scene at the shop between her and Geoffrey. I couldn’t help but think that it must be truly awful to be trapped in a marriage to a bully.
Tina’s hat represented Alice. Viv had created a wide-brimmed white sun hat with pretty blue ribbons trailing down the back, which matched her blue dress. The outfit made her appear even younger, and I couldn’t help but wonder if she was happy.
“Hello, Tina,” I said.
She turned away from the fountain and glanced at me. She looked distracted and I noticed it took her a moment to focus on me.
“Scarlett,” she said. She smiled at me. “How good to see you. You look lovely.”
“As do you,” I said. “You make a fine Alice.”
She gave me a rueful glance and it said more than words that the family fallout continued. I knew without asking that Daphne was undoubtedly still in a snit over Tina being Alice.
“How are you?” I asked.
“Fine,” she said. “Just fine.”
“You do realize I don’t believe you, right?” I asked.
This time when she smiled it reached her eyes.
“You caught me,” she said. “Things have been rather stressful.”
I glanced over my shoulder to make sure we were out of earshot of the other guests. “Geoffrey?”
“Oh, I know what you’re thinking,” she said. “He was terrible that day in the shop, but truly, he isn’t always like that.”
I gave her a dubious look, but I understood from her tone that she wasn’t going to discuss it further.
“Well, the party looks amazing,” I said. “Very festive, and it’s quite a full house.”
“I expect Dotty will be well on her way to getting that wing at the hospital,” Tina said. “Each family member is hosting a table. I had them put you and Viv at my table so I could put the squeeze on you.”
I gave her an alarmed look. Tina laughed a bright, musical chuckle, and I smiled at her as I realized she was teasing me.
“Don’t worry,” she said. “I actually had them put you at my table so that Liam and George don’t monopolize you. I heard from Rose and Lily that they were quite taken with the milliners.”
“Well, Liam for certain with Viv,” I said. “I believe George understands that I am too old for him.”
I glanced across the crowd, trying to spot the brothers. I could see several of the hats Viv had made. Lily was the White Rabbit; Daphne, the Dormouse; and, true to her word, Viv had made Rose the Cheshire cat. Their hats stood out among the others with whimsical details like a ticking clock on Lily’s and glittery black fronds fashioned to look like whiskers on Daphne’s and orange-and-yellow-striped feathers on Rose’s. Viv really had done an amazing job.
A bell rang and Tina and I glanced up to see Marilyn Tofts, wearing a puffy white blouse over a purple skirt topped by an ostentatious, glittery purple hat that had deep-purple ostrich plumes launching off of it in all directions. She resembled a musketeer that had been electrocuted as she waved everyone forward into a large white tent that had been erected on the side lawn.
“That’s the call to start the silent auction.” Tina scanned the crowd and then frowned. “I don’t see Geoffrey, do you?”
“No, I haven’t seen him,” I said. “And his hat is hard to miss.”
Viv had outdone herself on Geoffrey’s hat. She had made an extralarge top hat in a plush electric blue. As a compromise, she had kept the polka dots to the wide ribbon around the crown. She had chosen the color perfectly, as Geoffrey’s usual sallow skin appeared robust under the brim of blue and even he had noted it when he came in to pick it up. Since we had been bracing ourselves for him to pitch a fit, it was a pleasant surprise that he had been agreeable.
“It really is a spectacular hat,” Tina agreed. “He has quite embraced the role of the Mad Hatter.”
I thought about the moment in the shop where he looked as if he was going to hit her. I didn’t care what sort of personal crisis he was dealing with; that was
Tina’s hat represented Alice. Viv had created a wide-brimmed white sun hat with pretty blue ribbons trailing down the back, which matched her blue dress. The outfit made her appear even younger, and I couldn’t help but wonder if she was happy.
“Hello, Tina,” I said.
She turned away from the fountain and glanced at me. She looked distracted and I noticed it took her a moment to focus on me.
“Scarlett,” she said. She smiled at me. “How good to see you. You look lovely.”
“As do you,” I said. “You make a fine Alice.”
She gave me a rueful glance and it said more than words that the family fallout continued. I knew without asking that Daphne was undoubtedly still in a snit over Tina being Alice.
“How are you?” I asked.
“Fine,” she said. “Just fine.”
“You do realize I don’t believe you, right?” I asked.
This time when she smiled it reached her eyes.
“You caught me,” she said. “Things have been rather stressful.”
I glanced over my shoulder to make sure we were out of earshot of the other guests. “Geoffrey?”
“Oh, I know what you’re thinking,” she said. “He was terrible that day in the shop, but truly, he isn’t always like that.”
I gave her a dubious look, but I understood from her tone that she wasn’t going to discuss it further.
“Well, the party looks amazing,” I said. “Very festive, and it’s quite a full house.”
“I expect Dotty will be well on her way to getting that wing at the hospital,” Tina said. “Each family member is hosting a table. I had them put you and Viv at my table so I could put the squeeze on you.”
I gave her an alarmed look. Tina laughed a bright, musical chuckle, and I smiled at her as I realized she was teasing me.
“Don’t worry,” she said. “I actually had them put you at my table so that Liam and George don’t monopolize you. I heard from Rose and Lily that they were quite taken with the milliners.”
“Well, Liam for certain with Viv,” I said. “I believe George understands that I am too old for him.”
I glanced across the crowd, trying to spot the brothers. I could see several of the hats Viv had made. Lily was the White Rabbit; Daphne, the Dormouse; and, true to her word, Viv had made Rose the Cheshire cat. Their hats stood out among the others with whimsical details like a ticking clock on Lily’s and glittery black fronds fashioned to look like whiskers on Daphne’s and orange-and-yellow-striped feathers on Rose’s. Viv really had done an amazing job.
A bell rang and Tina and I glanced up to see Marilyn Tofts, wearing a puffy white blouse over a purple skirt topped by an ostentatious, glittery purple hat that had deep-purple ostrich plumes launching off of it in all directions. She resembled a musketeer that had been electrocuted as she waved everyone forward into a large white tent that had been erected on the side lawn.
“That’s the call to start the silent auction.” Tina scanned the crowd and then frowned. “I don’t see Geoffrey, do you?”
“No, I haven’t seen him,” I said. “And his hat is hard to miss.”
Viv had outdone herself on Geoffrey’s hat. She had made an extralarge top hat in a plush electric blue. As a compromise, she had kept the polka dots to the wide ribbon around the crown. She had chosen the color perfectly, as Geoffrey’s usual sallow skin appeared robust under the brim of blue and even he had noted it when he came in to pick it up. Since we had been bracing ourselves for him to pitch a fit, it was a pleasant surprise that he had been agreeable.
“It really is a spectacular hat,” Tina agreed. “He has quite embraced the role of the Mad Hatter.”
I thought about the moment in the shop where he looked as if he was going to hit her. I didn’t care what sort of personal crisis he was dealing with; that was
Similar Books
