A Winter's Tail

- 5 -

Autumn, Bea, Stephanie, and Chrissy stopped at the Peabody Mansion on the way home, for a meeting with two people: Elizabeth Johnson, the B&B's decorator and event planner; and the inn's assistant manager, Kim Stokes. Autumn noticed Kim's heightened mood and motivation since her recent promotion from housekeeper to assistant manager, confirming Autumn's instincts were right.

Kim wore a burgundy cardigan over a graphic tee with a burst of color in the same family as the sweater and black jeans. They were all in casual mode until the inn officially opened in January.

Elizabeth had her hair styled in pom-poms, her go-to look when she was in creative mode. Her cream and denim-blue striped sweater looked stunning against her dark skin. Dangling bead earrings completed the look. Autumn envied her sense of style and ability to make jewelry. She wondered where Elizabeth found the time.

Chrissy squirmed in Autumn's arms, wanting to get down. The moment Autumn released her, she ran over to Elizabeth and Kim, wagging her tail. They both knelt to greet her with enthusiastic rubs and high-pitched compliments of being so beautiful and such a good girl. Chrissy ate it up.

"Come here, sweetheart," Autumn called. "It's too warm in here to wear your coat."

Chrissy trotted over to Autumn, let her remove her jacket, and shook out her hair.

"Hi, ladies," said Elizabeth, now able to acknowledge the others in the room. Queen Chrissy always came first.

"Check out the plan for the wedding!" Kim exclaimed. "Elizabeth outdid herself."

They gathered around the table where the idea board and glittering samples covered the surface.

"Since not everyone on the guest list celebrates Christmas, we're going with a winter theme, showcasing sparkling snowflakes and icicles hanging from the ceiling, Snow Queen fairy-tale ornaments on the ten-foot artificial tree flecked with snow and white twinkle lights will stand in the corner of the living room, white tablecloths made from iridescent fabric." Elizabeth exclaimed, before Kim interrupted her.

"Isn't it fabulous?" she said, rubbing her hands together. "Absolutely magical!"

Elizabeth smiled at her biggest fan.

Chrissy let out one sharp bark. Autumn lifted her so she could see, too. She wagged her tail in approval.

"We can also leave these decorations up for the grand opening in January," said Elizabeth, "minus the ice sculpture for the food table. I called Harry Halifax, the best ice sculptor in the area. He suggested a wedding tree with yours and Ray's initials carved into the trunk."

"It's going to be really beautiful," Autumn said, while Bea and Stephanie nodded. "Maybe we can use this theme for the new wedding invitations."

"I thought you ordered them and picked them up," Stephanie said, frowning.

"Forgot to tell you. They were completely wrong. The date, Ray's name. It was horrible. I left them at Tie the Knot. Please don't refer any business to them."

"No worries there!" said Stephanie.

"I think it's a sign. We need to change the date of the wedding," said Bea, sticking with her cursed-wedding theory.

"Why?" Kim said, confused

"Saturday is bad luck. Wednesday is better," said Bea.

"I'd have to take off work. School doesn't break for the holidays until the week before Christmas," said Stephanie, who taught fifth grade at Knollwood Elementary School.

Autumn said nothing, but gazed at Bea, her point made.

"Then we'll need to be careful to ensure good luck."

"Like what?" Elizabeth had her notepad ready to write any requirements.

Autumn couldn't wait to hear what else Bea had in mind, given Stacey Eldridge's advice.

"For one thing, we need to ring bells during the ceremony to keep evil spirits away. It's an Irish tradition." She glanced at Autumn.

Autumn didn't want to sound ungrateful for Bea's desire to bring as much good luck and protection as possible, and her family name of Clarke had Irish heritage, despite discovering she was a Peabody, whose origins were English. She was skeptical about the effect of the bells, but figured it couldn't hurt.

"They need to be gentle-sounding bells, otherwise it might scare Chrissy," said Autumn, knowing her pup's reaction to sudden or loud noises.

