Sir Edward raised his glass and called, “To our extraordinary team of adventurers, we wish you the best of luck on your voyage. May you achieve greatness!”
Dr. Henry tipped his glass to Sir Edward.
“Here, here!” chorused the crowd, lifting their glasses. Everyone sipped.
Saffron took a small sip of the bubbly wine and eyed the man behind Dr. Henry, who was now in close conversation with Mrs. Henry. “Who is that man talking to Mrs. Henry? The one you spoke to at dinner.”
Mr. Ashton was looking at something beyond her as he replied, “Richard Blake. He coordinated the funding for the expedition, reaching out to donors.”
Saffron was about to ask if she needed to protect another plant from the contents of his champagne glass, but when she turned to him, he’d already disappeared into the crowd. Slightly put out, she resolved to thank her hosts, retrieve her coat, and leave.
The noise level had significantly increased with the good cheer provided by the toast and the champagne. Saffron began to make her way toward Sir Edward and his wife at the far end of the room. She squared her shoulders when she saw Dr. Berking was among the group they were conversing with. Surely he wouldn’t make untoward comments to her when they were among important donors. Saying them before Mr. Ashton had been bad enough.
“Once we’re done on the ship, we’ll be in the clear,” Dr. Henry was saying, his voice rough and slurring. “Once that’s done, we’ll be gone and it’ll be fine.” He took another gulp of champagne.
“Yes, sir, the voyage across is always the most dicey,” said Harry Snyder, keeping a hold of Henry’s considerably taller shoulder, as if to hold his employer steady. “So many unpredictable factors. The expedition itself is far more flexible.”
Dr. Berking smirked into his glass. Saffron, paused behind the Leisters, had gone unnoticed. She opened her mouth to speak.
Sir Edward shook his head to an offer of more champagne from Henry, who’d snatched up a bottle from the table before them. “Can’t trust large ships much these days—any little thing can throw their schedule off course. I was approached about investing in a shipping company, and not two days after I declined, a ship in their fleet faced waves so large that the thing nearly capsized. They were nearly stranded near—”
Lady Agatha cut him off, saying, “Dear, no one wants to hear about things going wrong on voyages just as they’re setting out on one.” She laughed awkwardly.
Mrs. Henry looked at her husband for a long moment and set her nearly empty glass down. “Indeed, I shudder to think what might happen. Whatever would we do if something were to happen to you, Lawrence?”
Saffron wasn’t the only one surprised by the coolness in her tone. Henry’s unfocused glare swung around to his wife. With a snort, he reached for her lipstick-stained glass. Berking nudged Henry with his own glass for a refill. Henry blinked at him as if he couldn’t believe his impudence. Had this not been the middle of a party, Saffron might have liked to see the two men square off.
Mrs. Henry watched her husband and Berking and rolled her eyes. Saffron edged nearer to the Leisters, intending to say goodnight while Berking was distracted.
She’d barely gotten a word out when Berking turned toward her and the Leisters, his malicious grin stretching across his face, having won his wordless duel with Henry. Mrs. Henry murmured, “Thank you,” to Mr. Blake. Saffron wondered if anyone else noticed how her fingers lingered on his as she took the refilled glass from him with a smile.
Mr. Blake gave her a hint of a smile in return.
Dr. Henry glared at Blake and snatched the champagne glass from her hand. “I can pour my wife’s drink well enough, Blake.” He sloshed a dollop of liquid into her glass, refilling what he had just caused to splash out. He smiled obnoxiously at Mrs. Henry as she accepted the glass from him and took a drink.
With a cold smile to her husband, she said, “Thank you, darling.”
Then Mrs. Henry crumpled to the floor and lay quite still.
* * *
For a long moment, nothing happened. All eyes were on Mrs. Henry, as if waiting for her to get back up. Then Lady Agatha shrieked, the shrill sound rousing the rest of the group. Sir Edward and Mr. Blake dropped to their knees. Her view of Mrs. Henry now unobstructed, Saffron could see the woman’s mouth working. The chokes she emitted cut off abruptly after a moment. Without her dark eyes to animate her face, Mrs. Henry looked like a corpse.
Saffron stood frozen. Beside her, Dr. Henry, too, stared without a reaction. Sir Edward and Mr. Blake attempted to revive Mrs. Henry. Mr. Blake looked up and said to no one in particular, “She’s not breathing.”