SAD VICTORY
Mystery Fiction Short Story First Published in Futures Mystery Magazine, February/March 2000
“That girl is here to see you,” Hortense announced as she came into the sitting room.
Edwina looked up from the letter she was writing. “You mean my niece, Cynthia?”
“Yes, that’s her.”
“She,” Edwina muttered. “Tell her I’ll be right down. Prepare us some tea, will you?”
“Tea? You want tea? I suppose you want cakes with that?” Hortense nodded her large head and shuffled out of the room, her black taffeta dress rustling. “Let them eat cake,” she muttered as she left.
Edwina put her pen down. Hortense was supposed to take care of her. Edwina wondered how much longer it would be before she would have to do something about the woman who had been in her service for over fifty years. Her’s and Margaret’s. God, she missed Margaret. Edwina sighed and stood up.
Making her way carefully down the long staircase where Margaret had plunged to her death only two months ago, Edwina stopped for a moment at the bottom to catch her breath. Maybe she should have an elevator installed, as Cynthia had suggested during her last visit.
Breathing heavily, Edwina went to the front parlor where her niece sat primly on…
