Aunt Bessie Questions (An Isle of Man Cozy Mystery Book 17)

by Diana Xarissa

  “I’m sorry about this,” Helen said when Bessie opened the door to her a short time later. “I’m far too old to be this frazzled about anything.”

  “Nonsense,” Bessie replied. “It’s your wedding day. I can’t even imagine how stressed you must feel.”

  “I just want it to be over, really,” the woman confessed. “I want to be Pete’s wife, but I’m really not looking forward to today.”

  “I’m looking forward to it. I like seeing my friends happy.”

  Helen nodded. “I know, and I’m sure I’ll have a wonderful day. I just feel as if there’s so much that could go wrong, you know?”

  “I do know, but as long as you end up as Pete’s wife at the end of the day, nothing else matters.”

  Helen nodded. “I’m going to keep reminding myself of that all day,” she told Bessie. “Anyway, our celebrant was brutally murdered the night before the wedding. Anything else that goes wrong will probably seem quite minor.”

  “Have you talked to Pete yet today?”

  “No. I don’t want to talk to him or see him before the ceremony unless I have to for some reason. I know it’s an old-fashioned tradition, but it’s one I’m hoping to keep. I know it might not be possible in the middle of a murder investigation, but the case is John’s, not Pete’s.”

  “So we aren’t even sure if you’ll be able to use the church or not yet,” Bessie said.

  “Elizabeth said she would ring the chief constable this morning if we hadn’t heard anything.”

  “Which we’d prefer she not do, right?”

  “Well, yes, I mean, I’d rather he not be involved, if at all possible. He’s meant to be coming to the wedding, of course.”

  “Let me ring Doona,” Bessie said. “She may have heard something from John by now.”

  “Good morning.” Doona sounded tired.

  “Helen is here, keeping me company before she’s due to start getting ready. We were just wondering if anyone had heard anything about the availability of the church,” Bessie said.

  “I’ll text John and get back to you,” Doona replied.

  Bessie made tea for her guest and piled a plate high with biscuits. Neither woman was in the mood for them, though. They sipped their tea in silence, waiting for Bessie’s phone to ring. Even though she was expecting it, Bessie still jumped at the sound when it finally rang.

  “Good morning, Bessie,” John’s voice came down the line. “How are you this morning?”

  “I’m fine, thank you. But how are you?”

  “Tired, of course, but I’ve had a few hours of sleep, at least. Doona said that Helen was there.”

  “She is, yes.”

  “You can assure her that Pete went home hours before I did,” John told her, “and that we cleared the church before he left the site. It’s a good thing it’s a very small church.”

  Bessie held her hand over the receiver and repeated what John had told her. Helen seemed to visibly relax at the words.

  “Is there anything else I need to know right now?” Bessie asked John.

  “I don’t think so. I fully intend to be at the church to perform my duties as a witness, even if I have to miss out on the reception afterwards. Doona is looking after the children today. I’m not sure how I’ll ever repay her.”

  Bessie thought of a dozen different replies and discarded them all. “Let’s hope you can work out what happened fairly quickly,” she said eventually.

  “It’s looking more complicated than I’d like,” John sighed, “but it always is, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, rather, so we’ll see you at the church around half one, then,” Bessie concluded.

  “You will. As I said, I may not make it to the reception, but that isn’t the place to talk about murder, anyway. I may want to talk to you later today, though.”

  “You know you’re welcome here anytime.”

  Bessie put the phone down and looked over at Helen. “It sounds as if everything is okay.”

  “Does John think he’ll actually make it to the wedding?”

  “He’ll be there, but he might have to miss the reception.”

  Helen nodded. “I thought as much. I’m just grateful that he’ll be at the ceremony. Pete would be very disappointed if John had to miss that. He’d understand, of course, better than anyone, but he’d be disappointed.”

  With nothing else to do, and the rain having stopped, the pair took a long walk on the beach to fill their time.

  “I feel so much better now, thank you,” Helen said as they went. “Nothing like fresh sea air to calm the soul.”

