African Violet Club Mystery Collection
Page 36
Lilliana found the lilting Scottish accent delightful and took an immediately liking to the woman. “Why yes, you can. Have you got a minute to talk with me?”
“Aye. I’ve always got a minute for a customer.” Penny put her watering can down and came over to where Lilliana stood just inside the door. As if noticing it for the first time, she peered down at the plants in Lilliana’s basket. “And what have ye got there?”
Lilliana lifted the basket and said, “A few of my African violets. We had a show at the retirement community a few months back, and they proved quite popular. I was thinking perhaps people might like to buy them year round, rather than just in the spring.”
Penny looked doubtful. “And how were ye thinking of doing that?”
Lilliana felt the heat in her neck. The warmth spread upward to her cheeks. She was sure she had two bright red spots, darker than any blusher she’d ever used, shining like twin stop lights under her eyes. She glanced around the store. “Jaclyn at the grocery store suggested you might sell them.”
“Why would we do that?” A man’s gruff voice came from behind her.
She twirled to see a tall man with angry slate blue eyes sending a piercing stare in her direction. He sported a dark auburn mustache and beard and a thick head of hair in the same color. Apparently he’d entered the shop unnoticed while she and Penny had been talking. Lilliana felt the flush in her face deepen. “Well, I thought you might need some plants, being new and all.”
“As you can verra well see, we have plenty of plants to sell. What we could use is some paying customers.”
“Now, Geoff,” Penny began, but he cut her off with a look that could draw blood.
“Maybe I could use something...” Lilliana desperately cast about for something that didn’t look too expensive, but might appease the angry Geoff.
His shoulders relaxed just a little.
“We got a delivery of supplies while ye were out,” Penny said to him. “Some of the packages were too heavy for me. Why don’t you go in the back and put them away?”
Geoff looked as if he wasn’t fooled by Penny’s ruse for one minute, but he strode past the women and disappeared through a doorway at the rear of the store.
“I must apologize for me husband’s lack of manners,” Penny whispered. “It cost most of our savings to come to America and open the shop. He’s that worried about not being able to make a go of it.”
“What made you leave Scotland?” Lilliana asked.
“I’m not entirely sure. We were doing quite well at one time. Geoff found a recipe for biscuits in a box of things left to him by his granny that claimed to help you lose weight. We made a few batches and gave them to friends. Before we knew it, we had people knocking on our door begging for our biscuits. That’s when we started the bakery. Then, a few years ago, something went wrong.”
“Oh?”
“People said the biscuits didn’t work any more. The shops we had been supplying stopped ordering.”
“But couldn’t you have tried a different product?” Lilliana asked.
Penny shook her head. “There was only the one recipe. I’ve never been much of a baker. Geoff certainly isn’t.” Penny smiled impishly.
Lilliana smiled back at her. The idea of the strapping Geoff Cameron in an apron was amusing. “But why come to America?”
Penny shrugged. “It was just something Geoff insisted on. When I asked why, he said we needed a fresh start. His mum was American, and he was born here, so I guess it seemed natural to him.”
“I wish you luck,” Lilliana said, then sighed. There weren’t many options in the small village of Rainbow Ranch left for her. She didn’t think the drug store would be interested in selling plants, particularly with a new competitor having just opened up. “I suppose you won’t be taking my African violets with all your troubles.”
Penny looked thoughtful for a minute. “You know, I can’t buy them outright. But I could take them into the store and see if anyone wants to buy one. I’d pay you something if they sell.”
Lilliana cheered up. “On consignment. I’d never thought of that.”
“Aye. Consignment,” Penny agreed. “What do ye think would be a fair price for one?”
Lilliana raised a hand to her chin and stroked it with a finger. She was happy to find that her skin had returned to its normal temperature. She hadn’t thought much about pricing. At the show, she’d sold very few plants in full bloom, and knowing she’d only have that one chance to sell them, she hadn’t priced them very high. But even small African violets sold for between five and ten dollars online, and then you had to pay shipping. “Do you think twenty dollars is too much?”
Penny cocked her head. “Aye, it might be. If they were in a pretty pot, I might be able to get that, but they’re not. How about fifteen?”
Lilliana hesitated, not wanting to underprice her plants.
“You’d get ten, and I’d keep five for the cost of keeping them up and selling them,” Penny said.
Ten dollars a plant sounded like a fortune when Penny put it that way. She’d thought the store owner would want to keep more. “Done.”
“Just don’t tell Geoff.” Penny winked at her.
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
Penny lifted the plants out of Lilliana’s basket and put three of them on the counter. She headed toward the front window with the fourth. Lilliana thought she might as well look around the shop as long as she was here. She was sure the other residents would ask her about the merchandise as soon as she reported there was a new store in town.
A refrigerated case behind the counter held bouquets in assorted vases: roses, carnations, daisies, just about any flower you could name. Lilliana loved the splashes of color and thought she might bring home a small one to brighten her apartment. But her apartment was filled with African violets, so there was really no reason to buy other flowers.
