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Synopsis
When Lucy Stone arrives at a sprawling French chateau with the whole family, it should be the trip of a lifetime—especially because she’s about to watch her oldest daughter, Elizabeth, marry the handsome, successful man of her dreams. But while navigating the vast countryside estate owned by her daughter's impenetrably wealthy in-laws-to-be, the jet-lagged mother of the bride has a creeping feeling that Elizabeth’s fairytale nuptials to Jean-Luc Schoen-Rene are destined to become a nightmare. Maternal instincts are validated the moment a body is pulled from a centuries-old moat on the property. A young woman has dropped dead under mysterious circumstances—possibly at the hands of someone at the chateau—and unflattering rumors about the Schoen-Rene line and their inner circle flow like champagne. Then there’s the matter of Elizabeth’s hunky ex beau showing up on the scene as she prepares to walk down the aisle... With tensions building, personalities clashing, and real dangers emerging at the chateau, Lucy is determined to protect her family, together for the first time in years, and expose the one responsible. She’ll have to locate the culprit among a list of worldly jilted lovers and potential criminal masterminds or Elizabeth’s trip down the aisle could end in tragedy...
Release date: April 25, 2023
Publisher: Kensington Books
Print pages: 304
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Mother of the Bride Murder
Leslie Meier
The little bell on the door of the Courier newspaper jangled and part-time reporter Lucy Stone looked up to see who was coming in. Identifying the visitor as Janice Oberman, Lucy glanced at Phyllis, the receptionist, meeting her eyes and letting out a long sigh that was almost a groan. Catching herself, as Janice marched into the office, she rearranged her features into what she hoped was a welcoming smile as she prepared to face the usual onslaught.
“Hi, Janice,” said Phyllis, peering at the newcomer over the bright-green cheaters that were perched on her nose and had been chosen to match her neon-green tracksuit. “What can I do for you?”
“You won’t believe it,” began Janice, who was quite obviously gloating over the news she was about to impart. A rather stout woman, dressed in the Tinker’s Cove, Maine, spring uniform of windbreaker and duck boots, her double chin was quivering with excitement. “You won’t believe it but it’s another engagement announcement!”
“Wow,” said Phyllis. “That’s the second one this month.”
“I know, and it’s so exciting coming so soon after Morgan’s engagement,” said Janice.
“Who’s the lucky girl this time?” asked Lucy, who knew that Janice was the proud mother of four daughters, all in their twenties. The oldest, Taylor, was married and Morgan was already engaged; that left Chelsea and Jordan.
“It’s Chelsea, and she’s got herself quite the catch,” said Janice, emphasizing the fiancé’s catchiness with a nod. “He’s a doctor,” she reported, with another nod and raised eyebrows, “finishing up his residency at MGH—that’s Massachusetts General Hospital.”
“I suppose Chelsea met him at work,” offered Lucy, who knew Chelsea was a nurse at Mass General.
“All part of the plan,” began Janice, launching into a favorite theme. “I told my girls, if you don’t want to be old maids, go into something where you’ll meet eligible men. Nursing is ideal, men always fall for nurses and hospitals are filled with eligible young doctors. But, of course, not everyone can be a nurse. Taylor, for instance, was never good at science, so she became a flight attendant. She figured out right away that the most eligible men are in business class, so she got herself that gig and, well, it was less than a month before she snagged Warren. He’s a lawyer, you know, and doing very well.” She paused for breath, and gave a smug little smile. “She’s expecting a little boy, due in June, so I’ll be coming in with a birth announcement before too long.”
“Can’t wait,” said Phyllis.
“Morgan, on the other hand, well, you know she was quite the athlete. All-State in field hockey, but of course you don’t meet many men playing field hockey so she switched to lacrosse in college and that’s how she met Henry. Henry Wentworth. His family is loaded, absolutely loaded. Old money, if you know what I mean. They live in Fairfield County, that’s in Connecticut, and happens to be the county with the highest median household income in the entire country.”
“Henry does sound like quite the catch,” said Lucy, trying not to sound sarcastic. “Highest median household income in the country, you say?”
“Well, one of the highest, anyway. And as you say, quite the catch,” cooed Janice. “Just adorable, and he has the loveliest manners. He’ll be going into the family business, stocks and bonds and things.”
“Your girls have certainly done well for themselves,” offered Phyllis.
“What about Jordan?” asked Lucy, naming Janice’s youngest. “Has she hooked any prospects?”
“Scads, Lucy, she’s fighting them off. And if you ask me, your girls could take a page out of her book. She’s still in college, of course, but she’s been taking classes in business and accounting, that’s where the best prospects are.”
“Well, my girls are out of school now . . .” said Lucy, dismissing the idea.
“That’s true, they are getting on, aren’t they,” mused Janice, with a sad sigh. “Not getting any younger, that’s for sure. I suppose your oldest . . . what’s her name? I forget?”
“Elizabeth. She lives in France now.”
“Well, she must be close to thirty. Is she getting nervous?”
“I don’t think so. She seems quite happy with her life in Paris.” Lucy’s oldest daughter was a concierge at the tony Cavendish Hotel, and from all reports enjoyed a lively social life.
