Inherit the Wool

by Betty Hechtman

  Chapter Six

  I continued on up the path to the Cypress building. Since ours was the only retreat going on, the other room in the single-story building wasn’t being used and the door was shut. The door to our section of the building was wide open and Crystal was sitting at the long table knitting with some buttercup-colored yarn. Just seeing her rainbow layers of shirts and crazy combo of earrings made me smile. She looked up when I came in and did my rounds of the room. The coffee and tea service had already been set up next to my tin of cookies and a cozy fire burned in the fireplace. There were two smallish plastic bins next to the table that had the needles and yarn for the group. My large tote bag was on the chair where I’d left it earlier. I helped myself to some coffee and flopped onto one of the chairs.

  “That bad?” Crystal said, eyeing my slouch.

  “This is just so different than my usual retreat. They’re all so difficult,” I groaned. “It’s crazy. One person didn’t show up, someone else who is a complete surprise did show up, and they’re all having a fit about their phones not working.”

  “Give it a little time. They’re going through electronic withdrawal. You’ve had retreaters like that before. It’ll work out, you’ll see,” Crystal said in a reassuring voice.

  “I’m sure you’re right,” I said, making myself sit up straight. “I have to stop being so whiny.”

  “So there’s a mystery retreater,” Crystal said. “That’s a first. Who is she?”

  “How about she’s a he,” I said. I was just finishing explaining who Zak was when Madeleine Delacorte came in and pulled out a chair.

  “Where is everybody?” she said, looking around.

  I hadn’t seen her since she’d convinced me to act as the registration clerk in the morning. So much had happened since then that I’d completely forgotten that she said she’d be hanging out with the group. I remembered that she’d told me a reunion of college friends was another experience she’d missed thanks to her restrictive mother. Actually, I didn’t even know if Madeleine had gone to college.

  I wasn’t sure it was the best idea. Once the group knew she was one of the owners of Vista Del Mar, they might start laying their complaints on her. But by the same token, since I’d told her she was welcome to participate in any retreats I put on, I couldn’t really do anything. And Madeleine seemed so happy to be there. She turned to Crystal with a friendly expression. “I just love all the colors you wear. I wish I had the courage to try wearing unmatching earrings.” She had an impish smile. “Cora would throw such a fit.”

  Crystal’s mouth curved into an uncomfortable smile and I knew what my helper was thinking. She was still wrapping her mind around the fact that Madeleine was her great-aunt even though the older woman didn’t have a clue.

  “Good, I’m not late,” Lucinda said, rushing into the room. She still had her bag with her and I said I’d get her set up with her room after the workshop. She stowed her bag in the corner and smiled when she saw Madeleine. “We’re the two locals, so maybe we should stick together.”

  “What a good idea,” Madeleine said, enthusiastically patting Lucinda’s hand.

  Lucinda thanked me again for the invitation. “You have no idea how much I need this. These retreats are what keep me sane. Between all of Tag’s fussing—” She stopped herself and looked around. “Just checking to make sure that Elizabeth isn’t around. She seemed so hung up on believing the fairy tale on the menu. I wouldn’t want to ruin her fantasy that everything is so perfectly happy ever after with Tag. Anyway, dealing with him and everything it takes to run the restaurant leaves me burned out. But a weekend with your knitters and I’m ready to face everything again. She took off her Burberry trench coat and the silk scarf she had on underneath and hung them on one of the chairs. “Does it matter where I sit?”

  I suggested sitting in the middle of the group. “That way you can help.”

  “Really? My knitting skills are pretty basic.” I assured Lucinda that she knew more than the group coming in.

  “I’d be glad to help, too,” Madeleine said. “I can certainly help anyone who needs assistance in casting on.”

  Before Lucinda sat, she insisted on getting drinks for Madeleine and Crystal. I laughed as I watched her make a perfect cup of tea for Madeleine and ask what shade of brown Crystal wanted her coffee as she prepared to add the cream. Lucinda never stopped playing host.

