Purple Poison ~ Sailing with Mystery 2: Into Death

By M.A. Lee

A flurry of poison pen letters unsettle the passengers on the ship Nomadic. Even Isabella is not immune from the vicious invective.

 

Will the culprit be discovered before dangerous secrets are revealed?

 

"Purple Poison" is the second short story in the collection Sailing with Mystery. The collection continues the mystery adventures of the artist Isabella Newcombe Tarrant, featured in the Into Death series. Her introduction is in the novel Digging into Death.

. ~ . ~ . ~ .

Writer M.A. Lee has published over 15 historical mystery novels and two novellas. With Edie Roones, she penned 10 short stories in the Wild Sherwood series, featuring characters of the Robin Hood legends as well as new characters encountering the dangerous faeries of British mythology.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Writers Ink Books
• Release date: May 15, 2023
• ISBN: 9798986770161

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Purple Poison

Copyright © 2023 Emily Dunn & Writers Ink Books

First publishing rights: 2023

All rights are reserved.

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DISCLAIMER

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental. The author does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for third-party websites or their content.

First Published in the United States of America

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Purple Poison

1

"W hat will your husband think of your flirtation with Colonel Werthy?"

Isabella stared at that single line scrawled across the cream-colored sheet of paper. Blinding sunlight flashed in her eyes. She blinked, and the words in purple wavered on the page.

What will Madoc think?

Her husband would have nothing to think, nothing to suspect. She wasn’t flirting with the colonel. They had explored Gibraltar Town and Athens together. They dined together nightly, at Mr. Ingram’s table, the only regulars beside Lady Peverell and Sheridan Ingram. Even Mr. Ingram’s grandson Colfax appeared once in three days. Sometimes they did stroll the Promenade or reserved deck chairs side-by-side.

That wasn’t a flirtation, merely friendship of two similar minds. The colonel could talk art. She knew more than a little about world politics, currently and historically. Their association was nothing more than that.

A figure crossed before her, blocking the brilliant Mediterranean sun before dropping into the chaise beside hers. You’re frowning, Mrs. Tarrant.

The very man in question, Col. Werthy looked the gentleman at leisure in a summer suit, straw boater, and diagonally striped Repp tie. She waited until he had lit one of his ubiquitous cigarillos then handed over the letter.

He scanned it before those glass-clear grey eyes met hers. I didn’t expect you to be the next target. My apologies.

The next target? Other people have received letters like this? Even as she asked, Isabella considered potential recipients. One of those would not be Gemma Stropeford with her missing diary. She and her husband had debarked in Gibraltar, deciding their better course would be a return to England. Isabella had admitted to some relief as they left ship, aided by a loan from Lady Peverell. She had not wanted to become either confidante or good friend to