Displays of houseplants filled several tables at the front of the store. Penny flashed her a smile as she passed by on the way back to retrieve the rest of Lilliana’s African violets. She pointedly put the other three on the center table, where they’d be sure to be seen. Lilliana was grateful for the featured position but wondered if they might not better avoid Geoff’s eyes—and his wrath—in a more discrete location.
On the wall opposite the sales counter, scented candles and pretty ceramic candle holders filled a large section. Adjoining that was a selection of picture frames and small wall plaques, many reflecting flower-related themes. There were also some figurines in the nature of what one might call collectibles. Lilliana thought the store might do very well with the residents of Rainbow Ranch Retirement Community, as well as visitors looking for a last minute gift for grandma.
As she browsed around the store, she could only hope that the Camerons would be successful, given the small population of the town. Most residents worked in Bisbee or Benson and probably didn’t have a need for the gift items, which they could purchase elsewhere at a much lower cost.
There seemed to be a larger display in the back corner, and Lilliana wasted no time in heading toward it to see what else the store offered. Her delight turned to horror once she saw what it was.
A series of shelves exhibited tiny pieces of furniture, little houses, and even walls and fences. At the center was a large ceramic dish that had been set up as a little scene, complete with live plants and a house. It even had a tiny mailbox next to the house. On the wall behind the display, a brightly lettered sign urged customers to “Take Home a Fairy Garden!”
Lilliana gasped.
Penny, who had finished finding places for Lilliana’s African violets and gone back to watering plants, heard her. “What’s the matter?”
With a shaking finger, she pointed at the display. “What is this?”
“Why, they’re fairy gardens. Didn’t you know? Fairy gardens are all the rage.”
“They are?” Lilliana hoped her heartbeat wasn’t loud enough for Penny to hear.
> “Aye, they are. People hope they’ll entice the wee folk to visit if they make a pleasant spot in their gardens for them.”
Lilliana was thinking she’d have to warn Esmeralda about this new danger. So far, she’d been able to keep the existence of the troop of fairies hidden from the rest of the population of Rainbow Ranch. But an attractive display with green plants and accessories just their size might serve as an irresistible lure to the tiny creatures. Perhaps if she knew where the fairy gardens were, she could pinpoint the places the queen of the fairies needed to keep her troop away from. “Have you sold any?”
“Not yet,” Penny said. “But we’ve only been open a week. Aren’t they darling?”
Lilliana had to admit they were enchanting. But she was thrilled to hear not one had been sold. “I think I’d prefer a candle today.”
She hurriedly returned to the candle display and selected a small vanilla-scented candle in a jar that wouldn’t break her budget. After paying for the item she didn’t really need, she thanked Penny once again for allowing her to sell her African violets and headed back to the retirement home.
On her walk back, she agonized over how soon she’d be able to give her warning. It was too hot this afternoon to go hiking. The trip to the fairies’ home would have to wait until tomorrow morning. She only hoped she wouldn’t be too late.
CHAPTER TWO
LILLIANA straightened up with a groan after putting the last of her repotted African violets on the bottom shelf of the middle plant stand. Since it was too hot to do anything outside this time of year, rather than fretting over the latest threat to the secret cave or the cave’s biggest secret, she’d decided to put the afternoon to good use. Now that her collection had grown so numerous—largely thanks to turning the second bedroom of her apartment into a plant room and filling it with lighted shelves to hold more plants—there was always some chore to attend to.
When she’d been selecting which plants to sell, Lilliana noticed there were several African violets in her collection that hadn’t been repotted in over a year. If she wanted flourishing plants worthy of being judged and shown in the spring, she’d have to be more diligent about repotting. She’d taken this opportunity to seat a few of her hybrids lower in the soil, eliminating the unattractive long necks, and removed spent flowers and damaged leaves from some others.
She rubbed the ache in the small of her back. It appeared as if her arthritis had found a new place to lodge.
Hobbling to the kitchen and thinking of a nice cup of tea, she happened to glance at the clock on the kitchen wall. Tea would have to wait. She’d have to hurry if she wanted dinner in the dining room. As usual, she’d forgotten about eating. She quickly washed her hands and stuck her key in her pocket before heading out the door and down the hall toward the common area.
The dining hall was half-empty by the time Lilliana arrived. Most of the senior citizens ate early, measuring their days by when and what the next meal was. Lilliana didn’t have the same obsession with food. She scanned the occupied tables until she spied Nancy.
Locating Nancy wasn’t particularly hard. One of those elderly women who was always cold, Nancy frequently wore sweaters, even in the middle of summer. Knitted from patterns she designed herself, Nancy’s sweaters gave a whole new definition to the word ugly. The one she was wearing this evening was a multicolored affair. Stripes of blinding red, yellow, neon pink, and turquoise dripped down the length of it, with black yarn used at the neck, bottom, and the ends of the sleeves.
As usual, Nancy was sitting with some of their mutual friends: Willie, the retired black police officer; Lenny, a physical fitness advocate; and Sarah and Bob Higgins. Sarah was officially president of the African Violet Club, although all she did was preside at meetings, leaving Lilliana responsible for most of the organizing. Sarah’s husband Bob spent his days watching television.