“Ooh la la,” said Janice, with a touch of snark. “I suppose it’s all fun and games now but before she knows what happened she’s going to discover that men aren’t interested in an older woman whose biological alarm clock is ringing.” She paused to pull a folded sheet of paper from her shoulder bag and passed it to Phyllis. “All the details of the engagement are here,” she added, pointing to the paper. Turning to Lucy, she asked, “And what about your Sara?”
“Sara works at the Museum of Science in Boston. She loves her job there.”
“But what about men? Has she got a steady boyfriend?”
“I don’t really know,” admitted Lucy. “She hasn’t mentioned anyone in particular, but she does meet a lot of scientists, after all.”
“Oh, scientists,” groaned Janice. “Always got their noses in nasty specimens, their minds on some theorem or other. I don’t mind telling you that scientists do not make good marriage prospects.”
I’m sure you don’t mind in the least, thought Lucy.
“But Zoe, mmm, didn’t I hear she’s working for the Sea Dogs? All those eligible young baseball players, now that’s what I call a brilliant move. Maybe she’ll catch the next Ted Williams.” She paused. “Of course, they can’t all be superstars, now can they?”
“I do believe she’s enjoying herself in Portland,” said Lucy.
“Well, I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s the first of your little birds to fledge and fly off into matrimony even though she’s the youngest. . . .”
“I suppose you have a lot to do,” said Phyllis, coming to Lucy’s rescue. “What with two weddings to plan and all.”
“You are so right,” exclaimed Janice, her voice soaring to new heights. “Dresses and table settings and flowers and DJs, it’s quite a lot. Taylor is helping, she’s been a bride so she knows all about the planning and what to avoid. She’s even thinking of becoming a wedding planner, she enjoyed hers so much.” Janice was quick to reassure her listeners that Taylor’s decision was purely optional. “As a part-time sort of hobby thing, it’s not as if she needs to make money, Warren’s perfectly able to support her. In style, which is wonderful since she’ll be able to stay home with the baby. Warren’s a lawyer, you know.”
Lucy did know; she’d heard all about the wonderfulness of Taylor’s husband many times. “Well, we’ll make sure Chelsea’s announcement runs in this week’s paper,” she said, pointedly turning to her computer screen and opening a file.
“It’s a lovely picture of the two of them,” added Phyllis, tucking it away in a manila folder. “I’ll mail it back to you,” she added, hopefully dismissing Janice.
“Well,” sighed Janice, realizing that she’d lost her audience. “As you know, I have an absolutely huge to-do list. . . .”
“Have a nice day,” said Lucy offhandedly, her focus still on the computer screen.
“Take it easy,” added Phyllis, as Janice yanked open the door and departed to the tune of the jangling bell, no doubt plotting her next attack.
“Oh, God, who’ll be her next victim?” asked Lucy, rolling her eyes.
“Probably the post office. I noticed she had some unstamped letters poking out of her bag.”
“You know, I wouldn’t find Janice so upsetting if I didn’t in my heart of hearts wish my girls would settle down and start producing grandbabies. I’m ashamed to admit it. . . .”
“There’s no shame in it,” said Phyllis, offering consolation. “It’s natural.”
“I don’t understand these modern girls. I mean, I know Janice is some prehistoric throwback straight out of a Jane Austen novel, but it almost seems like girls today, my girls anyway, positively resist entanglements. They want to be free as birds, hooking up when it suits them and moving on when it doesn’t.”
Phyllis smiled naughtily. “Kids, today.”
“Nothin’ new, hunh,” chuckled Lucy. “What goes around, comes around. I know I certainly gave my parents some bad moments.”
“Didn’t we all?” added Phyllis, who was flipping through some press releases. “That reminds me, the school department is starting a series of parenting workshops. Might be worth a story.”
Lucy got up from her desk, stretched, and ambled over to Phyllis’s reception counter. She was looking over the workshop press release when her cell phone rang and she pulled it out of her pocket. Glancing at the screen she saw that the caller was Elizabeth, video phoning from Paris. She immediately swiped and saw her daughter’s face appear, magically, on the little screen. “Hi!” she exclaimed, raising the phone to capture her face and smiling broadly. “What’s up?”
“Beaucoup!” replied Elizabeth, whose suppressed smile indicated she had some exciting news to impart.
“You look like the cat who got the cream,” said Lucy, taking in Elizabeth’s chic cropped hair, her sculpted French face that was all cheekbones, and the finger she was waggling in front of that face, the finger that was adorned with an enormous diamond. “Oh my God!” shrieked Lucy. “You’re engaged!”
“You bet I am!” chortled Elizabeth. “To the absolutely most wonderful, magnifique, handsome, charming, genuinely adorable man in the whole of France, in the whole world!”
“That’s fantastique,” crowed Lucy, a bit floored by this hoped for but entirely unexpected news. “How come I haven’t heard about this amazing guy until now?”
“Well, you know how it is,” began Elizabeth. “I had a feeling this could be really serious, like he was the one, and I didn’t want to hex it. I kind of hugged it close to my heart, in case it all fell through.”
