There was polite applause as Ellison rushed in to make sure Bernadine didn’t collapse. He helped her to a seat, then announced Willie and his magic. The former detective carried a small table to the front and performed a series of slight-of-hand tricks with more skill than Lilliana would have guessed he had. His smooth patter amused the audience as he did the tricks. At the end everyone was laughing, and he got a hearty round of applause.
Nancy had also decided to sing, and then Frank performed a juggling act. Ellison had been right; the residents were displaying talent Lilliana didn’t know they had. She was truly enjoying herself—until Ellison stepped up to the mic again.
“And now, as our final performance, we have Lilliana Wentworth and Christopher MacAlistair singing a duet of ‘If I Loved You’ from Carousel.”
Lilliana felt rooted to her spot; she was only able to move when Christopher cupped her elbow in his hand and said, “Let’s go.”
She’d never felt so nervous in her life as she did when she walked toward the front of the room. Rather than face the audience, she kept her eyes on Chris as he opened the bag and pulled out a Bose docking station into which his iPhone was already inserted. The retirement home didn’t have a piano, and even if it had been possible for them to roll Christopher’s over to the main building, there was no room in the television room for a baby grand. Instead, he’d recorded the piano accompaniment which they’d sing along to. Despite the fact they’d practiced the technique a dozen times or more, she was fearful she’d lose her way without the flexibility of Chris’s live playing.
His eyes asked if she was ready. Hers said yes, even though she was afraid and shy at being the one to start. The same emotions as expressed in the song. Unsure, her voice wobbled a bit as she started the duet, then Christopher’s strong baritone sang the second line and made her stronger, so that she sang the next line with assurance.
As their voices joined in harmony, all she was aware of was how beautiful they sounded as they blended, as if they were two parts of the same instrument, the lyrics echoing both the tentativeness and longing of their relationship. As they started the reprise, where he sang the lines she’d sung in the first rendition, he turned her with a gentle pressure so they were facing one another. Their eyes met, held, merged as their voices merged, until there was only Christopher there with her, only what she was feeling for him in her heart.
As the piano played the final arpeggio, she was startled by the burst of applause. She’d forgotten there was anyone else in the room.
Christopher gazed at her with a loving smile, dropped one of her hands so they could face the audience and take a bow as the applause thundered around them. Ellison was clapping the loudest as he stepped up to the mic.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt as to who our winners are.” The clapping surged again, and he had to wait for it to subside before announcing, “First place goes to Lilliana Wentworth and Christopher MacAlistair.” He handed a framed certificate to Christopher.
Lilliana didn’t mind that there wasn’t one for her. She’d already won her prize.
Thank You!
THANK YOU FOR READING this collection of the first three books in my African Violet Club Mystery Series! I hope you enjoyed it. If you liked these books, please consider leaving a review or rating on the site where the box set was purchased. Reviews on Goodreads are always appreciated. Your help in spreading the word is gratefully appreciated and reviews make a huge difference to helping new readers find the series.
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About the Author
ELISE M. STONE WAS born and raised in New York, went to college in Michigan, lived in the Boston area for eight years, and not too long ago moved to sunny Tucson, Arizona, where she doesn’t have to shovel snow. Her first degree was in psychology, her second in computers. She’s worked as a pizza maker, library clerk, waitress, social worker, programmer, and data jockey.
She wrote her first story in kindergarten. She loved writing stories. She wrote fewer and fewer stories through high school, finally abandoning the practice in college.
Every once in a while, she’d think wistfully of her dream to be a published author. Ten years ago she decided it was time to pursue that dream and started writing again. Faith, Hope, and Murder is her first published book.
I love hearing from readers. You can connect with me at:
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @EliseMStone
Facebook: www.facebook.com/EliseMStone
Also by Elise M. Stone
African Violet Club Collections
African Violet Club Mystery Collection Books 1 - 3
African Violet Club Mysteries
True Blue Murder
Blood Red Murder
Royal Purple Murder
Double Pink Murder
Ghost White Murder
Holly Green Murder
Community of Faith Mysteries
Faith, Hope, and Murder
Shadow of Death
A Game of Murder
Standalone
The Christmas Cat
Watch for more at Elise M. Stone’s site.
African Violet Club Mystery Collection Page 55
