Aunt Dimity Goes West (8 page)

long day was catching up with me. I was suddenly too

tired to follow Aunt Dimity’s train of thought.

It’s extremely interesting. If the Auerbachs packed in a
rush, then we’re dealing with two abrupt departures—the
family’s and James Blackwell’s. If the cabin is as wonderful as
you claim, why did they leave it in such a hurry?

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Nancy Atherton

“Don’t know,” I said.

You might ask Bill to look into it. He might know of some
family emergency the Auerbachs experienced at Christmastime. And Mr. Auerbach may have told him why James Blackwell quit.

“I will,” I said, suppressing a yawn. “I’ll ask Bill to-

morrow. Or today. I can’t keep track anymore.”

Of course you can’t. Forgive me for prattling on, my dear.

You must be exhausted.We’ll continue our discussion after you’ve
had a good rest. But don’t forget to speak to Bill about it. I don’t
like abrupt departures, especially when they’re unexplained.

“I’ll remember, Dimity,” I promised.

Sleep well, my dear.

“I think I might manage it tonight,” I said to Regi-

nald as the lines of royal-blue ink slowly faded from

the page.

I placed the journal on the bedside table and

brought Reginald to bed with me, to ward off my

recurring nightmare. I lay awake for a short time,

watching the firelight dance on the beamed ceiling

and wondering why anyone would abandon such a

lovely ship, but Toby’s image kept swimming through

my mind, distracting me.

“Like a cocker spaniel,” I murmured, and smiling

drowsily, I drifted into sleep.

Six

I awoke from a confused dream involving heroic

dogs and sinking ships to find bright sunlight

streaming through the French doors and the

windows. A glance at the bedside clock told me that it

was half past eight. I pushed the duvet aside, rolled out of bed with Reginald in my arms, and walked slowly

toward the French doors, unable to believe my eyes. I

hadn’t slept past sunrise since I’d been shot.

Cold air rushed in as I threw open the doors, but the

view made me forget that I was barefoot and wearing

only a nightgown. My deck was no more than two feet

off the ground, but I could see the entire valley from it: the glittering lake, the deep green forest, the snow-streaked peaks against a sky so dazzlingly blue that I

couldn’t look at it without squinting. The landscape

was grandiose, extreme, almost frightening in its im-

mensity. Nothing was tame or understated.

“Reginald,” I said, under my breath, “I don’t think

we’re in Finch anymore.”

I shivered and wrapped my arms more tightly

around myself and my pink rabbit, then realized with a

start what the bedside clock had been trying to tell me.

“Eight-thirty!” I yelped. “Toby’ll be here at nine!”

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Nancy Atherton

I hightailed it back into the suite, sped through my

morning routine, and pulled on jeans, a T-shirt, a

warm woolen sweater, and sneakers. I tried to run to

the great room, but gave up halfway down the corri-

dor. Once I’d stopped seeing pinpoints of light dance

before my eyes, I continued at a more sedate pace and

opened the double doors to the mouthwatering scent

of frying bacon. The twins were perched on stools at

the breakfast bar, Annelise hovered over several frying

pans on the stove, and Toby stood across the granite-

topped bar from the twins, filling their glasses with

orange juice. I’d arrived just in time to hear him laying down the law to Will and Rob.

“First rule of the Aerie,” Toby was saying. “Don’t

leave food lying around outside—not a peanut, not a

hot dog, not a potato chip,
nothing.
”

I paused with my hands on the doorknobs and held

my breath. If Toby explained that human food at-

tracted wild animals, the boys would probably create

a trail of leftovers to guide bears to the playroom win-

dow. But Toby didn’t fail me.

“It’s unhealthy for the squirrels,” he went on. “If we

feed the squirrels, they’ll get fat and fall out of their trees,
splat.
” He smacked his hand on the breakfast bar, making the boys jump.

“We won’t leave food out,” Will promised, round

eyed.

“We
like
squirrels,” Rob said earnestly.

“Second rule of the Aerie,” Toby went on. “No play-

ing with matches. Forest fires are a very real danger in

Aunt Dimity Goes West

61

the high country. One careless match and” —Toby

snapped his fingers—“no home for the squirrels.”

“We
never
play with matches,” Rob declared.

“Never,”
Will asserted.

“Then we’ll get along fine,” said Toby.

“Morning, all,” I called, crossing to give my sons

their morning hugs.

“Good morning, Lori.” Annelise favored me with a

penetrating glance. “How did you sleep?”

“I don’t remember,” I said triumphantly. “I was asleep.”

“I’m making tomato and spinach omelets to go

along with the bacon,” said Annelise, turning back to

the frying pans. “You’ll never guess what Toby brought

for breakfast.”

“Rattlesnake steaks?” I ventured, climbing onto a

stool.

“Not for
breakfast,
” Toby scoffed, and pushed a large plate across the breakfast bar toward me.

“Scones?” I said, staring incredulously at the pile

heaped on the plate. “You brought
scones
?”

“He brought homemade strawberry jam as well,”

said Annelise, sliding omelets onto our plates.

I looked from her to Toby. “Where on earth . . . ?”

“Caroline’s Cafe,” Toby answered. “Carrie Vyne

makes her own jams and jellies, and she makes scones

from scratch every morning. I ran down there in the

van and bought a batch fresh from the oven. I thought

you’d enjoy a taste of home.”

I beamed at him. “If anyone had told me that I’d

spend my first morning in the Rocky Mountains feasting

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Nancy Atherton

on homemade strawberry jam and made-from-scratch

scones, I would have told them they were dreaming.”

“That’s my job.” He spooned jam onto a scone and

offered it to me. “Making dreams come true.”

Our fingers brushed as I took the scone from him,

and I felt a distinctive jolt that had nothing to do with the altitude, so I passed the scone quickly to Rob, cut

Will’s omelet into bite-sized pieces, and ordered my-

self sternly to act my age.

“When do we get to see the cowboys?” Rob asked,

through a mouthful of scone.

“Not for a couple of days,” I said. “We have to get

used to the altitude before we go riding. But there are

plenty of other things to do while we’re here. Toby’s

going to give us a tour of the Aerie after breakfast.”

Rob and Will were seriously underwhelmed by the

prospect of traipsing through the Aerie, looking at

rooms—the playroom was the only room that inter-

ested them, and they’d already seen
that
—so I suggested that Toby take them on a short hike after

breakfast while Annelise and I poked around the Aerie

on our own.

“Great idea,” said Toby. “We’ll go up to see the

eagle’s nest.”

The boys brightened visibly, gobbled their break-

fast, and ran off to fetch their hiking boots. I would

have bundled them up in their warmest winter jackets

as well if Toby hadn’t stopped me.

“Light windbreakers over their sweatshirts will

do,” he said. “Hiking’s hot work.”

Aunt Dimity Goes West

63

“But there’s snow on the ground,” I protested.

“It’ll be gone by noon,” he said, laughing. “We have

four seasons every day in Colorado. Granddad used to

say it should be the state motto.You’ll see.”

Annelise and I spent an hour exploring the Aerie

before we were spent.After meandering through three

guest suites, the laundry room, the arcade game room,

the billiards room, the home theater, the library, the

outdoor spa—which included a sauna and a massage

cubicle as well as a beautifully landscaped hot tub—

and myriad decks, balconies, and porches, we stag-

gered back to the great room for a gulp of water and a

well-deserved rest.

“Too many stairs,” said Annelise, her chest heaving.

“It’s like climbing Mount Everest.”

“Without oxygen tanks.” I peeled off my sweater

and sprawled on the sofa. I’d just put my feet up when

my cell phone rang.

“Lori?” Bill sounded far more alert than he had

when I’d called him in the middle of his night. “Why

are you out of breath? You’re not overdoing things, are

you? You’ve only just arrived.”

“You’ll be happy to know that I’m reclining on a

couch as we speak,” I said. “Will and Rob are out hik-

ing with Toby, but Annelise and I are taking it easy.”

