pile of limbs. She tossed the pistols to Vincent, who set about reloading both without a word. Fiona retrieved the spear that Vincent had acquired earlier. She walked across the carriage and dropped off the back to face the giant.  “Get out of the vehicle and unhitch the horses. If this battle reaches the carriage I do not want anyone going over the edge.” Fiona said as she approached the giant.  The giant rose to its knees. It tried to stand, but its knees wouldn’t support it.  “It’s still dangerous.” Laila called as we exited the carriage. “So is she.” Vincent said as he unhitched the horses, pistols held in the crooks of his arms.  As soon as Vincent freed the horses from the harness, they bolted. The horses disappeared into the night. We turned to face Fiona and the giant. Fiona circled the giant, trying to ge...
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