Wesley sputtered.

  “Thank you for your time, Mrs. Campbell,” Redmond said. “Everyone. We’ll be in touch. Ms. Morrison, Mr. Smithfield, are you staying in town tonight?”

  “No,” Rachel said. “I’ll call us a taxi to take my brother and me . . . home.”

  “Good night, then.”

  The police left.

  Bernie got to her feet. “Don’t let us keep you, Wessie. I’m sure you have places to go. Important people to see.”

  He looked at me. “Lily?”

  I took a deep breath. “What Bernie said.”

  Simon put his beer on the table and took a step forward. Matt watched warily. Robert the Bruce leapt off Rose’s lap and hissed at the new arrival.

  “Okay. I get the picture. Rachel, why don’t I give you and Stephen here a lift back to Chatham. We have business to discuss, might as well get to it now rather than later.”

  “Business?” Rachel fluttered her eyelashes. “Oh, dear, Wesley. Don’t tell me you didn’t hear that my mother’s new will has been found.” She looked at her brother. “How much did Mom leave Kimberly?”

  “Two hundred thousand. Not even in a lump sum but in a trust fund,” Stephen said.

  Wesley turned all the colors of a sunset. His shoulders stiffened, his hands turned into clenched fists. A vein pulsed in his forehead. Simon and Matt tensed themselves. Robert the Bruce arched his back, and Bernie casually picked up an iron candlestick. Rose sipped her G&T and watched.

  Wesley let out a long breath. “We’ll see about that. Lily, I’m sorry you think I turned on you. It’s just . . . can we talk in private?”

  “No.”

  “Why don’t I show you out, mate,” Simon said.

  “I’ll go with you,” Bernie added. “In case you get lost on the way to your car.”

  Wesley gave me one last long look. What on earth, I thought, had I ever seen in him?

  He turned on his heels and left. Simon and Bernie followed him, and a few moments later we heard a car start up and peel down the driveway with the roar of the powerful engine.

  “I hope no one’s returning from dinner at the moment,” Rose said. “The way that young man is driving, there might be a dreadful collision.”

  Chapter 25

  The “party” broke up once Wesley had gone. Matt called a taxi for Rachel and Stephen, and she said they’d walk to the end of the driveway to wait for it. Bernie said she was absolutely bushed, all that bringing down criminals stuff could be tiring, and Matt said what was her rush, how about coming to his place for a nightcap. To which she agreed.

  Rose declared that she’d prepare the breakfast instructions for tomorrow and then turn in. When she stood up, Robbie headed straight out the door.

  Simon and I were left in the drawing room. We smiled at each other. I lifted the bottle of wine out of the cooler and checked the contents. No one had had any. “I could use a drink,” I said. “How about you?”

  He took the cooler out of my hands. “Sounds like a plan. Some of those crisps would be good, too.” I picked up the bowl.

  Rose was sitting at the reception desk, checking the notes in the registration book. The house was quiet.

  “Okay if I head home?” I asked her.

  “Certainly, love. I’m going to my room to watch some telly for a while. I want to get caught up on the new season of Death in Paradise. See you in the morning. Oh, dear.”

  “Is something wrong?”

  “A guest checked in earlier who is gluten-free, dairy-free, and nightshade-free.”

  Simon laughed. “What do they eat? Sawdust?”

  “I’ll come up with something for them,” I said.

  “You always do, love.” Rose gave me a fond smile, and then she turned that smile on Simon and winked.

  Simon and I took a detour through the rose garden. I carried the bowl of chips, and he had the ice bucket. The scent of the flowers on the still night air was intoxicating.

  He cleared his throat. “Never a dull moment around here.”

  “To my occasional regret.”

  He stopped walking and turned to face me. I looked into his ocean-blue eyes. A lock of sandy hair flopped over his forehead. “Lily,” he said.

  I said nothing. I breathed.

  Simon leaned over and put the wine on the ground. Then he took the bowl out of my hands and threw it to one side. As potato chips flew around us he gathered me into his arms, and once again he said, “Lily.”

  My heart leapt.

  Gluten-Free Pancakes

  Feeding people at a busy B & B means Lily has to be aware of dietary requirements. She’s found that this recipe for gluten-free pancakes is quick and easy, and her guests enjoy them. She serves the pancakes with maple syrup and butter.

  Makes about eight pancakes.

  Put the following into a blender:

  1 banana

  2 eggs

  2 tsp baking powder

  2 cups oats

  ½ cup milk

  1 tsp vanilla

  Handful of chocolate chips (optional)

  Blend until combined.

  Pour individual servings into the center of a hot frying pan or griddle. (Melt about 1 tsp of butter in the pan first.) When the surface is covered with bubbles, flip and cook the second side one to two minutes until golden.

  Blueberry Muffins

  These muffins are a very popular item for the B & B breakfasts. Lily often makes an extra batch to freeze for emergencies. She always uses fresh (not frozen) blueberries. Tossing the blueberries with flour before adding to the batter helps the berries not sink to the bottom when baking.

  Ingredients:

  2 cups all-purpose flour

  1½ tsp baking powder

  ½ tsp salt

  2 cups fresh blueberries

  ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

  1 cup sugar

  2 large eggs

  2 tsp pure vanilla extract

  ½ cup milk

  For topping:

  ¼ cup sugar

  ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

  Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare standard twelve-cup muffin pan.

  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Toss blueberries in a sieve with about 1½ teaspoons flour mixture to lightly coat.

  3. Beat butter and 1 cup sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about three minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined. Mix in vanilla.

  4. At low speed, add flour mixture, beating until just combined, and then add milk, beating until just combined. Do not overmix. Fold in the blueberries. Divide batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups.

  5. For topping, mix together ¼ cup sugar and nutmeg. Sprinkle sugar mixture on top of muffin batter.

  6. Bake about thirty minutes.

  Lemon Squares

  These lemon squares are a popular addition to the sweets course of afternoon tea.

  Makes about thirty squares.

  Base:

  2 cups butter, room temperature

  ½ cup confectioner’s sugar

  2 cups all-purpose flour

  ½ tsp salt

  Topping:

  4 eggs

  2 cups granulated sugar

  ⅓ cup all-purpose flour

  2 Tbsp grated lemon zest

  1 Tbsp grated lime zest

  3 Tbsp lemon juice

  3 Tbsp lime juice

  Icing sugar for dusting

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

  2. Mix together butter, confectioner’s sugar, flour, and salt until well blended. The mixture will look like fine breadcrumbs.

  3. Pat into a 9 × 13-inch greased pan. Prick surface with a fork. Bake for twenty minutes, until the pastry is golden.

  4. Beat together eggs, granulated sugar, flour, zests, and juices. Pour the mixture over the cooked base.

  5. Bake for fifteen to twenty minutes until set.

  6. Cut into squares and liberally dust with icing sugar.

 

 

  Vicki Delany, Steeped in Malice

 

 

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