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“Well, Della sure threw Wynona under the bus,” said Meadow, shaking her head as she and Beatrice ate lunch together.
Beatrice said, “But it makes sense that she would. After all, blaming Wynona diverts attention from the family. Della obviously plans on being a member of that family in the near future.”
Meadow snorted. “So did Wynona. I wonder if Malcolm is really onboard with it all. And I wonder if Caspian was all that happy about Malcolm’s relationship with Della. Did you know that Della would be Malcolm’s third wife?”
“Maybe the third time is the charm?” asked Beatrice lightly. She had another bite of her chicken salad sandwich.
“It’s hard to imagine that it would be. And not that I want to ever discourage anyone from taking up quilting, but I’d gotten the impression last week from Posy that Della might have started quilting to please Malcolm. His mother was apparently very crafty and he’s always really admired women who are artistic. Maybe Della’s trying to play that up. She’s definitely determined to put a ring on his finger.” Meadow emphatically waved her fork in the air.
“Speaking of putting rings on fingers, I’ve really got to get back home. I’ve got a meeting with Wynona and I think Wyatt was going to try and make it, too,” said Beatrice. “You wouldn’t think that a small wedding would take this much planning, but it almost seems as though it takes as much planning as a big wedding. At any rate, maybe I can ask Wynona a few questions while she’s there to go over the food with us—just sort of slip the questions in.”
Meadow said, “You shouldn’t have a hard time asking her questions—she’s always happy to talk about Hawkins. It’s just not talking about him in a good way.”
“Do you think that Della was right? That Hawkins actually still has feelings for her? And Wynona for him? Because, now that Caspian is out of the way, they could resume their relationship,” said Beatrice.
“With all the harsh words between them, I wouldn’t have said so, but you just never know. Love sometimes conquers all!” said Meadow.
Beatrice nodded. “I suppose so. There’s just something about Della. She seems as though she simply wanted to stab Wynona in the back.”
After they finished eating, Meadow dropped Beatrice off at the house. “Let me know how it goes with Wynona!” she said, tapping her horn cheerily as she left. This made Noo-noo’s little face appear in the window. When she spotted Beatrice, she gave her a big, doggy grin.
Inside, Beatrice stooped to rub Noo-noo and give her a hug. “I’ve been gone a lot today, haven’t I?” It was a good thing that Wynona was actually going to drop by and see her instead of the other way around.
Beatrice took Noo-noo for a short walk and then came in to take a nap, since she’d missed so much sleep lately with the barking of the neighbor’s dog. When she woke up, she found it was time to make a quick bite of supper before Wynona and Wyatt came over to talk about the flowers. She’d picked up some beautiful heirloom tomatoes at a produce stand the day before and they’d ripened to perfection on her kitchen counter. She made a tomato sandwich with mayonnaise. Usually adding anything to a tomato sandwich was something Beatrice considered a sacrilege, but today she couldn’t resist adding a slice of white American cheese. Paired with some red grapes, it made her the perfect light meal.
She’d just finished tidying up in the kitchen and living room when there was a light tap on her door. Noo-noo gave a happy yelp and Beatrice opened the door to a smiling Wyatt who stooped to pet the corgi. Wynona pulled into the driveway right behind Wyatt and waved at them.
Wynona always looked chic in her trademark black. Today, she was wearing black, tailored cropped pants and a black tunic paired with a necklace of different colored stones. Beatrice had gotten the impression from Wynona that money was always tight and never something to be relied on in the wedding business. To get more business, she expanded her reach to nearby towns and was frequently on the go. Although Beatrice and Wyatt were having a very small wedding, Beatrice wanted some small arrangements for the service, and she also considered Wynona a friend that she felt she should give a little business to. Even if it was very little business.
Wynona gave Beatrice a quick hug and beamed at Wyatt and her. “Getting excited?” she asked.
Beatrice said, “Yes,” and smiled at Wyatt, who reached out to squeeze her hand. In that moment, she was excited. She didn’t think about the events still to come, the things she needed to do, the phone calls she needed to make, or the preparations she needed to make to combine her home with Wyatt’s. She just felt a simple, happy glow.
“Let’s get started, then,” said Wynona cheerfully as they walked into Beatrice’s house. “I’ll go over what I’ve planned and make sure it’s exactly what you want.”
Wynona quickly covered the simple arrangements she’d planned. The magnolias would be blooming and she showed them how she was planning on using the flowers and their great, waxy leaves as a backdrop to their ceremony and reception. As an accent to the large flowers, she planned some baby’s breath arrangements in mason jars as a wispy accompaniment. They provided local appeal and a casual elegance that appealed to Beatrice.
“What do you think?” Beatrice asked Wyatt.
He smiled at her and held up his hands. “They look beautiful. But you know that my opinion on these things isn’t worth very much. Despite all the years I’ve spent in churches around arrangements, my flower arranging knowledge is pretty pitiful. I know I like them.”
