An Aunt Bessie Collection - STU: The nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first books in the Isle of Man Cozy Mystery Series by Xarissa Diana

Author:Xarissa, Diana [Xarissa, Diana]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 3340590435
Published: 2019-06-05T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

“We should probably wait to cut the cake until after Pete arrives,” Doona said a short while later.

“Maybe we should get our pieces now to save time when he gets here,” Hugh suggested.

Bessie laughed. “I’m sure Pete won’t mind if we cut the cake without him. I was hoping you might be full after two helpings of spaghetti, though,” she told Hugh.

He flushed. “Grace’s pregnancy has made me extra hungry, too,” he said sheepishly. “Although she’s not so hungry these days, because she’s pretty uncomfortable most of the time. Baby Watterson is getting bigger really quickly and Grace reckons he or she is squashing her stomach.”

“It won’t hurt you to put on a few pounds now,” John said. “Once the baby arrives, you’ll miss a few meals here and there.”

“And Grace won’t be up to cooking, so make sure you’re ready to take over that job,” Doona added.

Hugh nodded. “We’ve been cooking together a lot lately. She’s taught me how to make all of our favourite things so that I can make them for us once the baby arrives. Her mother will probably stay with us for a while, though, and she’s already insisting that she’ll do all of the cooking and cleaning so we can focus on the baby.”

“After that, she can come and stay with me for a few weeks,” Doona offered. “I don’t have a baby to look after, but I’d love to have someone do my cooking and cleaning.”

“Surely you can afford to hire someone now,” John suggested.

Doona flushed. “I probably could,” she said softly. “It isn’t something I’ve ever really considered, though.”

“Cake,” Bessie said loudly. She cut slices for everyone, passing around plates. “Should I cut one for Pete?” she asked.

The words were barely out of her mouth when he knocked on the door. “I hope I’m not too late,” he said after he’d hugged Bessie and greeted the others.

“Not at all. Would you like a slice of cake?”

Pete looked at the chocolate layer cake and nodded. “I shouldn’t, as Helen made us a lovely dinner tonight, but we’re both trying to eat more healthily, so pudding was an apple. That cake is too much to resist.”

Bessie put his plate on the table while Hugh was moving a chair from the dining room into the kitchen for him.

Pete sat down and picked up his fork. “Did I miss anything?”

“We haven’t talked about the case at all yet,” John replied. “We thought it was best to wait for you.”

“It isn’t even a case,” Bessie interjected. “I’m not sure what to call it.”

“I don’t think it much matters what we call it,” John said. “Hugh and Doona haven’t heard any of the details yet, so let me summarise things before we begin.”

Bessie ate her cake slowly while John told the others about Lora and her recent misfortunes. When he was done, she repeated everything she could remember happening at Lora’s house when she’d been there. She also reported everything that had happened since.

“Have you learned anything more about the kettle?” Bessie asked John when she was done.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.