Allie saved the day when she bounded into the room to offer a tour of the grounds. Her sudden interruption was like a breath of fresh air in the room, and the actors happily followed her outside, more than ready to take in the salt breeze and the lush gardens and leave the strange hush of the sitting room behind.
Chapter Two
A Night Out
Brenda headed up to her apartment for a much-needed break after getting her guests settled in. Halfway up the stairs, she greeted Chester on his way down. He bowed slightly and stopped at the landing where a stained-glass window filtered prettily colored light onto a velvet-cushioned window seat.
“I looked at the books in Miss Teague’s room. Are they first editions as requested?”
“I am not sure. A few may be.” In fact, Brenda had not thought to ask Allie if there had been such specific instructions in the email.
“Please check, since I was quite specific. Miss Teague refuses to read anything except first editions.”
Brenda stared at him. Chester returned her look wordlessly. He then turned and walked back up the stairs just as his boss called his name. Evidently, Ellen Teague demanded his services. Brenda hoped Ellen would get a good night’s sleep so as to awaken in a better mood the next day. Without even going to her apartment, she turned to go back downstairs and down the narrow passageway to the kitchen. She was determined to make sure that the dinner menu was scrutinized and every detail perfected. Together with the chef, she carefully reviewed the menu and they discussed every request from Ellen, who had sent additional requests regarding the evening meal.
“Add more variety to the side dishes with the entrée in case the others don’t like what she has ordered for the table,” Brenda said, fretting as she surveyed everything in preparation stages laid out in the kitchen.
“I will do everything to keep all guests satisfied during the evening meal, Brenda.” Her chef, Morgan, a talented woman in her mid-fifties, was always her rock in the storm, and had weathered Brenda’s nerves many times. She gave her boss a patient smile.
Brenda patted Morgan’s arm in thanks and reminded herself that her chef’s culinary skills were renowned for a reason. Allie was next on her list. She found her trooping back into the house through the rear hallway with the cast members, who thanked the young girl and headed up to their rooms. Brenda told Allie of Chester’s inquiry regarding the first editions.
“Is there a difference? I got her a bunch of beautiful copies of classics, like her assistant said.”
“No, first editions are when a book was printed for the first time. The classics especially are in high demand if they are first editions – they can fetch thousands of dollars and be collector’s items.” Brenda shook her head. “Apparently, she likes her new books to be first editions, too. She is a particular woman, it seems. Will you please look in our library and try to find some first editions? I know my uncle had a number of them in there.”
“I’ll look for some. How do I know if they are the right ones?”
“They’ll only have one year listed on the publication page. Find whatever you can and I’ll run the titles past Chester.” Brenda sighed as they walked to the library. Her perfect weekend was off to a rocky start.
Allie hesitated with her hand on the doorknob of the library. “The rest of the cast kept making remarks about her. I don’t think they like her much.”
“It may prove to be a long weekend,” said Brenda, “but we’ll get through it. Let’s just try to keep this kind of gossip under wraps – I would be mortified if she found out the staff was talking about her like this.” Allie nodded somberly and Brenda hoped her young employee would take the admonishment to heart. She changed the topic. “You know, I’m really looking forward to seeing ‘The Rich Game.’ I hear it got rave reviews in New York.”
The teenager stepped into the library and gazed out the window, which looked out across the lawn to the street. Suddenly her eyes lit up. “Never mind the play...don’t you have a date tonight with Mac?”
Brenda caught her breath and followed Allie’s glance to see a familiar car pull up to the curb. “I had no idea it was this late. We’re supposed to go down to the Italian café that just opened on Main Street.” Allie grinned at her.
Brenda hurried to a small mahogany-framed mirror that hung on the wall of the library and smoothed down her hair, feeling a fluttering sensation like a butterfly in her stomach.
The door to the foyer opened and she stepped into the hall to greet the handsome Detective Mac Rivers. He gave Brenda a warm, meaningful look that made her heart skip a beat. He bent and kissed her lightly.
