Read Online Strong Spirits [Spirits 01] by Alice Duncan - Free Book Online Page A

I needed any. “Thank you,” I said modestly. “I do try to use the gifts God has seen fit to give me to good purpose.”
           We walked out of the dining room together, Mrs. Lilley holding my arm, supporting me. She had it exactly backwards, but this, too, was part of my job, so I allowed her to help me. Then again, perhaps her believing she was being of use to me was one more step toward her own recovery. People seem to like knowing other people need them. On a personal level, I was kind of tired of helping everybody, especially Billy, but I didn’t resent it too much.
           Medora Trunick had revived enough to join everyone in the drawing room by the time Mrs. Lilley and I got there. Featherstone was supervising the laying-out of refreshments on a table at one end of the room. I saw Edie Marsh there, looking flushed and nervous.
           She also looked as if she’d been crying. It distressed me to see her thus, so I decided to find out what the matter was. I didn’t like my friends to be unhappy. Edie slipped out of the room as soon as she’d finished her work, and it took me another fifteen or twenty minutes to make my own escape, since I didn’t want to appear to be in a rush.
           Harold and Lieutenant Farrington cornered me shortly before I departed. Both men praised me to the skies, which was a relief. I had feared Harold would hold Medora’s faint against me, but he didn’t.
           “You’re fabulous , my dear!” he exclaimed, sounding an awful lot like one of my girlfriends talking about Douglas Fairbanks. “I’ve never seen such a magnificent performance as the one you just gave us!”
           “Thank you.”
           “It really was a splendid séance, Mrs. Majesty.” This, from Delroy Farrington, who was nowhere near as effusive as Harold. I was glad of it, since one person effusing over me was already almost more than I could take. “You do a spectacular job. I honestly think your efforts were of comfort to Mrs. Lilley.”
           “Oh, my, yes,” Harold concurred. “Why, Aunt Ruth looks better than I’ve seen her look in months, and all it took was a little spirit-dabbling from a true professional.” He beamed at me, and I decided he’d meant his comment as a tribute to my skill as a spiritualist.
           “That,” I said in a voice pitched to convince, “is the whole point of the service I offer. I’m not in this for the fun of it. It’s a serious enterprise.” I slid a glance at Harold to see if he was buying it. I couldn’t tell, although he still smiled. I took that as a good omen.
           “Well,” continued Lieutenant Farrington, “I think you’re wonderful.”
           I bowed my head, portraying the very image (I hoped) of mediumistic modesty. “Thank you.”
           “I should say so!” boomed Harold. “Say, Mrs. Majesty, I really want to talk to you about doing a séance of my own.”
           “You do?”
           “Absolutely!” He turned to Lieutenant Farrington. “Wouldn’t the boys love it, Del?”
           “I’m sure they would.” Lieutenant Farrington gazed upon Harold with an expression I’d seen from Billy as he looked at me occasionally. It sort of combined happiness with worship, if you know what I mean. I decided the two men must be very close friends.
           Turning back to me, Harold said, “Do you have a card, Mrs. Majesty? I’ll give you a ring after I look at my appointment book, and maybe we can set up a date and time.” He rubbed his hands in what looked like glee to me. “Oh, this will be great!”
           “I’ll be happy to talk to you about it,” said I. Billy would pitch a fit if he found out I was doing a séance with Harold and “the boys,” whoever they were. “But I’d better be getting along now. My husband is . . . He’s not been well.” I didn’t have to pretend distress about poor Billy. I lowered my