  When they reached Thie yn Traie, Bessie spotted Elizabeth walking down the steep stairs behind the mansion.

  “Good morning,” she called as she bounced down the last few steps. “I’ve been ringing your flat all morning,” she told Helen.

  “I was too restless to be at home alone, so I came to bother poor Aunt Bessie,” Helen replied.

  “You should have come to Thie yn Traie,” Elizabeth said. “You could have had a facial and a massage and bottles and bottles of champagne.”

  “I don’t think I’ll want champagne until after the ceremony,” Helen replied. “I don’t really like people fussing over me, either. I just didn’t want to be alone.”

  “I should have stayed with you last night,” Elizabeth said.

  “But I told you to go home,” Helen reminded her. “I wanted to be alone last night, but then this morning I didn’t. I’m just a mess; that’s all.”

  Elizabeth chuckled. “Maybe being a wedding planner isn’t going to be such a great idea. I’m not sure I want to deal with brides all the time.”

  “I’m sorry,” Helen said quickly.

  “Not at all,” Elizabeth replied. “I was mostly teasing, and anyway, you’ve been wonderful to work with. Last-minute jitters are totally understandable, especially after what happened last night. Anyway, I’ve learned a ton working with you. I’m really excited about my new business. Now I just have to find clients.”

  “I’m not sure you’ll want to tell people you were involved in my wedding,” Helen said. “People tend to be skittish about murder.”

  “I’ve been involved in murders before,” Elizabeth told her. “At least it didn’t happen during the ceremony.”

  Bessie shuddered. What a horrible thought that was. “I talked to John this morning, and they’re done with the church,” she said.

  “Excellent. So I can cancel the buses and the church in Lonan and let Reverend Smith know where to be. Everything will be just perfect from here, I’m sure,” Elizabeth said confidently.

  Bessie wasn’t sure that perfect was the right word, but things did seem to run fairly smoothly for the rest of the day. She ended up joining Elizabeth and Helen at Thie yn Traie for their “light lunch,” which turned out to be enough food for a dozen hungry men, and included several bottles of champagne. Bessie limited herself to a single glass, and Helen didn’t have more than a sip. Bessie was surprised when Elizabeth also limited herself to only one glass.

  “I’m working,” she said, winking at Bessie as she sipped her drink slowly.

  They arrived at the church just before one o’clock. Bessie greeted James with a hug.

  “I hope you managed to get some sleep,” she told him.

  “I got a few hours,” he replied. “I’ll have an early night tonight, and I’ll be back to normal tomorrow.”

  “You aren’t coming to the reception?” Helen asked.

  “Oh, well, I mean, it was very kind of you to invite me, but I didn’t really think that you’d meant to include me,” he stammered.

  “Of course we did,” Helen said. “We invited Reverend Doyle as well. I must remember to invite Reverend Smith.”

  “That’s very kind of you,” James said. “I may just come out and join you for a short while.”

  Helen nodded, and then they followed James into the church.

  “It looks wonderful,” Helen sighed.

  There seemed to be
flowers everywhere. The old church really did look even more beautiful than normal.

  “Ah, this must be the bride,” a tall, slender man said, getting up from a seat near the front. “I’m Reverend Smith. I’d really appreciate a few minutes of your time.”

  Helen nodded and followed the man further into the church.

  “I’d better watch out for the groom,” James said. “She won’t want him to wander in and see her before the service.”

  He headed for the door, leaving Bessie and Elizabeth in the church’s foyer.

  “I hope nothing else goes wrong,” Elizabeth said. “I’ve really come to like both Helen and Pete over the past few weeks. I want their day to be perfect.”

  “I’ll settle for almost perfect,” Bessie told her.

  “But what’s happening with the murder investigation?”

  “I’ve no idea. I only talked to John long enough to confirm that the church would be available for today. I was hoping he might tell me that he’d already made an arrest, but he didn’t.”

  “Who kills a vicar? I mean, he’s a man of God and all that. Although I did hear that he was living with a woman, and they weren’t married. Surely that isn’t very vicar-like behaviour?”

