The Christmas Quilt by Lenora Worth

Author:Lenora Worth [Worth, Lenora]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Zebra Books
Published: 2023-06-02T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

The next night, Colette studied her quilt again. She’d spread it out on the bed so she could see the overall view. In all the different scenes, her heart spotted the truth. She couldn’t pretend she didn’t care about Mattie. She would, always. So she must find out what Shelah and that man were up to, for Matthew’s sake. His family could use the money from Saul’s estate, and if she knew Matthew, he’d make sure Shelah and Kathleen were provided for, too.

Her visit with Agnes would have to wait. She’d seen Kathleen and Shelah leaving in one of the inn’s buggies earlier. Henry had told her they were going to see Matthew’s folks. She’d watched all day, but they’d only returned at dusk. Aggravated, she’d come into her bedroom to find some quiet time.

This quilt showed her love for Matthew, beginning in their growing-up years and stretching out into adulthood. Their love shined through each stitch. Her mamm and sisters had guided her hands on this one. She planned to put a pretty poinsettia panel in the middle. She and Matthew always set out the poinsettias every Christmas. The lobby and lounge of the inn were now full of them, and they’d put one in each room, some a creamy white and some rich red. It was frustrating to see everything she and Matthew had been through together, knowing they might not be together again.

Abby had helped her with a panel depicting the restaurant—two faceless figures in front of a brown buffet with a vase of flowers centered near the pies and cakes. She’d worked side by side with Mattie for years now. Why hadn’t she seen what was right in front of her sooner?

They could have been married already.

She’d add the frolic, showing a lot of faceless men and women mingling, with one man off to the side, and one woman off to the other side. Their pretend breakup.

She stood there, thinking of Shelah and that strange man, wondering if Jonah’s hunch could be true. Maybe if she befriended Shelah, the other woman would talk. She’d done that the other night after the frolic. Shelah needed a friend, but why did Colette have to be that friend?

To get to the truth, if nothing else.

She’d pray on that. Right now, she only wanted to study her quilt and cherish her memories. Memories she’d taken for granted for too long now.

Her bedroom door opened without a knock and in walked Abigail and Eliza, her two married, dreamy-eyed sisters.

“I didn’t say you two could visit tonight.”

“Do we need an invitation?” Eliza asked as she touched a hand to the quilt. “Oh, this is lovely, Colette. So festive.”

“Festive? My whole crumbling life laid out in each panel, and you find it festive?”

“It has Christmas colors,” Eliza said with a jutting lip. “And anyone who has a brain can see you and Mattie belong together.”

“How? His name is not on the quilt.”

Abigail let out a huff. “Neh, but your style is all over it, and if a person knows you two, they’d see him, too, in these scenes.

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