The Casserole Courtship by Elizabeth Guider

Author:Elizabeth Guider
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: womens fiction, contemporary
Publisher: Foundations Books Publishing Company

When the doorbell rang around 4:30 on the 14th, Serena had just arranged the top layer of vegetables in a glass dish and dribbled melted butter and breadcrumbs over the top. She rinsed her hands in the sink and hurried to the front door. How could Maks have gotten the time so wrong?

To her surprise, Eliot and Caroline stood there, both in business attire. She was clutching a loose-leaf folder, he an outsized camera.

“We were in the neighborhood and thought...but I can see you’re busy,” he burbled, noticing the apron.

“No, no. Do come in. I have to heat the oven but then I’m all yours,” she responded, ushering them in.

Eliot and Caroline waited awkwardly in the foyer, the smells from the kitchen making it clear that they had intruded. Caroline cast her eyes about, taking in the high ceilings and spacious parlor off to her right, a terrace with fan palms in huge pots beyond.

“If she supplies us with the floor plan, we can do a walkabout on our own,” she whispered.

Before Eliot could respond, Serena returned, sans apron and with a folder of her own—documents related to her purchase of the house. “Why don’t I show you the cracks outside. You can check the basement yourselves for anything additional.”

She led them through the parlor where the lavender roses had held up well and out onto the terrace. At the far edge a barbecue grill stood with its hood up. Fancy skewers lay across a metal tray, waiting to be threaded.

Out in the yard, Serena pointed to the side wall where oleander bushes alternated with mock orange. Stepping between two shrubs, she stooped to reveal a portion of the wall that had chipped off, exposing a beam.

“What worries me most is how damp the soil is, as though there’s a leaky pipe undermining the foundation.” She moved aside to allow the two to take photos and notes.

On the way back inside, Serena stopped to pick up something from the table, something that looked to Caroline like a nasal spray.

Pausing at the entrance to the kitchen, Serena said: “I should have offered you something to drink. Water, or fresh lemonade. The fruit trees in the back never stop producing. Or there’s a Sancerre in the fridge. I think it’s one you like, Eliot. If memory serves.”

Color rose in his cheeks, but Eliot ignored the reference. “Lemonade sounds lovely, but after we take a look below.”

“Down this other hallway,” she replied, gesturing toward the back of the house. “Door’s not locked and a light switch is right inside.” She turned to place a lid on the Pyrex dish and slid it into the oven.

In the basement, which was spotless, Eliot and Caroline checked the walls but found nothing unusual. And from what they could tell of the pipes, nothing was amiss.

“Are we sure the same contractor worked on this house as on the others?” Caroline asked.

“Not necessarily,” he replied.

She moved toward the light hanging from the ceiling to consult the folder. “What

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