Strawberries and Suffering

by Katherine Hayton

  As Elvira’s eyes widened and threatened to burst into tears, Holly saw the two goth friends waving at the girl.

  “After the speech you just gave Sheila, don’t you think that’s just a bit hypocritical?” Holly nodded at the two still waving teenagers. “Why can’t Elvira choose to sit with her friends?”

  “Because I like to keep my eye on her,” Aidan said, raising his brows at Holly. Then he crossed his eyes again and sighed. “Fine. You can go and sit with your friends, but you stay at the same table, so I know where to find you, okay?”

  Elvira nodded, and Aidan waggled a finger at her before she could move.

  “I mean it, young lady. If I look up and you’re not there, then you’re spending the rest of your stay here seated between Auntie Esmerelda and me, got it?”

  “I’ve got it,” Elvira said, scowling. “I’ll stay where you can see me.”

  As she sloped off to join her friends, Aidan leaned over to Holly. “That’s the only fun of being a grown-up,” he whispered. “Doing the horrible things to teenagers that you wished your parents never did to you.”

  Holly burst out laughing, earning herself a glare from Esmerelda and a sniff from Sheila—audible even from the next table. She clapped a hand over her mouth. “You’ll get me in trouble,” Holly whispered back from behind the shield of her fingers. “I’m already on the bride’s bad side, you know.”

  “I don’t know why. You sent your only sister off in search of her, what more could you do?”

  The reminder caused a new frown of worry to cross Holly’s face. “I do hope that Wendy and Crystal are okay. I wonder why they didn’t come across Sheila making her way here.”

  Aidan didn’t look concerned at all—a feature that managed to ease some of Holly’s fear. “There are a whole lot of off-road tracks that suit a quad-bike where you wouldn’t get a car—even an off-roader—through.”

  “Is that how she got here?” Holly asked. The respect for Sheila came rushing back. “No wonder she turned up looking such a mess.”

  “I’d keep that little nugget to yourself if I were you.” Aidan tapped his fingers on the tablecloth. “Our Sheila’s not one for laughing at herself and tends to think others are even when they’re not.”

  Holly looked at him aghast. “I wasn’t laughing at her.”

  He gave a chuckle. “I know you’re not. I’m just saying that some people nearby wouldn’t take your observation in quite the same way. Be careful, okay?”

  Holly gave a nervous laugh. “You make it sound like I’d be under threat.”

  Aidan shrugged. The gesture retained some of his earlier nonchalance, but didn’t stop the uneasiness churning in Holly’s stomach. She closed her eyes. What she wanted most was for her sister and Wendy to return safely and the road to be clear enough to go home.

  “Hey.” Holly opened her eyes to see one of the catering staff hovering by her side. “We’ll need you to bring through the cakes if you don’t mind. Just whatever’s ready.”

  “Haven’t you heard?” Aidan whispered, the slow burn of his smile telling Holly what was about to come. “The cupcakes are poisonous. Eat them at your own peril!”

  “Yeah.” The caterer shot him a grin in return. “I’ll take my chances with that one. After tasting savory dishes all morning, I could demolish one of your strawberry cakes in one bite. Poison be damned.”

  Holly laughed and rose from the table, winding between the other guests to reach the exit door. Although they were unsecured, they were closed, and Holly noticed that Minister Woodfield sat at the table nearest them, eyes watchful. She tipped him a wink, and he tapped the side of his nose in return.

  With the cheeky grin he offered up, Holly could believe the words that Wendy had said earlier. Bobby Woodfield as a young man would have been handsome, indeed.

  “Through here,” the caterer called.

  “I know the way, thanks. What’s your name?”

  The man stopped short so that Holly almost walked into the back of him. He turned around with a sheepish grin. “Sorry.” He stuck out his hand, and Holly shook it. “My name’s Alex, and if we don’t get a move on, then my boss will string me up.” He leaned forward to offer a confessive whisper. “I don’t think he understands things haven’t exactly gone to plan.”