  I heard the sound of voices coming up the path and put on my brightest smile as I prepared to greet them. The four women fell silent as they came inside and looked around nervously, as if they expected a giant knitting needle to come out and spear them. I got them over the awkward moment by getting up and bringing them to the table. I quickly introduced Crystal as their teacher.

  “Welcome,” Crystal said brightly. Her colorful mismatched appearance and manner immediately put them at ease and all four of them let down their guard.

  “Zak said he’d come by a little later,” Elizabeth said. “I helped him find his room.” After making sure there weren’t assigned seats, she picked one and actually folded her hands on the table when she sat down.

  It was impossible to miss the disdain in Vanessa’s expression as she looked around the room and chose a seat. She peeled the long black sweater she wore off the yellow designer jacket and hung it on the back of her chair. Lucinda eyed the sweater with an appreciative nod and I assumed it was more designer garb.

  “Who’s Zak?” Lucinda asked, looking at me. I realized she hadn’t been there when I told Crystal about him and explained the mystery retreater.

  Elizabeth leaned into Lucinda. “Who’s she?” She tried her best to indicate Madeleine without pointing.

  I heard Elizabeth’s comment and quickly stepped in and introduced Madeleine, casually mentioning that she and her sister owned Vista Del Mar. I avoided Crystal’s eye when I said the last part because now that she knew she was actually a Delacorte descendant and the hotel and conference center was supposed to go to her grandfather’s heirs, it felt awkward. “And both Lucinda and Madeleine know how to knit already and are here to help.”

  “I love that story about you and your husband,” Elizabeth said to Lucinda. “I guess it is never too late for the right person to show up.”

  Lucinda smiled at her sweetly. “Yes, it’s always good to have hope. But let’s hear about all of you.” Lucinda broadened her view to take in the whole group. “Casey introduced you when you all came in the Blue Door, but I need a little refresher course and Madeleine is starting from scratch.”

  “Why don’t we get started,” Crystal said. “Then when you’re working you can introduce yourselves.” I’d seen her stealing a look at her watch and understood she was coming from a different place than the rest of them. This was a job for her and she had allotted only so much time for the workshop and then she had a life of her own.

  There was a slight delay as they all got drinks and cookies and got settled. Zak came in just as Crystal went to close the door to keep in the warmth of the fire. He looked at her once and then again as he found a seat. I was a pretty good student of human nature by now and I could tell that he liked what he saw.

  “Before we start I thought I’d tell you a little about the history of knitting,” Crystal began. She started talking about ancient Egypt and a pair of socks and I watched as everyone’s eyes glazed over. Luckily, Crystal noticed it as well and skipped ahead to the present. She mentioned that knitting had gone from being a useful craft to make articles of clothing to a pastime. While it had faded in popularity for a while, recently there’d been a resurgence of interest in it as a hobby, and men had joined in. Lately it had become known as a stress reducer, a social craft and an art form. “But really when you get right down to it, it’s all about making loops.” She held up a ball of red yarn in one hand and a long red scarf in the other. “It’s pretty amazing how you can turn this”—she lifted the hand with the yarn—“into this,” she said indicating the scarf in the other hand. “And enjoy do
ing it.”

  “Is that what we’re going to make?” Courtney asked, looking at the scarf that was now on the table.

  Crystal smiled. “Nope. You’re going to make something more exciting.” She leaned down to open the bins and pulled out the black and silver scarf she’d shown me before. “I call it the Razzle Dazzle.” She tried it on and modeled it, and then passed it around. The stitches were huge and easy to see and the spaces were filled in fluttery strands. I was surprised at how interested Courtney was in it.

  She was curious how it could have the mixture of color and textures. Crystal brought out three skeins of yarn. “This is basic worsted weight yarn,” she said, holding up a black peanut-shaped skein. She grabbed a smaller skein of a thinner silver yarn. “This is what adds the contrasting color.” Finally she held up a fuzzy ball. “This is called eyelash yarn and it’s what adds the texture.” She pulled out a strand from each skein and held them together. “You’ll be working with all three yarns with these.” She laid a pair of huge blood-red plastic knitting needles on the table and picked up one of them to show it off. They all laughed a little nervously.