This made sense to Lucy, who knew only too well how private her oldest daughter tended to be, and she herself had often been reluctant to share certain matters until she was ready. “Like when I was pregnant, I always waited until I was at least three months along before telling anyone, except your father, of course.” She paused. “So how long have you known him? And what’s his name?”
“Jean-Luc Schoen-Rene. And actually, it’s all been kind of sudden. Six months, I think, since we got serious. I’ve known him forever, because his family has been coming to the hotel since long before I started working here so he was sort of part of the woodwork. But he never seemed to notice me.”
“But you noticed him?”
“Mom, like I said, he’s very good-looking. Of course I noticed him.”
“So what made him suddenly notice you? You took off your glasses and let down your hair?” asked Lucy, thinking of the cliché move in romantic comedies.
Elizabeth chuckled. “Actually, it happened when he was here without his parents, which was unusual. He was checking in, he looked at me and I looked at him and something must’ve clicked because he asked me out to dinner that night.” She smiled. “The rest is history.”
“So what’s he like? What does he do?”
Elizabeth thought for a minute. “He’s very French, very elegant and well-mannered, a bit reserved. He dresses really well, when he wears jeans they’re always freshly pressed and he wears cologne and usually throws on a scarf. He’s thirty-seven, he’s close to his family . . .”
That gave Lucy pause, but she kept her thoughts to herself as Elizabeth continued. “He’s involved in the family business, they have a big château where they hold special events like conferences and weddings.”
“That will be convenient,” said Lucy. “Have you set a date?”
“We have! It’s going to be this June at the château, of course. There’s room for the whole family to stay, it’s going to be amazing.”
Lucy ventured a guess. “It sounds like the Schoen-Renes are pretty well off?”
“They’re nobility! His father is a count and I guess Jean-Luc will be one, too.”
“I thought they had a revolution and chopped off all those noble heads.”
“They did, but a few years later they had a restoration, and the ones who didn’t get their heads chopped off got their titles back. And sometimes their estates, and from what I can see the Schoen-Renes were able to do very well for themselves. You should see this place, Mom. It’s absolutely beautiful.”
“Well, I guess I will see it, in June.” Lucy paused. “You’re sure they’ll want all of us to stay? I don’t want to impose. . . .”
“Mom, the château has something like eighty-plus rooms, maybe more. Jean-Luc’s mother, Marie-Laure, told me she would be absolutely devastated if the whole family doesn’t come and stay with them.”
“Well, I certainly wouldn’t want to devastate the poor woman.”
“Good choice. You know what they say, that Frenchwomen rule the country, and Marie-Laure is the definition of formidable,” said Elizabeth, laughing. “So are you happy for me?”
“Over the moon, darling,” said Lucy, crossing her fingers. “Over the moon.”
Lucy was about to settle in for a long mother-daughter chat to discuss all the fascinating details, but Elizabeth was brusque as ever. “I’ve got to run, à bientôt,” she said, and her face vanished from the screen. Lucy stared at the phone, feeling a bit let down.
Phyllis, who had been listening to the entire phone call, was beaming. “Congratulations, Lucy. That’s wonderful news.”
“I can’t believe it. I can’t wait to tell Bill and the kids. We’ll have to do a Zoom tonight, with everyone.”
“Personally, I can’t wait to tell Janice Oberman,” confessed Phyllis.
Bill didn’t share Lucy’s enthusiasm, when she called to tell him the good news. A skilled restoration contractor, he was at a jobsite, working to convert an old barn into a spacious summer home. From his tone, she knew she’d caught him at a bad moment.
“I gotta go, Lucy, the HVAC contractor messed up the vents. . . .”
“Aren’t you excited about Elizabeth?” she asked, somewhat deflated.
“Well, sure, Lucy, but you know Elizabeth. I’ll be amazed if she actually makes it down the aisle. Something will come up, it’ll turn out that this guy eats meat or votes conservative or doesn’t use organic toothpaste.” He paused to shout something to the hapless contractor. “Like I said, I gotta go. But I’m with you, I hope she’s found the love of her life and will live happily ever after.” He sighed. “I just don’t quite believe it.”
Despite herself, Lucy admitted she had a few misgivings as she ended the call. Elizabeth had always been the most challenging and headstrong of her four children and she suspected Jean-Luc would have his hands full. Nevertheless, she was determined to hope for the best, believing that Elizabeth was one young woman who truly knew what she wanted in a husband and that Jean-Luc was that man.
That evening after supper Lucy and Bill set Lucy’s laptop on the kitchen table and opened the virtual family meeting, amazed at the ease of seeing their children’s faces appear. Sara was finishing her dinner, chomping on a big salad which she proudly displayed on the screen, reporting that she’d lost five pounds. Zoe was adorable in a Sea Dogs cap, seated at the retro dinette set that came with her attic apartment in Portland. Son Toby wasn’t able to join the Zoom, due to the time difference between Maine and Alaska he was still at work, but his wife, Molly, and son, Patrick, beamed in moments after Patrick got home from school.
“What’s the big news, Mom?” asked Sara, getting right down to business.
