Ginny and Antonio walked back up the aisle between the rows of chairs, heading for the lobby where pictures were to be taken and the receiving line formed.
Tricia filed along behind, without an escort. With Henry in jail, they’d been short a groomsman. Mr. Everett was happy to stand in, but Joelle decided he should escort Grace back up the aisle. As she neared the doorway, Tricia caught sight of Christopher standing at the back of the room and her anger flared. How dare he crash Ginny’s wedding! To make matters worse, he winked as she passed him.
The wedding party was soon joined by all the guests, who were shooed out the door by the inn’s staff, who were charged with setting up the tables for the wedding dinner.
While the photographer set up shots with the bride and groom, Tricia snagged Christopher’s arm and dragged him off to one side.
“What are you doing here?” she demanded.
“I came to say good-bye.”
“Don’t tell me you’re going to drive back north tonight.”
“No, but I intend to leave first thing tomorrow morning and since I knew I could find you here tonight, I figured it was probably best to say my good-byes here and now.”
“Okay. Good-bye.” She turned to go, and this time he grabbed her arm.
“It won’t be for long.”
Tricia’s stomach tightened. “What do you mean?”
“It turns out my new employer doesn’t want a long-distance financial advisor. She wants me closer to monitor all her investments.”
My employer? Hadn’t Antonio always called Nigela Ricita that … at least before he’d revealed their true relationship? “Don’t tell me you’ve been hired by Nigela Ricita Associates?”
“Yes. How’d you know?”
“Lucky guess. Where are you going to be based? In Portsmouth?”
He gave a nervous laugh. “As it turns out, my office will be right here in Stoneham. In the same building that houses the Dog-Eared Page.”
Kitty-corner to Haven’t Got a Clue!
Tricia sighed. Was she going to be subjected to seeing the man who’d unceremoniously dumped her four years before on a daily basis?
“Where will you live?”
“That’s something I need to work out. It won’t bother you that I’m nearby, will it?”
“Of course not,” Tricia lied with a smile. She became aware of a looming presence behind her.
“Is everything okay?” Baker asked.
Tricia’s smile was rigid. “Just peachy.” She turned back to Christopher. “Well, don’t let me keep you.”
“Aren’t you going to kiss me good-bye?” Christopher asked, straight-faced.
“It’s hardly good-bye if you’ll be returning to Stoneham within weeks,” Tricia said dryly.
“What’s this?” Baker asked, not sounding at all pleased.
“I’ve got a job with Nigela Ricita Associates. I’ll be based right here in Stoneham. Isn’t that great?” Christopher asked, grinning.
“No!” Tricia and Baker said in unison.
“Tricia, hurry!” Ginny called. “The photographer is waiting.”
Tricia turned so that she could take in both men. “If you’ll excuse me.” She pivoted and hurriedly left them.
Several Brookview Inn staffers threaded their way through the guests, holding trays of hors d’oeuvres and wine, deliberately avoiding Tricia while the photographer assembled the bridal party and put them through their paces around the lobby, on the staircase, and near the elegant Christmas tree. Except for Antonio, she doubted she’d be welcomed by any of the inn’s staff for the foreseeable future.
Tricia smiled on cue and hoped it looked genuine, but out of the corner of her eye she could see Christopher and Baker having a quiet, but intense, conversation. What could they possibly have to say to each other? Perhaps they both regretted that they’d treated their relationships with her so cavalierly. None of that mattered now.
When at long last the photographer released the bridal party from their torture, Angelica appeared at Tricia’s side with a wineglass in each hand. She gave one to Tricia. “You look lovely.” She reached out to touch Tricia’s bruised face. “Looks like you walked into a door, but it’s almost completely camouflaged by makeup.”
“Thank you. You look nice, too.”
“What? In this old rag?” Angelica said with a laugh.
Tricia knew a designer dress when she saw one, only she wasn’t sure what designer had created the lovely navy linen suit Angelica wore. Like a lot of other things, it didn’t matter.
“So, I guess Nigela Ricita was a no-show,” Tricia said to make conversation and sipped her wine.
“Oh, but she was here,” Angelica said.
Tricia nearly choked on her wine and actually did a double take. “Did you meet her?”
Angelica shook her head sadly. “No. Antonio said she snuck in long enough to see the ceremony and then snuck out again.”
“He saw her?”
Angelica nodded.
Tricia frowned. Ginny wasn’t going to like that—not at all. She’d been more desperate than most to meet the elusive Ms. Ricita. “When did Antonio tell you? We’ve been stuck having our photos taken ever since the ceremony ended.”
“No, you haven’t. You were talking to Christopher for a while. Speaking of which, what’s he doing here?”
“It’s too long a story to get into now. Suffice it to say we haven’t seen the last of him.”
“Oh?” Angelica asked, her eyes widening with interest.