“I suppose your celebrities made it in okay.” The masculine timbre of his voice suddenly reminded her that a date was more interesting than dealing with Ellen Teague.
Brenda glanced at her watch impatiently. “They’ll be down for dinner in a few minutes. I’ll just welcome them to the table and then I’ll freshen up and be ready in no time. I’m excited to try out that new café.”
She had already asked Allie and Phyllis to take charge of serving dinner. Brenda crossed her fingers hoping there wouldn’t be any glitches, but she knew she was lucky to have such a responsible and reliable staff to step in for her.
Brenda changed for her date and came back down to greet Mac again. “I’m so glad to see you, but I don’t want to take longer than an hour and a half away, especially tonight,” said Brenda, glancing worriedly toward the closed door of the dining room.
“You seem a little nervous. Is it because your favorite star Ellen Teague is here?” he teased.
“She’s actually rather demanding and I’m worried that we got off to a bad start. But I trust Allie and Phyllis. And you know, Phyllis has an uncanny sense of intuition for certain things.” She laughed. “I think she will foresee any demands Ellen will have before they come to a head.”
“Then let’s go and try out that Italian food.” His eyes lit up with a special warmth and Brenda wondered what he was planning. “I have something special for you tonight after dinner.” When they got to his car, he reached inside and handed her a bouquet of wildflowers. “These are for you, but they are only a teaser. Jenny told me you always love the wildflowers when they arrive at her shop.” Brenda took the gorgeous bouquet and smelled the delicate blooms, which looked like they had been plucked from a mountain meadow.
“Your daughter knows me well. They are beautiful. Thank you.” She looked from her flowers up to the night sky and felt the gentle evening breeze on her skin. “Let’s leave the bouquet in the car until after dinner and walk down to the café.”
“I like that idea.” He took her arm and his closeness sent shivers down her spine as they walked together into town.
She admired the detective in many ways. Not only was he good at his job but he was the perfect gentleman when it came to courting a woman. She couldn’t help but feel safe and cherished and ladylike when he was around, and it was a pleasure to go for a simple walk down the sidewalk on the arm of such a handsome man.
They came to the café with its intimate lighting and cozy tables and Brenda thought she had never seen something so enticing in her life. Mac pulled out her chair when they approached a corner table. Their server lit the candle in the center and handed them menus. Aromas drifted into the dining room every time a server came and went from the kitchen. The night promised to be a perfect one, except Brenda couldn’t get Ellen off her mind.
Mac could tell she was still troubled, and so he asked her more about what happened. She attempted to describe the star to Mac. She told him of her rudeness and repeated the story about the first editions.
“Maybe she gets like that before a performance. I’ve heard it’s common for show people to be on edge before a big performance night,” said Mac. “It could be her mental status is on the brink hoping things go as well as they did in New York. The town is overflowing with tourists who are here mainly to see her perform.” Mac smiled at her. “Just give her a chance. I’m sure th
ings will be a whole lot different tomorrow.”
His logic made sense to her and Brenda realized she had overreacted. “I’m sure you’re right. I’ve always admired her and have seen every movie she ever made – I shouldn’t have placed such high expectations on her, perhaps.”
When the Caesar salads arrived at their table, Mac told her a funny story of something that happened with his boss at work. Police Chief Bob Ingram was a serious man and plain spoken. The story revolved around a long spiel the chief gave a prisoner’s wife about the necessity of searching her before the visit. He turned her over to an officer nearby and then was flabbergasted when the officer struggled to keep a smile off her face. Then the young officer explained the woman didn’t know a word of English.
The story was humorous and Mac was a great storyteller but Brenda knew she laughed harder than it deserved. The relief she felt at not being near Ellen Teague right now was something that surprised her. Mac had assessed it all correctly and she hoped she managed to shake the star from her mind for the rest of the evening. Ellen Teague simply needed a good night’s sleep. And Brenda Sheffield needed a good night out.
