The Garden Guild by Elizabeth Bromke

Author:Elizabeth Bromke [Bromke, Elizabeth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Elizabeth Bromke

Chapter 20—Emily

Monday morning, Emily was tasked with the impossible. To test out if her new boss was open to courting the offer of an investment from Betsy Borden.

She left the house and walked in little zig-zags toward the funeral home, humming to herself and fidgeting her fingers between practicing conversations.

This was made all the more awkward by a rough morning for Mrs. Grimwood, who was so terribly sick that she hadn’t even come down for coffee or breakfast. Norman might be late to work, in fact.

Still, Emily managed to get to the funeral home, unlock the front door and flip the open sign. She turned the lights on. Tidied Norman’s desk and then her own. Watered the plants. Arranged the day’s newspaper just so on the coffee table in the lobby.

Then, Emily waited.

Mr. Kreuger peeked in on her, bored, apparently. She mentioned vaguely that Mr. Grimwood would be in soon and that they had an important meeting later in the morning. The mortician already knew about this, apparently, because he nodded gravely and apologized about the meeting.

The entire conversation, however, reminded Emily just how superfluous a second mortuary would be. Sure, they needed more graveyard plots. But did that really necessitate a new enterprise?

She thought not.

By half past nine, Emily grew nervous. No sign of Norman and the mayor was due to arrive at ten.

After a brief contemplation, she decided to call him at the house. It felt important enough, and since Norman wasn’t one to miss a meeting, she figured she’d better check to make sure things were okay.

When she called him, though, he didn’t answer. The phone rang and rang, and no one picked up.

The minute hand of the old grandfather clock dragged itself to the nine. Fifteen minutes left.

Worried now, Emily thought she could run home and check on Norman and his mother. Or she could stay. Wait. And, worst case scenario, play tour guide at the cemetery.

Another five minutes of twiddling her thumbs and twirling her pencil and Emily had just one option: she’d have to stay.

Just as she stood to find Mr. Kreuger, who might be more educated on the matters of plot figures and acreage, the front door creaked open.

Emily swiveled back, fully expecting to see Norman rush in, panicked… but no.

“Mayor Brooks,” she greeted, quickly plastering a smile to her mouth. “You’re… here.”

“Yes.” He grinned broadly, his arms protruding as they attempted to hang loosely along his sides. Seeing him standing there, he was nearly unrecognizable compared to the man who had sat behind a microphone and a broad, elevated cabinet.

Mayor Brooks was short. Emily’s height. Five foot two. And he was as round as he was tall. “Call me Bob,” he added. “Miss Emily, right?”

She was taken aback by his keen memory. It wasn’t even the mayor Emily had scheduled with. It was his secretary. “Yes sir. Emily Addams. At your service.” She stuck out her hand, and he took it in both of his, shaking it warmly before twisting to study the lobby.

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