Elizabeth suggested, "Let me look into it."

"We'll also need a bell in the bridal bouquet," said Bea, tapping Elizabeth's notepad. "And no yellow roses! They symbolize jealousy."

Elizabeth was in charge of making the bouquet, so she jotted it down.

"Aren't they a sign of friendship and new beginnings?" asked Stephanie, pretty sure that's what most people believed.

"Not in Victorian times. Better not to take the chance," Bea replied.

Stephanie shrugged.

"Got it," Elizabeth affirmed.

Bea nodded and crossed her arms. "Good."

"Elizabeth, would you mind ordering the invitations? I trust your judgment."

"Sure. I'll get them online. I have a speedy printer I use. We'll have them within two days."

"Thank you," said Autumn, picking up Chrissy. "Now to get hold of Sarah."

Sarah Kelly, a graduate of The Restaurant School in Philadelphia, was the new chef for the Peabody Mansion Bed and Breakfast.

"You're having Sarah cater the wedding and not Lisa Coleman?"

"I want Lisa to have fun as a guest, not have to work that day. But don't worry, as a wedding gift, she's making all the desserts, except for the wedding cake."

Kim and Elizabeth grinned broadly and rubbed their hands together.

"Can't wait for that!" said Kim.

Autumn knew they were excited about being guests at the wedding and seemed even more charged up to eat whatever Lisa Coleman had in mind.

"I put an order in last week for the cake at Annabella's in New Hope," Elizabeth told the others. "And then the oddest thing happened. I called yesterday to go over some details, and Annabella said she got a call saying that we canceled the wedding, so no cake. I told her to put us back on the schedule and told her how to decorate it."

Bea's mouth started to open and Autumn jumped in.

"We're not cursed, Bea! But something is going on."

Harry Halifax focused on his latest creation, a three-foot nutcracker for the reception following a performance of The Nutcracker at The Academy of Music. Board members, local CEOs, and wealthy supporters of the arts would be there to witness his latest work of art and hopefully take a business card from holders positioned at the reception desk.

His breath made clouds as he worked in the cold, chipping away at the block of ice, tools sharp and gleaming. Two decades of working in this medium made him an expert in producing any shape for any occasion. Harry had the honor of working all over the world on special projects. It also gave him time away from his wife, Faith, allowing his female admirers to spend some time with him. He always came home to her, no matter how good his trysts made him feel. If Faith suspected anything, she never said.

Despite his preference for these relationships to take place far from his home in New Hope, there was one local sexual escapade he just couldn't resist-Angela Curry. He'd met her during a creative slump, hoping therapy would help him get back into the zone. The effect her technique had on him made him come back for more, even after he regained his motivation. And, like the others, Faith didn't know he was in therapy nor that he got his fixes outside the marital bed so close to home. Even though Angela was Harry's newfound inspiration, and he sculpted Angela's beautiful body in ice, he told Faith he made it for a plastic surgeon's office. Angela kept him in bliss until he told her it was time to end their sessions.

No other woman reacted the way Angela had: screaming at him, threatening to tell his wife, and ending his career. He was the last patient she saw the night before they found her body the next day. A body that he had sculpted early on. Angela made him so mad. And now she was dead and his worries were over.

Beatrice went over to the Peabody Museum side of the building to pick Stacey's brain a bit more about safeguarding the wedding. Stephanie, Autumn, Chrissy, and Elizabeth took a walk down the cold, white trail, past the snow-covered, life-sized statuary of fairies, gargoyles, buddhas from various cultures, and pagodas along the trail and nestled in the woods, to the clearing where the ancient sycamore stood surrounded by snowdrifts and lit by the hazy glimmer of trail lights buried in snow.

"I suggest we change out some of the statues. Gargoyles were great for Halloween, but not for a wedding," said Elizabeth.

Stephanie agreed.

Autumn said, "You two can pick out whatever you think is best. I trust your judgment. You've got your work cut out for you,...