Murder at the Market by Carolynn Verna

Author:Carolynn Verna
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tower House Publishing
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

I retrieved the sample arrangements from The Jumping Bean, eliciting no disapproving looks from Jeanne. I would have to be on my best behavior the next several times I came in if I were going to win her back. The L' Auberge Isaco stood at the opposite end of downtown in a large three-story Victorian mansion complete with a turret and wrap-around porch. Over the last one hundred and fifty years, this house had gone from personal residence to inn to boarding house and back several times. I had always loved this beautiful, old painted lady with her periwinkle wood siding, white shutters and trim and deep indigo front and screen doors. Years ago, the grounds had boasted one of the town’s largest collections of heritage roses, but they had died out long ago. All that was left of the gardens was a line of boxwoods bordering the lawn where the flowers once grew. I parked the truck in the gravel parking area under a majestic live oak with heavy branches that nearly touched the ground.

As a small town, Isaco would probably not generate enough business to support a hotel of this size were it not for the picturesque Rainbow Springs nearby. My guess was that Maelynn St. Pierre would market the hotel to the nature loving crowd. The arrangements I brought with me as samples featured several native Florida species, including blanket flower, coneflower, coreopsis, salvia, beauty berry, along with some of my favorite zinnias. I had added some Thai basil and catnip in the greenery to give the bouquets the herbal scent my arrangements had become known for.

I planned to pitch a dozen seasonal arrangements a week to be placed in rooms and the front desk. This would be a stretch for me to accomplish, but it would be worth the extra work and would provide me with consistent income. I was the only local flower farmer at the market on the weekend, but there was a local florist. The subscription service would be a change to my basic business model and move me firmly into the farmer florist arena. This first step into that world would be an excellent learning experience for me. If I could convince Ms. St. Peters to give me a chance.

Walking up the steps toward the front porch, I noticed more changes in the building. The wood on the porch had been replaced in several areas, and the replacement boards had not yet been painted. The deep indigo on the screen door was peeling and the glass in the transom above the trim had cracked. From the street, the old building looked just as magical as ever, but up close, I could see the amount of work needed to bring her back to her true former glory. I whistled softly under my breath when I thought about how much money would be needed just to restore the exterior and wondered what the interior had looked like. Whatever Maelynn had been doing since she left Isaco, I hoped she had gained deep pockets.

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