“Well, how nice to hear from you, Melanie. How have you been?”
“Don’t be cute. You’re not the type. And I don’t appreciate what you’re trying to do.”
Mary Beth clamped her jaws so tightly shut she was surprised they didn’t creak, but she was not going to give her sister the fight she was obviously looking for. She merely counted to ten.
“Mary Beth? Are you listening to me?”
Mary Beth let her breath out slowly and forced a smile that she hoped would show in her voice. “Of course I’m listening, Melanie. I just don’t know what you’re talking about.” She sank down into the chair and then shifted to pull her forgotten purse out from under herself. “How about starting at the beginning and telling me what’s going on?”
“Don’t try that on me, Miss Innocent. I know you talked to Amy today.”
“Yes, I did. She is my niece, you know.”
“That doesn’t mean you can use her to do your dirty work, Mary Beth.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“She asked me to make you a loan. Don’t tell me you didn’t put her up to that.”
Mary Beth leaned her head back and closed her eyes. “Think whatever you want to, but I didn’t. I don’t know why you’d think that. I don’t think she’d even say I’d do something like that.”
“She told me it was all her idea, but don’t think for a minute I don’t know you didn’t call her up to complain about how bad things are for you. But—with the Lord’s help, of course—you’ll make it through somehow.”
Her sister’s voice had turned into a mocking imitation of a pathetic whine, and for some strange reason, in a bad southern accent on top of it all. Again, Mary Beth had to count to ten.
“Look, Melanie,” she said finally, “Amy is a sweet girl, and it’s good of her to be concerned about me, but I would never ask her for anything. I certainly wouldn’t ask her to ask you for anything. And heaven knows, the last thing I would do is expect anything from you. I told her, and I’ll tell you right now, honestly, sincerely, and with no misunderstandings and no hidden messages: I will work this out. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I’ll figure out something. And yes, with the Lord’s help—thank you very much—I’ll be fine.”
Melanie only made an impatient little huffing sound.
“I know you don’t understand me, Mel. You never did. Mother never did. The fashion business is just not important to me. I would hate living your life. I know you have the money and the fame. I know you go everywhere and know everyone who is anyone and are in all the fashion magazines. I’m glad you have what you want. Honestly, I am. But I could never live that way. I love Stony Point and A Stitch in Time. I love my little house and my ordinary friends and my quiet life. And I know you think it’s just hysterically funny, but I do believe God will look after me and show me what I need to do when the time comes to close the shop. If the time comes.”
“You tell yourself whatever you need to, Mary Beth. Whatever gets you by. But don’t bring Amy into it! Do you understand?”
“I didn’t bring her into it. In fact, I told her I absolutely did not want her to do anything. And believe it or not, I don’t expect anything from you either. We’re both grown up. We make our decisions, and we deal with what comes of them. I’m just sorry that you feel like I’m trying to manipulate you or Amy.” Mary Beth swallowed hard. “And I’m sorry the only time we ever talk is when something is wrong.”
The only answer she got was a click followed by a dial tone.
****
As soon as Annie and Alice had finished their lunch with Ian at The Cup & Saucer, Annie went on a fact-finding mission that took most of the afternoon. The minute she got home, she dropped in over at Alice’s.
“Do you have time for company, Alice? You won’t believe what I found.”
Alice snorted. “You won’t believe how many rivers they have in Scotland. That’s one clue that’s going to be hard to pin down. Come on in.”
“Hmmm, so that’s not going to help us get started.” Annie followed Alice inside, and they both made themselves comfortable on the couch. “Any luck on any of the other clues?”
“Well, thanks to the Internet, I found out that an old English measurement that happens to be 45 inches is called an ell. I’m thinking ‘Roadside Refuge’ is an inn.”
Annie dug out her copy of Geoffrey’s clues. “OK, I guess we can pencil those in. Anything else?” She cleared her throat and read the paper aloud: