The Bad Luck Wedding Cake by Geralyn Dawson

Author:Geralyn Dawson
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Romance, Book 2 of The Bad Luck Wedding Series, Fiction, Historical, General
ISBN: 9780671015176
Publisher: Pocket
Published: 1998-08-01T21:00:00+00:00

It’s bad luck to strike a match on a cooking pot.

CHAPTER 12

TWENTY MINUTES LATER CLAIRE held a still-wailing Katrina in her arms in Willow Hill’s front parlor. To her right on the sofa sat Maribeth, tears pouring silently down her face and occasionally accompanied by hiccups. On her left, Emma cried softly, but with such strength of emotion it all but broke Claire’s heart to watch her.

Tye stood frozen in front of them like a statue carved from a glacier.

His voice was raspy as he repeated the words Emma had just confessed. “You accidentally dosed Miss Davis and Mr. Sundine with a love potion?”

“Yes,” Maribeth sobbed. “It was supposed to be for you. We doctored up the tea we gave you and Miss Loretta at the picnic, except you only took a sip before Ralph got loose, and then you gave your glass to Mr. Sundine and he drank the rest. That’s why they ran off and got married.”

The wailing swelled in volume, and Claire attempted to offer comfort. “Oh, girls, it’s not your fault. Now that I think about it I should have seen this coming. Lars and Loretta have been making eyes at each other at The Confectionary for weeks. She came into my shop every day at lunchtime, and they carried on their flirtation in front of half the town. Believe me, their elopement had nothing to do with any love potion.”

Tye cleared his throat. “This love potion. Is it Miss Donovan’s Magic?”

Emma shook her head, her lips dipped in a frown of confusion. “It wasn’t Magic. It was magic. Madam LaRue’s magic. We bought it from her.”

“Madam LaRue.” Tye dragged a hand through his hair. “I talked to her after you disappeared. She never said a word.” He heaved a heavy sigh and said, “Tell us the rest of it.”

Katrina lifted her face from Claire’s bosom, and the three girls looked at one another. “Go ahead and tell him, Emma,” the middle sister directed. “Get it over with so he can kill us fast instead of dragging it out.”

Tye shot Claire an apprehensive look as Emma nibbled at her lower lip. Claire reached over and patted her knee. “Go ahead, honey. Your uncle needs to know the truth.”

What followed was a tale that left Claire shuddering in fear at the thought of the dangers the girls had faced. Hell’s Half Acre past midnight. A black-arts priestess. A drunken Big Jack Bailey. Lost on the vast prairie west of town. “Oh, my.”

At one point during the story Tye had leaned against the wall for support. When Emma relayed the part where they pulled the gun on Big Jack, his knees appeared to give out, and he slid slowly to the floor, his head hanging between his knees.

Emma wrapped up the tale, sniffling as she said, “And now it’s all ruined. Miss Loretta can’t marry you, so you won’t stay here and live in Fort Worth like we want you to.”

Tye lifted his head. His face looked ravaged. “What are you talking about, Em?”

“We want you to stay, Uncle.

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