  “John’s investigating, and that’s all I know,” Bessie said.

  Elizabeth nodded. “I was hoping I might see the housekeeper when we were here today. She seems like the most likely suspect to me.”

  Bessie didn’t bother to reply. Helen walked back over to them a minute later, and then it was time to help her get changed. Elizabeth had done Helen’s hair and makeup at Thie yn Traie, but because of the last-minute meeting with the vicar, Helen hadn’t put on her wedding gown yet. Now James let them into the church hall, which gave them plenty of space for what needed doing.

  “You look gorgeous,” Bessie told Helen as she studied the woman. Helen had chosen a fairly simple white gown that still managed to look bridal. Undoubtedly, the crown of flowers and veil were part of that. Elizabeth made a few final adjustments to Helen’s hair and then touched up her lipstick.

  “You’re perfect,” she announced. “I’ll get the photographer.” After what felt like a hundred photos later, it was two o’clock.

  “Is Pete even here?” Helen asked, looking worried.

  “He arrived at ten past one and waited outside for his turn with the vicar,” Bessie told her. “John was with him and texted me in case you asked.”

  “Oh, thank goodness,” Helen breathed. “I just suddenly started to wonder what would happen if he didn’t show up, and, well, let’s just say my mind raced away with me.”

  “So now it’s up to you how late you want to be,” Bessie told her.

  “Oh, I don’t want to be late at all. If everything is ready, let’s go and get this over with.”

  Bessie shook her head. “I’m not sure that’s the right attitude,” she said softly.

  “No, and I don’t really mean it, but I am incredibly anxious to see Pete.”

  Elizabeth went first, holding doors as she went. Bessie followed Helen into the back of the church. She was holding Helen’s arm, which was shaking badly, when Pete turned around and looked back at them. Helen went still for a moment and then looked at Bessie.

  “It’s all good,” she said softly before she marched down the aisle with a huge smile on her face.

  Bessie wiped away more than one tear as the pair exchanged their vows. John looked exhausted, but he managed to stay awake for the ceremony. Doona looked tired as well, sitting next to Thomas and Amy, who behaved impeccably. The substitute vicar did a good job, at least in Bessie’s opinion.

  “It’s never easy performing a marriage ceremony when you don’t know the couple involved. I have to say that I was delighted today to find, after just spending a few minutes with both Pete and Helen, that I could stand here and feel confident that they will make their marriage work. I’ve been doing this for a long time, and I’ve rarely seen a couple so very much in love,” he told the congregation.

  Bessie was pretty sure that nearly everyone in the church was wiping his or her eyes after that remark. After the ceremony, and after Bessie and John had signed the register as witnesses, Helen beamed at them.

  “We did it,” she exclaimed. “Now we get to have fun.”

  “Congratulations,” Bessie said to Pete.

  “Thank you. I’m a very lucky man,” he said, gazing at Helen with a huge smile on his face.

  “You are, at that,” John agreed. “I hope you’ll excuse me now. I need to get back to work. I’m hoping to stop in at the reception later, but I can’t promise anything.”

  “We’d love to see you, but we understand,” Helen told him. “Thank you for making time to be here for the ceremony.”

  “I wouldn’t have missed it for anything,” John replied.

  He gave the bride a hug and then shook Pete’s hand. Bessie got a hug, too, before John slipped away.

  “I love the food at the café in Lonan,” Bessie told Helen. “I never would have thought to have a wedding reception there, though.”

  “It was Elizabeth’s idea, and she got them to give us a really good price. This is the first time they’ve done a wedding. We just have to hope they know what they’re doing.”

  “I know Dan and Carol, the owners,” Bessie replied. “I’m sure they wouldn’t have agreed to do it if they weren’t positive that they could deliver.”

  Outside the church, everyone was making their way back to their cars. A limousine was waiting for the happy couple.

  “Oh, Bessie, ride with us,” Helen suggested.

