A Gala Event by Sheila Connolly Read Free Book Online

space in this bedroom, not that we spend a lot of time in it.”
    Meg leaned against him. “Quality time, not quantity. Go on.”
    â€œI’m guessing that there used to be a full room, if small, off this side—the nursery. When whoever it was built the existing bathroom, they used most of that, and left this kind of closet-slash-alcove here. Not that I’m running down closets—older houses seldom have enough for modern needs. We have too many clothes these days.”
    â€œYou could take some off. Oops, not right now. So you think you can fit a bathroom in what is now a closet?”
    â€œIt’s been done. It might be tight, if you actually want a door that opens and closes. But since the wall for the current bathroom is not original to the house, we can knock it down and move it if need be. And I told you, I’ll have to replace the pipes in any case, so we don’t lose anything by doing that.”
    â€œWe will keep one bathtub, won’t we?” Meg asked. “Because it’s great to soak in after a long day of working in the orchard.”
    â€œOf course. But I thought you might like a real claw-foot model, if I can find an old one in good condition—they’re nice and deep.”
    â€œThat sounds good. And you said a powder room, too?”
    â€œYup. Right below the current bathroom—all the plumbing will run through the same wall space. Easy.”
    â€œIf you say so. I promise I will stand by and applaud your efforts. How authentic do I have to be when I choose things?”
    â€œWell, I think glass tiles and halogen lights might be pushing it, but I could live with a modern reinterpretation of Victorian.”
    â€œGood, because I like Victorian. With the right kind of tiles? Those hexagons?”
    â€œWhatever you want, as long as it’s not pink. I hate pink bathrooms.”
    â€œDeal.” She leaned in to kiss him, and the kiss lasted. “I am a lucky woman.”
    â€œI won’t argue with you. Bed?”
    â€œBed.”

5

    The distant ringing of a phone woke Meg. Her phone? Seth’s? The land line? It took her foggy brain a moment to realize that Seth had climbed out of bed to retrieve his cell phone from his pants pocket, and had gone out into the hall to talk.
    He was back in under a minute, and sat on the foot of the bed. “Meg?”
    â€œYeah, I’m awake,” she mumbled into her pillow.
    â€œThat was Art. No sign of Gail’s intruder, so he’s bringing in some more people, including me. I’m going to go meet him at the station. I’ll give you a call when we know anything more.”
    Meg rolled over reluctantly. “It’s Saturday, right? So Art wants to get out there early before every Jane and Joe in town tramples over what evidence there might still be?”
    â€œThat’s the general idea.”
    â€œGo. Find him. I may try to call Gail, but maybe she won’t want to talk with anyone today, except her family. Otherwise I should be around, either in the orchard or muddling through the paperwork. Take care, will you? Even if he didn’t attack Gail, we don’t know that he isn’t armed.”
    â€œDon’t worry—I’ll have half the police force of Granford to protect me.”
    â€œDon’t forget, I know most of them—that’s not really reassuring.”
    â€œBye, Meg,” Seth said impatiently, and leaned over to kiss her once he’d pulled on jeans and a shirt.
    Meg shut her eyes after he was gone, and started making and revising her mental lists. She should call Rachel and see how she was doing. She couldn’t imagine just sitting around waiting for a baby to happen. Rachel wasn’t overdue yet, but she was within the normal range of her due date. And it was her third child: wouldn’t it be a quick delivery? Oh, heck, Meg didn’t know—her expertise was limited to a few articles she had read online.
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