  “Geez, those things look like weapons,” Zak said. He reached for the one on the table and knocked it against the one she was holding in a mock swordfight. She smiled at him like he was a naughty boy and took away his needle before she continued on. “The first thing we’ll do is cast on.”

  I got up to help her and we began to pass out a set of needles to each of them and the three skeins of yarn.

  She explained that casting on was the way to get the yarn on one of the needles. I was glad that she didn’t go into all the different cast-on methods and just demonstrated the one called the long-tail method. I stood by ready to help, but I was also interested to see how they’d react to the lesson. Lauren smiled with satisfaction as she managed to get the loops on the big needle. Courtney was absolutely intense and kept redoing the stitches until they all looked even. Vanessa didn’t seem to care and made such a mess of it that Crystal simply cast on the stitches for her.

  Elizabeth watched Crystal’s hands as she went through the moves, and then tried to mimic them. Zak had the least trouble and picked it up right away, and I wondered if he’d prepared for the retreat by watching a bunch of YouTube videos. Once everyone managed to do the cast on, she showed them how to knit, which was much easier and they all caught on.

  “Now just keep going,” Crystal said. “And feel free to talk as you knit. Didn’t you want to do some introductions?”

  “I’ll go first,” Elizabeth said. “I’m Elizabeth Bronsky and I’m an event arranger for a nonprofit.”

  “Isn’t that a fancy way of saying you’re a fund-raiser for a charity,” Lauren said. Elizabeth made an unhappy face. “By the way, I’m Lauren Fischer and I’m a social worker. Actually, I work at a child services agency and I practice what I preach. We have two foster children at the moment along with two of our own. We foster pets, too.” She turned back to Elizabeth. “I hope you don’t put on those extravagant events that don’t raise much for the actual charity.”

  Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “What are you, a one-woman watchdog for the world? I don’t suppose you’ve heard the phrase you have to spend money to make money.”

  Vanessa chuckled. “You’ve stayed constant. You were always standing up for everything when we were in college.”

  “I like to think that I was the conscience of our group. Somebody had to keep an eye on what was going on. Not everyone had the view you did from your family’s mansion. You didn’t need student aid so you had no idea what a racket was going on with student loans.” Vanessa put up her hand to stop Lauren.

  “I know you all thought I was just some rich girl who was going to school to pass the time and snag a husband. And you probably all think I spend my time now getting spa treatments and shopping.” She stopped for a moment to introduce herself to Lucinda and Madeleine. Then she chuckled. “Actually, I was just some rich girl going to school to pass the time and snag a husband. The idea was my father was going to groom the husband so he could work his way up in the family business and keep me in the style I was accustomed to. But, well, my first husband turned out to be a real dunce, and I spent all my time trying to make him look good. Until I realized why not get rid of the middle man. When I told my father who was doing what, I became the one working my way up in the family business and we gave Number One his walking papers.”

  “You said your first husband,” Elizabeth said. “Does that mean you’ve had more?” Poor Elizabeth, I thought. She was so into what was right and rules and all, I’m sure she was thinking it was somehow unfair that Vanessa might have more than one husband and she’d had none.

  “Yes, there’s Number Two. He went to Clayton, too. But this time the arrangement is different. I still get my spa time in, but I’m the one with the big office and he’s the one with whole days to spend at the spa or shopping, along with taking care of my daughter.” She shook her head. “But all good things come to an end and I’m on the lookout for Number Three. I’m hoping for someone who is more of a prize this time.”

  Crystal had been listening. “It sounds pretty cold. Whatever happened to romance and love matches?” Then she laughed at herself. “A lot of good that did me. I was crazy about my ex.” She gave the rundown on Rixx and his new woman.

