The sound of a circular saw greeted me as I neared, the noise almost as gratifying as the pile of reclaimed wood in the small front yard. Sophie had mandated that no new wood was to be used in replacing any termite-ridden cornices or floorboards, extending the time frame of the renovations considerably. Hopefully until I had heard everything Adrienne needed to tell me and the mystery of her death had been solved.
As I approached the short driveway, I recognized my mother-in-law’s green Jaguar. The trunk was open and the impeccably groomed Amelia in a royal blue bouclé Chanel suit and matching heels was leaning inside it, pulling out what appeared to be stacks of catalogs.
I rushed toward her. “Let me help you,” I said.
“Oh, Melanie. So good to see you,” she said, and kissed me on both cheeks before handing me a heavy stack. Amelia leaned back in and took out another pile, managing to balance it in one arm while she pushed the close button for the trunk. “Would you mind helping me bring these inside?”
“Of course not. I’ve got a little bit of time before my next appointment, so I figured I’d stop by to see Veronica about . . .” I’d almost said “Adrienne,” but stopped. Because she was my mother’s best friend and Jack’s mother, chances were she knew about my “special gift,” but neither one of us had ever acknowledged it. She instinctively understood that I found it easier to relate to people when I could pretend that I was normal. “About her new home search,” I finished.
We began walking toward the front steps. I glanced down at the stack in my arms. “What are these for?”
“Those are recent antique furniture auction catalogs. Veronica has asked for my help in estimating the value of the furniture in her house. Because they’re downsizing, it’s not likely they’ll find a home for everything in their new space. It’s good you’re here, then, since we might want to include some pieces with the sale of the house. Anything left over, I may take on consignment for our store.”
“I guess it’s never too early to think ahead,” I said, juggling my stack so I could ring the doorbell. “Veronica wants to wait until this one is put on the market, and then I’ll help her and Michael find a new home.”
“Which, according to Veronica, could take a very long time.” Amelia winked at me and I smiled.
She tilted her head, studying me as if I were a Meissen figurine with a glaring chip. “You look tired,” she said, giving me a sympathetic look. “This whole separation thing . . .” She shook her head. “I’m not taking sides here—I’ve been married long enough to know that I shouldn’t. But I do hope that you and Jack figure this out soon. The children miss you when you’re not together, and I can’t even imagine how much you miss them when they’re not with you. Not to mention how much Jack misses seeing Nola every day.”
I could only nod, knowing that if I tried to speak, I’d probably cry. I missed JJ and Sarah every moment they weren’t with me. Just as I missed entering the nursery together with Jack first thing in the morning and having our special time with them before our days started, before phone calls and chatter and car pool.
The circular saw began whirring again, obliterating all other sound as well as the need for me to respond as the door opened and Veronica ushered us inside, but not before I caught the telltale scent of Vanilla Musk perfume.
“Hello, Amelia, and what a nice surprise, Melanie.”
“I hope you don’t mind me just stopping by.”
“Of course not,” Veronica said, shutting the door behind us.
I barely recognized the usually dark foyer and staircase because of the paper runners covering the steps and the white sheets thrown over all the heavy Victorian furnishings. The house smelled of sawdust and paint, the occasional hammering punctuating the steady hum of the circular saw outside.
“It’s better in here,” Veronica said, leading us into the library.
Shelves of books lined the walls behind a dark burgundy leather chesterfield sofa and a matching armchair; an ancient rolltop desk was tucked into the circular window that I recognized from the tower outside. She slid a pair of pocket doors closed and we took a collective breath in the relative silence.
Veronica smiled apologetically as she helped us unload our burdens onto a library table, its legs on small wheels. “I’ve asked Sophie to leave this room for last,” Veronica explained, “so that we have an escape from all the construction.” She sent me a worried glance. “Michael’s about ready to lose his mind. I don’t know how much more of this he can take before he decides to just sell it as is.”
She indicated the sofa. “Why don’t you two have a seat, and I’ll go finish with the tea tray? Lindsey made some of her grandmother’s famous cheese straws and I have to say they’re better than anything I could buy in a store.”
Veronica left the room just as a familiar tingling began on the back of my neck, along with a gentle tug on the sleeve of my dress, the scent of Vanilla Musk wafting around me.
Amelia picked up a catalog, then put it down again, taking a deep breath as she did so. “Melanie, dear,” she said as she faced me. “You know I love you like a daughter, so you must know that I have only your best interests at heart. Which means I feel compelled to tell you that I think this idea of you and Jack allowing filming in your house while you’re living there all alone with Nola and the two babies isn’t safe.”
“Really, Amelia. It’s fine. Part of the deal is that hotel rooms are available for us if we choose. And the option will remain for the duration of the filming. Since the crew is allowed only downstairs in certain rooms and the upstairs is off-limits, I know we can hold on to our privacy. It’s just that I don’t want to disrupt the children’s lives any more than we have to—especially right now—and Jack and I just aren’t comfortable with Marc having the unchecked freedom to dig through our personal effects. I’m sure I’ll be fine. . . .”
As if she hadn’t heard me, she said, “Your parents think so, too. They were over last night for supper. We all agreed that it isn’t an ideal situation, and spent most of the evening trying to come up with a workable solution.”