  Holly clapped a hand over her mouth again to stifle the burst of laughter. Really, for such a dreadful day she was far too full of merriment. Quite unbecoming for a middle-aged lady.

  When Alex turned back, Holly followed along to the cupcake room. Even though they’d only got through a fifth or less of those available, it would be more than enough for the current number of guests.

  As Alex took the other side of the first tray, Holly asked, “When do you and the other caterer’s get a break? Shouldn’t the serving staff be doing this?”

  “We’re already stuck into it,” Alex said with equanimity. “Why have two lots of people rushed off their feet when we can manage with one?”

  “I hope that you’ll let the other guests clear the tables at the end of the mea,l then. It’s only fair.”

  Alex laughed as he pushed through the door out to the hall. “You and the other guests can clear and wash dishes to your heart’s content. Rest assured, I won’t stop you.”

  Instead of heading back through the double doors, Alex made his way to another doorway and quickly pressed a code on the keypad. When Holly raised her eyebrows, he laughed again.

  “It’s just a rear corridor that gives us entry into the back doors of the ballroom.”

  “Why the high security, then?”

  Alex jerked his head toward the reception room. “The manor used to leave the doors unlocked, but guests kept mistaking them for the bathroom exits. Once they got sick of befuddled guests looking in vain for a room that isn’t back here, the operators wised up and installed the keypads.”

  The thought of guests wandering through the dark corridor, forever searching for relief that wouldn’t be found, tickled Holly’s funny bone. She had a broad smile on her face as she and Alex walked into the reception area.

  “No!”

  Sheila stood up, and Holly’s face fell. The bride-to-be was pointing straight at the beautiful arrangement of what should be her wedding cake and shaking her head.

  “Those aren’t safe,” she insisted. “I’ve told you already, I’m not having them served up to my guests.” Sheila put her hands on her hips and glared at Alex. “Not unless you want them all to drop dead like poor Arnold.”

  Holly flushed, both with shame at being targeted and horror at the thought of poor Arnold being dragged into this squabble. As the assembled guests showed expressions ranging from mild interest to fixated curiosity, Holly swallowed. This was her family business—her family’s honor—at stake.

  “There’s nothing wrong with these cakes,” Holly said. “Your mother ordered these as a wedding cake, and they were good enough for her.”

  A shadow passed over Sheila’s face at the mention of Wendy. Then Aidan was pushing past her to take the tray out of Holly’s arms.

  “These are fine. I’ve already sampled far too many of them in the back room, and I can vouch for the cupcakes’ safety.”

  He selected one and took a bite out of it while the room stared, holding their collective breath. When he happily chewed and swallowed, there was a sigh. Holly joined them—for a horrified second she’d flashed back to Aidan clawing at his throat in the kitchen. If his timing proved to be as terrible again, then she’d have a mountainous task in front of her.

  Luckily, his common-sense appeared to prevail. Aidan walked back to his table and popped the remainder of the cake near at the head of his setting.

  “If it’s so safe, why don’t you eat the whole thing?”

  As Sheila stared daggers at Aidan, there was the sound of a chair being shoved back, and Elvira hurried to the front of the room.

  “This is ridiculous,” she announced and took another cupcake from the pile. “I helped to decorate these m
yself, and there’s nothing wrong with them. The only danger from these cupcakes is that they’ll ruin your appetite for the rest of the meal.”

  She quickly peeled away the wrapper and ate the cake in four large bites. Holding the crumbed paper aloft as a victory flag, Elvira then made her way back to her friends, receiving a few pats on the back as she sat down.

  Sheila looked around her, then seemed to realize she was the only one standing in a room full of seated guests. She plonked back down into her chair, and the buzz of regular conversation started up again throughout the room. Crisis averted.

  Holly shot a grateful look at Elvira—who gave a quick nod—then followed Alex out of the room to collect the next set of trays.

  “You’ve made a nice friend there,” Alex observed as they pushed through into the cupcake room again. “Known Sheila long, then?”

  Holly gave a shaky laugh. “Today’s my first real introduction.” She ran a hand through her unruly hair, sweeping it back from her face. “It’s been a bit of a trial by fire, so far.”

