by Bobbi Holmes
“You do know how to flatter a girl,” Cheryl reached over and patted Adam’s hand. “Why is it again they call it the Missing Thorndike?”
“Because it belonged to the silent screen star, Eva Thorndike.”
“You mean silent movies?”
“Yes. I guess she was pretty famous back in her day. The Thorndikes had money. They used to spend summers here, starting back before Eva became famous. The necklace was a family heirloom. When Eva died, the necklace went missing. It became known as the Missing Thorndike.”
“And Walt Marlow stole it?”
“It appears so. Your cousin found it in the attic.”
“Well, maybe when all this is resolved, the estate that is, I’ll simply keep the necklace.”
“You can afford to do that?”
“Of course,” Cheryl laughed. “I don’t need the money from my aunt’s estate. It’s simply a matter of principle. And…well, I do love diamonds and emeralds.”
“It’s really too bad your cousin doesn’t like me. I think you and I could have a lot of fun together.”
The next moment the server brought their beverages.
“What does Dani have to do with it?” Cheryl asked after the waitress left their table.
“For one thing, about now I’d love to ask you if I could call you while you’re here, maybe I could take you out to dinner, show you around the area. But with you staying with your cousin, and with what she now thinks of me, well I wouldn’t want to do anything to make you uncomfortable.”
“Don’t be silly. Dani and I rarely agree on anything. In fact, I would love for you to be my date at the party tomorrow. Oh, I know you have to bring your grandma and everything, but after you get there. I imagine she already knows most of those people. You don’t have to stay by her side, do you?”
“I certainly don’t. Grandma will be perfectly fine once we get to the party. I’d be honored to be your date. But are you sure?”
“Yes I am. And if you think about it, it will be our second date.”
“It will?” Adam smiled.
“Why certainly. After all, you’re buying my lunch today.” Cheryl smiled sweetly.
“So tell me Cheryl, do you ever kiss on the first date?” Adam teased.
“Well…sometimes.” Cheryl’s eyes flashed to the table and then back up to Adam. The corners of her mouth turned into a smile.
“Really?” Adam grinned.
Before Cheryl could respond, the waitress brought their lunch.
“You know, it really isn’t your fault Dani wasn’t your type. It’s wrong of her to be mad at you.” Cheryl said after the waitress left the table.
Cheryl was just about to pick up her fork when Adam reached across the table and placed his hand over hers. “You are definitely my type.”
“I am?” Cheryl whispered.
“Oh yeah.” He squeezed her hand.
“You think I’m sexier than my cousin?”
“There is no comparison.” Adam gave Cheryl’s hand another squeeze and then let it go. He picked up his burger and took a bite.
“Oh, you must think I’m terribly forward!” Cheryl folded and unfolded her napkin.
“I can tell you’re an honest woman. One who doesn’t play games.”
“That is so sweet of you to notice,” Cheryl said. “So…tell me about your business. Do you just manage other people’s properties, or do you have your own rentals?”
“Both. My great-grandfather was one of the original Frederickport pioneers. He and my grandparents acquired quite a bit of property over the years, and of course I’ve picked up a few along the way.”
“I’m impressed. Do you have anything right on the beach?”
“Are you looking for something?” Adam asked.
“I’ll admit I was a little disappointed Marlow House isn’t right on the ocean. If the man who built the house really founded this town, why didn’t he move the house closer?”
“Some people don’t want to be that close to the water. Not sure why Frederick Marlow built his house where he did. As for your question, yes, I have several beach front properties. Of course, those are typically booked up several years in advance.”
“I suppose I can understand that. And that’s great for you, to keep them rented.”
“Actually, I do have a beach front house that’s vacant right now.”
“I thought you said they’re normally booked up several years in advance?”
“Normally that’s true. The family that rents this property has been coming every summer for six—no, seven years now. Just weeks after they arrived this season, there was a death in their family. Packed up and went back home. They won’t be coming back this summer.”
“So it’s empty?”
“Yes.”