“Now that you’ve loosened up, let’s finish this meal and get some fresh air.” He picked up his fork. “I’ve been waiting for months to try this place out. Did I tell you I lived in Italy for a year? It was back in college, but I’ve never forgotten how much I liked their food.”
“I still have a lot to learn about you, Mac Rivers.” Brenda smiled to herself, picturing a young Mac strolling through the streets of an Italian village. She dug into her linguine in clam sauce with gusto and he did the same with his fettuccine alfredo.
As they finished dinner, Brenda’s curiosity about his surprise returned. “Mac, I’m too curious...let’s skip dessert,” she said. Mac chuckled. In the glimmer of the candlelit restaurant, the combination of his blonde hair and startling blue eyes gave him a boyish look. He was a few years younger than she was, but the slight age difference didn’t deter the mutual attraction that was like an electrified connection between them.
One thing he loved about Brenda was her insatiable curiosity. She was like a child waiting for Christmas morning. He loved indulging her, so he declined dessert as well and paid the bill.
Once outside, he drew her away from the wide windows of the café toward the wide sweep of the Atlantic Ocean and took her gently into his arms as they watched the glimmer of the moon on the water. Then he stepped back and pulled a tiny velveteen box from his pocket. Her eyes opened wide as she turned to watch him.
“Brenda, since the day you arrived here I have loved you.” He opened the box and she saw a delicate, sparkling ring. On closer observation, it didn’t look like an engagement ring. She wasn’t quite ready for a step like that anyway, and waited with bated breath for his next words. “This is not an engagement ring. At least, not yet. This is my promise of love for you. I want to develop a deeper love and friendship and learn all I can about you. This is a promise ring for you that hopefully will bring us together, even closer than we are now. I hope you will accept it in the same spirit I offer it to you.”
Her relief spilled out. “I love the idea of a promise ring. It is a step forward for us. Thank you, Mac. I accept.” She stepped closer to him, looking deeply in his eyes, and he reached out to take her hand in his.
He slipped the ring onto her finger. His arms enfolded her again and he drew her close. People coming and going from the restaurant looked their way and smiled. Brenda released a happy sigh and stepped back from the embrace to smile back. Then she turned to Mac, realizing what came next. There was a catch in her voice she tried to control. “We’d better get moving,” she said.
“I don’t want our night to be over so soon, but you’re right. It’s a big weekend for you.”
They walked back to Sheffield Bed and Breakfast, her arm tucked under his. Brenda felt the promise ring gleaming on her finger with happiness and hope, but she turned her mind resolutely toward her duties. When they reached the Sheffield, lights blazed from nearly every room, spilling out across the lawn in the darkness. Brenda silently thanked her Uncle Randolph Sheffield for leaving the Queen Anne-style mansion establishment to her. She had met him only once as a very young child but had never forgotten his kindness to her. In memory of that kindness, she vowed that she would not be deterred by her guest’s cold demeanor.
“It looks like everything is still standing” she said, realizing she was stalling. She gazed at the wide front porch that wrapped around the house to one side where several sturdy antique rocking chairs sat vacant. “Oh, let’s not go inside yet.” She led him around to the privacy of the backyard where the rose arbors trailed down the garden’s edge and the view of the sea. They sat down in the Adirondack chairs and listened to the waves that lapped against the rocks. Far in the distance they could see the lights of a large ship far out at sea. “I once thought of replacing the paintings throughout the bed and breakfast. Did you know that?”
“I didn’t know that, but I’m glad you didn’t. Randolph was very proud of his collection of nautical paintings. Those old ships are stunning.”
Brenda laughed softly. “I’ve gotten used to them. Though sometimes, on a night like tonight, it makes me wish I could jump into one of those old paintings and sail away to sea. Just like in the old days.”
Mac reached for her hand and clasped it in his. They sat in silence. Breathing in the salt air enhanced their senses. Every smell and sound under the star-studded night sky held them both spellbound. Brenda wordlessly said a prayer of thanks for her wonderful life and for the man sitting next to her.
