“Sister, thank you for making the coffee.” An’gel poured herself a cup, added a little cream and sugar, stirred, and sipped happily.
Dickce grimaced. “I don’t know about you, but I definitely had to have some caffeine before we walk into who-knows-what up at the big house.”
“I know exactly what you mean.” An’gel took the seat opposite. She peered out the small window above the banquette table. The sun should have been visible by now, but everything still looked murky. “Looks like the weather isn’t going to cooperate.”
Dickce shivered. “I got chills last night while Richmond Thurston was telling that story. Imagine a gust of wind being able to suck a woman out of a window like that.”
“I’d rather not imagine it,” An’gel said. “There was one detail in what Estelle said that I find puzzling. How did she know the date of that poor girl’s wedding? Was it really the same as Sondra’s? Or was she just making it up to get at Sondra?”
“That is peculiar,” Dickce said. “I didn’t catch on to that.” She shrugged. “I vote for Estelle to be making it up. It’s the kind of thing she would do simply to aggravate Sondra and Jacqueline.”
“Unless she has an unimpeachable source for the truth of that story, I’m sure she did make it up.” An’gel nodded firmly to emphasize her point. “If we’re lucky, Estelle will be gone when we go up for breakfast.”
“Though who’s going to cook if she is gone, I wonder.” Dickce took a sip of coffee. “I don’t think Mireille is much of a cook. Perhaps Jacqueline is, though.”
“If nothing else, we can have a French country breakfast, like the ones we had in that pension in Paris, remember? That lovely, crusty French bread, with butter and jam, and the bowls of milky coffee. I’d never had coffee from a bowl before.”
Dickce laughed. “I remember the look on your face when you realized you had to drink out of a bowl. Priceless.”
“Yes, well, I got used to it,” An’gel muttered. She drained her cup and got up to rinse it out in the sink. “We still have about twenty minutes before we’re due for breakfast. I think I’ll retrieve our umbrellas from the car, just in case.”
“Good idea,” Dickce said. “I’ll clean up in here while you do that.”
An’gel could tell, by the feeling of pressure in her head, that the weather was changing. She stepped outside, and the dark gray sky and slight chill in the air confirmed it. She hurried to the car, the wind rising around her, and dug around in the back of the Lexus for their umbrellas. They had managed to forget any other rain gear, so the umbrellas would have to suffice.
Rain began sprinkling down before An’gel made it back inside. “This day is going to try my patience,” she muttered to herself as she shut the door behind her. “It’s starting to rain,” she called out to her sister.
“Wonderful,” Dickce replied as she came out of her bedroom. “And we forgot to bring our raincoats. At least we have the umbrellas.”
A knock sounded on their door, and An’gel propped their umbrellas beside a nearby occasional table before she answered.
To her surprise, Jacqueline stood there, damp from the rain.
“Come in, dear,” An’gel said. “You’ll get soaked.” She hurried her goddaughter inside and shut the door.
“Thank you, Tante An’gel.” Jacqueline shivered. “The temperature is dropping, and I didn’t think to bring a jacket or an umbrella with me.”
“Come in and sit down,” Dickce said. “I’ll get you a blanket if you’d like.”
Jacqueline shook her head as she sat on the sofa. “No, thank you, I’ll be fine.” She paused for a deep breath. “I’m sorry to bother you with this, and I can’t believe I’m doing it.”
“Doing what, dear?” An’gel asked when Jacqueline failed to continue. She sat beside her goddaughter and patted her shoulder. Jacqueline now had a wretched expression, and An’gel grew alarmed. “Tell us what’s wrong.”
“It’s Horace,” Jacqueline said, barely above a whisper. She stared down at her hands, clasped tightly in her lap. “He promised me the money would be there, but it isn’t, and now I can’t pay the florist for Sondra’s bridal bouquet and the rest of the flowers.”
CHAPTER 8
Over Jacqueline’s bowed head, An’gel and Dickce exchanged startled glances. Horace Mims was reputedly worth millions, but he didn’t have the money to pay the florist for his stepdaughter’s wedding?
“That’s certainly unfortunate,” An’gel said.
Dickce sat on the other side of Jacqueline and patted her on the back. “What can we do to help?”
“I’m so embarrassed by all this, you cannot believe how much,” Jacqueline said, still gazing at her hands. “I don’t dare tell Maman about Horace’s little cash flow problem, as he calls it. It’s only temporary, he says, but it couldn’t happen at a worse time.”
“These things happen in business from time to time,” Dickce said, “or so I imagine.” She raised her eyebrows in An’gel’s direction, and An’gel gave a tiny shrug in return.
“We’ll be happy to lend you the money, Jacqueline,” An’gel said in a bracing tone. “I’m sure Horace will get his affairs sorted out quickly. Tell me how much you need, and we’ll take care of it.”
Jacqueline raised her head, and An’gel was dismayed to see that she had been crying. “Thank you, Tante An’gel, Tante Dickce, I can’t tell you how much this means to me, and to Sondra and Maman, of course, although I’ll never let either of them know anything about it.”
“We’ll keep this to ourselves,” Dickce promised. “Tell An’gel how much you need, and she’ll write you a check.”
“Two thousand dollars,” Jacqueline said. “I know it’s a lot to ask, but if I don’t get the money to the florist today, there won’t be any flowers for the wedding.”
“We certainly can’t have that,” An’gel said. “I’ll get my checkbook, and we’ll take care of this right now.” She patted Jacqueline’s arm before she rose from the sofa.
“Let me get you some tissues,” Dickce said. Jacqueline was sniffling, and her face was turning blotchy from crying. Dickce got up and went to the bathroom in search of the tissues.
An’gel came back with checkbook and pen in hand and resumed her seat next to her goddaughter. “Would you like me to make it to you, or to the florist?”
“To the florist would be fine.” Jacqueline supplied the name. “Thank you, Tante An’gel.”
Dickce returned with the tissues and handed them over. Jacqueline smiled her thanks and began dabbing at her eyes. She accepted the check from An’gel with a slightly watery smile.
An’gel glanced at Dickce, as if asking her sister a question. Dickce nodded, and An’gel spoke in a brisk tone to her goddaughter. “I tell you what, my dear. Why don’t you let this be one of our wedding gifts? It would be our pleasure.”
Jacqueline’s face reddened, and she didn’t speak for a moment. “You’re being far too generous, but I thank you. You’ll never know how much.”
For a moment An’gel thought her goddaughter was about to burst into tears, but Jacqueline collected herself. She thanked the sisters again as she folded the check and tucked it into the pocket of her pants.
“I’d better get back.” Jacqueline rose. “Maman will be wondering where I am. You’ll be coming up for breakfast soon?”
“Yes,” An’gel said, “and if there’s anything we can help with this morning, do let us know.”
Dickce echoed her sister’s words, and Jacqueline thanked them. “I think we have everything under control. Estelle is still here, so it’s breakfast as usual.”