“Your sister Elizabeth is engaged to be married!” declared Lucy, getting right to the point. “His name is Jean-Luc Schoen-Rene, his father’s a count and the wedding is this June at the family château. We’re all invited to stay at the château! In France!”
“Wow, count on Elizabeth,” muttered Zoe, a touch of envy in her tone. “She always manages to outdo everybody.”
“Is it true?” asked Sara. “We’re all invited to France to stay at a château?”
“That’s what she said,” asserted Lucy. “She says there’s plenty of space and the place has over eighty rooms.”
“Wow,” said Molly. “I wonder how many bathrooms.”
“She didn’t say,” offered Lucy, smiling at the patchwork of young faces on the computer screen. “Do you all think you can come? Especially you, Molly. Do you think Toby can make the trip?”
“He’s awfully busy at work,” said Molly, “but a trip to France would certainly be educational for Patrick.”
“Is a château like a castle?” asked Patrick. “With knights and stuff?”
“Probably,” said Bill, beaming at his grandson. “There might even be a moat.”
“I’m sure it’s very grand, but that’s just the icing on the cake,” said Lucy. “I’m so happy for Elizabeth—she’s getting married!”
“Personally, I feel for Jean-what’s-his-name. You have to wonder if he knows what he’s getting into,” said Sara.
“If you ask me, it’s terribly romantic,” opined Zoe. “Like a Lifetime movie. I imagine he’s very handsome. . . .”
“Well, he’s rich, which is even better,” said practical Sara.
“Yes on both counts,” said Lucy, “at least that’s what Elizabeth says. I hope you guys will call her and congratulate her. . . .”
“Absolutely, Mom,” said Zoe. “Can’t wait to hear all about it, especially if Jean-Luc has any eligible guy friends.”
“I wonder if we’re going to be bridesmaids,” said Sara.
“Oh, I hope not,” moaned Zoe. “Those dresses are always hideous.”
“Maybe Patrick can be a page. . . .” suggested Molly, with a touch of mischief in her voice. “In white satin knee breeches.”
“No way!” protested Patrick.
“I think you’re getting ahead of yourselves, we don’t know all the details yet,” cautioned Lucy. “But it’s a wonderful opportunity for us all to be together as a family. That would make me so happy—it would be the icing on the cake!”
“And on that note,” said Bill, abruptly reaching for the mouse, “let’s sign off until next time. Stay well, kids.”
After the screen went blank, Lucy sat for a moment, staring at it and wondering why Bill had suddenly decided he’d had enough. “Wouldn’t it be great, Bill? A dream vacation with all our kids. It’s been such a long time since we were all together.”
“I know, babe, but don’t get your hopes up. Just getting to France will be expensive, especially for Toby. He might not be able to swing it.”
“We could help. . . .”
Bill stiffened beside her. “I’ve gotta pay Uncle Sam first, April fifteenth is coming up fast. You know the song: ‘I owe, I owe, it’s off to work I go.’ ”
“Well, taxes come every year. What’s the problem this year?”
“The IRS has discovered some sort of error and they say I underpaid last year so I have to make it up this year,” he said, rolling his eyes, “with penalties.”
“Well, I’m not giving up hope,” said Lucy, setting her chin stubbornly. “Miracles can happen.”
“That’s what it’ll take,” grumbled Bill, pushing away from the table and standing up. He glanced at the clock. “Just in time, Bruins are playing the Islanders.”
Lucy smiled indulgently. “I think I’ll just do a bit of Googling, check out the Schoen-Renes and their château. And maybe take a peek at some bridal gowns . . .”
Bill bent down and kissed her head, then shrugged. “What is it about women and weddings?” He headed for the family room, pausing at the door. “I’m not gonna have to wear a tie, am I?”
Lucy was still poring over wedding dresses at ten o’clock, much too excited to think about going to bed, when Toby called, just home from work. “Hi, Mom. Molly tells me that Elizabeth’s finally landed a guy. Good for her.”
“She sounded so happy, so excited,” said Lucy.
“Molly says he’s quite the catch, got a château and everything.”
“So she says, and we’re all invited to stay at the château for the wedding. I looked it up on the internet and it’s a sort of fancy conference center now.”
“That sounds expensive,” said Toby, sounding concerned.
“Not for us. They’ve issued an invitation. This is social, not business, and we’ll be their guests. I’m really hoping you can all come, it would be so nice to have the whole family together again.” She paused before adding a giant guilt pill. “And it’s been so long since I’ve seen Patrick.”
“Aw, gee, Mom, I think we’re going to have to settle for sending a nice present. We’re country folk now, we wouldn’t be comfortable hanging out with a bunch of stuck-up Frenchies.”
Lucy’s heart sank. “But it would be such a wonderful opportunity for Patrick, to visit a foreign country. And he’s my only grandchild.”
“I know, Mom, I know, but travel is not a priority right now. Molly’s started a new job, I have a new supervisor, it’s not a good time to take a vacation. You know how it is.”
“I do,” said Lucy, sadly. “That I do.”
Ending the call, she couldn’t help feeling terribly disappointed, but she also understood Toby’s decision and trusted that he knew what was best for his family. She’d just have to make do with virtual visits.
