“The car accident,” Shelby said. She’d heard the story—or at least parts of it—most of her life. “She got hooked on pain meds and when they cut her off, she started heroin.”
Aunt Alicia nodded. “It happens a lot. It happens far too often. But—despite all the terrible things you’ve had to go through—I can tell you that no matter what, Jenny always loved you. Sometimes that love blinded her when it came to deciding what was best for you, but she did love you. And that you should never doubt.”
More tears leaked from Shelby’s eyes. “I guess her dying means she’ll never suffer again.”
“That’s right,” Aunt Alicia said, pulling Shelby closer once more. “Her suffering is at long last over.”
“What will we do now?” Shelby asked with trepidation.
“You’re coming home with me. And then we’ll figure out a new life for both of us.”
Shelby nodded sadly. If nothing else, that would be the best Christmas present she’d ever received.
5
A Christmas Eve To Remember
The conversation in the living room had gone quiet. Blythe stood in the kitchen and looked through the dining room to the living room to see that aunt and niece still sat on the big brown leather sofa, gazing into the fire, and listening to the carols that played on the stereo. It seemed that her guests had run out of things to talk about. Shelby needed to heal; her aunt needed to reconcile herself to a new role in her niece’s life. It wouldn’t be easy for either of them, and yet Blythe felt that the new bond that the girl and woman had formed during the previous hour would be everlasting.
As quietly as she could, Blythe assembled the various toppings she thought her guests might enjoy, chopping a pepper, an onion, and some mushrooms, then popped the pizza stone into one of the Aga’s ovens to warm. When everything was assembled on the kitchen counter, she braved a look into the living room once more and found her guests standing in front of the Christmas tree, examining the ornaments.
Quietly, Blythe traversed the dining room to the living room. “Is everything all right?” she asked.
Alicia looked up. “I think so. What do you think, Shelby?”
Shelby’s eyes were bloodshot from crying, and her cheeks were pale, but she nodded nonetheless.
“Are you ladies feeling hungry?” Blythe asked.
Alicia glanced down at her ward.
“This afternoon, Blythe and I made dough for homemade pizza,” Shelby said. “Did you know that because of yeast, dough is kind of like a living thing?”
Alicia smiled. “Yes. I think I did hear that at some point.” She looked back down at the tree and frowned. “What the…?” She squinted in the dim light. “I swear there’s an ornament here with my name on it.” She looked back at Blythe, a puzzled expression on her face.
“Really?” Blythe asked.
“When I got here, I found one with my name on it, too,” Shelby said, and pivoted to show her aunt where that ornament was situated nearby.
“Did you--?” Alicia asked, glancing in Blythe’s direction.
Blythe merely shrugged. “Would you ladies like to help make the pizza? I think I’ve covered just about all the bases when it comes to toppings. The only thing I’m missing are anchovies.”
“Yuck!” Shelby squawked.
“Then I take it you’re good to go?” Blythe asked.
“I’m sure hungry,” Alicia said.
“Me, too,” Shelby admitted.
Alicia put her arm around her niece and they started for the kitchen. Blythe let them pass. She’d set the dough on wooden paddle so that Alicia and Shelby could assemble whatever kind of pizza they desired. She’d leave them to it until it came time to put the pie in the oven. She gravitated toward the beautifully decorated Christmas tree. She gazed at the branches with the ornaments Alicia and Shelby had mentioned just a minute or so before and smiled.
Once again, Blythe Cove Manor had worked its magic. More often than not, life was complicated. But sometimes—and especially at Blythe Cove Manor—miracles did happen.
Blythe’s Recipes
Blythe’s Cocoa
Ingredients
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup hot water
4 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* * *
Combine the cocoa, sugar, and water in a medium saucepan. Over medium heat, stir constantly until the mixture boils. Cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute.
Stir in the milk and heat, but do not boil. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla; stir well. Serve immediately.
* * *
Yield: 4 servings
* * *
Clam Chowder
4 cups of shelled clams (about 6 pounds in the shell) or canned or thawed frozen chopped clams, saving the juice
2 cups dry white wine or water
3 ounces bacon (or salt pork), cubed
2 cups diced onion
1 cup diced celery
3 cups diced potatoes
3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed and chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
½ cup butter
½ cup all-purpose flour
1½ quarts light cream
* * *
In a medium sauce pan, combine the clams and white wine. Heat over a low heat to steam the clams open. Shuck the clams saving the juice. Strain the clam juice and reserve. Rinse the clams clean and roughly chop.
