A Sprig of Blossomed Thorn (4 page)

I smiled. “Well, I'm nowhere near so experienced. I appreciate your advice.”

“If you want to learn about growing roses, join the Rose Guild.” She smiled. “You'd be welcome there.”

“Thank you. I'll consider it.”

She lifted her cup and saucer, and her hands shook so much that the china clattered. Weathered hands, spotted with age. She ignored their shaking and with slow determination raised the teacup to her lips.

I noticed a bandage hidden by the lace cuff of one wrist, leftover from an IV, perhaps, from when she'd been in the hospital with her broken hip. I felt deeply sorry for her, and at the same time I admired her courage. To stay active in the face of such physical challenges was no mean feat.

Rosa came in with a three-tiered tea tray of savories, scones, and sweets, scattered with rose petals, and placed it on the low tea table before her grandmother. Mrs. Garcia carefully put down her cup and clasped her hands.

“Oh, it's so beautiful!”

I couldn't help feeling a little swell of pride. We work hard to make the trays beautiful, and always hope for just this kind of reaction.

“These are rose petal sandwiches,” Rosa said, pointing to the little rounds on the top tier of the tray. “Ms. Rosings had them made specially for you.”

Her grandmother's bright eyes fixed on me. “That's so kind of you! Thank you.”

“My pleasure. Enjoy your tea.”

I slipped out, leaving Rosa to explain the menu—and probably to serve her grandmother—while I looked in on the other customers. Everything was going smoothly, so I snatched the opportunity to consult Julio about next week's cream and run upstairs to tell Kris to order just two extra gallons from Hooper.

By the time I got downstairs again, three women carrying beribboned gift bags were waiting in the hall by the front door. They were the first of the bridal shower guests, slightly early for their reservation. I escorted them back to the dining parlor, then stepped across the hall to the butler's pantry where I found Dee and Rosa starting to set up the next trays.

“Bridal shower's here. Go ahead and make them some tea.”

Dee nodded and took down two large teapots, handing one to Rosa. I took down a pitcher and began filling it with ice from the pantry's refrigerator.

“How's your grandmother, Rosa?”

She smiled. “Fine. She loved the rose sandwiches.”

“Good.”

I filled the pitcher with filtered water and a couple of lemon slices. Returning to the dining parlor, I found that two more of the bridal shower guests had found their way in and were chatting up a storm with their friends. I began filling the water goblets on the table, but before I had gone halfway around it the chandelier flicked off and on.

Conversation stopped. I glanced up at the chandelier, thinking,
Not now, please
!

It turned off again, then on after two seconds, then flashed three times in fast succession.

“What is that?” said one of the shower guests, staring at the lights.

“Old wiring,” I said, smiling. “So sorry.”

I put the water pitcher on the sideboard and hurried out into the hall. Captain Dusenberry was usually discreet, and didn't disrupt my business. This, though, was more than he had ever done before. If he had done it.

I felt a cold dread, standing in the hallway, looking around for whatever had awakened the Captain's attention. I tried to tell myself it really was just old wiring, but my gut disagreed.

“What is it?” I said softly.

The sound of hasty footsteps made me turn. Rosa had come out of the front parlor. She saw me and ran down the hall toward me, her face streaked with tears.

 

 

4

“R
osa! What's the matter?”

I caught her in my arms and she gave a sob. “M-my grandmother!”

“Come here.”

I pulled her into the little hallway outside the restrooms, where there was a chaise longue. Taking out my handkerchief, I dabbed at her face with it, then pressed it into her hands.

“Stay here. I'll go and see.”

Rosa sobbed into the handkerchief. I left her sitting there and hurried to Lily.

Mrs. Garcia was slumped in her chair, tea spilled across her lap and the cup fallen onto the floor. I gazed at her, breathing hard, trying to decide what to do. At best she was unconscious. At worst...

I stepped forward and took hold of her wrist. It felt frail, with no pulse that I could find, though I'm certainly not an expert. I tried her throat with no more success. Gently, I shook her by the shoulder.

“Mrs. Garcia?”

No response. My heart sank. I took her teaspoon and held it before her nose. No misting of breath on the silver. Carefully, I set the spoon down on the table.

Another death in my tearoom. Even if it proved to be natural causes, it would not look good.

I swallowed, knowing I had to call for help, dreading the chaos that was about to return to my beautiful, peaceful tearoom. I went out to the gift shop and called 911.

The dispatcher assured me a team of paramedics would arrive soon. There was little more I could do, but I returned to Lily.

Remembering the way the police had invaded the dining parlor a month ago after one of my guests was found strangled there, I pulled the pocket doors closed and loosed the drapes at the window. It would at least keep curious eyes from staring into Lily.

I looked back at poor Mrs. Garcia. I wanted to pick up the teacup, set things to rights, but instinct warned me not to touch anything. I shouldn't have picked up the spoon, though it hardly mattered. My fingerprints on a teaspoon in the Wisteria Tearoom were anything but unusual.