Lucy couldn’t wait to share the good news with her friends, who gathered regularly every Thursday morning at Jake’s Donut Shack. The group, which included Pam Stillings, Sue Finch, and Rachel Goodman, had adopted the weekly meeting when their children went off to college and they no longer could count on casual encounters at school and sports events. The breakfasts had become a weekly ritual, offering the four women a chance to catch up with each other and to share advice and support through life’s challenges.
As she expected, they were all thrilled for Elizabeth, whom they’d known since she was a cranky, colicky baby. “Imagine, Elizabeth finally settling down,” said Pam, who was married to Lucy’s boss at the newspaper, Ted Stillings. “Hold the presses!” Pam was a free spirit and former cheerleader who still wore the ponytail and poncho she’d adopted in high school.
“And in France,” cooed Sue, who was the fashio. . .
“Hi, Janice,” said Phyllis, peering at the newcomer over the bright-green cheaters that were perched on her nose and had been chosen to match her neon-green tracksuit. “What can I do for you?”
“You won’t believe it,” began Janice, who was quite obviously gloating over the news she was about to impart. A rather stout woman, dressed in the Tinker’s Cove, Maine, spring uniform of windbreaker and duck boots, her double chin was quivering with excitement. “You won’t believe it but it’s another engagement announcement!”
“Wow,” said Phyllis. “That’s the second one this month.”
“I know, and it’s so exciting coming so soon after Morgan’s engagement,” said Janice.
“Who’s the lucky girl this time?” asked Lucy, who knew that Janice was the proud mother of four daughters, all in their twenties. The oldest, Taylor, was married and Morgan was already engaged; that left Chelsea and Jordan.
“It’s Chelsea, and she’s got herself quite the catch,” said Janice, emphasizing the fiancé’s catchiness with a nod. “He’s a doctor,” she reported, with another nod and raised eyebrows, “finishing up his residency at MGH—that’s Massachusetts General Hospital.”
“I suppose Chelsea met him at work,” offered Lucy, who knew Chelsea was a nurse at Mass General.
“All part of the plan,” began Janice, launching into a favorite theme. “I told my girls, if you don’t want to be old maids, go into something where you’ll meet eligible men. Nursing is ideal, men always fall for nurses and hospitals are filled with eligible young doctors. But, of course, not everyone can be a nurse. Taylor, for instance, was never good at science, so she became a flight attendant. She figured out right away that the most eligible men are in business class, so she got herself that gig and, well, it was less than a month before she snagged Warren. He’s a lawyer, you know, and doing very well.” She paused for breath, and gave a smug little smile. “She’s expecting a little boy, due in June, so I’ll be coming in with a birth announcement before too long.”
“Can’t wait,” said Phyllis.
“Morgan, on the other hand, well, you know she was quite the athlete. All-State in field hockey, but of course you don’t meet many men playing field hockey so she switched to lacrosse in college and that’s how she met Henry. Henry Wentworth. His family is loaded, absolutely loaded. Old money, if you know what I mean. They live in Fairfield County, that’s in Connecticut, and happens to be the county with the highest median household income in the entire country.”
“Henry does sound like quite the catch,” said Lucy, trying not to sound sarcastic. “Highest median household income in the country, you say?”
“Well, one of the highest, anyway. And as you say, quite the catch,” cooed Janice. “Just adorable, and he has the loveliest manners. He’ll be going into the family business, stocks and bonds and things.”
“Your girls have certainly done well for themselves,” offered Phyllis.
“What about Jordan?” asked Lucy, naming Janice’s youngest. “Has she hooked any prospects?”
“Scads, Lucy, she’s fighting them off. And if you ask me, your girls could take a page out of her book. She’s still in college, of course, but she’s been taking classes in business and accounting, that’s where the best prospects are.”
“Well, my girls are out of school now . . .” said Lucy, dismissing the idea.
“That’s true, they are getting on, aren’t they,” mused Janice, with a sad sigh. “Not getting any younger, that’s for sure. I suppose your oldest . . . what’s her name? I forget?”
“Elizabeth. She lives in France now.”
“Well, she must be close to thirty. Is she getting nervous?”
“I don’t think so. She seems quite happy with her life in Paris.” Lucy’s oldest daughter was a concierge at the tony Cavendish Hotel, and from all reports enjoyed a lively social life.
“Ooh la la,” said Janice, with a touch of snark. “I suppose it’s all fun and games now but before she knows what happened she’s going to discover that men aren’t interested in an older woman whose biological alarm clock is ringing.” She paused to pull a folded sheet of paper from her shoulder bag and passed it to Phyllis. “All the details of the engagement are here,” she added, pointing to the paper. Turning to Lucy, she asked, “And what about your Sara?”
“Sara works at the Museum of Science in Boston. She loves her job there.”
“But what about men? Has she got a steady boyfriend?”
“I don’t really know,” admitted Lucy. “She hasn’t mentioned anyone in particular, but she does meet a lot of scientists, after all.”
“Oh, scientists,” groaned Janice. “Always got their noses in nasty specimens, their minds on some theorem or other. I don’t mind telling you that scientists do not make good marriage prospects.”
