by Kathi Daley
“I don’t think so. If she did know the history of the piece, she didn’t fill Lacy and me in when we were at the store looking at it,” I answered.
“Maybe Pamela got her Christmas wish in spite of the fact that the note was never delivered,” Mylie said. “I mean, it is possible that even though the note was never received by the person or persons it was meant for, she still might have gone on her sleigh ride and built her snowman. And it is still possible that her parents set aside their differences in order to provide a wonderful holiday for their daughter.”
“I hope so,” I said even though I really doubted it was true. I’m not sure why, maybe it was the fact that my own life had been somewhat of a tragedy over the past couple of years, but for some reason, I felt a real certainty that as much as we all might wish it so, Pamela hadn’t gotten her wish.
“Maybe we can research the nutcracker,” Georgia said. “If we dig around a bit, we might be able to figure out who Pamela was and what became of her.”
“I’m game,” I said. “But I have to be honest, finding Pamela when all we have is a first name sounds like a longshot.”
Georgia nodded. “Maybe. But like Mylie, with her search for the perfect husband, I figure that we really have nothing to lose by doing a little research and seeing what we can come up with.”
I looked at the note in my hand. “I guess that’s true. I’ll make some calls and see what I can find out.”
“Do you mind if I make a copy of the items on Pamela’s list?” Mylie asked.
“Not at all.” I handed her the note.
“I know we have no way of knowing if Pamela’s wish was ever answered or what became of the child who penned the note, but I think it might be fun to do everything Pamela hoped to do in honor of her memory, whoever she turns out to be,” Mylie suggested.
“That does sound fun,” Nikki smiled. “I’ll help you. We can each make a list, and then every time we do one of the items on it, we can check it off. In fact, we can post the list on the bulletin board in the lobby. That way, any of the other guests who want to join in can make their own list and do as many items as they feel motivated to do.”
“That sounds like a wonderful idea,” Mylie said with a grin. “I can’t wait to get started.”
“If you want to start off easy, you can switch out your coffee for hot cocoa, and the little tree in the entry still needs to be decorated,” Georgia said.
Nikki and Mylie both agreed that hot cocoa and tree decorating were perfect items to start with, so Nikki made the hot cocoa while Mylie followed Georgia into the hall closet where she’d left a box of Christmas ornaments and lights.
“Is something wrong?” Nikki asked after Mylie and Georgia had left the room.
“I’m not sure. I do think that the list Mylie found is a fun one, and I can see how our guests might enjoy trying to duplicate the events Pamela hoped to share with her parents, but I have a bad feeling about things.”
“Do you think something bad happened to the girl who wrote the note?” She asked.
I forced a smile and shook my head. “I’m sure Pamela grew up to have a wonderful life. I guess that this time of the year brings out the doomsday emotions I try to hold at bay.”
“That’s perfectly understandable.” Nikki gave me a hug.
I nodded. “It is, and I’m fine. I think I’ll help with the tree.”
By the time the lights were strung on the tree, Annabelle had come home and joined in on the fun. Since Mylie was our only guest tonight, we decided to do a simple, yet creative meal, which included three types of fondue and two different salads. The entree was followed by roasting marshmallows over a fire in the pit on the back deck. At this point, Mylie, Nikki, and Annabelle all had lists started on the bulletin board, but I had the feeling that by the time this was over, there would be others who would decide to join in on the fun.
Chapter 3
Only six days until Christmas. After all the work Georgia, Jeremy, and I had gone to in our effort turn the inn into something resembling a Christmas card, it seemed unreal that it would all be over in just six more days. Well technically, I supposed we’d leave the decorations up until after New Year’s, but still, now that the days until the big event had begun to count down in a serious way, I felt an overwhelming urge to take in each and every moment, which is probably why I decided to set my thriller aside until after the holidays in spite of my deadline. I’d never missed a deadline in my life and really didn’t want to start now, but with the snow falling outside my window and the warm and cozy feeling of the festively decorated cottage, my mind seemed to rebel against spending any more time in the dark place in my mind where the thriller seemed to live.
After a bit of soul searching, I decided to make a call to my agent and my editor wishing them Merry Christmas and maybe hinting to them that my manuscript might be a few days late. I also wanted to assure them that even if it was late, I was still enthusiastic about the direction the project seemed to be taking, even though I had to admit if only to myself, that was no longer the case. I supposed that hitting a wall mid-book was not unheard of, and with some time off and a new perspective, I was sure I’d find a way to get it done as I’d promised I would.
The conversation would most likely have gone fine since both my agent and my editor were in exceptionally good moods, but my agent mentioned that she had been approached about a possible movie deal for the book I had released in November and wouldn’t it be wonderful if they would allow me to write the screenplay. Wonderful? I rolled the word around in my mind as my agent rambled on. I’d written my share of bestselling novels, but never a screenplay. I supposed the skills could be transferred to a certain degree, but the real question in my mind was whether or not I wanted to disrupt my life to the level needed to make something like that happen.
