Peach Cobbler Murder (9 page)

The church was dim and restful, and the electric candles really did look real. Hannah closed her eyes to more fully appreciate the illusion of a garden and breathed in the perform of the roses. She imagined it was summer, not winter, and the air was heavy with promise. The furnace, far below her in the basement of the church, gave off a faint hum that reminded her of the lazy droning of honeybees as they meandered from blossom to blossom.

Hannah smiled as she imagined a brightly colored butterfly flirting between tall stocks of hollyhock, pausing to alight on one for a moment and then fluttering away. She could feel a light breeze blowing, just enough to make the tendrils of hair at her temples quiver and tickle the skin on her arms.

Time passed and Hannah’s imaginary garden changed with it. As dusk approached, long shadows made the sunflowers seem to sway on their stems, their large open blossoms too heavy for the thinner, cooler night air. Their petals furled, tips gathering to the center as the last rays of sunlight faded to darkness and the moon replaced the sun.

Fireflies came out to play and Hannah glanced down to find that she was dressed for a garden wedding under the star. The familiar strains of Mendelssohn floated up toward the sparkling stars that dotted the heavens and guests began to arrive to sit on white cushions on the carpet of smooth grass. Hannah was in bridal white, a vision of loveliness in her spotless baker’s apron. She held a lace-covered cone of cookies, each one resembling a flower, and Tracey was there with a similar cone, passing out cookies to the guests as they arrived. There was a circlet of baked meringue on her head to hold her gossamer veil in place, and the veil itself was made of spun sugar that shimmered in the moonlight. And then the music swelled and it was time for her to walk to the latticework gazebo that was made of gingerbread to join her groom.

Hannah took her place and glanced to the side to see the face of the man she was about to marry. But her veil had turned translucent and although she could see his form, she couldn’t make out his features. As she squinted, desperately trying to see who it was, the music grew soft and the ceremony started.

It was a strange ceremony. The familiar phrases were indistinct and more like the music of muted horns than any language she recognized or recalled. The officiate wasn’t anyone they knew, not Reverend Knudson, or Father Coultas, or Reverend Strandberg from the Bible Church. It wasn’t even a male, as Lake Eden tradition practically dictated. Instead, the minister was a girl, a mere child, and she said, “And I now pronounce you man and . . . Aunt Hannah.”

Aunt Hannah? Even in Hannah’s dream state, she knew that wasn’t part of the ceremony. But then, as she was about to supply the correct phrase, the child minister said it again.

“Aunt Hannah.”

Hannah jerked fully awake and blinked as she found herself looking up into her niece’s anxious face. It had been a tough week and she must have dropped off to sleep.

“Are you okay, Aunt Hannah?”

“Fine,” Hannah said, gathering herself together as best she could. “I was meditating on the meaning of marriage.”

Tracey grinned. “No, you weren’t. You were sleeping. But that’s okay. Nobody saw you but me.”

“Did you drive here alone?” Hannah asked, recovering enough to tease her favorite five-year-old.

“Yes, but I let Daddy take over once we stopped at the church and he’s parking the car. Mommy’s downstairs, checking to make sure she’d got enough pins for the flowers that the men have to wear. What are they called again?”

“Boutonnieres.”

“That’s right. And it’s because they go in the buttonhole. I looked it up in the dictionary you gave me for my birthday. Everything’s in there, even the German words Karen’s grandma and grandpa used when they talked about her Christmas present.”

Hannah’s brow shot up at this reference to Tracey’s best friend, Karen Dunwright. “Karen remembered the words and you looked them up in the German-English section of your dictionary?”

“That’s right. It was just great, Aunt Hannah. Karen knew what she was getting before she even opened her present. I did it for Calvin, too. His grandparents speak French.”

Hannah sent up a silent prayer that the grandparents of Tracey’s friends never found out, but she grinned as she got to her feet. She was vindicated. Delores and Andrea had thought she was crazy buying the massive unabridged dictionary as a present for Tracey, but Hannah had been sure that her niece would use it.

“Do you like my dress?” Tracey whirled around, and exact imitation of the model’s turn that her mother had given in The Cookie Jar the other morning. She was wearing a wine red velvet dress with an empire waist and white roses embroidered around the neckline and the hem.

“You look lovely. That’s a beautiful dress and it makes you look very grown-up.”