I’m sure you don’t mind in the least, thought Lucy.
“But Zoe, mmm, didn’t I hear she’s working for the Sea Dogs? All those eligible young baseball players, now that’s what I call a brilliant move. Maybe she’ll catch the next Ted Williams.” She paused. “Of course, they can’t all be superstars, now can they?”
“I do believe she’s enjoying herself in Portland,” said Lucy.
“Well, I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s the first of your little birds to fledge and fly off into matrimony even though she’s the youngest. . . .”
“I suppose you have a lot to do,” said Phyllis, coming to Lucy’s rescue. “What with two weddings to plan and all.”
“You are so right,” exclaimed Janice, her voice soaring to new heights. “Dresses and table settings and flowers and DJs, it’s quite a lot. Taylor is helping, she’s been a bride so she knows all about the planning and what to avoid. She’s even thinking of becoming a wedding planner, she enjoyed hers so much.” Janice was quick to reassure her listeners that Taylor’s decision was purely optional. “As a part-time sort of hobby thing, it’s not as if she needs to make money, Warren’s perfectly able to support her. In style, which is wonderful since she’ll be able to stay home with the baby. Warren’s a lawyer, you know.”
Lucy did know; she’d heard all about the wonderfulness of Taylor’s husband many times. “Well, we’ll make sure Chelsea’s announcement runs in this week’s paper,” she said, pointedly turning to her computer screen and opening a file.
“It’s a lovely picture of the two of them,” added Phyllis, tucking it away in a manila folder. “I’ll mail it back to you,” she added, hopefully dismissing Janice.
“Well,” sighed Janice, realizing that she’d lost her audience. “As you know, I have an absolutely huge to-do list. . . .”
“Have a nice day,” said Lucy offhandedly, her focus still on the computer screen.
“Take it easy,” added Phyllis, as Janice yanked open the door and departed to the tune of the jangling bell, no doubt plotting her next attack.
“Oh, God, who’ll be her next victim?” asked Lucy, rolling her eyes.
“Probably the post office. I noticed she had some unstamped letters poking out of her bag.”
“You know, I wouldn’t find Janice so upsetting if I didn’t in my heart of hearts wish my girls would settle down and start producing grandbabies. I’m ashamed to admit it. . . .”
“There’s no shame in it,” said Phyllis, offering consolation. “It’s natural.”
“I don’t understand these modern girls. I mean, I know Janice is some prehistoric throwback straight out of a Jane Austen novel, but it almost seems like girls today, my girls anyway, positively resist entanglements. They want to be free as birds, hooking up when it suits them and moving on when it doesn’t.”
Phyllis smiled naughtily. “Kids, today.”
“Nothin’ new, hunh,” chuckled Lucy. “What goes around, comes around. I know I certainly gave my parents some bad moments.”
“Didn’t we all?” added Phyllis, who was flipping through some press releases. “That reminds me, the school department is starting a series of parenting workshops. Might be worth a story.”
Lucy got up from her desk, stretched, and ambled over to Phyllis’s reception counter. She was looking over the workshop press release when her cell phone rang and she pulled it out of her pocket. Glancing at the screen she saw that the caller was Elizabeth, video phoning from Paris. She immediately swiped and saw her daughter’s face appear, magically, on the little screen. “Hi!” she exclaimed, raising the phone to capture her face and smiling broadly. “What’s up?”
“Beaucoup!” replied Elizabeth, whose suppressed smile indicated she had some exciting news to impart.
“You look like the cat who got the cream,” said Lucy, taking in Elizabeth’s chic cropped hair, her sculpted French face that was all cheekbones, and the finger she was waggling in front of that face, the finger that was adorned with an enormous diamond. “Oh my God!” shrieked Lucy. “You’re engaged!”
“You bet I am!” chortled Elizabeth. “To the absolutely most wonderful, magnifique, handsome, charming, genuinely adorable man in the whole of France, in the whole world!”
“That’s fantastique,” crowed Lucy, a bit floored by this hoped for but entirely unexpected news. “How come I haven’t heard about this amazing guy until now?”
“Well, you know how it is,” began Elizabeth. “I had a feeling this could be really serious, like he was the one, and I didn’t want to hex it. I kind of hugged it close to my heart, in case it all fell through.”
This made sense to Lucy, who knew only too well how private her oldest daughter tended to be, and she herself had often been reluctant to share certain matters until she was ready. “Like when I was pregnant, I always waited until I was at least three months along before telling anyone, except your father, of course.” She paused. “So how long have you known him? And what’s his name?”
“Jean-Luc Schoen-Rene. And actually, it’s all been kind of sudden. Six months, I think, since we got serious. I’ve known him forever, because his family has been coming to the hotel since long before I started working here so he was sort of part of the woodwork. But he never seemed to notice me.”
“But you noticed him?”
“Mom, like I said, he’s very good-looking. Of course I noticed him.”
“So what made him suddenly notice you? You took off your glasses and let down your hair?” asked Lucy, thinking of the cliché move in romantic comedies.
Elizabeth chuckled. “Actually, it happened when he was here without his parents, which was unusual. He was checking in, he looked at me and I looked at him and something must’ve clicked because he asked me out to dinner that night.” She smiled. “The rest is history.”