I lived a full and busy life here in Holiday Bay. It suited me, and part of what suited me about the arrangement was that my life allowed for variety. I’d only been signing on to do one book at a time, which allowed me to continue with my career while exploring other options. But a screenplay? The whole thing sounded overwhelming. Still, I wasn’t ready to say no at this point and was working my way up to an “I’ll think about it” when my agent got another call and had to hang up with the promise of continuing our conversation after the holidays.
As soon as I hung up, my phone rang with an incoming call.
“Hey, Lacy. What’s up?” I answered.
“I have news about the nutcracker.”
Okay, that got my attention. “What sort of news?”
“I called the antique dealer I purchased it from to see if she could fill in any of the blanks about its history. She told me she purchased the nutcracker at an estate sale this past summer. She didn’t know much more about the nutcracker than that, but she did have a contact number for the woman who ran the sale. I called and spoke to her, and found out that the man who owned the estate before his death, was a collector of sorts, who had gathered a fairly significant collection of art of various types, as well as antique furniture and various antique bric-a-bracs.”
I was tempted to hurry Lacy along to the point of the story but decided to simply listen and bide my time. Lacy really loved old things in a way that caused her to be attached to them in a way that I didn’t suppose I ever would. I was certain that the story of the nutcracker was one she would embrace to its fullest.
“Anyway, the woman who ran the estate sale didn’t know a whole lot about the items she sold other than their appraised values,” Lacy continued. “But she was able to give me contact information for the man’s great-niece, a woman named Elizabeth Warrington. I left her a message. I’m hoping she’ll call me back.”
“I hope so as well. It would be fun to get the story behind the note we found.”
“I agree. I’ll call you when I hear from Ms. Warrington. Right now, I have to run. Maddie has a doctor’s appointment, and then I have to pick the twins up from preschool.”
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nbsp; I had to hand it to Lacy, she had more energy than anyone I had ever met. Not only did she have six children, but she owned her own furniture restoration business and was an active volunteer in the community as well. After she signed off, I decided to head over to the inn, where I found Georgia in the kitchen.
“Seems like you spend most of your waking hours in the kitchen these days,” I said as I grabbed a cookie from a platter.
“I know. I keep telling myself that I just need to use one of the recipes I’ve already tried for the competition, but then I get another idea and find myself making another batch.”
“The taping of the competition is Monday. I guess you’ll have to commit by Sunday at the latest so you can make sure you have all the ingredients you need.”
“I know, and I will. I think I’m narrowing it down. These chocolate and cherry thumbprints I made aren’t nearly as good as they sounded in my head. I’m sure I can find folks willing to eat them, but I don’t think I’ll add them to the list of potential recipes to use for the show.”
I took a second bite. “I think they are wonderful, but I do agree that they aren’t as good as some of the others you’ve tried. I can help you clean up if you want.”
“Actually, I have a batch of sugar cookie dough mixed up. Christy and Haley are coming today, and I thought we could have a cookie decorating party. In fact, I think that’s them pulling up in the drive.”
I went around to the front and opened the door.
“We’re back,” Haley announced as she jumped out from the back passenger seat.
I opened my arms to the five-year-old with curly blond hair. “I’m so glad you are back. We’ve missed you so very much.”
“And Mommy and me missed you too.” She gave me a long hard hug, the sort of hug that penetrated all the stress in your life and headed straight to your heart. “Is Annabelle here?”
“She’s in school, but will be home in a couple of hours, and after today, she’s off for Christmas break until after New Year’s,” I answered.
“And she will be here for Christmas?” Haley verified.
“She will be, and I know she has a lot of fun activities planned for the two of you.”
Haley clapped her hands. “Like a snowman?”
“Among other things.”
Christy chucked at her daughter’s obvious joy. I really hoped that being here with us would help her through what I knew would be a difficult holiday for her after the death of her husband.
“And how have you been?” I asked the young widow as I opened my arms to hug her.
“I’ve been fine. Some moments are harder than others are, but Haley and I are learning to adjust to our new circumstances. Being here at the inn with all of you this Christmas is really going to help.”
I took a step back and placed my hand on her arm. “And we are happy to help. If you need anything, just ask.”
“Thank you.”
I stepped aside and ushered our guests in. Jeremy had already gone out to get the luggage from the car.
“Georgia has your suite ready,” I informed Christy. “She has you in the attic suite at the top of the house.”
“That sounds perfect.” She smiled. “I really want to catch up with you both, but I think Haley and I are going to head up and get settled in. It was a long flight, followed by a long drive to get here. I think Haley should take a short nap before Annabelle gets home.”
“Aw, Mom.”
She gave her daughter a serious look. “You don’t want to be too tired to join in on the fun Georgia told us about when we spoke to her on the phone.”
“No. I don’t want to be too tired. Where is Georgia?”
“In the kitchen,” I answered. “Maybe you can run and say hi to her really fast, and then Jeremy can show you up to your room.”
She looked at her mom, who nodded. “But hurry. I really do want you to have that nap.”
“But I’m not tired.”
“Maybe not, but you won’t want to be tired later. I heard that there might be cookie decorating.”
“Okay,” she groaned. Haley gave me one more hug and then headed toward the kitchen to say hi to Georgia.
