Chocolate Macaroons and a Dead Groom by A. Gardner

Author:A. Gardner [Gardner, A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Gemma Halliday Publishing
Published: 2015-09-11T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Destin walks into the kitchen, giving everything away by the elated look on his face. I anxiously wait until he's settled to ask him if he proposed to Val last night, but I already know the answer to that. The answer has to be yes.

After Jules guided me back to Le Croissant, we went our separate ways. I didn't sleep a wink. Paranoia set in, causing me to do a sweep of my apartment every hour, which didn't take long. I peeked through my window dozens of times, bracing myself in case a creepy figure was lingering across the street. I might have been over-exaggerating, but my gut hasn't let me down lately. I should pay more attention to it.

"So," I say to Destin as he dries his hands. "Did she say yes?"

"I'm engaged," he proudly states. "I agreed to dedicate all my time off to us, and she promised to never pay me a visit at work again."

"Congratulations."

Before I get the chance to ask him how he did it, Michel bursts through the kitchen door panting. He takes a moment to catch his breath. My chest starts pounding when he searches the kitchen, making eye contact with me first.

"Details of Lord Dovington's case have been leaked," he informs me. "Some reporters are here asking questions about a man in the hospital and some questionable chocolate macaroons."

Destin looks at me, and all at once the anxiety I experienced in Cornwall comes rushing back. I grab the counter in front of me to steady myself. My quiet days of kneading pastry dough are over. Sam has come back to haunt me.

"You're turning scarlet," Destin mutters.

My breathing picks up as I think about the last conversation I had with Detective Casey. I hear a woman screaming in the back of my head and see flashes of Sam's body at the bottom of the cliff. If that isn't enough to send me into a full-fledged panic attack, I also can't shake the image of an elderly man lying on the floor moments after eating one of my chocolate macaroons.

"I would suggest that you all avoid the front today," Michel says. "And confine your breaks to the back garden or even my office if you like. I'm going to make sure the gates out back remain locked."

Destin says something quickly in French, and Michel gasps. He shakes his head.

"Of course it is a big deal," Michel responds in English. "This is the Dovington family we're talking about. British royalty."

I ignore them and focus on myself. I exhale and take in a deep breath. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Dandre walk in munching on a croissant from yesterday. He hardly notices that I'm about to keel over. I rub the small of my back. All the stress is making it ache more than usual.

"You're worried for nothing," Destin insists. Michel throws his hands up in the air. "Poppy, I'll keep an eye out. You go and do what you normally do.

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