  “I promised Doona I would ride with her,” Bessie said, not entirely truthfully. Pete and Helen didn’t want to spend the first few minutes of their married life together with Bessie in the car with them, she was sure of that. “You go and enjoy a bit of luxury.”

  Helen giggled and grabbed Pete’s hand, pulling him towards the long black car. The uniformed driver was standing by the door at the back, and he quickly pulled it open as they approached. Bessie waved and then hurried away to find Doona.

  “Of course you can ride with us,” Doona assured her a moment later. “We’re all starving. Breakfast didn’t exactly go to plan, and then we were running late and didn’t get much lunch. I hope they have something out already when we get there.”

  “I never did find out what they’re planning for food,” Bessie said, “but I’m sure it will be delicious.”

  She climbed into the passenger seat of Doona’s car while Thomas and Amy got into the back. Doona slowly pulled the car into the long queue that was leaving the church. They all made their way together from Laxey to Lonan, quickly filling the small car park at the café.

  Bessie found herself pulled into a hug almost as soon as she walked into the building.

  “I brought the cake, and Elizabeth insisted that I stay for the party,” Andy Caine told her with a grin. “I hope it tastes as good as it looks. Though I’m saying it myself, I think it came out rather nice.”

  Bessie glanced over at the cake that was sitting on a large table in the corner. “It’s stunning,” she exclaimed. “Maybe you should forget about opening a restaurant and just open a bakery.”

  “We’ll see. I have to finish culinary school first, although I have had three other wedding cake orders in the past week. Elizabeth Quayle is sending a lot of business my way.”

  “That’s good to hear,” Bessie grinned.

  “It’s filling up my summer break nicely, anyway,” he shrugged.

  “Bessie, there you are,” Dan Jenkins, the café’s owner, said in a loud voice. He came over and gave her a hug. “You must promise to be totally honest with me about everything after this is over,” he said. “We’re hoping to start doing more of this sort of thing, but I need honest and critical feedback if we’re going to do it right.”

  “I’m sure everything will be lovely,” Bessie told him.

  “I certainly hope so,” he replied.

  “How
’s Carol?” Bessie asked.

  “She’s fine. She’s at home, having a quiet weekend.”

  Bessie wondered what that meant. She knew the young couple was hoping to start a family; that was why Carol was no longer working at the café. Maybe they’d be making a happy announcement soon, she speculated.

  The afternoon passed quickly. Bessie spent time chatting to many of her friends from around the island. Doona seemed to be coping with the children well, and the food on the extensive buffet was even better than Bessie had expected. After everyone had eaten and the cake had been cut, Dan and his staff pushed chairs and tables out of the way to make a small dance floor.

  Wine and champagne flowed, and everyone seemed to have a wonderful time. Bessie was happy to spend a few minutes with Hugh and Grace.

  “I wasn’t sure you’d be able to be here,” Bessie told Hugh.

  “John is rotating us all through short shifts today so we can all spend some time here and still keep the case moving,” he explained. “I can’t drink anything, but I wasn’t really planning on doing so anyway. As Grace can’t, I don’t think I should drink, either.”

  “Which I’ve told him is silly,” Grace said. “I don’t even miss alcohol. I was never much of a drinker. But I’ve told Hugh he can still have a glass of wine or whatever once in a while. Seeing other people drink doesn’t bother me.”

  “I think it’s sweet that he’s not drinking because you’re pregnant,” Bessie told her. “But how are you feeling?”

  “Better, I think,” Grace laughed. “I’m having less morning sickness, anyway. I’m told the second trimester is the best, so I’m trying to enjoy it while I can. Now that school is out, I’m getting lots more rest, which is helpful. I seem to be tired all of the time, but the doctor assures me that it’s all perfectly normal.”

  “You’re growing a baby,” Hugh said. “It must be incredibly hard work.”

  “Hugh said things are moving forward with the house as well,” Bessie said.

  “Yes, they seem to be going quite slowly, but they are moving,” Grace agreed. “We should be in before the baby arrives, anyway.”

  “I’m so happy for you both,” Bessie said, “and for Pete and Helen too. They look incredibly happy together.”