Chapter Thirteen

Upstairs in the sitting room off the master bedroom, Gray moved his champagne filled flute to touch the rim of the other three glasses filled with white liquid as they lifted toward him.

"To Gregory."

"To Gregory," they echoed.

"I'm really going to miss him," Maribeth told the small group.

Gray sat on the sofa beside her and slid an arm around her shoulders. "I know, my dear. But this couldn't go on any longer. Why, the cost of buying off Stevenson's daughter would have paid for a small island in the tropics. And the maid he got in trouble was barely of age. Besides, it serves our esteemed lieutenant governor right to be set up for Gregory's death. I told him to keep his girl away from Greggy and he wouldn't listen. He actually thought he would ride his way into the governor's mansion on my coat-tails once they married. Then he had the nerve to hit me up for more money again tonight."

Erica sat down and cuddled to his other side. "Didn't I play my part well?"

"You were magnificent. The stage missed a brilliant star," Gray assured the tall, slender brunette and dropped an indulgent kiss on her forehead.

Maribeth looked at the shapely maid. "You did well, Ally. Very convincing. Did you ever tell them you're pregnant, too?"

"Never came up. Besides, I really never slept with Greg. Gray is my baby's father."

Erica jumped up then stared accusingly at Gray. "Where does that leave us then? You'll have a new heir and our babies will get squat. This wasn't in the plan."

"Tut, tut, Erica. Sit down and don't stress yourself. There is plenty of my money, and me, to go around. The papers are being drawn up as we speak to take care of all of you and your babies for as long as you live. Now, come along and let's have another toast, shall we?" Gray poured each of them another splash of the champagne-laced milk and topped off his own glass with pure Cristal. He would only have to keep these women content until after the babies arrived and then the horrible accidents could happen.

Next Halloween would be the perfect time for them to be eliminated. A fall down the stairs for Mari, perhaps? Reminiscent of my dear, departed wife... Maybe a leap from an attic window in a fit of postpartum depression for Erica? She will naturally be distraught at losing her looks to the ravages of pregnancy and childbirth. Ally is deathly allergic to scorpion bites. Yes, that just might work.

"To our new family, and another wonderful Halloween. It's my favorite holiday, you know. I can't wait to see what the next one holds for each of us." Gray lifted his glass high, offered a wide smile all around, and then took a large swallow of bubbly.

The End