“So what’s he like? What does he do?”
Elizabeth thought for a minute. “He’s very French, very elegant and well-mannered, a bit reserved. He dresses really well, when he wears jeans they’re always freshly pressed and he wears cologne and usually throws on a scarf. He’s thirty-seven, he’s close to his family . . .”
That gave Lucy pause, but she kept her thoughts to herself as Elizabeth continued. “He’s involved in the family business, they have a big château where they hold special events like conferences and weddings.”
“That will be convenient,” said Lucy. “Have you set a date?”
“We have! It’s going to be this June at the château, of course. There’s room for the whole family to stay, it’s going to be amazing.”
Lucy ventured a guess. “It sounds like the Schoen-Renes are pretty well off?”
“They’re nobility! His father is a count and I guess Jean-Luc will be one, too.”
“I thought they had a revolution and chopped off all those noble heads.”
“They did, but a few years later they had a restoration, and the ones who didn’t get their heads chopped off got their titles back. And sometimes their estates, and from what I can see the Schoen-Renes were able to do very well for themselves. You should see this place, Mom. It’s absolutely beautiful.”
“Well, I guess I will see it, in June.” Lucy paused. “You’re sure they’ll want all of us to stay? I don’t want to impose. . . .”
“Mom, the château has something like eighty-plus rooms, maybe more. Jean-Luc’s mother, Marie-Laure, told me she would be absolutely devastated if the whole family doesn’t come and stay with them.”
“Well, I certainly wouldn’t want to devastate the poor woman.”
“Good choice. You know what they say, that Frenchwomen rule the country, and Marie-Laure is the definition of formidable,” said Elizabeth, laughing. “So are you happy for me?”
“Over the moon, darling,” said Lucy, crossing her fingers. “Over the moon.”
Lucy was about to settle in for a long mother-daughter chat to discuss all the fascinating details, but Elizabeth was brusque as ever. “I’ve got to run, à bientôt,” she said, and her face vanished from the screen. Lucy stared at the phone, feeling a bit let down.
Phyllis, who had been listening to the entire phone call, was beaming. “Congratulations, Lucy. That’s wonderful news.”
“I can’t believe it. I can’t wait to tell Bill and the kids. We’ll have to do a Zoom tonight, with everyone.”
“Personally, I can’t wait to tell Janice Oberman,” confessed Phyllis.
Bill didn’t share Lucy’s enthusiasm, when she called to tell him the good news. A skilled restoration contractor, he was at a jobsite, working to convert an old barn into a spacious summer home. From his tone, she knew she’d caught him at a bad moment.
“I gotta go, Lucy, the HVAC contractor messed up the vents. . . .”
“Aren’t you excited about Elizabeth?” she asked, somewhat deflated.
“Well, sure, Lucy, but you know Elizabeth. I’ll be amazed if she actually makes it down the aisle. Something will come up, it’ll turn out that this guy eats meat or votes conservative or doesn’t use organic toothpaste.” He paused to shout something to the hapless contractor. “Like I said, I gotta go. But I’m with you, I hope she’s found the love of her life and will live happily ever after.” He sighed. “I just don’t quite believe it.”
Despite herself, Lucy admitted she had a few misgivings as she ended the call. Elizabeth had always been the most challenging and headstrong of her four children and she suspected Jean-Luc would have his hands full. Nevertheless, she was determined to hope for the best, believing that Elizabeth was one young woman who truly knew what she wanted in a husband and that Jean-Luc was that man.
That evening after supper Lucy and Bill set Lucy’s laptop on the kitchen table and opened the virtual family meeting, amazed at the ease of seeing their children’s faces appear. Sara was finishing her dinner, chomping on a big salad which she proudly displayed on the screen, reporting that she’d lost five pounds. Zoe was adorable in a Sea Dogs cap, seated at the retro dinette set that came with her attic apartment in Portland. Son Toby wasn’t able to join the Zoom, due to the time difference between Maine and Alaska he was still at work, but his wife, Molly, and son, Patrick, beamed in moments after Patrick got home from school.
“What’s the big news, Mom?” asked Sara, getting right down to business.
“Your sister Elizabeth is engaged to be married!” declared Lucy, getting right to the point. “His name is Jean-Luc Schoen-Rene, his father’s a count and the wedding is this June at the family château. We’re all invited to stay at the château! In France!”
“Wow, count on Elizabeth,” muttered Zoe, a touch of envy in her tone. “She always manages to outdo everybody.”
“Is it true?” asked Sara. “We’re all invited to France to stay at a château?”
“That’s what she said,” asserted Lucy. “She says there’s plenty of space and the place has over eighty rooms.”
“Wow,” said Molly. “I wonder how many bathrooms.”
“She didn’t say,” offered Lucy, smiling at the patchwork of young faces on the computer screen. “Do you all think you can come? Especially you, Molly. Do you think Toby can make the trip?”
“He’s awfully busy at work,” said Molly, “but a trip to France would certainly be educational for Patrick.”
“Is a château like a castle?” asked Patrick. “With knights and stuff?”