“Time to throw the bouquet,” Ginny called out.
“No—no!” Joelle insisted. “That comes later—after dinner. After cutting the cake!”
Ginny seemed undeterred and stepped in front of the grand Christmas tree. All the single women in attendance gathered like a knot of fleas in front of her.
“Come on Tricia—and you, too, Angelica,” Frannie called excitedly.
“Oh, no!” Angelica declared, stepping back. “Four times at the altar was enough for me.”
Frannie grabbed Tricia’s arm and practically hauled her over to the rest of the group. Angelica circled around, took Tricia’s glass and her bridesmaid’s bouquet, and moved back to the sidelines. She had no desire to be standing among the desperate gathering of women.
“Heads up,” Ginny called, turned her back to the crowd, and tossed her bouquet into the air. It sailed in a direct arc straight toward Tricia, who, without conscious thought, reached out and caught it.
The gaggle of guests broke into laughter and applause. Tricia looked around her. The other single women were tight-lipped—even Frannie—but it was the sight of Christopher and Baker that held her attention as the flash from the guests’ cameras made her feel like the object of desire from the paparazzi. Christopher’s smile was euphoric, while Baker looked pensive.
Tricia looked down at the bouquet of white roses and baby’s breath and sighed, wondering if this was an omen of things to come.
ANGELICA’S RECIPES
CRÈME BRÛLÉE
1 quart heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split, the seeds scraped
6 egg yolks
¼ cup superfine sugar
boiling water
½ cup brown sugar
Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Pour the cream into a saucepan. Add the vanilla seeds and pod. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil, then remove from the heat. Set aside to rest for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the egg yolks and superfine sugar in a bowl and beat with electric beaters for 2–3 minutes or until light in color.
Remove the vanilla pod from the saucepan and discard or save for another use, then pour the hot cream over the yolk mixture and whisk to combine. Remove foam with a large spoon and discard. Strain the mixture into a large pitcher, then carefully pour it into six 7-or 8-ounce ovenproof ramekins. Put the ramekins in a deep roasting pan. Pour boiling water into the pan until it’s halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Loosely cover the pan with foil, allowing some air to enter
through the sides.
Bake in the oven for 40–45 minutes. The crème brûlée should still wiggle a little when done. Carefully remove the ramekins from the oven and the water bath, and set aside to cool. Place the brown sugar on a baking tray, turn off the oven, and place the tray inside for 15 minutes or until the sugar is completely dried out. Allow it to cool completely, then place it in a food processor and process to a powder. Store in an airtight container. Once the custards have cooled, cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight in the refrigerator.
When ready to serve, preheat the broiler on high. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of the brown sugar on top of each custard, using the back of a teaspoon to spread it evenly. Place the custards under the broiler until the sugar melts and caramelizes. (You can also use a mini blowtorch to caramelize the sugar.) Allow the custard to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Yield: 6 servings
BARBECUE BACON-WRAPPED SHRIMP
18 large uncooked shrimp
9 bacon strips (cut in half for each shrimp)
1½ cups of your favorite barbecue sauce
Preheat the oven to 300ºF. Peel and devein the shrimp. Wrap a half strip of bacon on each shrimp and pierce with a toothpick.
Bake the shrimp on an ungreased baking sheet for 30 minutes. Remove to a slow cooker. Warm the barbecue sauce and pour it over the shrimp. Stir until covered. Simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove from the sauce to a serving dish and serve.
Yield: 18 pieces
GRANDMA MILES’S
PEACH UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE
¹⁄³ cup butter, melted
½ cup packed brown sugar
2 cups sliced fresh or frozen peaches (if using canned, rinse and drain)
¹⁄³ cup shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
½ teaspoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1¹⁄³ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
²⁄³ cup milk
whipped cream (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Pour the melted butter into an ungreased 9-inch square baking pan; sprinkle with the brown sugar. Arrange the peach slices in a single layer over the brown sugar.
In a small mixing bowl, cream the shortening and granulated sugar. Beat in the egg, lemon juice, and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the creamed mixture and alternate with the milk. Spoon the batter over the peaches.
Bake for 45–50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before turning out on a plate. If desired, serve with whipped cream.
Yield: 6 servings
BAKED BRIE
WITH RASPBERRY PRESERVES
½ (17-ounce) package frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 (8-ounce) round of Brie cheese
¼ cup raspberry preserves (or ¼ cup of your favorite preserves)
¹⁄8 cup toasted almond slices (optional)
Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Lightly grease a baking sheet. Roll the puff pastry out slightly. Place the cheese round on top of the pastry (do not remove the rind). Place the preserves on top of the Brie. Sprinkle the preserves with the almonds. Wrap the puff pastry up and around the Brie. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve with crackers.
Yield: 4–6 servings
Not the Killing Type Page 26