Part 16 (2/2)
”Oh.” Julie wasn't sure how to respond. The two women had been inseparable since they had arrived, the best of friends-or so she'd thought. Julie had fully expected Sadie to remain with Joyce until she was released from the hospital, not be chased away by a little thing like smelly hospital food. Did Sadie have an ulterior motive for returning to the inn so soon?
”I hope they release her today,” Julie finally said.
”Thank you, dear. So do I.”
Julie turned her focus to the rest of the group just in time to hear Kenneth exclaim, ”I'm just saying that I don't believe we have anything else to worry about!”
”I don't see how you can possibly believe that.” Susan frowned.
”It's simple, really.” Kenneth picked up a scone and slathered it with clotted cream. Julie could almost see Hannah roll her eyes. With all the work Hannah put into her fabulous scones, they didn't need any embellishment, not even the traditional topping the Brits used. ”It's the law of averages. So much has already happened, what more could feasibly go wrong?”
Susan shook her head. ”You shouldn't have uttered that challenge to the universe.”
”All I know is I'll be glad to get out of here,” Gregory chimed in with his usual scowl firmly in place.
Julie noticed he'd brought the small bronze duck from his room and set it next to his plate. Not quite as menacing a weapon as the fire poker, but potentially lethal all the same. She grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down next to s.h.i.+rley.
”Good morning,” the s.p.u.n.ky redhead greeted as Julie joined her. As was the case on most days, her att.i.tude was just as lively as her clothing-a bright pink-and-red dress accented with dangly heart earrings and a handwoven scarf.
Julie thought she looked like a walking valentine, but s.h.i.+rley always brought a smile to her lips. ”Good morning to you.”
”It's going to rain today,” s.h.i.+rley announced loudly enough so everyone would hear.
”It's already started.” Julie stirred a bit of cream and sugar into her coffee and took a tentative sip. Perfect.
”Great.” Gregory tossed his napkin onto his plate and snorted in disgust. ”Our last day here, and we're trapped inside this place.”
”I'd be happy to loan you an umbrella,” Julie offered.
Gregory simply rolled his eyes.
”A pity. I was looking forward to one last day in town,” Sadie agreed.
”It should stop later this afternoon,” s.h.i.+rley said.
”I think it's a perfect time to work on the quilt. We're almost done,” Julie reminded them.
”Yeah, like that's what I want to do,” Gregory said sarcastically. He propped his feet in the chair opposite him as if daring someone to tell him to get them down.
”We could play board games,” Kenneth suggested.
”What did I miss?” Liam sauntered into the breakfast room.
”Nothing except that it's going to rain,” s.h.i.+rley said.
”It already is.” Liam s.n.a.t.c.hed a piece of fruit and a couple of m.u.f.fins from the sideboard and then poured himself a cup of coffee.
”We were right in the middle of deciding what to do today,” Susan said.
”Quilting or board games,” Carrie added. ”What's your choice?”
”Quilt,” Sadie said.
Liam shook his head. ”I have some stuff to work on in my room.”
A chorus of protests went up around the room. Julie couldn't decide if they honestly wanted Liam's company or if they wanted to keep an eye on him.
”If I have to stay down here and endure this, so do you,” Gregory said. ”And I vote for playing a game.”
Julie could see Liam begin to cave. ”Come on,” she said. ”It'll be fun.”
Liam looked like he might protest further, but then he seemed to change his mind. ”All right. Count me in.”
”Yay,” Carrie said. ”What do you want to play?”
”Anything but Clue,” Gregory grumped.
Julie couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of his comment and the situation as a whole.
After everyone finished breakfast, most of the group moved to the tearoom where the quilt was set up, while Kenneth and Liam went to get the games out of the game cabinet.
”How about Oth.e.l.lo?” Liam asked.
”But that's a two-person game,” Susan protested.
”Fine by me,” Gregory said. ”You and somebody else can play and leave the rest of us in peace.”
”Well, there's Monopoly, Life, and Trivial Pursuit.”
”I am not playing a trivia game with a college professor,” Kenneth said. ”All the brown questions will be too easy for you.”
”Like you'd be any better,” Liam protested. ”You're a doctor. You'd get all the science ones right.”
Kenneth smiled. ”Touche.”
”Maybe we should play teams,” Susan suggested.
”Or we could have a checkers tournament,” Julie said. ”Whoever isn't playing can quilt. How does that sound?”
”I like it,” Carrie said.
They drew numbers to see who would go first. Gregory and Kenneth drew one and two, and had first play. Carrie, Sadie, and Susan looked somewhat relieved to be quilting while the men moved their red and black discs across the board.
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