“That’s all we needed to know,” said Wynona cheerfully as she closed her notebook. She hesitated and then asked, “Did I hear that you were both at the Nelmses’ house when Caspian passed away?”
They nodded and Wynona continued, “How awful for you both. Was it one of the events celebrating the wedding?”
Beatrice sighed. “Sadly, yes.”
“And I heard it was murder?” Wynona looked steadily at them.
Wyatt nodded. “I’m afraid so.”
Wynona sighed. “That’s terrible. And I feel so guilty.”
Beatrice and Wyatt glanced at each other. Wyatt said gently to Wynona, “Why would you feel guilty about Caspian’s death?”
Wynona gave a short laugh. “I guess because I’ve wanted it to happen for so long. Now that it has happened, I almost feel as if I’ve wished it on him somehow.”
Beatrice said wryly, “I think the person responsible for his death is the person who murdered him. And that person wasn’t you, from what I’m understanding?”
“Oh, I was nowhere near the house. That place gives me the creeps now—so many memories. Both good ones and bad ones,” said Wynona quickly.
Beatrice said, “And you weren’t on good terms with Caspian.”
Wynona raised her eyebrows and then gave another short laugh. “Sometimes I forget that you’re still relatively a newcomer to Dappled Hills, Beatrice. No, I was no friend of Caspian Nelms. I was dating Hawkins, his oldest child. We were in love, and the only thing I wanted in this whole world was to marry him.”
“And Caspian disapproved,” said Beatrice.
“Exactly,” said Wynona.
“Why on earth did he disapprove? You’re an attractive woman with her own business,” said Beatrice. “It doesn’t make any sense.”
“He and my late-father never liked each other. When I was growing up, we lived next door to Caspian. There was a dispute over the property line that meant my father had to tear down a fence that he’d just paid for. And there was more than just that—the two men never seemed to get along over anything. Caspian took an instant dislike to me. Besides that, he’d wanted Hawkins to do something to make him proud—marry a debutante or a successful business woman or something. You know—some kind of advantageous marriage that would further his empire,” said Wynona, a bitter note in her voice.
“A debutante? Here in Dappled Hills?” asked Beatrice.
“Well, I think the plan was for Hawkins to travel and find someone in New York or Dallas or something. Anyway, a poor woman with a small business from North Carolina wasn’t part of the plan. Especially me. He forbade us to get married,” said Wynona.
“That must have been incredibly upsetting,” said Wyatt softly.
“It destroyed me,” said Wynona simply. “At first, I just laughed it off. I told Hawkins I didn’t care a thing about his money and that it would suit me just fine if we never saw his father again. But Hawkins relied on his father’s money too much. He worried about being able to make a living without his father’s support. And Caspian lowered the boom and said that if Hawkins married me, he would cut him completely off, financially. Hawkins didn’t think he could make it.”
“Did you get the impression that Hawkins needed money?” asked Beatrice.
Wynona nodded. “I did. And I didn’t understand it. I mean, I’m scraping by, but I have enough money to live off of. But Hawkins seemed to think he needed much more than that.”
“Do you think he had any debts or anything?” asked Beatrice. She remembered Malcolm saying that the gambling debts had accrued after Hawkins broke things off with Wynona, but there could be other debts.
Wynona shrugged. “That’s one area we didn’t discuss very much. Obviously, we should have.”
Beatrice said slowly, “If Hawkins needed money so badly, do you think that he could somehow have been involved in his father’s death?”
“Oh no!” said Wynona immediately, shaking her head. “Hawkins is a straight-arrow. He would never do something like that.”
Beatrice and Wyatt exchanged looks again.
Beatrice said, “That’s interesting. I didn’t necessarily get the impression that Hawkins was like that. But sometimes first impressions can be deceiving.”
“What was he like at the dinner party?” asked Wynona. “Before Caspian’s death?”
“He was quiet. Unsmiling. He drank a lot,” said Beatrice. “I didn’t feel particularly welcomed.”
Wynona rubbed her temple as if it was hurting. “You know, lately he’s seemed very agitated. It’s worried me. Even though I’ve been furious with Hawkins for dumping me, I still care a lot about him. I still love him, despite all his shortcomings.” She turned to Wyatt. “Do you think you could drop by and check on him? I know he always had a lot of respect for you, even though he might not have shown it last night.”
Wyatt nodded. “I’m planning on going by later to visit with the family. I’ll be happy to have a word with Hawkins privately, if he wants to, when I’m there.”
Beatrice said, “Do you have any idea who might have been behind Caspian’s murder?”
Wynona glanced at them and then glanced away. “I hate to say it, but the way the murder was carried out was really distinctive, wasn’t it? I mean, y’all were all there in the house. A party was going on. And someone slipped away and murdered Caspian in the middle of it all. I can definitely say that kind of brazen approach sounds like Malcolm. I mean—like I said, I hate to point the finger at someone, but it’s more characteristic of Malcolm than really anyone else.”
