Tea and Primroses

by Tess Thompson

  She put the knife in her jeans pocket, then grabbed her purse and headed for the front door. Peter had said not to go out of the house, but this was an emergency. She’d never heard anyone sound as sick as Gigi had on the phone just now. With shaking hands, she punched in Peter’s number on her phone while running to her car. He didn’t answer. She left a message. “Peter, it’s Sutton. Gigi’s really sick. I’m scared out of my mind she’s been poisoned. Can you meet me at my house? Just to be on the safe side?”

  It took her ten minutes to get to her house. She parked around back, knowing Gigi’s car was most likely in the garage. Using her key for the back door, she entered the mudroom and called out Gigi’s name, but there was no answer. The poor thing was probably in the bathroom. How was she going to get Gigi to the hospital? She sprinted up the stairs to the main floor, calling out to her once again. At the top of the stairs, she scanned the room, almost breathless from fear and the sudden sprint, but then her heart thudded and seemed to stop. Gigi sat on the couch, bound and gagged. Behind her, pointing a pistol directly at Sutton was a woman with long, white hair and icy, almost translucent eyes. Sigourney Templeton.

  Sigourney was old and ugly now, with no hint of the beauty she’d once possessed. Ugly made its way to the outside eventually, Sutton thought as she gripped the railing.

  “Sutton Mansfield in the flesh,” said Sigourney. “Come on in. We’ve been waiting for you.” She came around the back of the couch, pointing the gun at Gigi’s head. “Come, sit by your friend here. We have a lot to discuss.”

  Sutton crossed the room on liquid legs. She sat close to Gigi; their shoulders touched. Through the fabric of Gigi’s blouse she felt the cold fear on her friend’s skin.

  “Do you know who I am?” Sigourney stood in front of her, pointing the gun at Sutton’s chest.

  Sutton nodded.

  “I had to take care of your mother myself. When I found out that Patrick, after all these years, was with her again while I wasted away in that place, well, I knew I had to come finish her off once and for all. It wasn’t enough, suddenly, to have destroyed her life like she did mine. I wanted her dead. And you know why? Because it would make Patrick suffer. So that outweighed my desire to kill you and make Patrick’s slut suffer.” She sat in the chair opposite the couch and stared at Sutton. “But then, I figured something else out. You see, I’d never seen you before. But when I did, I knew. You were Patrick’s child. You look just like his mother. Did you know that? I know that because her photograph used to sit on my bureau in my house I shared with my husband. Mine. He was mine and then your mother took him away. God, how I’ve hated her. All those years they had me locked up I spent thinking of how to make her suffer. When I found out about you, I knew exactly what my final revenge would be. I had to kill you to give Patrick one final blow before he dies the painful death that awaits him. Not only is his slut dead, but so is his daughter. Those are the thoughts that will be in his mind as he dies in some lonely room. Oh, I can only imagine the happy meeting between you two. There must have been tears and hugs and vows of undying love. It makes me sick. They wrecked my life.” She stood, pacing back and forth in front of the couch. “So then the only question was how? They had you good and locked up in that hideous house of your mother’s.” She pointed at Gigi with the gun. “But then this one presented herself and, boom, I knew what to do.”

  Sigourney sat again. “How to do it though? This is the question. I’ve been able to cover my tracks all this time, except for my father. He figured out what I was doing and locked me up. As if he hadn’t threatened to do the same thing.” She shook her head. “My father was smarter than anyone I ever met. Even smarter than Patrick. Or do you call him Daddy now?”

  I want to call him Dad, she thought, silently, but now I probably won’t have the chance. She felt Gigi shift. Sutton glanced at her; Gigi’s eyes were wide and frightened. Think, she ordered herself. How could they get out of this? Be brave. The lion was brave in the end. She must be brave now. She couldn’t let either of them go out this way. Her mother wanted her to live.

  Declan’s face came to her then. All those years he spent chasing demons, obsessed over his mother’s killer. And here she was. Sutton must buy time, get her to talk. Sigourney was the type of woman who liked to brag. Peter would come once he got her message. Maybe he would call Declan and Patrick. Someone would come.

  She needed to get Sigourney to stop moving. “Sigourney.” She swallowed, trying to control the shaking in her voice. “A reporter followed me here. I saw their car pull up and park across the street. He knows I’m in here.”

  Sigourney stood and went to the window, pulling back the curtain just slightly. Sutton was up. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the knife, removing its sheath. She pitched it, aiming for the target, the spinal cord, between the old woman’s shoulder blades. The knife moved swift and smooth and fast, entering the woman’s body like a dart to the board. Sigourney screamed and dropped the gun. It went off; the boom was deafening. There was the smell of gunpowder. Sutton raced across the room, scooping the gun up with her strong baker’s fingers.

  The gunshot noise was replaced by the sound of footsteps running up her stairs. Men’s heavy steps. Sutton pointed the gun at Sigourney, who writhed on the floor, moaning in pain.