“That’s silly, Aunt Hannah. I’m not any older than I was before I put it on.”

“I know. It’s just that it looks like a dress an older girl would wear. And you’re wearing lipstick.”

“Only because the lights are dim here in church. Mommy said it was like makeup for a child actor, not like makeup for when you’re old like she is. I have to take it off before we go out to the reception.”

“That’s probably wise,” Hannah said with a nod. “You wouldn’t want to look too old, or people might think you were the bride.”

Tracey laughed, an action that made her blue eyes sparkle. Hannah’s niece was already a beauty and she had the classic features that would grow even more attractive as time passed. It wouldn’t be long before the boys would notice how pretty Tracey was, and Hannah didn’t want to see her grow up too fast.

“Come on, Aunt Hannah. Mommy said to bring you downstairs so she can put some makeup on you. She wants you to look good for the wedding.”

Hannah knew there was no use arguing. Andrea was already a ball of nerves from imagining the catastrophes that might happen during the ceremony and the reception, and she’d only get more nervous if Hannah didn’t cooperate.

“I’m right behind you,” Hannah said, sliding out of the pew and following Tracey to the steps. “But do you really think I need makeup?”

“It’s not that you need it. You always look beautiful to me. But Mommy thinks you need it, and we want to keep her happy, don’t we?”

“Absolutely,” Hannah said, feeling more like Tracey’s co-conspirator than her aunt as they hurried down the steps to the dressing room where Andrea was waiting for them.

“I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Hannah blinked back tears as Herb folded back Lisa’s veil and kissed her. She wasn’t sure why she always cried at weddings, but she did. She glanced at Andrea and saw that her sister was wiping her eyes on Bill’s handkerchief. A lance at their mother confirmed that crying must run in the family, because Delores was dabbing at her eyes with a white lace handkerchief.

She was about to turn back to listen to the rest of the ceremony when she realized that Winthrop was no longer sitting at her mother’s side. Had he decided a small-town wedding was so boring, he’d taken a powder and risked alienating his ladylove? But then she saw him slipping in through the door of the church and walking forward unobtrusively until he reached the pew where Delores was sitting.

Where had he gone? Hannah wondered, knowing it could have been anywhere including the men’s room downstairs. Delores looked up as he slid into the pew and handed her a silver tote bag Hannah recognized. The tote was filled with several dozen small packets of rice that Delores and everyone surrounding her would toss at the new bride and groom. The mystery of Winthrop’s disappearance was solved. Delores had left the rice in the car and she’d sent Winthrop back out to the parking lot to retrieve it.

Delores reached out to take Winthrop’s arm and Hannah wished that she’d turned away a few seconds earlier. Her mother’s face was radiant. It was apparent that she cared about Winthrop a lot more than Hannah and her sister wanted her to.

For Pete’s sake, Mother. He just went to the car. It’s not like he was out slaying dragons for you, Hannah thought, frowning a bit. She stared, willing her mother to turn and pay attention to Lisa and Herb, but the mother-daughter radar must not have been working because Delores just smiled and slid a bit closer to Winthrop’s side.

“And now I give you Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Beeseman,” Father Coultas announced, turning Herb and Lisa around so they faced the congregation and giving the signal for Immelda Giese at the organ to play the recessional.

As the newlyweds began their walk down the aisle, stopping every foot or so to exchange words with friends and relatives, Hannah saw Andrea beckoning to her frantically from the rear of the church.

Me? Hannah indicated her question by tapping her chest and Andrea responded with several definitive nods. And then she gave another signal for Come here right now, by opening her mouth in a silent yell and beckoning frantically again.

Hannah wasted no time sliding out of the pew and rushing down the side aisle to the back of the church. When she reached Andrea’s side, her younger sister grabbed her by the arm and rushed her into an alcove.

“What is it?” Hannah asked, resisting the urge to yelp as Andrea’s nails dug into her arm.

“The chauffeur slipped on the ice when he got out of the limo and broke his arm. Doc Knight had to take him to the hospital, and now I need a substitute driver.”

“Bill?”

Andrea shook her head. “He has to lead the procession in the squad car, and Mike’s out at the station filling in for everybody else.”

“How about Norman?”

