Read Murder by Arrangement (Edna Davies mysteries Book 5) for Free Online Page A

out a hand, his light
blue eyes held a twinkle.
    Feeling
uncomfortable at Lily’s belligerence toward this seemingly kind and gentle man,
Edna smiled. “That would be very nice. Thank you,” she added, handing him her
key ring.
    Abruptly, Lily
said, “Come have a cup of tea while you wait, Edna. Violet, show Amanda your
room, and take your bag upstairs when you go.”
    The girls ran
off, followed more slowly by the grandmothers. “Workmen. Got to keep an eye on
them or they’ll take advantage of you,” Lily commented, not lowering her voice
as she linked her arm in Edna’s.
    Edna glanced
over her shoulder to see Clem pulling tools out of the trunk. Either he hadn’t
heard or was ignoring Lily. Feeling both gratitude and sympathy for him, Edna
said, “How fortunate you are to have a handyman. We’ve been relying on students
from the university. They’re good, but what with exams and semester breaks, we
can’t always count on the same person being available. Seems we’re always
training someone new.”
     Lily nodded as
she slowly drew Edna along the sidewalk. “Hired him last fall to help with the
garden and building repairs. Place has become too big for me to handle alone. I
let him use the apartment above the garage, in lieu of wages. He’s to paint the
house as soon as the weather warms up.”
    As they crossed
the porch to the front door, Edna noticed that, indeed, the house needed not
only a good coat or two of paint, but repairs to some of the trim. Unlike the
buildings, she knew the gardens to be well-tended and immaculate. The yard was
apparently where Lily expended her time and energy. Edna made a mental note to
complete the Christmas Rose water color she had in mind for Lily. She had made
up her mind to the single white blossom rather than the clustered blooms of the
Lily of the Valley bush. The painting was to be a “thank you” for the special
invitation and viewing last month. Seeing Lily’s January blossoms had been a
treat. Although Mrs. Rabichek, the previous owner of the Davies property, had filled
her gardens with unusual plants, none bloomed in winter like Lily’s.
    The women
settled in Lily’s sun room overlooking the back garden. As soon as they were
settled in the comfortable, cushioned wicker chairs, Edna said, “I noticed the
abandoned beehive when I was here for your garden tour last month. Was your
husband the keeper?”
    Lily gazed at
the weather-worn hive with its white, peeling paint that stood against the back
stone wall and shook her head. “No. It was a few years after his death that I
decided to try keeping bees. Thought it would be good for the garden, and I
could benefit from the honey.” She chuckled. “Best laid plans and all that.
When the beekeeper came out that first year, he warned me against the honey. He
said, what with all the rhododendron and azaleas around, never mind that Pieris
japonica over there next to the hive, the honey would make me sick, more like
as not.”
    Edna knew the
Pieris japonica as “Lily of the Valley shrub,” but she was getting better at
using the botanical names since she’d joined Greenthumbs. The garden club
members seemed to prefer the scientific references. “I haven’t gotten rid of
the old thing because I like the looks of it there. Plugged up the holes, of
course, so bees can’t get in.” Lily’s voice broke into Edna’s thoughts.
     For the next
hour, the two women drank tea and chatted about plants and grandchildren. It
was a lovely, sun-warmed room and, after Lily’s discourteous behavior toward
her handyman, Edna was surprised at the woman’s affability. Their conversation
was light and pleasant, and the time passed quickly before Clem appeared
alongside the house, raising a hand to let them know he’d finished. The women
left the comfort of the conservatory, Lily to call upstairs to the girls and
Edna to speak to Clem.
    “You did pick up
a nail. I found the leak and plugged it, so you should be fine,” he