Death of a Mad Hatter (A Hat Shop Mystery) (4 page)

“You should help him out with a distraction,” I suggested.

“But then I’d miss the show,” he protested. “You do it.”

“Well, I don’t want to miss it either,” I said. “Besides, I thought I was supposed to man the bucket if he went down in flames.”

“Would she be that cruel?” George asked.

I shrugged. I had no idea how Viv would handle the request for a date.

“All right, you two, whatever are you up to?” Lily asked from behind us, causing both George and me to jump. “Because I have to tell you that your whispering looks very suspicious.”

“We’re watching Liam stalk his prey like a mighty hunter,” George said. “Scarlett, here, thinks I should offer myself up as bait to draw off the protective mama, but I don’t want to miss Ms. Vivian sending the boy down in a blaze of humiliation.”

Lily gazed past us to where Viv was showing Dotty, Daphne and Rose the different sorts of fabric that could be used for their hats. Liam glanced up at the three of us watching and wiggled his eyebrows.

“I know just the ticket,” Lily said. She joined the group on the sofa and as Viv worked her way through the samples, Lily pointed to a pretty rose-colored shade and said, “That one. Oh, I simply must have that one.”

“What?” Daphne squawked. “You can’t just sashay forward and take the best one. What if Mum or Rose had their eye on it?”

“Oh, I didn’t, dear,” Dotty said. “That color makes me look peaky.”

Rose nodded in agreement. “I like a quieter color.”

I glanced over to see Liam taking advantage of the kerfuffle and whispering something in Viv’s ear. She turned and gave him an amused smile and then she laughed.

He flashed the rest of us a triumphant grin.

“Well, he’s certainly not letting any grass grow under his feet,” I said to George.

“Good thing, too,” George hissed. “I think Aunt Lily’s distraction might work too well and if I’m right, Mum is about to throw a wobbler.”

I knew from my years on vacation over here that he meant she was about pitch a hissy fit. He was right.

“Oh, of course, the ever-favored Lily gets to pick her fabric first,” Daphne snapped. “I am the oldest. Did it never occur to anyone that maybe I should get to pick first? Oh, no. Why would it when being born a man, even the fourth born in a family, means he gets to inherit it all?”

“Oh goodness, not again, Daphne,” Dotty said. “Your father’s will is what it is. There is no changing it and pouting about it certainly isn’t going to make a bit of difference.”

“No, but Geoffrey could make a difference if he wanted to,” Daphne snapped. Two bright spots of red blazed on her cheeks and her nostrils flared in and out with every breath.

“Uh-oh,” George said. “She’s winding up.”

“Is there something I can do?” I asked.

“No, she’s not been right since the reading of the will,” he said. “Given Gram’s eccentricities, Mum assumed that as the oldest she would be the executor of our father’s estate and would take care of Gram and parcel out a quarter of the family fortune among the four siblings. Well, when we discovered Uncle Geoffrey was the sole heir, it didn’t sit well, and when he refused to parcel out the estate, it sat even less well.”

“I’ve met Geoffrey,” I said.

“Lovely chap, isn’t he?” George asked.

“Is there any way I can answer that respectfully?” I asked.

“No,” he said. “I don’t believe there is.”

“I do like his wife,” I said. “Tina seems very nice.”

“Awfully young for him, though, wouldn’t you say?” George asked.

“I refuse to answer on the grounds that my answer might concur with your observation and make it appear that I am gossiping about a client, which would be very wrong,” I said.

“You know, I’ve always been partial to redheads, but you’re more than that. There’s much more to you than a fiery mane, isn’t there?” George smiled at me. “I like you.”

I inclined my head. “The feeling is mutual.”

“Would you go out with me?” he asked.

“No, but I appreciate the offer,” I said.

“I’m too young for you,” he said.

“By a year or five,” I said. “Plus I’ve taken a year off from dating.”

“Oh, I definitely want to hear the story behind that, but first let’s see if your cousin is as stodgy as you,” he said. He smiled so I knew he was teasing. We glanced back at Viv to find Liam still hovering and whispering.

“Daphne, you have to give Geoffrey some time,” Lily said. “Dad only passed away a month ago, and he’s still figuring it all out.”

“Oh, you think so? Is that why he’s transferring all of the family fortune into new accounts with just his name on them?” Daphne asked. Her voice cracked like a whip and Rose looked as if she’d like to cower under the furniture to get away from her sister, while Lily appeared completely unruffled.

“Daphne, can we not speak of this now?” Rose asked. She cast Dotty a worried glance as if afraid Daphne’s outburst would upset their mother.

“Do you really think our brother isn’t out to take everything that is rightfully ours?” Daphne asked.

“What do you care?” Lily asked. “You’re married to Tom Mercer, a wealthy man in his own right.”

“Yes, he is, and he’s worked for every penny,” Daphne said. “Why if he were here instead of in the States, working on a merger for his company, he would agree with me completely.”

“Oh, come off it,” Lily said. “You and Tom aren’t hurting for money; what do you care if Geoffrey is in charge of the estate?”

“It’s the principle of the thing,” Daphne snapped. “It wasn’t just Mum that he le—”

“No!” Rose jumped up and shoved into Daphne, cutting off her words. “Do not say it!”

“Smooth move, Aunt Rose,” George said. “That could have gotten nasty. Gram always goes a bit sideways when there’s any talk of Gramps leaving her for his mistress. Still, Aunt Lily is my favorite.”

“Girls, this unacceptable behavior,” Dotty said. She frowned at Viv. “Ginny, I am so sorry about this. Liam, stop pestering my friend in her place of business.”

George and I turned away together to hide our grins.

“You know the fact that your grandmother thinks that Viv is her age adds quite a twist to Liam asking Viv out, doesn’t it?” I giggled.

“Can you imagine her at Sunday dinner with Gram thinking she’s shagging her grandson?” George chortled.

“Awkward,” I said out of the side of my mouth.

“Fine, if we can’t discuss the brass tacks of what’s happening in our own family, then I suggest we don’t speak at all. George, Liam, we’re leaving,” Daphne announced.

“And that’s that,” George said. “It’s been a pleasure, Scarlett.”

“Likewise,” I said. He gave me a half bow and walked over to his mother. She still looked angry enough to spit nails, primarily at her sister.

Liam seemed more reluctant to leave Viv, which made me think he had not yet sealed the deal on a date.

Daphne, oblivious to her son’s reluctance to depart, stomped toward the door.

“Daphne, what are we to do with your hat?” Lily called after her.

“I don’t care,” she said. “I’m sick to the back teeth of the whole bloody situation.”

With that she shoved out the door. George paused to kiss Dotty on the cheek and wink at his aunts, while Liam heaved a sigh and did the same. He waved at Viv, looking like a lovesick schoolboy as he exited the shop after his brother.

Viv glanced at the three remaining ladies. “Don’t worry. I have her measurements and will manage a perfect hat for her.”

“Oh, thank you, Ginny. Whatever would we do without you?” Dotty asked. “Now, you and Scarlett will be coming to the tea, won’t you?”

“Uh,” I stammered. I really couldn’t imagine willingly spending any more time with this family.

“Oh, do say you’ll come,” Lily chimed in. “It will be such fun. I promise we’ll all be on our best behavior.”

Dotty reached over and patted Viv’s hand. “For me?” she asked.

Suddenly, the scent of lily of the valley tickled my nose. I frowned and looked at Viv. I saw her nose twitch and then she glanced at Mim’s old wardrobe in the corner, the one with the carved bird on top, a bird I had nicknamed Ferd.

I knew what she was thinking. Lily of the valley was Mim’s scent, and it wafted through the shop with no discernible point of origin. We had not discussed it, but I was pretty sure Viv believed that Mim, or the essence of Mim, appeared in the shop at moments of great importance.

Viv patted Dotty’s hand and said, “Of course, we’d love to come.”

