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set her glass down on the table, and stalked into the hallway after Jessica.
    I was close enough to the door to hear heated whispers and then they faded down the hallway.
    A glance at my watch told me we still had half an hour before dinner.
    Vi had cornered Wally behind the drinks table and was interrogating him about the history of the castle.
    Mom sat by the window with Mavis and Selma. She shuffled her tarot cards as they looked on.
    I sighed.
    Mac leaned toward me and whispered, “I guess this wasn’t the best backup plan.”
    I shook my head. “No, but it’s only for one night—we’ll get out of here tomorrow. Maybe we can even get another flight to Mexico.”
    Isabel and Lucille walked into the room. Isabel zeroed in on the yarn in the room and went to sit with Tina, Heather, and Amy. Lucille zeroed in on Mac.
    “What a wonderful surprise that we get to spend the evening with you two,” she said as she approached.
    We told her the story of our flight cancellation and Mac’s alternate plan.
    “I think Linda Garrett is planning to give us a tour of the hotel and tell us about all the antiques and artwork her family has collected over the years. She’s very proud of this place.”
    “Is she the owner?” Mac asked. “I don’t think we’ve met her yet.”
    “I thought she said she would be here. . . .” Lucille glanced around the room. “She and her daughter Jessica are co-owners with Clarissa Carlisle. Clarissa is Linda’s brother’s child. David Carlisle died recently and Clarissa moved here to help with the hotel.”
    “Yes, we met Clarissa and Jessica just before you came in,” I said.
    “They were together?”
    “Well, no. They came in separately and then left . . . sort of together.”
    “I hope Linda is around,” Lucille said. “She seems to be the only thing keeping the cousins from attacking each other.”

6

    I was about to ask Lucille to explain when Wally extricated himself from Vi and moved toward the doorway.
    “Our chef, René, is from Paris and is an expert in French cuisine. He has a great dinner planned for tonight,” Wally said. “You can go in anytime now.”
    The knitters noisily left the library and headed in to dinner.
    I spotted a table for two by the window and quickly steered Mac toward it.
    “Clyde! Mac! We got a big table for all of us,” Vi shouted and waved from across the room.
    I squeezed Mac’s hand and trudged across the room to tell Vi we wanted to sit alone. Unfortunately, Mac followed me, and we found ourselves sitting with our families. I tamped down a flash of irritation and reminded myself it was only for one night.
    Before the waiter arrived, Clarissa entered the room. She stopped at the table where Amy, Tina, and Heather sat. “I talkedto Kirk, and he’ll be happy to help you with your . . . competition,” she said. They nodded their thanks and leaned toward one another, urgently whispering the moment she walked away.
    She stopped at our table and Vi began to introduce Mac and me.
    “Yes, we met earlier.” Clarissa put her hand on Mac’s shoulder. I felt him tense next to me. “Isn’t this lovely! It’s a family reunion,” Clarissa exclaimed. “There’s nothing like family, is there? Ever since I came back to help Aunt Linda and Cousin Jessica run the hotel, I keep asking myself why I stayed away so long. Of course, I had no idea there would be so much knitting.” She shivered dramatically and leaned toward Mac and me. “It gives me hives just thinking about it.”
    Vi’s face turned pink and her lips paled into a thin line. I hoped Clarissa would move on before a brawl broke out.
    “I would love to stay and chat, but duty calls,” she said. “You let me know if there’s anything you need.” She cocked her head at Mac and turned away.
    She approached the table where Isabel, Mavis, and Selma sat. Mavis kept her head down and didn’t speak to Clarissa. Isabel smiled politely but didn’t encourage her.
    After a moment or