“I’d love to see it.”
“You would?”
“I don’t know if staying at Marlow House while we settle my aunt’s estate is going to work out for me. Dani doesn’t want me. She’s made that clear enough. I may need someplace to stay for a while and I would love a place right on the ocean.”
“If you want, I’d be happy to take you over there after we finish lunch.”
“I’d love that!”
Chapter Fourteen
The front door to Marlow House was unlocked when Cheryl returned later that afternoon. She found Danielle in the parlor with Lily, Ian and a man she had never seen before. The four stood in the middle of the room, laughing at something one of them had just said, but stopped when she barged into the room.
“Where is it?” Cheryl demanded, her eyes darting about the room.
“Well hello to you too,” Lily muttered under her breath.
Walt suddenly appeared, standing next to Cheryl. “Has the party already started?” he asked.
“Where is what?” Danielle asked, trying to ignore Walt, who had just walked over to the sofa and sat down.
Cheryl turned to the man she didn’t know and asked, “Who are you?”
“I bet you’re the cousin,” he answered with a grin.
“This is Joe Morelli,” Danielle introduced. “Joe, this is Cheryl, the cousin I was telling you about.”
Joe started to put out his hand in greeting and say hello, but Cheryl abruptly turned from him without acknowledging the introduction and asked Danielle, “Where is the necklace? I want to see it.”
“It’s already locked up in the safe,” Danielle explained.
“What safe?” Cheryl frowned.
“When did you leave this morning?” Lily asked. “We never heard you leave.”
Cheryl looked over to Lily and snapped, “I didn’t know I was supposed to inform you of my comings and goings.” She turned back to Danielle and said, “I stopped at the bank. I wanted to see our necklace, but they told me you took it out of the vault.”
“Not a vault exactly, more like a safety deposit box. And what were they doing, telling you about my business?” Danielle frowned.
“It’s my business too.”
“I’m going to have a little talk with that bank manager,” Danielle grumbled.
Cheryl stomped her foot impatiently and said, “So where is it? Go get it. I want to see it!”
“Is your cousin always so demanding?” Walt asked. Of course, Danielle was the only one in the room who could hear or see Walt.
“I told you, I already put it in the safe. You can see it tomorrow when I wear it to the open house.”
Ian and Joe watched silently from the sidelines, occasionally exchanging glances.
“You’re wearing it to the open house, here? Are you crazy!? I forbid it!” Cheryl stomped her foot again.
“Your cousin reminds me of a horse when she does that,” Walt noted. “Pawing the ground with her hoof.” Danielle glanced over to Walt, trying her best to suppress her giggles.
“You forbid it?” Lily asked.
“This is none of your business, Lily. It is between me and my cousin.” Cheryl said, again bringing the heel of her sh
oe down hard against the wood floor.
“I swear, if you stomp your foot one more time I will start stomping mine—on top of yours!” Danielle warned. “You’re going to scratch the wood floor with your damn heels, if you haven’t already.”
“You do know the front door was unlocked. Anyone could just walk in here,” Cheryl said.
“Yes I know that,” Danielle said dryly. “You just did.”
“I assume the safe you’re talking about is somewhere in this house?” Cheryl glanced around. “It isn’t in this room, is it? I don’t think it would be wise to have a safe in the front of the house.”
“That’s none of your business,” Danielle said.
“This house is half mine!” Cheryl started to stomp her foot again but Danielle flashed a threatening look and picked up her own foot, daring Cheryl to proceed. Reluctantly, Cheryl set her foot back on the floor and forced her feet to stay still.
“I rather wish she would have attempted it,” Walt said with a chuckle. “Curious to see if you would carry through with the threat.”
Ignoring Walt, Danielle said, “That is still to be determined. But one thing I do know, I paid for the safe with my own money, so keep your hands off it.”
Cheryl turned to Joe again and asked angrily, “Who are you again?”
“I’m Sargent Morelli, a friend of Danielle’s. I escorted her home from the bank—you know, to keep her and the necklace safe.”