It took me a moment to identify the feeling that swirled in the pit of my stomach, but there it was—dread. Where Viv had taken Mim’s scent as a sign of encouragement, I had taken it as a warning. I supposed only time would tell which of us had been right.

“Do you really think this is wise?” I asked Viv as soon as the door shut behind the last of the Grisbys. “I mean they’re all a bit crazy, don’t you think?”

“What did you expect me to say?” Viv asked. “I was all at sixes and sevens when she asked and then—”

“Lily of the valley,” I said. “I smelled it, too.”

“I think it was Mim telling us to go,” she said.

“Maybe she was telling us
not
to go,” I said.

Viv looked worried. “Maybe.”

“Viv, you have to be straight with me,” I said. “Do you think Mim is haunting the shop?”

“No!” Viv said immediately and then added, “Perhaps.”

We looked at each other and then we both glanced around the shop. Mim was still very much a part of this place. It wasn’t hard to imagine her hanging on even from the beyond. And as much as it alarmed me, it also comforted me.

Viv began gathering the materials she’d been going over with the Grisbys. She had finally nailed down all of their hats and needed to get to work on them immediately, as the Wonderland tea was just a month away.

“What if it was just someone’s perfume that we caught a whiff of?” I asked.

Viv shook her head.

“I’ve only noticed that particular scent a few times over the past five years,” she said. “I thought when you came and joined the business, it might stop.”

“Is that why you invited me?” I asked. I can admit my feelings were a teeny bit hurt.

“Don’t be thick,” Viv said. She handed me the fabric samples to carry to the back room while she gathered her sketches. “You know I’ve wanted you here for years.”

I glanced at her and she gave me a level stare. I knew she was telling me the truth, and then I felt bad that it had taken a personal crisis to get me here.

“Okay,” I said. “So, are we talking Mim’s ghost or just an essence?”

“I’d say an essence, leastways I haven’t seen a ghost, have you?” Viv asked.

“No,” I said. “But I’m suddenly thinking I need to watch my language a bit more carefully.”

“And no bringing any boys home,” Viv said with a laugh. “I don’t want to be smelling lily of the valley when I’m snogging a date.”

“Oh, horror,” I agreed.

Viv led the way as we carried our things to the workroom. Since we seemed to be in such a sharing place, I figured this was as good an opportunity as any to find out about Viv’s personal life.

“So, young Liam seemed pretty taken with you,” I said.

“Really? I didn’t notice.”

Fee was sitting cross-legged on the big wooden table, fashioning a very large silk peony flower out of a wide blue ribbon.

“Didn’t notice?” I asked. “How could you not notice? He was following you as closely as a shadow.”

Viv put down her sketches and I offloaded my armful of fabric.

“Who’s this?” Fee asked.

“Scarlett seems to think Liam, the older of Daphne Grisby-Mercer’s sons, fancies me,” Viv said with a laugh.

“I don’t think it I know it,” I said. “He said as much to me and his brother George.”

“Oh, was he the one with the dark hair? He was quite good-looking,” Fee said. We both looked at her and she shrugged. “I heard male voices, so I took a little peek. It’s not like we get than many men in here, yeah?”

“So what did you think of him?” I asked Viv.

“He had a nicely shaped head,” Viv said.

“That’s it?” I asked. “He is going to be so disappointed.”

“I expect he’ll live,” Viv said.

“Well, now that we’re going to the tea, I’m sure he’ll try to charm you senseless,” I teased. “Unless, of course, your interest is elsewhere?”

Viv didn’t say anything to this—very annoying of her. Instead, she headed over to the kitchenette and took a sparkling water out of the minifridge.

“You’re not going to talk about your personal life, are you?” I asked.

“There’s a reason it’s called a personal life,” she replied.

“Oh, come on,” I insisted. “How many hours did I spend listening to you try to decide which Backstreet Boy was your favorite?”

“Shaming me will not get you into my confidence,” Viv said. “Besides, I listened to you, too.”