  Sigourney was curled into a ball, making the noise of a trapped animal, her flowing dress all around her scrawny, decaying body like she might melt into the floor. Just like the wicked witch, thought Sutton.

  The men were there now. Peter had his gun drawn. Declan’s face looked near panic until he saw her, standing there with the gun pointed.

  She turned her gaze toward them but kept the gun pointed at Sigourney.

  Sigourney moved her cold eyes to Sutton. “I’d do it all again.”

  “Shut up,” Sutton whispered. “Peter, make her shut up.”

  “I’ll make sure she pays for what she’s done,” said Peter. “Justice comes to those who wait.”

  “Baby, give me the gun.” Declan peeled Sutton’s tight grip from around the handle of the gun and brought her close. “You all right?”

  “I think so.”

  Peter put his gun away and took out a pair of handcuffs, tightening them around Sigourney’s wrists.

  Sirens sounded in the distance. Peter released Gigi from the gag and ropes around her ankles and wrists. She collapsed in his arms. All this happened around Sutton but she was in a haze, like the pea soup fog that came so often to the coast. Her legs weakened; there were black spots in front of her eyes; the smell of the gunpowder seemed to have crept deeply into her nostrils. She felt as if she might faint. “Dec,” she whispered. “I don’t feel so well.”

  “I’ve got you. It’s all over now.” He picked her up and carried her into the bedroom, where he held her on his lap.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  THAT NIGHT SUTTON SAT IN HER MOTHER’S OFFICE with Patrick, watching the sun setting over the ocean.

  She pointed to the beach. “Do you think she’s out there somewhere, watching us?”

  “Absolutely. I know it, as a matter of fact,” said Patrick.

  “How’s that?”

  “I dream of her every night. We agree we did good work when we made you. Our perfect collaboration.” He smiled, his eyes soft. “I saw the doctor today.”

  “What did he say?”

  “He said it’s miraculous the cancer hasn’t spread. I told him I have a lot to live for. The cancer hasn’t grown since the day I came to Legley Bay and found your mother. Doc says I have a while longer.” He squeezed her hand. “We have a while longer.”

  “I’m so happy, Dad.” She smiled, self-conscious. “Dad. Saying it might take a bit to get used to.”

  “Keep practicing, then.”

  Sutton picked up the clock from Constance’s desk and held it, caressing the smooth wood with her fingers, thinking of her father’s hands that built it so long ago. What had he thought of as he chose and sanded the wood? What was
the first time ever set on it? It was then she noticed it had stopped. No one had thought to wind it since her mother’s death. “Will you wind it?” she asked Patrick.

  He did so and then set it on the desk where it had lived for so many years. Then he reached into his pocket. “I have something for you.” It was her mother’s necklace. “I promised her I’d give it to you.” Turning her toward the window, he clasped it around her neck.

  She closed her eyes, thinking of her mother as she brushed each of the stones that encircled her neck. What had her mother said?

  But she hadn’t then known that life is a circle.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  SIX MONTHS LATER, three days before she was to open the doors of her bakery for the first time, Sutton stood with Declan and Patrick behind the counter. They each held a glass of champagne. “Congratulations, Baby,” said Declan, raising his glass. “Here’s to a thriving business. I know it’s going to be a huge success.”

  “Cheers, sweetheart,” said Patrick. “Whatever happens next, you conquered your fears. I’m very proud of you.”

  Her vision went slightly blurry as she clinked glasses with each of the men in her life. “Thank you. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

  She ultimately had chosen Cannon Beach for the location of the bakery. They bought and renovated a building two blocks off the main street of town, behind a kite shop and day spa. As much as she wanted to open it in Legley Bay out of loyalty, the businesswoman in her knew the busy tourist destination was the better choice. They selected yellow paint for the exterior and a gray and white striped awning to hang over the windows facing the street. “Starry Night” was etched into the canvas. Inside, the décor was simple and rustic, inspired by Patrick’s cabin. The counter and tables were made of distressed wood where patrons could spend time munching on baked goods and chatting or working on their laptop computers. On the wall behind the counter, above the espresso machines and fifty types of tea, were cups hanging from hooks in a neat row and piles of white plates. The front glass cases were filled with pastries and loaves of bread. Sutton’s croissants with their layers of flaky, buttery perfection had their own shelf. Her father, after eating two in one sitting, had declared them indeed perfect and predicted with some conviction that they would make Sutton famous in the very near future.

  Behind the front of the shop was the bakery, complete with industrial sized ovens and refrigerators and stacks of cooking sheets, mixers, and pastry makers. Sutton had spent the last several weeks hiring a staff for both the front and back of the shop. There was nothing left to do now but to open the doors and pray for patrons.

  Now, the champagne was almost gone. She set her glass in the sink. “You guys ready for dinner?”

  “I’m starved.” Patrick set his empty glass next to hers. “I’ll go get the car.”