“Really?” Cheryl’s expression softened. “Does that mean you’re staying here to guard it?”
“Joe isn’t an armed guard. He works at the local police station. He was just doing me a favor,” Danielle explained.
Joanne Johnson walked into the parlor and announced, “I finished upstairs, all except the…”
“Who are you?” Cheryl interrupted.
“Cheryl, please stop blurting out who are you every time you run into someone you don’t know. Tomorrow this house is going to be filled with people you don’t know, and if you greet everyone with the same snotty question, you’re not going to make my guests feel very welcome.”
“You know how I feel about turning this house into a bed and breakfast! I don’t want strangers constantly coming and going.”
“In all fairness to your cousin,” Walt said. “I did feel the same way at first.”
Joanne stood silently at the doorway studying Cheryl. She knew Danielle’s cousin was visiting; in fact she had come downstairs to ask about the room Cheryl was staying in. It was the only room on the second floor she hadn’t touched.
“We can talk about that later, Cheryl.” Danielle turned her attention to Joanne and asked, “What were you saying?”
Cheryl flashed her cousin a dirty look and then went to the sofa. She flopped down, not realizing the seat was already taken. Walt let out a little shout and stood up abruptly, his body moving through Cheryl’s. Grumbling, he scooted over and sat next to her on the couch.
Silently Ian took a seat on one of the leather chairs, pulling Lily with him. She sat on his lap.
“I finished the second floor, but I haven’t done anything with the Red Room yet. Do you want me to put the clothes in the closet? There’s also the stuff on the dresser…” Joanne began.
“That’s my room!” Cheryl jumped up. “What are you doing in my room?”
“Joanne is cleaning the house for the party,” Danielle explained. “You promised to straighten the room.”
“I told you I would do that in the morning before the party,” Cheryl said.
“I’m sorry, but I really can’t vacuum in there or dust with everything all over the floor,” Joanne explained.
“I said I will take care of it!” Cheryl snapped.
“There is no reason to get rude with Joanne. She is just here to do her job,” Danielle said.
Cheryl looked from Danielle to Joanne. She guessed Joanne was in her fifties. Dressed in denims and a button down, short sleeved cotton blouse, the cleaning woman fidgeted nervously with a rag.
“I’m sorry. We have not been introduced, you’re the cleaning woman? Joanne, is it?” Cheryl asked sweetly.
“Yes, Joanne Johnson. I’ve been cleaning Marlow House for years. I worked for Ms. Boatman’s aunt.”
Tired of standing, Joe sat in the chair next to Ian and Lily. The three exchanged glances, yet withheld comment.
“She was my aunt too. I’m Cheryl Hartford, I was also Brianna’s great niece. I’m one of the owners of Marlow House,” Cheryl explained.
“Cheryl, please stop telling people that!” Danielle said impatiently.
“Well it’s true!”
“She is a bit of a bulldog, isn’t she,” Walt observed. “Gets a hold of something and won’t let go.”
“You don’t know that,” Danielle told Cheryl.
“Excuse me, but what do you want me to do with the room?” Joanne interrupted.
Danielle looked from Joanne to Cheryl, and then back to Joanne. “I guess leave it. Cheryl can clean it up in the morning.”
“Okay. That’s all I wanted to know. I’m going to go up now and see what I need to do in the attic.” Joanne made a hasty exit.
“I think you two scared poor Joanne,” Ian said with a chuckle.
“I just wish she would stop telling everyone she owns Marlow House!” Danielle said impatiently.
“Now you know how I felt when you first arrived,” Walt told her.
“I’m sorry Dani, but it is the truth, you know it,” Cheryl said.
“I think Danielle has a point, Cheryl,” Ian interrupted. “At least until this gets straightened out in court. For now the house legally belongs to your cousin, and she has been working very hard on this open house. It’s really not fair to her for you to barge in and disrupt everything, maybe even ruin the open house.”
“I don’t intend to ruin anything,” Cheryl said defensively.
