With a twinkle in her eye, Daisy reminded Arden, “At one time, Jonas had to deal with criminals.”
Arden burst out laughing. “That’s true. This group can’t be much different. I do wish Margaret had invited the New York duo as well as the volunteer crew, but I guess that would have been too expensive.”
Noticing Arden glancing around, Cora Sue asked, “Do you need something?”
“Yes. We need more honey.”
“Coming right up,” Tamlyn assured her as she picked up the honeypot and Arden followed her into the dining room.
Daisy looked over the checklist she’d laid on the counter in the butler’s pantry. Back in the kitchen, she realized tea service was moving along well. Good food seemed to calm everyone’s conflicts. The savory course had consisted of mini-quiches, crab puffs, and a barbecued chicken bite wrapped in bacon. No one seemed to have any complaints, and Daisy breathed a sigh of relief.
Now Daisy, Cora Sue, and Tamlyn were preparing dessert plates with apple gingerbread with clotted cream when Daisy suggested, “Tamlyn, will you help Cora Sue and me serve this? It’s their last course, and everyone can be served at the same time that way.”
“No problem,” Tamlyn assured her.
However, when they returned to the dining room to freshen the table before bringing in dessert, Daisy noticed several chairs were empty. With raised brows, she looked to Heidi for an explanation.
Heidi let Margaret answer. Margaret let out a long, frustrated sigh. “Daniel needed a smoke. Can you believe a man that smart doesn’t understand he’s killing himself?”
Heidi said, “He’s addicted, Margaret, and he doesn’t want to change.”
Margaret rolled her eyes. “Just like a man. Arden decided she needed fresh air, even though it’s as cold as the North Pole out there. She and Glenda had a few words.”
Heidi explained, “I think Arden wants a bigger role or at least more words to say.”
“And Jasper said he wanted to take a peek into Rowan’s library.”
Tamlyn had returned to the kitchen and now brought out a tray with three teapots. She set them on the table.
“And where’s Glenda?” Daisy asked.
Margaret explained, “She’s wandering about somewhere. Something about back strain, and she needed to stand and walk every once in a while.”
Cora Sue sidled up to Daisy. “I’m going to take a powder room break.”
Daisy picked up the water pitcher and began refilling glasses on the table. She heard the ding-dong of a phone chime and realized it was coming from somewhere on Margaret. Margaret reached into the pocket of her midi-length camel skirt and pulled out her phone. A deep worried expression crossed her face when she checked the screen.
She tossed to Daisy, “Since everyone’s taking a break, I’m going to answer this.” Her voice was terse as she left the room.
It wasn’t any business of Daisy’s whether Margaret took the call or not.
After Daisy finished filling the water glasses, she used a crumb remover and cleaned up the tablecloth. She wanted the last course to be perfect and one they would all remember.
Tamlyn removed soiled napkins and laid down fresh ones.
“I’ll get clean spoons and forks from the butler’s pantry,” Daisy told Tamlyn. She’d also look over her checklist one last time.
“I can’t wait to start on your dessert,” Heidi announced. “If you expect everyone here for the last course, you’re sadly mistaken.”
Daisy, hoping that wasn’t true, spoke with Heidi for a while, willing the other guests to return soon. Then she walked through the huge farmhouse kitchen to the butler’s pantry without hurrying.
However, when she reached the butler’s pantry, the paneled door was closed.
Was Margaret inside on the phone?
She put her ear to the heavy wood door but could hear nothing.
She rapped, but there was no answer.
Daisy slowly turned the knob and the door creaked open.
She froze.
Cold chills raced up and down her spine.
Margaret Vaughn lay on the floor. The sight of the blood that had poured from the area of Margaret’s heart choked Daisy. The sight of the clotted cream spilled over Margaret’s chest filled her with nausea and horror.
Her gaze shifted to the brushed nickel knife holder on the counter. The middle knife—which Daisy suspected was the largest in the set—was missing.
As if she couldn’t help herself, her eyes darted to Margaret again as she rushed forward to check for a pulse. She pressed hard against Margaret’s neck, but she couldn’t find one.
As she reached in her pocket for her phone, she realized she could never use clotted cream again . . . for anything.
Chapter Four
Daisy had closed the door of the butler’s pantry. She knew better than to touch a crime scene. No one else should go in there, at least not until the police arrived. She’d called 9-1-1 and emergency services should be on their way.
Everyone was in shock, speaking at once over each other. Cora Sue had found Daisy at the butler’s pantry door. After Daisy stammered what she’d found, Cora Sue had called everyone into the dining room.
Daisy was still shaking. It was hard to believe someone had apparently stabbed Margaret and she’d bled out so quickly.
Daisy put her phone to her ear again. Still in shock, her mind not firing on all cylinders, she realized she had to press Jonas’s number for him to answer. Once she did, she was mute.
“Daisy, is that you?”
When she still didn’t answer, he said a bit louder, “Daisy. Answer me.”
His voice in a directive must have done it. “I’ve never found a body before,” she murmured.
There was a beat of silence.
“It’s awful, Jonas. It’s just awful. How did you do this for a living?”
“Tell me where you are,” he suggested gently, as if she were on the verge of breaking down.
She was. She still hadn’t recovered from her last encounter with a murderer. Jonas had diagnosed her with PTSD symptoms. After reading about the syndrome, she’d realized he was right. Her major
