Murder and Salutations (Book 3 in the Cardmaking Mysteries) (10 page)

I felt my cheeks burning from the statement,
but there was nothing I could do about it now. I was certain that
same conversation was going on around dinner tables all over Rebel
Forge, but that didn’t mean I had to sit and listen to it while I
was eating. I stood up and put my napkin on my plate. Reggie looked
at me with real venom in his gaze, but Helena’s look was pure
sympathy. “How dreadful for you,” she said as she stood, too. “I
think a walk around the grounds would be excellent before we tackle
dessert. Coming, Jennifer?”

I wanted to storm out of there in righteous
indignation, but my hostess had been so gracious throughout the
evening, there was no way I could say no to her.

Reggie and Gail stood as well. “We’ll join
you. Mother,” he said.

Helena waved a hand in their direction. “No,
Jennifer and I need some time to get acquainted. You two can stay
here.” Then she looked at Martin. “You, on the other hand, have my
permission to leave.”

He protested, “I didn’t mean anything by it.
I was just making conversation.”

Helena didn’t say a word. She just stood
there staring at him until he finally pushed away from the
table.

“
I’m afraid I’ll have to
leave after all. Got a pile of work on my desk, you know. Thanks
for the meal, Helena. It was lovely, as usual.”

He excused himself, and Helena and I left.
My shoes weren’t exactly designed for hiking, but they worked
perfectly for strolling on the carefully manicured grounds.

“
Forgive him, my dear, he’s
a boor at times, but Martin can be a dear friend.”

“
You didn’t have to throw
him out on my account,” I said.

“
I don’t have many joys in
my life at the moment. Surely you wouldn’t rob me of
that?”

I matched her grin. “Well, I wouldn’t want
to do that.”

After a few moments, Helena said, “It’s a
lovely night, isn’t it? I just adore this time of year.”

“
I do, too,” I admitted. As
we strolled through the gardens and across the landscaped terraces,
I found myself sharing more with Helena than I’d ever intended.
Somehow during our walk, the topic shifted to my current living
conditions, and I told her that my cats and I had been evicted, and
were looking for a new place to stay.

“
You have cats? How
delightful. I’m afraid Reggie’s been allergic since he was a boy,
and I had to give up my sweet Elysium. Jennifer, may I come visit
you and your roommates, as you so charmingly put it?”

“
Absolutely. Don’t expect a
warm reception, though. Oggie and Nash aren’t known for their
charms at first glance.”

“
Nor should they be,” Helena
said. “That’s why I’ve always admired cats. They are honest about
how they feel to the point of brutality.” She paused, then said,
“Jennifer, come with me. There’s something I’d like to show
you.”

I had no idea where she was leading me, but
I soon found myself in front of a charming little cabin nestled in
a small grove of trees. She went in ahead of me and flipped on the
main light. Warm oak pillars stood tall inside, with pastel shades
covering the drywall between them.

“
It’s a timber frame,” I
said in delight. “I didn’t know they made buildings like this so
small. I always thought they were grand, sweeping
structures.”

“
We had a framer and his
crew come down from Vermont to build it. It’s only five hundred
square feet, but there’s a kitchen, a modest bathroom, and a loft
for sleeping. You’re not afraid of heights, are you?”

“
No, ma’am. I had the top
bunk every time I went to summer camp.”

She smiled. “Good. Elysium used to love
pouncing on me from up there.”

“
The way the cabin is
situated, no one would ever even know it’s here.”

“
That was my plan,” Helena
said. “Once upon a time I wanted to be an artist more than anything
in the world. I spent many joyous hours here away from the
world.”

“
So why did you stop?” I
asked. There was no sign of easel, paint or canvas
anywhere.

Helena sighed. “I wish I knew. One morning I
woke up, and the joy was gone from it, utterly and completely. A
few years later, I had it converted into a guest cottage, though no
one’s ever stayed here. They all seem to prefer the main
house.”

“
I think they’re nuts,” I
said as I looked around. “This place is perfect.”