Returning to the hall, I found a young couple waiting there, along with four elderly ladies in red hats. One of them, a tiny woman sporting a purple feather boa along with her wide-brimmed picture hat of bright scarlet, was all too familiar.

I managed to summon a smile. “Mrs. Olavssen. I didn't know you were coming in today.”

She blinked and tilted her head in the way that reminded me so of a bird. In fact, I still thought of her as the Bird Woman.

“Yeah,” she said. “We've formed a chapter of the Red Hat Society.”

“So I see. You all look stunning. Why don't you step into the gift shop while I look up where you'll be sitting today?”

I smiled at the young couple to let them know they were included in the invitation, and they all followed me into the gift shop. At the podium where we keep the reservation list I picked up the phone, dialing Kris's desk.

“Kris, can you come downstairs and help for a few minutes? We're a little swamped. Thanks.”

I hung up and checked the reservation list. The couple were to sit in Hyacinth, one of two small seating areas just off the gift shop. I showed them to it, then gritted my teeth and led the Red Hat ladies to their reserved area across the hall—in Jonquil, right next to Lily. I was doubly glad that I'd closed the pocket doors.

“Oh, the garden looks so pretty!” exclaimed one of them as she sat facing the window.

“Thank you. I'll go check on your tea,” I said, anxious to escape.

“Can we get some champagne, yet?” said the Bird Woman, plopping herself down on the sofa.

I shook my head. “I'm sorry, our wine license still hasn't been issued.”

“Too bad. We'll just have to come back.”

I smiled again and slipped out, glancing toward Lily on my way back to the hall. My instinct was to try to keep things going, try to preserve normality despite having a dead woman in the front parlor. It would all fall apart shortly, but for now I felt I had to keep up the facade.

Down the hall I saw Dee cross from the dining parlor to the butler's pantry, casting me a harried glance as she went. A moment later Kris came down the stairs.

“What's the matter?” she asked.

“Can you help Dee? Rosa needs some quiet.”

“Sure,” she said, glancing toward the pantry.

“Come up front. We've got people coming in for the bridal shower.”

I led her to the gift shop, which I was grateful to find empty of guests. In a low voice, I briefly apprised Kris of the situation.

“I'm going to take Rosa upstairs,” I said. “She's very upset.”

“I'm not surprised. Don't worry, I'll hold the fort.”

“Thank you. Call me when the paramedics—”

A burst of sirens sounded from the street outside. We both glanced toward the front windows, and saw a full-length ladder truck pull up at the curb. Exasperated, I watched two paramedics climb down from it while an ambulance parked behind it.

I looked at Kris. “Are you all right with taking them to Lily?”

Kris nodded. I had a fleeting thought that she might even get a kick out of it, then banished the unworthy suspicion.

“I'll be right back,” I said, and hurried out to collect Rosa.

She was trying bravely to stop crying, without much success. I took her upstairs to my office, where there is another chaise longue and more privacy, and settled her there with a cup of tea.

“I should call my father,” she said, sniffling.

“Wait until we hear what the paramedics say. I'll go down and find out. Will you be all right here?”

Rosa nodded. I gave her shoulder a squeeze, then hurried back downstairs.

Kris was gone, though I could hear her voice along with a man's voice from the front parlor. Two bridal shower guests stood just inside the front door, looking hesitant and a little worried.

“Good morning,” I said, smiling. “Let me show you to your party.”

“Is something wrong?” one of them asked, glancing toward the parlor.

“One of our guests has taken ill, I'm afraid,” I said as I led them down the hall. “An elderly lady. She's being taken care of. Here you are.”

I opened the door to the dining parlor and saw them in. With luck, their friends would distract them from the paramedics. Closing the door gently, I glanced in the pantry and saw Dee putting hot scones on two tea trays decorated with ribbons of peach and turquoise, the bride-to-be's colors.

“Let me help you.” I pulled on a plastic glove and started moving scones to the second tray.

“What's going on up front?” Dee asked.

“Rosa's grandmother fell ill.”

“Oh. Poor Rosa!”

“We'll have to carry on without her, I'm afraid. Kris came down to help.”

We carried the tea trays across to the dining parlor, where they were greeted with applause from the shower guests. I left Dee explaining the menu and stepped back into the pantry to check what needed doing next.

Tea was brewing for the couple in Hyacinth and for the Bird Woman's party. I put the couple's pot on a tray and took it up to them.

As I was coming out of Hyacinth I heard the front door open and close. I felt a momentary desire to run and hide rather than face another bewildered guest, but I straightened my shoulders and put on a smile as I stepped into the hall.

It was not a tea guest who had come in, but a man in jeans, leather jacket, and motorcycle gloves. I stopped short, blinking in surprise as my gaze met that of Detective Antonio Aragón.

 

 

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