Return to Celebration House by Annette Drake

Author:Annette Drake
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: humor, sisters, grief, ghost, american civil war, historian, homes for sale, venue, ghost mansion
Publisher: Annette Drake

Ten

When she walked around the corner of Stratton House, Beth Kozera thought she saw a ghost. She thought she saw Carrie.

A blond woman, clad in a bright orange striped sweater, sat alone on the back porch. Steam rose from the coffee mug in front of her. She stared forlornly at the swallows that flittered in and out among the apple trees in the nearby orchard.

“Melanie?”

She turned toward Beth. For half a second, Melanie’s face reflected her sadness and confusion. Then she straightened her back and smiled confidently.

“Good morning,” Melanie said. “This is a surprise. To what do I owe this pleasure?”

Beth stepped up onto the back porch. “I heard about yesterday’s wedding. I came out to check on you.”

Melanie slumped in her chair. “Oh. News travels fast in a small town.”

Beth shrugged. “At least there wasn’t a fire.”

Melanie cocked her head and raised an eyebrow.

Beth explained. “At my first wedding, one of the buffet tables collapsed. The Sterno candles underneath the serving pans lit the table skirts on fire.”

“You’re kidding?”

Beth chuckled now at the memory. “Oh, no. The best part was, the fire extinguisher was outside in the garage. The chef poured pitchers of water onto the flames to put them out.”

“Oh my God.”

“Exactly. And then the groom sued me.”

“What?” Melanie said, starting to laugh.

Beth chuckled too. “Yeah. Kind of puts a stained rug in perspective, huh?”

Melanie laid her cheek against her hand. “How’s Myrna?”

“Better. It was kind of you to send her home yesterday and manage the event by yourself. Thank you.”

Melanie sighed deeply. “Who told you about yesterday’s fiasco?”

“Zach. He’s worried about you.”

A moment of silence passed. The gentle morning breeze played with Melanie’s hair. “It is beautiful here. I’ll give Carrie that.”

“Stratton House grows on you,” Beth agreed.

Melanie looked past her to the apple orchard again. “What am I doing here?”

Beth sat at the small table. After a moment’s pause, she reached out and covered Melanie’s hand with hers. “I don’t know if you’ll believe me, but your sister once asked me that same question. And my answer to you is the one I gave her: you’re giving couples like the one yesterday a place to celebrate the most important day of their lives.”

The wind flirted with Melanie’s long golden hair. The peacefulness of Stratton House engulfed them.

Beth patted her hand. “So, c’mon. Grab that thick phone book of a planner I’ve seen you lug around, and let’s come up with some ideas of how we can be sure the next wedding goes much smoother.”

Melanie rose from the table to retrieve her planner. “Can I offer you a cup of coffee?”

“Yes, please. Decaf, I’m sorry to say. And there’s a half full bottle of Irish whiskey in the cabinet to the right of the stove. I can’t imbibe because of my pregnancy, but your sister and I used to. I think this is the perfect time for an Irish coffee.”

“Carrie drank Irish coffee? In the morning?”

“Oh, yes. Frequently. In the morning,” Beth said, smiling at Melanie. “By the way, where did you find that sweater? I haven’t seen it since Carrie wore it.

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