  Lauren was staring at Vanessa with her brows furrowed. “Why don’t you tell them what you do?”

  I sensed tensions rising, as if Lauren was somehow upset with Vanessa. I wanted to step in and change the subject, but Vanessa continued before I could manage to interrupt.

  “I’m an executive at Peyton Legace in Hillston,” she said proudly. “I’m working on something now that should be the icing on the cake of proving myself to my father.” There was a wave of impressive sounds from everyone but Lauren. Legace cars were the hottest thing around.

  “Well, at least Legace makes an electric car,” Lauren said before nudging Courtney and telling her she was next.

  Courtney had given herself over to her knitting completely and kept looking at the stitches and adjusting them so they were perfectly even. She waited until she’d reached the end of the row to speak. “I’m Courtney Arlington.” She held on to the knitting but didn’t start the next row and gave all of her attention to introducing herself. “I’m an attorney and in the middle of an important case and the outcome could affect my whole career. I never would have come if it had been made clear what unplugged meant.” Her eyes flashed with upset. “I don’t know how I’m going to manage using a phone booth.” Out of habit she’d put her cell phone on the table and she made a grrrr sound as she looked at it.

  Lauren nudged her. “What about your personal life?” It took a moment for what Lauren had said to register. “I met Phil in law school. He went into criminal law and I’m a litigator. We have two boys,” Courtney said.

  “You have a big legal career, kids and a husband who loves you. Wow, you really have it all,” Elizabeth said.

  “You could say that,” Courtney said with a self-effacing shrug.

  Zak was up next. He managed to keep his needles moving as he talked. “Zak Stevens reporting,” he said with a mock bow of his head. “I’m a field reporter for WNN. I get to be in the middle of what’s happening. I’m like a transplant surgeon on call twenty-four-seven. They call and I go.”

  Courtney tapped him on the shoulder. “Maybe you haven’t noticed yet, but your cell phone doesn’t work.” He shook his head with regret. “I have to get one of those satellite phones. It’s happened before that I’ve had to go the old-fashioned way with a landline. I’ll manage. I always do.” He turned to Lucinda and Madeleine and explained his mystery invitation to the retreat. “I’m not sure why I’m here. An anonymous source promised me a hot story.” He looked over the group. “I’m guessing it has to do with one of you, so I’ll be looking around trying to find that dirty laundry in your life.” He said it as a joke but it didn’t go over that way and t
hey all looked worried.

  There was a moment of quiet and it seemed the introductions were over, but then Lauren turned to me. “What about you, Casey?”

  They were all looking at me now, waiting for me to say something. I didn’t like talking about myself, and considering that Lucinda, my friend and boss, and Madeleine, who had some control over my business, were there, I wondered how much to say. I finally decided just to give the bare basics. “I’m unattached except for Julius, an independent-minded black cat who moved in with me. I inherited the yarn retreat business and a house from my aunt.” As I spoke I was thinking how dull I sounded and I was also aware of all I was leaving out, like my nighttime baking, my side job as a magician’s assistant, and the men in my life. Or that it had turned out that my aunt had been murdered and I’d found the killer.

  “So that’s how you ended up here,” Vanessa said in a dismissive tone.

  Courtney had laid down her needles but kept fidgeting with the few rows of stitches. She glanced at the surroundings. “Whatever works for you, but I’d die in a place like this.”

  Lauren scowled at the comment. “That’s kind of harsh. At least Casey is doing something positive. Knitting is a peaceful pursuit.”

  “So then you’ve never been married?” Elizabeth asked and I rolled my eyes.

  Crystal stepped in, getting me off the hook. “The plan was to talk and knit,” she said, noting that they had all put down their needles. “But unfortunately we’ve run out of time.” She showed them how to pack up their work and stow it in their tote bags. Since the tote bags were identical, she passed around a marker to the group and they each put their name on their bag.

  “Until tomorrow, knitters,” Crystal said, pulling her black wrap around her. It was the only dark spot on her bright outfit.