  “Yeah. That’s pretty much par for the course,” Alex said, grabbing the next tray—this time full of chocolate cupcakes. “Sheila’s emotional range varies from bored to vicious, with precious little in between.”

  “How do you know her?” Holly asked as they walked through the main hall. “Did she used to work here?”

  “Work.” Alex gave a scoffing laugh as he tapped in the keypad code again. “I don’t think Sheila’s worked a day in her life. It doesn’t surprise anyone that she decided to marry into the richest family in the district.”

  Alex walked along the corridor a few steps more before he seemed to realize that he’d left Holly’s central question unanswered.

  “A while back, she used to date William. The poor boy still doesn’t seem to have gotten over her.” When Holly raised her eyebrows, Alex lowered his voice and leaned closer. “I saw him following her around earlier when she first arrived. Like a puppy dog following its master, he was.”

  “I thought William was sweet on Emma.”

  Alex shrugged and punched in the code at the other end of the hallway. “Yeah, they’ve got something going, but not serious. Not like it was with Sheila. If she beckoned him back, William would forget Emma’s name in a heartbeat.”

  Holly’s heartbeat skipped, and a twinge struck her in the breastbone. Even on their short acquaintance, she liked Emma a lot. It would be a real pity if what Alex said was true.

  When she and Alex headed back for the third and final round of trays, Holly saw a car pull into the drive. A frown burst into a happy smile as she recognized William’s vehicle. Abandoning Alex halfway to the kitchen, Holly ran for the front door and wrenched it open.

  “Crystal!”

  Her sister was drenched from head to toe and dotted with copious amounts of mud, but that didn’t stop Holly pulling her into a tight hug.

  “I was getting worried.”

  “Let me go or you’ll be worried that I can’t breathe,” Crystal said, miming distress. “Oh, goodness. Now, you’re covered in mud, too!”

  “Who cares?” Holly moved a step out into the pouring rain, her hand forming a small shield for her eyes. “Wendy? Are you okay?”

  The woman clambered out of the passenger side door, struggling with the significant step down to the mushy driveway. It didn’t wipe the smile off her face, though, and Holly saw the reason why a second later.

  “You got Derek!” Holly exclaimed. “Get him inside quick. Sheila is going just about mental with the stress of her big day being ruined.”

  She stepped back, and Derek crossed in front of her, dripping onto the polished wood floor inside the entrance.

  “On second thoughts, stay right there, and I’ll fetch some towels.”

  She ran into the kitchen, knowing that the cupcake room had already been stripped bare. As Holly opened one cupboard after another, finding them all empty, she saw a pile of dead flowers drop from the sky to the ground. Someone finally got around to emptying out the bin, Holly thought, then got back to the task at hand.

  Under the sink was another stash of tea towels. Holly grabbed them, sending a silent prayer of thanks to the overstocked catering services of the manor house, and ran back to the front door.

  “Here,” she said, thrusting a handful at Derek, then another stack at Crystal and Wendy. “Get yourselves as dry as you can. I’ll go and tell Sheila the good news!”

  “Good lord!” Emma said from behind her. “I can’t believe that you made it all the way there and back.” She cocked her head to one side, analyzing the state of the new arrivals. “Actually, scratch that. You look like you’ve been through much worse!”

  “Do you know if there are any more spare uniforms?” Holly asked her. “I really think they need to change out of their wet clothes.”

  “I’ve got my street clothes in my bag,” Emma said. “They’ll be a good fit for Wendy and I’m pretty sure that William’s got a change of outfit, too.”

  “Did I hear my name?”

  Holly turned to see William coming downstairs, a pile of thick bath towels in his hand.

  “Oh, thank you.” Holly grabbed the top one and handed it to Crystal while Emma grabbed one for Derek and Wendy helped herself. “How d’you know we needed them?”

  William laughed. “I saw my car pulling up the drive while I was upstairs. I figured you’d be a mite damp after that trip.”