“
I was hoping you’d think
so. Jennifer, if you’d like it, it’s yours.”

It took me a second to realize what she was
saying. “Pardon me?”

Helena laughed. “I’m not deeding it to you,
but I’d be delighted if you’d stay here. I have only one
request.”

“
Name it,” I said. This
place was perfect for me, and I knew Oggie and Nash would love it,
too. There were ledges throughout the small space, and my cats I
had natural inclinations to scale to the highest spot in any
room—in order to look down on their loyal subjects, no
doubt.

“
I would like to be able to
visit with you and your cats on occasion. Don’t worry, I’d never
come in without your permission, but it would be a delight having
cats on the property again.”

“
Are you sure Reggie won’t
mind?” I was thinking of his allergies, but from Helena’s reaction,
she’d obviously come to a different conclusion.

“
No matter what my son may
think, I’m still in charge around here. Oh, I suppose I’ll have to
charge you a nominal amount of rent, but it will be a pittance, I
assure you.”

“
What kind of pittance did
you have in mind?” I asked, knowing how bare my budget for housing
was.

“
What do you think is
appropriate? For example, what were you paying for your attic
loft?”

I named the figure, and Helena said, “Then
let’s say half that, shall we? Reggie won’t have any right to
complain that you’re taking advantage of me if I’m charging you
rent.”

I shook my head. “Not enough, though.
Helena, I don’t want to cause any bad feelings between you and your
son.”

She touched my shoulder lightly. “That’s
very thoughtful of you, Jennifer, but the tension was there long
before you arrived. So what do you say? Do we have a deal?”

“
We do,” I said as I took
her offered hand. “It’s very kind of you, Helena.”

“
Don’t be silly, I have
motives of my own.”

Back at the house, we entered through the
kitchen, and she retrieved a set of keys from a drawer. “This one’s
to the cottage, and this is for the front gate if the power should
ever go out. It was open tonight in your honor, but we normally
keep it closed. The code is 5-12-58.”

“
Got it. Is that somebody’s
birthday?” She shook her head. “No, nothing that mundane. Actually,
it’s the day I met my husband. His father was transferred here near
the end of the academic it year, and I was asked to show him around
school. I was lost to him forever after that.” She roused from her
reminiscence, and said, “Let’s go get that dessert in now, shall
we?”

I agreed, and was putting the new keys on my
ring, when we walked back into the dining room. Gail and Reggie
were there, obviously expecting us to come in the other way.

“
You were gone quite a
while,” Reggie said. “We le, were worried about you.”

“
You shouldn’t have been,”
Helena said. “I have wonderful news. Jennifer’s agreed to stay in
the cottage. Isn’t that delightful? She’s bringing her cats with
her, too.”

“
You know I’m allergic to
them,” Reggie said.

“
Why on earth did you agree
to this?”

“
Because I’m still the one
who runs this family. I expect you to be courteous to our
guest.”

Reggie looked like he’d rather eat gravel,
but he nodded glumly. “We waited on dessert. Shall I have Matilda
serve?”

Helena nodded, and Reggie pushed a button on
the wall summoning the next course. After we ate, Helena said, “If
you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a telephone call to make.” She took my
hands in hers and said, “Jennifer, I can’t wait to have you here
with us.”

“
Thanks again,
Helena.”

“
You’re most welcome.” She
turned to Gail and said, “Good night. Thank you for bringing such a
delightful guest with you.”

“
Mother, may I have a word
with you?” Reggie asked her.

“
Of course. I always have
time for you.”

I let myself out, and was getting into the
Gremlin when Gail flagged me down. I rolled down my window and
asked, “What’s up? Am I being summoned back inside?”

“
No, but I’ve been pretty
effectively dismissed. Reggie asked me to get a ride back to my
place with you. Do you mind?”

“
Well, I was going out
clubbing, but I guess I could drop you off on my way,” I said,
laughing. I hadn’t had much interest going to bars when I’d been in
my twenties, and I certainly wasn’t about to pick the habit up in
my thirties.

