That afternoon…
The best place to pick up gossip in the inn was the dining room during a meal service. Lunch had come, and I drifted through the space, stopping at glossy tables to refill empty coffee mugs and trying to play the part of the unassuming maid.
“—Halloween party. Can you believe that?”
“So soon after what happened to Julia?”
“It’s a scandal.”
The whispers had come from a table in the corner of the dining room. Seated at it were members of the wedding party, all wearing black. The rest of the guests, those who hadn’t come for the Childless-Knowles wedding, cast glances at the group. The spooky skeletons and fake spiderwebs weren’t nearly as alarming as funeral attire.
I drifted closer to the table.
“I don’t understand it,” a woman said, fluffing her dark brown curls. I recognized her as the maid of honor. She had looked eternally bored as she awaited the wedding’s start. “I mean, I understand it’s Halloween, but to throw a party?”
“They clearly don’t care about our Julia.” That had come from a bridesmaid with platinum blonde hair.
“More coffee, ladies?” I asked, offering the pot.
The women, four of them, looked up from their lunch.
“Maybe she can give us answers,” the brunette said, with another touch of fingertips to her hair. “I think we deserve them.”
“I agree,” the blonde replied. “Maybe you should ask.”
“Why should I ask? You ask.”
“Me? But I—” The platinum blonde choked wordlessly for a second.
“Oh, that’s right. I forgot. Bella can’t say a mean word about or to anybody.” The brunette gave a vicious smile. The other women giggled at the jab, though it hadn’t been funny.
“Stop it, Sasha,” the blonde, Bella, replied. “I don’t want to get into an argument with you again.”
“An argument? Oh honey, it’s not an argument if you get steamrolled by the other person. Come on now.”
Both women had New York accents. It was interesting that Julia hadn’t chosen any of her old friends from Gossip to be a part of her wedding party. Why come back to her hometown to get married when it would cost so much to get everybody down here?
“Anyway,” Bella sniffed. “I would like some coffee, yes, please.”
“I would like some coffee, yes, please.” Sasha mimicked her then burst out laughing again. “I’m kidding. I’m kidding. Come on, you know I like to play with you. She can take it.” That last part was directed at me. “She can take it but she can’t dole it out, if you know what I mean?”
“Yeah, I don’t,” I said, pouring the coffee into Bella’s mug.
“Meaning she’s my little punching bag. Conflict averse.”
“Sasha, stop.” Bella’s long, tinted lashes hooded her eyes.
Sasha focused on me. “Why are you hosting a Halloween party so soon after Julia died?”
“The Halloween party is this week Saturday,” I replied, because I couldn’t answer her in meek maid form. The truth was, Julia hadn’t even been a guest at the inn. It was tragic that she’d died, but businesses didn’t close when someone was murdered.
The show had to go on. Inclusive of the cat herding.
“Yeah, exactly. Why would you host a party so soon after somebody died?” Sasha tossed her head, scanning the women at the table, seeking their attention or approval.
I wasn’t quite sure what to make of the maid of honor. Was she acting this way because she wanted to take charge of the group?
“The Halloween party was planned months in advance,” I said, still struggling to find a nice way to say it. Charlotte Mission would’ve told her the blunt truth.
“Yeah, and so? This is serious,” Sasha replied. “Everybody should put their lives on hold until after the funeral. Don’t you agree, ladies?”
The other two women, one thin, one short, nodded.
Bella sniffed.
“Got something to say, punching bag?” Sasha grinned at her.
“You’re not… life…” The words were too soft to make out.
“What’s that, honey?” Sasha cupped a hand beside her ear. “Go on. You can do it.”
“You’re not putting your life on hold,” Bella snapped, clasping at her gorgeous gold necklace. “So why should anyone else?”
“Well, well, look who decided to grow a set of teeth.” Sasha laughed, but her cheeks had gone pink. “Pity you didn’t grow a brain too. Is it the jewelry, Bella? Ever since you bought yourself that cheap gold necklace, you’ve been acting the fool.”
Bella knocked into the table as she rose from her seat, rattling the vase. “Oh come on, Sasha, we all know you hated Julia. It was tragic when she decided to choose you instead of me to be her maid of honor. You were always jealous of the attention she got, and I’m not going to sit here and listen to you lie about how close you two were. You might’ve fooled Julia, but you haven’t fooled me!”
And with that, she stormed out of the dining room, leaving a shocked Sasha in her wake.
“Whatever,” Sasha said, now fully red-cheeked. “She has no idea what she’s talking about.” The table quieted and no further questions were asked about the Halloween party.
So, Sasha had hated Julia? That was interesting.
A soft whistle sounded from the dining room archway. Gamma stood underneath it, gray eyebrow arched.