“Causing a scene—stirring up controversy—you don’t think that could potentially ruin Danielle’s promotion for the bed and breakfast?”
“It’s not my intent to ruin anything, but I don’t think she should turn this place into a bed and breakfast.”
“Let me ask you this, Cheryl,” Ian said in a serious voice. “Let’s say the court decides you have no claim on the estate, that Danielle is the rightful heir. She is an adult and has the right to decide what she wants to do with her life—the same as all of us. But if you, in your false belief that half of the estate is yours, disrupt the opening for her business, even damage her reputation by implying she’s trying to cheat you—you return to California to your own life, while Danielle stays here and is left to clean up the mess you’ve created. Do you honestly think that’s fair?”
“What I think is unfair,” Cheryl said angrily, “is being cheated out of my inheritance!” She turned to the doorway and marched from the parlor.
Those left in the room stared mutely at the doorway and listened as Cheryl noisily made her way up the stairs to the second floor of Marlow House.
“Wow, Ian,” Danielle said at last, turning from the open doorway to where Ian sat in the chair with Lily. “Thanks. I really appreciate your support.”
“I meant it,” Ian told her.
Lily turned in Ian’s lap, wrapping her arms around his neck she pulled him close, kissing his cheek. “Well said, Ian.”
“All I can say,” Joe said as he stood up to leave, “I haven’t seen that much drama since Millie Samson accused Joyce Pruitt of stealing her strawberry preserve recipe after Joyce won first place for it at the county fair.”
• • • •
Upstairs Cheryl found Joanne in the attic preparing to clean the windows.
“I wanted to apologize for being so abrupt with you down there,” Cheryl said after she walked into the attic.
Joanne turned and faced her. “I got the impression you were angry at your cousin, not at me. I think I stepped into the crossfire.”
“It’s just that Dani so infuriates me! She knows Aunt Brianna left
this house to both of us.”
Joanne didn’t know how to respond, so she said nothing.
“Did you know my aunt?” Cheryl asked.
“I worked for her for years, but we never met in person. We did speak on the phone.”
“Did she ever mention me?” Cheryl asked.
“She mentioned a niece. I always assumed she was talking about Danielle.”
“Did she say Danielle?” Cheryl asked. “When she was talking about her niece, did she say her name was Danielle?”
“Honestly, I don’t remember.”
“Do you know where the safe is?” Cheryl asked.
“The safe?” Joanne frowned.
“Danielle had a safe installed for the Missing Thorndike. I want to make sure it’s in a secure place, after all it belongs to me too.”
“You’ll have to ask your cousin about that,” Joanne said. “If you’ll excuse me, I really need to finish up in here.” Joanne turned to the window, her back now facing Cheryl.
Cheryl sighed impatiently and then turned back to the doorway and headed downstairs to search for the safe.
Chapter Fifteen
Early Friday morning Ian helped Lily drape red, white and blue fabric bunting along the top of the fencing surrounding Marlow House. Clusters of white stars filled the navy blue top portion of the bunting’s half circles, while red and white stripes trimmed the bunting’s lower edge. Before Ian arrived to help, Lily had inserted the flagpole Danielle had purchased at the local hardware store into its holder on the porch wall, next to the front door.
The grounds surrounding Marlow House no longer resembled an unruly jungle. The gardener had transformed the yards into an impressive park-like setting, with freshly mowed green lawns and manicured flowering shrubbery. None of the shade trees had been removed, yet those too had been meticulously groomed. Lily planned to unlock and open the wrought iron double gate, leading to the side and back yards of Marlow House, to provide easier access for the guests to come and go.
Inside Danielle organized food for the festivities. Cheryl was still in bed. Lily and Danielle had decided to let her sleep as long as possible, to keep her out of their way. The delivery van with the rental lawn furniture Danielle had ordered was arriving at 10 a.m. It would be Lily’s job to arrange the white plastic lawn furniture in the back and side yards, to provide outdoor seating for the guests.