“
Nightclubbing or
card-clubbing?” she said as she got in the passenger
side.

“
Neither one,” I said.
“Actually, I need to go home and start packing. I’m sorry if I
caused you any trouble in there. If you’d rather I didn’t move into
the cottage, I’ll call Helena in the morning and tell her I’ve
changed my mind.”

“
You still need a new place
to live, don’t you?”

“
Yes, but not enough to
jeopardize our friendship,” I replied. “It’s easier to find a new
address than it is to come up with a new best friend.”

She thought about it for a few seconds, then
said, “Jennifer, I couldn’t live with myself if you turned that
place down on my account. Helena certainly took a shine to you,
didn’t she? I wish she’d smile at me like that just once.”

I laughed. “She likes me because I’m not
dating her son. You’ve got two strikes against you from the start.
How did you two meet?”

“
Thanks for not saying it,
but I know what you’re thinking. We’re an odd match.”

“
I wouldn’t go that far,” I
said as I swung back out onto the highway. I was going to have a
longer commute to work every day, but with that cottage waiting for
me, it was going to be worth it.

“
It’s okay, I’m not sure I
understand it myself. There’s just something about him that makes
my stomach flutter.”

“
Then that’s all the reason
you need,” I said.

“
I am really sorry about
tonight,” Gail said. “I can’t believe Reggie’s friend bailed on you
at the last second.”

“
Are you kidding me? He did
me a huge favor. If he’d shown up on schedule, there’s no way I
would have gotten that grand tour, let alone a new place to
stay.”

“
Actually, it was Martin’s
comment that led to it all.” Gail’s voice softened as she added,
“Jennifer, I didn’t have a chance to call you today, but I’m sorry
about the rumors going on around town about Sara Lynn.”

“
You didn’t start any of
them, did you?” I asked.

“
What? Of course
not.”

I grinned at her. “Then don’t apologize for
it. That’s just one of the things you have to accept when you live
in a small town. People talk, and when there’s something as high
profile as this, they tend to talk a lot. Don’t worry. Lillian and
I are trying to find alternate suspects for my brother.”

“
And what does Bradford say
about that?”

I shrugged. “He doesn’t know yet, and I’m
not planning on telling him until we’ve got our suspect picked
out.”

“
Just be careful,” Gail said
as I pulled up in front of her condo. “I’d hate to lose
you.”

“
I’m watching every step I
take,” I said. “Thanks again for tonight. I know it didn’t turn out
how we’d planned, but 1 had a lovely time.”

“
I’ll do better at
matchmaking the next time,” Gail said. “I promise.”

“
The only promise I want
from you is one that says there won’t be a next time. I’ve
officially withdrawn my name from the blind-dating
pool.”

“
You can’t give up,” Gail
said. “I know there’s somebody out there for you.”

“
Well, unless he walks into
my card shop, he’s going to have a hard time finding me. Good
night, Gail.”

“
Night,” she said. I waited
until she was safely inside before I drove back to my attic
apartment I’d miss the charming space, but in several ways I was
trading up. At Helena’s, I’d have lots more room, und the cats
would have plenty of vantage points from which to peer down at me.
Having to see Reggie occasionally would be a negative, but the fact
that he was allergic to cats meant that he wouldn’t be popping ill
on me unexpectedly. As for Helena’s promised visits, I just hoped
Oggie and Nash would be on their best behavior, or I’d be looking
for another place to live soon enough.

Chapter 6

“
Okay, guys, we’re moving,”
I told Oggie and Nash when I walked into my apartment.

Oggie yowled at me, and I said, “Hey, I
don’t want to go, either, but we’re being evicted.” Just then, the
door to the bathroom slammed, though none of the windows were open
to create a breeze. “Sorry, Frances, it’s not my fault.” I didn’t
know if that would mollify the forgetful poltergeist or not, but if
she wanted to haunt someone to protest the move, she was going to
have to track down Hester Taylor. After all, it was her fault I was
leaving.