Santa's Secret by Michelle Cornish

Author:Michelle Cornish [Michelle Cornish]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: SolVin Creative
Published: 2023-10-20T00:00:00+00:00

Fifteen

Pine Haven B&B was dressed in holiday splendor, lights twinkling and soft carols playing in the background. Elise took in the charming scene, a hint of nostalgia tugging at her heart, a reminder of what times were like before her parents had died. She’d always had so much fun decorating with them.

Nicholas would be there any minute. Despite the underlying mystery of Clara’s disappearance, Elise was ready for a moment of peace, and Nicholas was quickly becoming a comforting presence in her life. Tonight was about raising funds for the food bank. Her case could wait until morning.

The main hall was buzzing with guests. Elise spotted Mayor Thorne, engaged in a lively conversation with a group of townsfolk. As she wandered through the living room, sipping her drink, she overheard a fragment of his conversation. “If only she hadn’t been so curious, things would’ve been different for Clara.” What did he mean by that?

Her heart raced. Did he know something? She shook her head. It had barely been a minute since she’d been happy to forget about the case for the night. Why was that so difficult in this town? Before she could delve further into that thought, Clara’s aunt Sylvia approached her, a polite smile on her face. “Good evening, Elise.”

“Hi, Sylvia.” Elise scanned the faces around her. “Are Tim and Madeline coming?”

Sylvia hesitated. “They needed a break. This time of year is always tough on them.”

Elise nodded, her mind swirling. The front door opened, and Nicholas walked in, looking dashing and outdoorsy in a festive sweater under his open coat. Elise’s heart fluttered. Their eyes met, a silent communication passing between them. He was headed toward her when Agnes seemed to come from out of nowhere. “Nicholas! Thank you for coming, dear.”

“Of course. I wouldn’t miss it,” he said.

Rather than interrupt their conversation, Elise opted to mingle. Christy would call it eavesdropping, but Elise had solved many cases simply by paying attention.

Aromatic pastries and freshly brewed coffee sat on a long table. Jeanette’s handiwork, she was sure. She scanned the room, surprised Jeanette hadn’t made her presence known yet. After how she had acted at Evergreen Arts that evening, Elise didn’t know what to expect from the woman who clearly wanted Nicholas all to herself.

Elise spotted Martha Whitman across the room, chatting animatedly with a small group of people. Although the fiery words she had read in Martha's journal were still fresh in her mind, she pulled up the photograph she’d taken of the journal page. Martha’s words painted a vivid image of the tension between the Whitmans and Evergreens, or at least the tension Martha Whitman felt. So far, Elise had seen no evidence that the Evergreens harbored the same ill feelings. Drawing a deep breath, she approached the older woman, a polite smile playing on her lips.

“Mrs. Whitman?” Elise began, extending her hand. “I'm Elise. We haven't met yet, but I'm staying here at Pine Haven.”

Martha's gaze scrutinized Elise for a moment before she replied, “Ah, the young woman staying in the Evergreen Suite.

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