In a large pot, sauté the bacon until brown. Add the onions, celery, thyme, garlic, bay leaf, pepper and sauté for about 5 minutes. Pour the reserved clam juice and the potatoes into the pot. Add enough water to completely cover the potatoes. Stir. Simmer this mixture until the potatoes are tender—about 10 minutes.
Melt the butter in a separate small saucepan. When it is bubbling, add the flour and cook for about 5 minutes stirring often. Set aside. When the potatoes are tender, add the chopped clams and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir the butter and flour mixture into the large pot and continue simmering for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently. This is the chowder base.
In a separate saucepan, scald the cream by heating it until small bubbles form around the edges of the pan. Do not boil. Stir the hot scalded cream into the large pot, mix together and remove from the heat. Serve immediately.
* * *
YIELD: 6 to 8 servings
* * *
Easy Peanut Butter Fudge
Ingredients
2 sticks butter (one cup), plus more for greasing the pan
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pound confectioners' sugar
½ cup peanuts (optional)
* * *
Combine the butter and peanut butter in a microwavable bowl. Cover with a paper towel and microwave for 2 minutes on high. Stir and microwave on high for 2 more minutes. Add the vanilla and confectioners' sugar to the peanut butter mixture and stir to combine. The mixture will become firm. Spread into an 8 by 8-inch pan lined with buttered aluminum foil or parchment paper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Cut into 1-inch squares.
* * *
Yield: 64 squares
About the Author
The immensely popular Booktown Mystery series is what put Lorraine Bartlett’s pen name Lorna Barrett on the New York Times Bestseller list, but it’s her talent--whether writing as Lorna, or L.L. Bartlett, or Lorraine Bartlett—that keeps her in the hearts of her readers. This multi-published, Agatha-nominated author pens the exciting Jeff Resnick Mysteries as well as the acclaimed Victoria Square Mystery series, the Tales of Telenia adventure-fantasy saga, and now the Lotus Bay Mysteries, and has many short stories and novellas to her name(s). Check out the descriptions and links to all her works, and sign up for her emailed newsletter here: http://www.lorrainebartlett.com
You can also find her on Instagram, Pinterest, Google+, Tum
blr, and Goodreads.
If you enjoyed An Unexpected Visitor, please consider reviewing it on your favorite online review site. Thank you!
Find Lorraine on Social Media
www.LorraineBartlett.com
Also by Lorraine Bartlett
Tales of Blythe Cove Manor
A Dream Weekend
A Final Gift
An Unexpected Visitor
* * *
The Lotus Bay Mysteries
Panty Raid (A Tori Cannon-Kathy Grant mini mystery)
With Baited Breath
Christmas At Swans Nest
* * *
The Victoria Square Mysteries
A Crafty Killing
The Walled Flower
One Hot Murder
Dead, Bath and Beyond (with Laurie Cass)
Recipes To Die For: A Victoria Square Cookbooks
* * *
Life On Victoria Square
Carving Out A Path
A Basket Full of Bargains
The Broken Teacup
* * *
Tales of Telenia (adventure-fantasy)
THRESHOLD
JOURNEY
TREACHERY
* * *
Short Stories
Love & Murder: A Bargain-Priced Collection of Short Stories
Happy Holidays? (A Collection of Christmas Stories)
An Unconditional Love
Love Heals
Blue Christmas
Prisoner of Love
We’re So Sorry, Uncle Albert
* * *
Writing as L.L. Bartlett
The Jeff Resnick Mysteries
Murder On The Mind
Dead In Red
Room At The Inn
Cheated By Death
Bound By Suggestion
Dark Waters
Shattered Spirits
* * *
Jeff Resnick’s Personal Files
Evolution: Jeff Resnick’s Backstory
A Jeff Resnick Six Pack
When The Spirit Moves You
Bah! Humbug
Cold Case
Spooked!
Crybaby
Eyewitness
* * *
Other Stories
Abused: A Daughter’s Story
Off Script
* * *
Writing as Lorna Barrett
The Booktown Mysteries
Murder Is Binding
Bookmarked For Death
Bookplate Special
Chapter & Hearse
Sentenced To Death
Murder On The Half Shelf
Not The Killing Type
Book Clubbed
A Fatal Chapter
Title Wave
A Just Clause
Poisoned Pages
* * *
With The Cozy Chicks
The Cozy Chicks Kitchen
Tea Time With The Cozy Chicks
An Unexpected Visitor Page 5