Wyatt frowned. “Didn’t Malcolm and his father get along?”
Wynona said, “Malcolm, on the surface, seems to be one of those people who gets along with everybody. He’s friendly and outgoing. He smiles a lot. And he had a pretty good relationship with his father, at least compared with everyone else in the house. But Malcolm and Caspian were not as close as he might want you to think. I heard them arguing pretty frequently.”
“What were they arguing about?” asked Beatrice.
“Oh, life in general sometimes. And sometimes they argued over Della. I think Caspian was about as happy over Della as he was over me,” said Wynona wryly. “After all, Della would have been Malcolm’s third wife. I think Caspian thought that Malcolm was about to make another mistake.” She stood up and gave Noo-noo a rub. “Well, I guess that’s enough gossip from me today! Let me know if y’all have any questions about the flowers or anything else. I know it’s going to be such a special day.” She looked at Noo-noo. “Beatrice, I would love to get Noo-noo together with my puppy. Watson has so much energy right now and he would love a playdate with Noo-noo. She’s so laid-back and sweet that they would be perfect together.”
“Sounds good! Let’s set that up soon,” said Beatrice.
Beatrice walked Wynona out and then walked back in to sit next to Wyatt on the sofa. Noo-noo jumped up to sit between them, grinning.
Wyatt laughed. “I think somebody might be a little jealous. Next time, I’ll have to come over with some special corgi treats.”
“Just call her Green Eyes,” said Beatrice with a smile. “Or maybe it’s just that she wants to sit next to both of us.” She grew serious again. “What do you think about all this?”
Wyatt sighed. “I hate to see it. Of course, it was sad losing Caspian. I started feeling that maybe his relationship with his family was turning a new leaf. After all, Sadie had returned to Dappled Hills and was trying to work things out with her father. And I thought that Caspian seemed more contented lately. It’s made me very sad. It’s made me especially sad that someone in his family or very close to him was the one who ended his life.”
Beatrice said, “I know. And Wynona is right—it was really brazen of the person to do it while we were all here. I wonder if they thought that with all the distractions and in and out movement of a party that it would somehow provide a better cover for murder.”
“It appears to have worked. I can’t remember who was what when. I know there was a lot of motion, a lot of checking on things in the kitchen or going to get drinks. Maybe it made sense to commit the murder under those circumstances, after all,” said Wyatt.
Beatrice said, “I’ve gotten to know the family a little better today. Meadow and I went up to the Nelms house thinking that we’d catch most of them there, but Hawkins was alone.”
“How was he?” asked Wyatt. “I know Wynona said he’s been bad for a while.”
“His mind wasn’t on our visit at all. He looked anxious and sort of faded. It makes him seem guilty somehow, even though that’s not really fair. He was so absentminded that Meadow and I were worried that he wasn’t going to remember to put the fried chicken dinner into the fridge,” said Beatrice.
Wyatt said, “It may be the stress of Caspian’s sudden death. And, if he wasn’t doing well before, it could have been especially stressful for him.”
“Have they contacted you about the funeral yet?” asked Beatrice.
Wyatt shook his head. “No, but that makes sense. After all, there is still likely some forensic work going on. The funeral will probably be delayed a little.”
“Meadow and I ran into Malcolm and then Della downtown today,” said Beatrice. “They were handling Caspian’s death much better than Hawkins. At least, that’s how it seemed. They said that they were taking a break from going over arrangements for the funeral. They’re definitely thinking about what they’re doing for the service, even if they haven’t spoken with you yet.”
Wyatt said, “I’ll go by there in a few minutes and talk to them.”
“Between wedding flowers and funeral arrangements, you’re having a busy day,” said Beatrice ruefully.
“No busier than usual,” said Wyatt cheerfully. “And talking about flower arrangements doesn’t exactly qualify as work.”
He put an arm around Beatrice and they sat in a happy glow for a few minutes. “It makes it seem more real, doesn’t it?” asked Beatrice. “Getting the details hammered out for the ceremony.”
“It certainly does,” agreed Wyatt. He paused. “I was thinking that maybe we should do something—just the two of us. Our friends have been great to show their friendship with these different events, but it might be nice for us to celebrate our upcoming wedding in a quieter way.”
Beatrice said, “That would be wonderful! I think I need to recharge a little after all the social events. What were you thinking?”
“I was thinking that we could take a hike up Sunset Mountain and have a picnic. The hike isn’t too strenuous and the views and waterfalls are gorgeous. I know you enjoyed it up there the last couple of times we went. Only if that sounds good to you,” said Wyatt quickly. “It’s just that, if we do something in town, we’ll have friends stopping by our table and visiting with us.”
“That’s the truth!” said Beatrice. “One of the joys—and hazards—of living in a small town. You never really get a private dinner, especially if you’re a minister.”
“Then it’s a plan. Would tomorrow work for you?”
“Tomorrow would be perfect,” said Beatrice with a smile.