Mind Your Manors by CeeCee James

Author:CeeCee James [James, CeeCee]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-12-29T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

Mrs. Crawford walked up her porch steps. She skirted a planter filled with lush ferns and opened the screen door.

“You thirsty?” she asked.

Well, after that last comment, I sure was. I nodded.

“Come on in. I have some fresh lemon cookies I just made this morning. Heaven only knows why I do that to myself. After a certain age, a woman has to watch every bite. But as luck would have it, you can help me eat them.”

I smiled and followed her into the house.

It was cool inside, painted a soft blue. White wood trim wrapped around the doors and windows. The floor creaked as I walked, a comforting creak. The kind that says, it’s been a long day and you’re home now.

“Shall we eat out on the sun porch?” she asked. “Might as well take advantage of the sunshine while we have it.”

Of course, I nodded. She was already leading the way to a large screened room filled with white wicker furniture. Hanging baskets of flowers decorated the corners. She flipped the switch for an overhead fan, its blades four white palm leaves, and then gestured to a chair.

“I’ll be right back,” she said, her caftan top flowing softly with her movement.

I pulled out a chair and briefly admired the floral cushion. The room looked out onto the meadow we’d just traveled through. It was cooler in here. I heard a sound of bells, which momentarily made my heart leap. But a quick look around identified them as a small set of wind chimes.

“So.” Mrs. Crawford breezed back through the doorway. She had a tray in her hand with two ice-filled glasses of tea. She set it on the table and I saw a few powered-sugar lemon cookies sitting on a plate. She settled into the chair across from me and took her glass.

“There’s some sugar on the tray if you need your tea sweetened,” she said.

I lifted a frosty glass and took a sip. I tried not to pucker. It did indeed need some sugar.

She laughed and nudged the sugar bowl closer to me. As I stirred in a spoonful, she leaned back in her chair and looked out into the meadow.

“It really is lovely this time of year,” she reminisced.

I nodded.

“Please, have a cookie,” she said.

I grabbed one and, since she was watching closely, took a big bite. “Mmm, so good,” I said. And I meant it.

“Wonderful. It was my mother’s recipe. She used to make it on days like this.” She took a sip and set her glass down. “I promised you a story.”

Excitement hit me, possibly fueled by the sugar. Finally, I was going to get some answers.

“So, I know the skeleton can’t be Kyle’s.” She smiled, just a tiny one. I held my breath. “Because I knew him quite well.” Her finger ran under a turquoise necklace she was wearing.

“You knew him?”

“I most certainly knew Kyle. I went to school with him. He was a few years older than me. He may have been a bit smitten with me.

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