There was also a new woman, or at least, someone Lilliana hadn’t met before. She had thin, white hair, and wrinkles draped her face. From her appearance, she must have been significantly older than Lilliana and her friends.
“I thought you were going to miss dinner again,” Nancy said as Lilliana pulled out a chair and sat down.
She picked up the menu and was glad she’d decided to eat. The featured main course was chicken and dumplings.
“Good evening, Lily,” Lenny said.
No matter how many times she told Lenny her real name, he insisted on calling her Lily.
“Good evening, Lenny. Willie.”
Willie touched two fingers to his forehead, a modified salute, in response.
“And who is our new table mate?” Lilliana looked at the woman she’d noted previously.
“This is Rebecca,” Nancy said. “She was too ill to come to meals when she arrived here, but she’s making wonderful progress now, aren’t you Rebecca?”
Rebecca responded with a rheumy cough. “Pneumonia,” she said by way of explanation. “It knocked me off my feet, that’s for sure. They had to put me in the hospital. Before they’d release me, they told me I could either move in with my son or go into an assisted living facility. The doctor didn’t think I could take care of myself any more. Humph.”
“Didn’t you want to live with your son?” Nancy asked.
Lilliana cringed a little. Obviously, Rebecca didn’t want to live with her son. Otherwise she’d be there instead of here. But Nancy hadn’t thought she might be bringing up a painful situation by asking the question. Fortunately, the answer was simple.
“Who wants to live in Connecticut?” Rebecca replied.
There was a pause in the conversation while the waitress came and took Lilliana’s order. While some meals were served buffet style, most of the time there was table service. After the waitress left, Nancy leaned over and whispered, “What do you think of our other new resident?”
“Where?” Lilliana asked, glancing around the room. Just as she found him, Nancy bobbed her head twice in his direction.
“Isn’t he the most handsome man you’ve ever seen?” Nancy asked.
Lilliana didn’t respond immediately. She was too busy trying to keep her heartbeat under control. The man could only be described as elegantly attractive. Unlike most of the men at Rainbow Ranch, the new resident wore a crisp, white, long-sleeved shirt, a button at the neck undone. His bearing said he would have been more comfortable wearing a jacket and tie to dinner.
While balding on top, his gray hair and mustache were peppered with darker strands reflecting its original color. His eyebrows were still a dark black, and he had laugh lines at the corners of his eyes. Lilliana wondered what color those eyes were.
She cleared her throat. “He looks like a man,” she said noncommittally.
Rebecca snorted. “Is that all you can say? He’s the best thing I’ve seen in thirty years.”
Lenny looked put out. He was used to being the most attractive man in the community. Most of the men padded around in slippers and sweatpants. They often didn’t remember to shave or comb their hair. Compared to them, Lenny, who was extremely fit and dressed in slacks and a golf shirt most days, was a fashion plate. He probably didn’t like his new competition.
She glanced at Willie to see what his reaction was. Willie winked at her.
Lilliana quickly looked down at her dinner plate, which the returning waitress had just delivered, and picked up her knife and fork to slice off a bit of chicken. After putting the chicken in her mouth, she concentrated on buttering a biscuit.
“I think I’m going to knit him a sweater,” Nancy announced.
That got Lilliana to look up. “Do you think that’s wise? Or appropriate?”
“Why not? Everyone can use sweaters. They keep the air conditioning much too high in most of the rooms here.”
The waitress returned to clear the empty plates of the early arrivals. “Can I get anyone dessert?” Nancy and Willie ordered the chocolate cake, while Lenny opted for a fruit plate. Sarah shook her head.
“I thin
k Bob and I will go back to our room,” Sarah said. “Bob doesn’t like to miss the evening news.”
The two of them rose to mumbled good-byes, and Lilliana decided to change the topic of conversation. “There’s a new shop in town.”
That caught Nancy’s attention. “Oh? What kind?”
“It says flowers and gifts on the window,” Lilliana said. “They took over that vacant corner store on Main Street. I went inside to see what they have.”
“Anything interesting?” Rebecca asked.
“A nice assortment of flowers and plants. They also have candles and little knickknacks and things.” She cut a dumpling in half and chewed. It seemed a little gummy to her.
“Did you buy anything?” Nancy asked.
“Just a candle. And the owner, Penny Cameron, agreed to take some of my African violets on consignment.”
“Do you think they’d sell some of my sweaters?” Nancy asked.
Lilliana realized telling Nancy about the consignment arrangement had been a mistake. “It’s not the kind of thing they carry. They sell plants and little items, not clothing.” She hoped Nancy would get the hint. Apparently she had by the frown on her face. “Is there anything on the agenda for tonight?” Lilliana asked.
The retirement home held lots of activities for the residents. While most of them were in the daytime, they regularly showed movies on Wednesday nights, and often had presentations of one sort or another in the evening. Since this was Monday, she wasn’t sure if there was anything planned or not.
“I don’t remember anything,” Willie said. “Then again, I’m not particularly interested in social activities.” Sadness washed over his face, and Lilliana was almost sorry she’d asked. The big black man had lost someone very close to him last month and was obviously still in mourning.