  Holly noticed how cold Crystal and Wendy looked. Derek probably was, too, but he held onto his composure while the two women visibly shook. “Do you think they could have a shower?”

  William chewed his lip for a second, then shook his head. “Not with the power off. The ovens and the lights are on a different circuit than the heating and the water. The generators in the shed aren’t strong enough to cover both.”

  “We’ll be fine as soon as we’re dry,” Crystal said.

  Emma headed for a back room. “I’ll go get my change of clothes. William, do you have some, too?”

  He nodded and followed along behind. “I’ll check upstairs,” Holly said. “I’ve just remembered I left my original set of clothes up there to dry. Even if they’re a bit damp still, they’ll be better than what you’ve got on.”

  She skipped up the stairs quickly, helped along with the burst of energy from knowing her sister and friends were safe. Outside the suite, Holly hesitated. Sheila had already made herself at home in there. Would she appreciate Holly just wandering in and helping herself?

  In the end, she shrugged and turned the handle, anyway. It was just her possessions she was after and Sheila would be busy downstairs. As Holly walked the few yards to the bathroom, her heart still beat as fast in her chest as if she were sneaking around in the pitch darkness. At the door, she almost knocked again.

  “Don’t be silly,” Holly whispered to herself. She pushed open the bathroom door and saw with relief that her clothes were still hanging on the side of the tub. She picked them up and retreated back downstairs, her racing pulse returning to normal by the time she reached Crystal.

  “Here you go. Come through to the cupcake room and change. I’ll keep guard.”

  Derek stood outside with Holly, still using the towel to get his hair dry. When the two women inside were changed, they reversed roles, keeping watch while Derek changed into William’s street clothes.

  As she waited for the second time, Holly looked down and saw the blue shoes that Wendy now wore.

  Her friend caught the glance and turned her ankle to and fro. “Aren’t they pretty? I love this shade of periwinkle blue. It’s so striking. I must remember to ask Emma where she bought them from.”

  Holly murmured in agreement, trying to remember where she’d seen the same color shoe earlier.

  “All ready,” Derek said, coming out to join them. “I feel like a new man.”

  William didn’t look quite so convinced. From what Holly had just learned, she was sure there was more than possessiveness about his clothing b
ugging William. It must be a bitter pill to swallow, sharing your outfit with the man about to steal away the love of your life.

  As she looked up, Holly saw the moue of dissatisfaction on Emma’s face and realized that she’d probably caught the expression, too.

  Perhaps that was why Emma suggested—with grim satisfaction—“Since both you and Sheila are here now, and the minister’s not doing anything, I suppose you can get married, anyway.”

  Chapter Nine

  While William’s face paled, Derek’s brightened. He looked to Wendy, who nodded, apparently recovering some of her earlier cheer for the day.

  “That’s a great idea! Where is Sheila?”

  “She’s through in the reception hall,” Emma said, pointing. “I’m sure that if you go in there, she’ll have a lovely surprise.”

  Something in Emma’s tone made Holly believe that nothing could be further from the truth. Excusing herself, she went through to the cupcake room and was happy to see Alex sitting on the bench, waiting for her.

  “Just taking a break,” he said, swinging his feet. “It’s not like anybody’s going to miss me, given the way this day is going.”

  “I’m sure someone will miss you if you don’t turn up,” Holly said, catching a deeper note of winsomeness in Alex’s tone than he might have been meaning to show. “Let’s get these last trays through. I’m pretty sure that everyone in the reception hall is about to get a nice surprise!”

  Or just a surprise, Holly amended in her head.

  It was only a second after they’d walked through the back corridor and laid down the trays they were holding, that Derek, Crystal, and Wendy walked into the room. Sheila was engaged in vigorous discussion with the woman sitting to her left and didn’t see him. As the heat in the conversation rose, so too did Sheila’s arms. They waved about, gesticulating in a way that Holly associated with French or Italian people, although it was a stereotype.

  As the buzz in the room changed, Sheila eventually worked out something was up and turned to the door. Her entire body froze for a split second, as still as a marble carving, then she sprang from her seat and ran to embrace her husband-to-be.