“Then why are you out of breath?” Bill pressed.

“Annelise and I have been hiking through the

cabin,” I said. “It’s like Versailles. Glorious, but
big.
”

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Nancy Atherton

“I knew you’d like it,” said Bill. “Danny never does

anything halfway. About Toby Cooper—I didn’t know

the other caretaker had quit until I read Danny’s e-mail last night. Is Toby okay?”

“He’s great. The boys are crazy about him.” So are

you, muttered my conscience. I told it to shut up and

hurriedly changed the subject. “It’s strange about James Blackwell, though. Did Danny tell you why he quit?”

“Danny doesn’t have a clue,” said Bill. “Blackwell

had worked as his caretaker since just before Christ-

mas. The pay was good and the job was relatively un-

demanding, so Danny can’t understand why he took

off the way he did, without giving notice. Danny’s

pretty upset about it, but he assured me that Toby

Cooper would take good care of you.”

“He brought us fresh-baked scones this morning,”

I said.

“Say no more,” said Bill, sounding relieved. “I’ll tell

Danny you’re happy with him.”

I sat up on the couch and looked toward Annelise,

who was standing at the window wall, dutifully drink-

ing water while surveying the stunning scenery. Since

she wasn’t privy to the secret of the blue journal, I

couldn’t mention Aunt Dimity while she was within

earshot, so I acted as if the next question were my own.

“Bill,” I said, “did Danny have a family emergency

last Christmas?”

“I don’t know,” Bill replied. “I wasn’t in regular

contact with him back then.Why do you ask?”

“He and his family spent Christmas at the cabin,” I

Aunt Dimity Goes West

65

explained, “and they left some of their clothes be-

hind. It looks as though they packed without double-

checking the drawers and closets. I was wondering if

something happened to make them leave in a panic.”

“They’re probably just absentminded.” Bill’s voice

was edged with concern. “What’s all this about a

panic? You’re not getting spooked are you, Lori? How

did you sleep last night?”

“Like a log,” I said flatly. “Until half past eight.”

“No nightmare?” Bill asked incredulously.

“Abaddon took the night off,” I told him. “I’m not

spooked, Bill. I’m curious. Would you ask Danny if

anything happened at Christmas?”

“I will.” Bill paused. “You really slept through the

night?”

“I really slept through the night, undisturbed by

my creepy nighttime companion,” I told him. “You’re

a genius.The mountain air is like a tonic.”

“Yay,” he cheered softly, and went on to bring me

up to date on affairs in Finch.

Nell Harris had returned from France but wedding

bells hadn’t yet chimed for her and Kit Smith, Peggy

Taxman had made a ludicrously low offer for the green-

grocer’s shop, and the weather had been drizzly. I tried to describe the Aerie and the view from my deck, but

failed so miserably that I gave up in the end, and told

Bill he’d simply have to fly over and see it for himself.

“I wish I could,” said Bill. “I know you had doubts

about the trip, Lori—”

“And I was a fool to have them,” I interrupted.

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Nancy Atherton

“Your brilliant idea was truly brilliant, Bill. The only thing missing is you.”

After promising to pay closer attention to the time

difference when calling him, I rang off.

“The snow’s all but gone,” Annelise observed, turn-

ing away from the window wall. “And there’s hardly a

puddle to be seen.There’s something to be said for dry

air.” She strolled toward the sofa. “All’s well at home?”

“I’ll fill you in while we fix lunch,” I said, getting to my feet. “The boys will be famished when they get

back.”

“I’m a bit peckish myself,” said Annelise. “And I in-

tend to take a nap after lunch.”

“We’ll
all
take naps after lunch,” I said determinedly. “Slow and steady wins the race.”

We stayed in or near the Aerie for three full days, but

no one was bored.We took long hikes after breakfast,

naps after lunch, and slightly shorter hikes before din-

ner. While we napped, Toby packed the Auerbachs’

possessions and took the boxes to the Bluebird post