“Probably,” said Bill, beaming at his grandson. “There might even be a moat.”
“I’m sure it’s very grand, but that’s just the icing on the cake,” said Lucy. “I’m so happy for Elizabeth—she’s getting married!”
“Personally, I feel for Jean-what’s-his-name. You have to wonder if he knows what he’s getting into,” said Sara.
“If you ask me, it’s terribly romantic,” opined Zoe. “Like a Lifetime movie. I imagine he’s very handsome. . . .”
“Well, he’s rich, which is even better,” said practical Sara.
“Yes on both counts,” said Lucy, “at least that’s what Elizabeth says. I hope you guys will call her and congratulate her. . . .”
“Absolutely, Mom,” said Zoe. “Can’t wait to hear all about it, especially if Jean-Luc has any eligible guy friends.”
“I wonder if we’re going to be bridesmaids,” said Sara.
“Oh, I hope not,” moaned Zoe. “Those dresses are always hideous.”
“Maybe Patrick can be a page. . . .” suggested Molly, with a touch of mischief in her voice. “In white satin knee breeches.”
“No way!” protested Patrick.
“I think you’re getting ahead of yourselves, we don’t know all the details yet,” cautioned Lucy. “But it’s a wonderful opportunity for us all to be together as a family. That would make me so happy—it would be the icing on the cake!”
“And on that note,” said Bill, abruptly reaching for the mouse, “let’s sign off until next time. Stay well, kids.”
After the screen went blank, Lucy sat for a moment, staring at it and wondering why Bill had suddenly decided he’d had enough. “Wouldn’t it be great, Bill? A dream vacation with all our kids. It’s been such a long time since we were all together.”
“I know, babe, but don’t get your hopes up. Just getting to France will be expensive, especially for Toby. He might not be able to swing it.”
“We could help. . . .”
Bill stiffened beside her. “I’ve gotta pay Uncle Sam first, April fifteenth is coming up fast. You know the song: ‘I owe, I owe, it’s off to work I go.’ ”
“Well, taxes come every year. What’s the problem this year?”
“The IRS has discovered some sort of error and they say I underpaid last year so I have to make it up this year,” he said, rolling his eyes, “with penalties.”
“Well, I’m not giving up hope,” said Lucy, setting her chin stubbornly. “Miracles can happen.”
“That’s what it’ll take,” grumbled Bill, pushing away from the table and standing up. He glanced at the clock. “Just in time, Bruins are playing the Islanders.”
Lucy smiled indulgently. “I think I’ll just do a bit of Googling, check out the Schoen-Renes and their château. And maybe take a peek at some bridal gowns . . .”
Bill bent down and kissed her head, then shrugged. “What is it about women and weddings?” He headed for the family room, pausing at the door. “I’m not gonna have to wear a tie, am I?”
Lucy was still poring over wedding dresses at ten o’clock, much too excited to think about going to bed, when Toby called, just home from work. “Hi, Mom. Molly tells me that Elizabeth’s finally landed a guy. Good for her.”
“She sounded so happy, so excited,” said Lucy.
“Molly says he’s quite the catch, got a château and everything.”
“So she says, and we’re all invited to stay at the château for the wedding. I looked it up on the internet and it’s a sort of fancy conference center now.”
“That sounds expensive,” said Toby, sounding concerned.
“Not for us. They’ve issued an invitation. This is social, not business, and we’ll be their guests. I’m really hoping you can all come, it would be so nice to have the whole family together again.” She paused before adding a giant guilt pill. “And it’s been so long since I’ve seen Patrick.”
“Aw, gee, Mom, I think we’re going to have to settle for sending a nice present. We’re country folk now, we wouldn’t be comfortable hanging out with a bunch of stuck-up Frenchies.”
Lucy’s heart sank. “But it would be such a wonderful opportunity for Patrick, to visit a foreign country. And he’s my only grandchild.”
“I know, Mom, I know, but travel is not a priority right now. Molly’s started a new job, I have a new supervisor, it’s not a good time to take a vacation. You know how it is.”
“I do,” said Lucy, sadly. “That I do.”
Ending the call, she couldn’t help feeling terribly disappointed, but she also understood Toby’s decision and trusted that he knew what was best for his family. She’d just have to make do with virtual visits.
Lucy couldn’t wait to share the good news with her friends, who gathered regularly every Thursday morning at Jake’s Donut Shack. The group, which included Pam Stillings, Sue Finch, and Rachel Goodman, had adopted the weekly meeting when their children went off to college and they no longer could count on casual encounters at school and sports events. The breakfasts had become a weekly ritual, offering the four women a chance to catch up with each other and to share advice and support through life’s challenges.
As she expected, they were all thrilled for Elizabeth, whom they’d known since she was a cranky, colicky baby. “Imagine, Elizabeth finally settling down,” said Pam, who was married to Lucy’s boss at the newspaper, Ted Stillings. “Hold the presses!” Pam was a free spirit and former cheerleader who still wore the ponytail and poncho she’d adopted in high school.
“And in France,” cooed Sue, who was the fashio. . .
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Mother of the Bride Murder
Leslie Meier
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