“His car is all packed with photography equipment so he can take candids at the reception. You’ve got to help me, Hannah. I called the company and they’re sending a replacement driver, but he won’t be here for at least an hour. The newlyweds and their parents will be here any minute and I need somebody to drive them to the reception!”

“And you want that somebody to be me?”

“Yes! I’m in a terrible spot, Hannah. Say you can do it.”

“I can do it.”

“But can you, really?”

“Of course I can. Too bad I don’t have the uniform. I could do it in style.”

“I’ve got the driver’s cap,” Andrea said, pulling it out of he large carryall at her feet and clapping it unceremoniously on top of Hannah’s curls. “I grabbed it before Doc Knight drove him away. I just wish I’d thought to ask for his uniform.”

Hannah laughed. She couldn’t help it. Andrea was used to getting her way, and she’d think nothing of asking the poor limo driver to shed his pants and his jacket, and go off to the hospital in his underwear.

“He left the limo running and the keys are in the ignition. Go see if you can find something good to play for the drive out to the inn. They were supposed to provide music as part of the limo service. And I’ll open the door when the bridal party gets there. I don’t want to take a chance on losing another limo driver!”

Hannah was chuckling as she opened the driver’s door to the white stretch limo and slid in behind the wheel. She’d never driven a limo before, but how hard could it be? She’d driven everything else on wheels or runners, including a tractor, a snowmobile, a powerboat, and a school bus. The only thing she hadn’t driven was an eighteen-wheeler and as long as she didn’t have to do anything tricky, she figured she could drive that, too.

The wedding couple’s trip down the aisle was taking a while, and Hannah used the time to her advantage. She checked out the passenger compartment, opened the champagne bottle, and set out four glasses. There was a selection of music for them to peruse and Hannah picked something innocuous to put on the sound system until they’d made their own choice. She was just checking out the intercom and the glass partition that separated the compartments when the church doors opened wide.

Hannah tipped the driver’s cap down low over her eyes and waited for Lisa and Herb to emerge. People were already lining up on the steps, preparing for the newlyweds’ exit. Once everyone was outside, there was a flash of strobe lights and then Lisa and Herb appeared at the top of the steps. They stopped for a moment to pose for a photo, and then they descended in a shower of rice and flower petals. Her partner looked happier than Hannah had ever seen her, and Herb almost missed a step because he was so busy admiring his beautiful bride.

Andrea opened the back doors of the limo and Lisa and Herb got in. Marge Beeseman and Jack Herman were right behind them, and Hannah waited until Andrea had closed the doors before she keyed the intercom that connected her with the backseat. “Congratulations from Celebration Limos, Incorporated. You’ll find a complimentary bottle of champagne and glasses on the mini bar. That’s our way of wishing you a happy life together and many rides from Celebration in the future.

“Thank you,” Herb’s voice answered her from the back and Hannah grinned as she realized that he’d left the intercom open and she could hear their conversation as the champagne was poured.

“We’ve got a woman driver,” Lisa said. “I’m glad they hire women.”

“Her voice is familiar,” was Herb’s comment.

“You’re right.” Marge sounded thoughtful. “She reminds me of someone, but I can’t think who.”

“Hannah?” Jack guessed.

“Her hair even looks like Hannah’s,” Lisa said.

“That’s because it is my hair,” Hannah said, turning to face them with a grin.

“This is the best wedding cake I’ve ever eaten!” Sue Ganske complimented Hannah as she came back for a second piece. “I just love having a choice, chocolate with vanilla filling, or white with chocolate filling. And they’re absolutely gorgeous when they’re sliced. Your cakes are every bit as pretty as my Kransekake and they taste a lot better.”

“Thanks, Sue,” Hannah said, accepting the compliment graciously. Hannah hadn’t tasted the Kransekake and neither had anyone else. Plates and a cake knife were there for those who wished to sample it, but Sue’s cake was still untouched. Even though Hannah had no firsthand tasting experience, she was almost positive that Sue was right. The layers were made of ground almonds, powdered sugar, and egg whites that were kneaded together and baked until they were set. And while there was nothing wrong with that combination of ingredients, Hannah knew the result wouldn’t be particularly flavorful. On the other hand, the Kransekake was beautiful and it made a perfect decoration. Sue had drizzled the golden brown layers with white icing and decorated the resulting cone-shaped edifice with miniature Norwegian flags and colorful frosting roses.