Aunt Dimity Beats the Devil (Aunt Dimity Mystery) (27 page)

The party began to break up when Dickie, enamored of his new pet project, went off to call various high-powered pals in the hotel industry. A short time later, Nicole and Guy excused themselves to go for a drive up over the moors.

Before he departed, Guy took me aside. “I want to thank you for putting in a good word for me, after Jared left.”

“Don’t be silly,” I chided. “Dickie would have to be as blind as old Josiah not to see that you and Nicole were made for each other.”

“Still,” he said worriedly, “it must be a bit of a disappointment.
Not every millionaire wants his niece to become a soldier’s wife.”

“This one does.” I took him by the arm and turned him to face Edward’s photograph. “You’re upholding an old family tradition.”

Guy’s smile, so seldom on display, was as brilliant as the sun and twice as warm. He snapped a salute to Edward and gave me a peck on the cheek before turning to his fiancée.

“Lori,” Nicole said. “I don’t know how to thank you.”

I shrugged. “I wouldn’t say no to a lifetime supply of Claire’s Lace.”

“Done,” said Nicole, and enveloped me in a hug.

As they left the library, I could have sworn that the only thing keeping Nicole’s feet on the ground was Guy’s arm around her waist.

Finally, Adam and I were alone.

As I settled beside him on the sofa, I recalled the first time we’d sat there, when I’d shown him the inscription in
Shuttleworth’s Birds
and he’d told me about the young man who’d loved the moors. When I asked if he remembered the exchange, he nodded.

“I’ll never forget it,” he said “It was the first time I saw words written in Edward’s own hand. I can’t tell you what it did to me. Those few words brought my grandfather to life.”

“That’s what you do,” I said. “You tell the stories of the men who fought beside him. Your words bring them to life. He’d be so grateful to you.”

“No more grateful than I am to him.” Adam glanced at the ebony clock. “Your husband should be here soon.”

I rolled my eyes. “You’ll never believe where he’s taking me.”

“If it’s amusing, I don’t want to hear,” Adam said sternly. “My ribs are still quite tender.”

“We’re going to spend a few days in Edinburgh,” I said, with a perfectly straight face. “He wants to take in a session of the Scottish Parliament.”

Groans mingled with Adam’s laughter. He breathed shallowly for a moment, then reached out to take my hand. “You’re a sadist, Lori Shepherd. I can’t imagine why I ever thought your husband the most fortunate of men.”

I squeezed his hand. “Must be the concussion.”

Adam opened his mouth to reply, then closed it abruptly. “Lori,” he said, peering past my shoulder, “am I seeing things?”

I turned to follow his gaze. The ruby ring still lay on its velvet cushion beneath the delicate glass dome, but its twin was now in the portrait, adorning the third finger of Claire’s left hand.

“Is it the concussion?” Adam asked. “Or too much champagne?”

“I’d say it calls for more champagne.” I seized the bottle. “Don’t you get it? They’ve finally said their vows.”

Adam eyed me doubtfully. “Will anyone else be able to see it?”

“Are you kidding?” I refilled his glass and mine. “
Everyone
will. Claire’s been wanting to show off that ring for a long time.”

“Dear Lord,” Adam said faintly. “I can see Dickie’s adverts now. He’ll sell Wyrdhurst rings in the gift shop.”

“Along with Claire-and-Edward T-shirts…”

“…and tins of Claire’s Lace…”

“…and military teddies…”

“…and miniature models of the Devil’s Ring. Oh, my poor ribs,” Adam said, wincing as he chuckled. “Wyrdhurst will never be the same.”

Wyrdhurst would never be the same, I thought, and that wasn’t such a bad thing. For nearly a hundred years the house had enshrined a painful past. It was time to clear its corridors of cobwebs, throw open its hidden doors, take the bars from its windows, and fill its neglected garden with color and scent.

The ghosts of Wyrdhurst’s past had been laid to rest. Its future was with the living.

Claire’s Lace

PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 DEGREES.

Mix flour and coconut (or walnuts).

Combine light corn syrup, brown sugar, and butter or margarine in heavy saucepan. Over medium heat, bring syrup mixture to boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Gradually blend flour mixture, then vanilla, into syrup mixture.

Drop onto foil-covered cookie sheets by scant teaspoonfuls, 3 inches apart (dough will spread during baking). Bake for 8–10 minutes.

Cool on wire rack until foil peels easily. Remove foil. Place cookies on rack covered with absorbent paper.

Yield: four dozen cookies