Jeremy went ahead and took the bags upstairs while Christy and I followed Haley. Once they both said hi to Georgia, mom and daughter headed up to their room.
“So, when do you plan to have this cookie decorating party?” I asked Georgia after they’d left.
“As soon as Annabelle gets home from rehearsal and Mylie gets back from town.”
“Sounds fun. It’s nice of you to include everyone.”
She shrugged. “Making cookies was one of the things on the list Mylie is working from, and when I mentioned the list to Christy earlier when we spoke on the phone, she mentioned that she wanted to do the things on the list as well. I made a bunch of copies of the list for any guest who wants one, and I set up the photo printer in the reception area. Any guest who wants to participate can take a photo of them doing the task they set out to do, and then send it to the printer. I decorated a huge board and put it in the parlor where everyone can add their photos.”
“What a great idea.”
“You should go and take a look. There are photos of Mylie, Jeremy, Nikki, and Annabelle decorating the tree and drinking hot cocoa from yesterday. There are also photos of all of us roasting marshmallows last night.”
“I really love this idea. The board will serve as a memory board of sorts for our first holiday serving guests.”
Georgia grinned. “I really think Pamela’s list is going to add an element of excitement to our festivities. She seemed to have wanted to do a wide range of things, and I think we are going to add some of our own.” Her smiled faded. “I just hope Pamela got her wish and was able to complete the list herself.”
“I know. It makes my heart sad to think that something happened, and she never got her wish, but perhaps everything worked out after all. Lacy has made some progress tracking the history of the nutcracker, so maybe we will be able to find the answer we’re after.”
“I hope so,” Georgia agreed. “I guess I should make the frosting for the decorating party. Annabelle will be home soon, and Mylie will be back shortly after.” Georgia began taking supplies out of the pantry. “Dang it.”
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“I’m short on powdered sugar. I thought I had another couple of bags, but I must have used them at some point. There is no way I am going to be able to make as much frosting as I need for all those sugar cookies unless I run to the market.”
“I’ll go,” I offered. “I feel the need to get out and stretch my legs anyway, and I’ve been wanting to pop in and say hi to Velma. It’s been a while since we’ve chatted.”
A look of relief crossed Georgia’s face. “That would be so great. I have enough powdered sugar to start, so I’ll mix up what I have in case Annabelle and Jeremy get home before you get back.”
I decided to change into slightly warmer clothes before I left, so I headed back to the cottage. I took Molly and Ramos out for a quick run along the bluff and then changed into flannel lined pants, a thick turtleneck, and my heavy jacket. I pulled on a knit cap and gloves and headed back out into the cold. It took my SUV a few minutes to warm up, but eventually, I was underway. I decided to stop and get the powdered sugar first, so I didn’t get distracted and end up forgetting about it. The market was crowded for this time of the day, but I supposed with Christmas next week, a lot of folks were baking and throwing open houses and parties over the weekend, which equated to a lot more shopping and cooking than most normally engaged in.
I wasn’t sure how much powdered sugar Georgia needed, so I got a lot. I figured it would keep. The store had cute Santa faces that were designed to put on top of cookies or cupcakes, so I bought a few packs of those as well. Once I’d loaded up my shopping cart, I headed toward the front of the store, where I fell into line behind a woman who I knew from her volunteer work at the library.
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�Abby. How are you?” the woman asked.
“I’m good. How are you?”
“Fine, as well.” She nodded toward my cart. “It looks like you’re going to do some baking.”
I nodded. “Georgia is.” I glanced at her cart that looked as if she was preparing for a party. “It looks like you have big plans for the weekend.”
“I’m having some family and friends over after the pageant on Saturday. My sister’s three girls are participating, so we’re making a big to-do about it.”
I smiled as the line moved up. “That’s nice.”
“I ran into Lacy after pageant rehearsal. I was picking up my nieces while she was picking up the triplets. She told me that you have a new mystery to solve revolving around an antique nutcracker.”
“That’s true,” I answered. “Lacy purchased the nutcracker as a gift for me, and one of our guests found a note in the nutcracker’s mouth. We’re trying to figure out who left the note in the first place.”
The woman pushed her cart forward as the line moved again. “I have to say that you seem to have the most interesting life. An award-winning author by day and Nancy Drew during your free time. I’ve been totally fascinated by you since you moved into the area.”
I chuckled. “I wouldn’t say my life is fascinating, but I guess I do seem to stumble into more than my share of mysteries. Of course, most of what I do to try to solve them consists of sitting at the computer doing research.”
“Well, I might know something about your nutcracker,” the woman said.
Okay, that had my attention.
“Well, maybe not your nutcracker specifically, but nutcrackers in general,” she amended.
“Oh, and what might that be?” I asked as we moved one spot closer to the checker.
“I grew up in New Hampshire, as did my parents. My mom used to tell me stories when I was a little girl about Christmases when she was my age. She had this one story about going to a Christmas party every year at the country club her parents belonged to. They had this giant nutcracker, and at some point during the evening, all the kids were invited to write letters to Santa and then deposit the letters into the nutcracker.”