“I hate to give this up, but I should get back inside and check on things. The cast will be out most of tomorrow for rehearsals before the first performance tomorrow night.”
“I’ll pick you up early enough for the play. I hope I’m not too late to get tickets. I hear they are selling out fast.”
“I didn’t realize you hadn’t gotten the tickets yet. If they are sold out we can go the second night.”
She tried to hide her disappointment. She knew Mac was busy at the police station and she had not thought about tickets. Preparing her staff and the bed and breakfast for the guests had consumed her energies.
“I’ll make it work somehow, Brenda. I just let that slip up on me. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it. We’ll see it soon enough. If we miss getting tickets for the first performance I’m sure there are tickets for the second one still available. If we miss tomorrow night it will give us more time together, just the two of us.”
Mac’s mouth curved in a slow smile. “I like that idea.”
After retrieving her flowers from Mac’s car and kissing him goodnight, she went into the bed and breakfast. Allie met her at the door and gushed about the dinner, which had been praised as delicious by all the actors – except Ellen.
“Ellen ate very little and left the table midway through the meal. We couldn’t tell if it was the food or if she just wasn’t hungry.” Brenda caught her breath to hear this. “Really, things went fine, Brenda,” Allie reassured her. She followed Brenda to the kitchen where she retrieved a vase for her flowers. “And Chester followed her upstairs. Everyone else stayed and enjoyed the food and drinks later. Shawn told us not to worry, Ellen does that often.”
“Did she complain about the food?”
Allie shook her head. “Nope. She just left and Chester followed her. Phyllis went up later and asked her if she wanted a hot dinner or dessert or a snack brought up to her room. Ellen declined but Phyllis thought Chester might want to eat something. So she left a covered hot dinner outside his room. She put it in a warmer so it would stay hot.” Brenda was gratified to hear that Phyllis’s gift of intuition had once again provided a special touch for their guests.
“Perhaps Ellen will be in a better mood tomorrow after she’s had a good night’s sleep,” Brenda commented.
“I’m not so sure about that. Even Ricky Owens made a s
nide remark about her after she left, and he wasn’t joking this time.”
“Allie, remember these are our guests. My uncle would have said they deserve kind treatment no matter what we may overhear, remember that. Let’s just see what tomorrow brings. Thank you for doing a good job tonight. I’ll go see Phyllis now. Goodnight.”
When she knocked on Phyllis’s door, the fiftyish woman opened it with a smile. When Brenda walked in, she saw William Pendleton sitting in an armchair with a glass of wine in his hand.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were here, William.” She turned to Phyllis. “I’ll see you in the morning before breakfast. I mainly wanted to thank you for taking over tonight. Allie told me of your thoughtfulness toward Chester. I’m sure he was quite hungry for something.”
William waved his hand. “There’s no need for an apology. I’ll be leaving now.”
“You stay right where you are, William,” said Phyllis. “There are no secrets between us and unless Brenda is reluctant to speak in front of you it is fine that you listen in.” Phyllis looked at Brenda questioningly.
“I have no problem if he hears. I just wanted to ask if you knew why Ellen didn’t stay for dinner.” Brenda inquired about the menu and the email with its many requests, hoping there had not been some detail amiss.
Phyllis spread her hands open. “She just up and left without saying anything really. Chester followed her out and no one said anything until they were out of earshot. Several people made cutting remarks about it but no one dwelled on the matter. It helped when she left since everyone loosened up and enjoyed the meal.”
“I think the weight of her responsibilities is taking its toll on her. After all, it’s just before an important performance and a lot depends on her.”
“It is Ellen’s way,” said William. “She can be uptight at times.” He laughed as the two women swiveled to look at him in surprised curiosity. “Yes, I know her somewhat. I had a hand in persuading the theatre festival to come here.”
Dead in Bed (Sweetfern Harbor Mystery Book 2) Page 2