  Sutton turned to Declan after her father left. Her engagement ring sparkled in the overhead lights. “Thank you for helping me open this shop instead of planning a wedding.”

  He smiled. “Yeah, speaking of which, when are you going to marry me?”

  “Tonight?”

  “Very funny.”

  Just then the front doors of the shop opened and their friends entered: Aggie; Louise and her husband, Ben; Peter and his wife, Cleo. She was between filming, having secured a role in her second movie. Louise couldn’t stop talking about it, which made Sutton smile.

  Gigi came in from the back. “We ready for a wedding, gang?” she asked, setting the box she carried on one of the tables.

  Sutton took Declan’s hands. “What do you think, Dec? Want to get married tonight?”

  He looked stunned. “What? Are you sure?”

  “Yes. I have rose petals and we’ll have music. Just no white chairs. But everyone I love is here and that’s all that matters. And I don’t want to wait another minute to become your wife.” She raised her eyebrows and smiled at him. “How’s that for commitment?”

  “That’s pretty good.” He grinned and pulled her into a tight embrace, swinging her in a circle. “Let’s do it.”

  Patrick entered from the back, carrying strings of white lights in his hands. “Did he say yes, Sutton?”

  “He did.”

  Patrick slapped Declan on the shoulder. “I have your suit at one of the hotels down the street. Sutton picked it out for you. We’ll get you ready there and then come back so you can marry your bride.”

  “But who’s going to perform the ceremony?” asked Declan, still looking somewhat stunned.

  Aggie held up one of her scrawny arms. “Me. I got certified off the internet so I’ve got you covered.”

  Patrick pulled Constance’s old blue rabbit’s foot out of his pocket and handed it to Sutton. “For good luck. It’s something borrowed and blue.”

  “Thank you, Daddy. It’s perfect.” She rubbed the less worn side, thinking of her mother, as her father and Declan left out the back door.

  Louise and Ben were stringing lights around the shop. Cleo started sprinkling the floor with pink rose petals. Peter pushed back tables to make a space for the bride and groom to exchange vows.

  Jack came in holding bouquets of pink and white peonies and primroses for both Gigi and Sutton. He handed the bouquets to Gigi. “Hi, Gigi. I’m back.” His voice was soft.

  “Hi, Jack. Welcome home.” Gigi flushed, her eyes narrowed slightly. “You look different.”

  “Funny how five million dollars and a trip through Europe can change a guy.” He leaned close to Gigi, but Sutton could still hear him. “You gonna let me get you drunk tonight and take you home with me?”

  Gigi giggled. “That doesn’t sound like me.” She motioned to Sutton. “Come on, gorgeous, let’s get you into your dress.”

  In Sutton’s new office at the back of the shop, she stepped into her gown. It was a simple silk sheath made by a tailor in town. “What’s going on with Jack?” she whispered as Gigi zipped up the back of her dress.

  Gigi’s eyes lit up. “I’m not sure. He’s been gone for six months.” Jack had not gone back to his teaching position and instead had gone on an extended trip through Europe. “He called me yesterday just to say hello but I missed the call. So I don’t know.”

  “Does he know you’re back for good?”

  “I plan on telling him tonight.”

  Sutton smiled. Maybe there would be another wedding in the near future. She turned toward the mirror Gigi had brought from home. Gigi placed a crown of primroses on her head. “You ready?”

  “I’m ready.” She stood back from the mirror. “I wish Mom was here.”

  “I know. Me too.” Gigi kissed her cheek. “But you’ve got all of us. We all love you.”

  “And I love all of you.”

  At dusk, as the sun dimmed to nothing, she walked into the room of sparkling lights with the rose petals at her feet, holding the sweet smelling primroses and holding onto the arm of her father, toward Declan. Their eyes locked. In every crowded space I search for you. She tightened her grip on Patrick’s arm. Declan wiped tears from his cheeks. And then, like someone had opened the door and let a strong wind into the room, the teacups hanging from their hooks rustled and made a tinkling sound as they rattled against one another.

  Everyone turned toward the sound. But it was quiet now, the cups hanging benignly. Had they truly heard it?

  But Patrick knew.

  “That was your mother,” he whispered in her ear. “Giving her blessing.”

  Thank you for coming, Mommy, she thought silently.

  Moments later, it was with a peaceful heart that she said an emphatic and sure yes to Declan Treadwell, both for their time on earth and for the hereafter, knowing that life was arranged in a circle. All that’s lost eventually returns.

  ALSO BY TESS THOMPSON

  Caramel and Magnolias

  A former actress goes undercover to help a Seattle police detective expose an adoption fraud in this story of friendship, mended hearts, and new beginnings.

 
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  Riverstar

  A feisty Hollywood makeup artist bands together with the beloved River Valley characters to prove the innocence of the man she loves in this romantic and suspenseful tale.

  Riverbend

  A woman finds her life in danger when her abusive ex-boyfriend gets out on parole, leaving her no choice but to accept help from a cold and wealthy recluse hiding a dark history of his own.

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