The twins tugged at their own clothes, making it clear Victoria had the same effect on them.
No one said anything until Skye remembered her manners. “So glad you could make it on such short notice. Please make yourself comfortable. I’ll get us some drinks.”
Victoria chose a canvas sling chair facing the sofa and sank gracefully onto its seat. “I wouldn’t have missed this chance to spend time with my dear cousins.”
“I have mimosas and Bellinis. What would you all like?” Skye stood ready to fetch the glasses from the kitchen.
After Skye explained what both drinks contained, the twins opted for mimosas and Victoria asked for a Bellini. Skye filled her own glass with orange juice and 7-UP, adding a little grenadine to disguise the fact that she wasn’t drinking any alcohol.
Skye returned to the great room carrying a tray of drinks. She had just served the last goblet when Bingo entered the room. He froze in the doorway and sniffed the air. Walking stiffly, he advanced toward Victoria and launched himself into her lap.
Victoria shrieked and held up her hands to stop him but Skye heard the chiffon of her dress rip. Skye scooped up the indignant cat, stuffed him into her bedroom, and closed the door.
She turned to Victoria. “Are you all right? I’m so sorry. He’s never behaved that way before.”
With a stunned expression Victoria examined the tears in the fabric of her dress. “This was brand-new. It cost a hundred and forty-nine dollars plus tax.”
“Maybe it could be fixed,” Skye offered weakly.
“I don’t want it fixed. I want it new!” Victoria’s face turned an unattractive shade of red and her voice screeched like fingernails on a chalkboard.
“I’ll write you a check.” Skye felt a knot in her stomach as she handed over the slip of paper.
After looking it over, Victoria tucked the check into her purse. “I’ll let you know how much the tax was.” Sitting back in her chair, she said, “I believe I’m ready for that drink now.”
Skye sat on the only vacant seat and took a sip from her glass. She searched her mind for a topic of conversation and finally said, “When are Flip and Irv going on that fishing trip?”
“They decided to skip it this year. We’re going to spend their vacations camping at the rec club,” Gillian answered for them both.
“Oh? I’m surprised. I thought I heard them say they had already made all the arrangements.” Skye kept a neutral look on her face.
“Well, with Grandma dying and Momma in the hospital we decided this wasn’t a good time.” Gillian finished her mimosa.
Skye poured her a refill from the pitcher. “That’s too bad. It sounded as if they were really looking forward to it.”
Ginger chugged the rest of her drink. “Maybe if we had got Grandma’s good jewelry, like she promised us, they could have gone, but no one seems to know anything about that.”
Victoria, who had been silent, asked, “Grandma Leofanti had good jewelry?”
“No,” Skye answered, “all she had was the emerald ring that she passed to me on my eighteenth birthday as the firstborn granddaughter, a pair of earrings, and a pendant. As it turned out, we each ended up with one piece.” Skye filled Ginger’s empty goblet.
“What about me?” Victoria pouted.
“Sorry, Hugo chose the living room set.” Skye reappeared from the kitchen with a fresh drink for Victoria. “So, how’s Aunt Minnie doing?”
Gillian looked at Ginger before speaking. “Pretty good. They’ve decided to keep her for a thirty-day observation.”
“That’s as long as most insurance companies will pay for a psychiatric stay,” Skye said.
“That explains it then.” Ginger put her empty glass down.
“Can she have visitors?” Skye asked.
“Just Ginger, Daddy, and me.” Gillian tossed back her third mimosa.
“Did you ever hear about your mom going away for a rest when she was in high school?” Skye picked her words with care.
The twins shook their heads.
Ginger leaned forward. “A rest? What do you mean?”
“Nothing, really. Someone mentioned they thought they remembered your mom going away for a while when she was in her teens.” Skye stood up. “Everyone ready to eat?”
The group moved to the table. Skye had set it with a starched linen cloth and matching napkins. The seafoam green dishes she had inherited seemed to float on the white expanse. Her everyday flatware had been polished until it looked almost like real silver. The pink crystal goblets she had chosen from her grandmother’s estate sparkled in the bright sunlight from the patio doors.
A centerpiece made up of pink roses and ferns from May’s cutting garden completed the setting. Skye brought out the cantaloupe bowls with fresh fruit and they began to eat.
“What does Prescott do for fun in the summer?” Skye asked Victoria.
“He’s taking golf and tennis lessons at the club.” Victoria spooned a melon ball into her mouth.
“Really? When did the rec club start that?”
Victoria laughed. “Not the rec club, the country club in Kankakee.”
Ginger frowned. “Wow, that must cost a pretty penny. How long have you and Hugo belonged?”
“Since just after we were married. Not that it’s any of your business.”
Gillian finished off her fifth mimosa. “Hugo must do pretty well selling cars. Or have you taken a job, Victoria?”
Victoria drained her glass. “As a matter of fact, I have.”
As she refilled everyone’s drink, Skye wondered if she would have to drive them all home. “Where are you working, Victoria?”
“That’s the wonderful thing about this job and really the only reason I agreed to take it, even though he begged me to.”
Skye put steaming pieces of quiche on everyone’s plate. “Don’t keep us in suspense. Tell us about this wonderful position.”
“I’m going to be the hostess for the new Castleview housing development.” Victoria stuck out her hand. “Mr. Castleview gave me this ring as a welcome aboard present.” She indicated the ruby Skye had noticed at her grandmother’s wake.
“The one over by the McDonald’s?” Ginger took a bite of her quiche.
“No, the brand new one. The one he’s going to build.” Victoria dabbed her mouth with her napkin.
“Where’s that one going to be?” Skye sat down to eat her own meal.
Victoria giggled. “I’m not allowed to tell.”
Skye raised her eyebrows but didn’t comment and they each dug into their food. No one spoke until they’d finished.
Finally, her words slurred, Ginger said, “What’s the big secret?”
They all looked at Victoria, who gazed back with a puzzled expression.
Skye rose and cleared the table. She came back with the lemon silk sherbet and dream bars. Conversation was suspended once again while Skye served dessert.
When she finished she took her place next to Victoria and patted her hand. “Victoria, we want to know why you can’t tell us the location of Castleview’s next housing development.”
“ ’Cause I’m not supposed to tell.”
“Why?”
Her brows drew together and she nibbled on a thumb-nail. “I’m not sure, but Hugo and Mr. Castleview said not to, and you can’t make me.”
CHAPTER 21
Seven, Eight, It’s Too Late
It was nearly five o’clock by the time Skye finished driving her tipsy cousins home and helping their husbands fetch the cars in which they had arrived. She couldn’t stop wondering just where the new Castleview development was going to be. Hugo had refused to comment, saying that Victoria tended to imagine things.
Skye had released Bingo from his confinement, cleared the great room, and was up to her elbows in soapy water when her phone rang.
After wiping her hands off with the kitchen towel, she grabbed the receiver. “Hello.”