The Best Man to Trust - By Kerry Connor Page 0,5
a few more.
Anyone would be a fool to come to a place like this for a wedding.
And fools like that deserved whatever happened to them here.
Chapter Two
Even before she pushed through the kitchen door and stepped into the room, Meredith was greeted by incredible aromas that immediately had her mouth watering. Based on the smells she was creating, Sutton Hall’s new cook, Ellen Barnes, had dinner well in hand. Meredith nearly let out a sigh of relief. At least one thing was going right so far this weekend.
The cook was working at the kitchen island across from the oven as Meredith entered. A full-figured woman in her forties with reddish-blond hair, she looked up with a smile, the sight of her open, friendly face instantly lightening Meredith’s mood. “Everyone settled in all right?”
“I think so,” Meredith said. Okay, so that was another thing that had gone well enough. Everyone seemed pleased with the rooms she’d given them. Even the few who’d looked a little uneasy about being here appeared to have been won over when they saw the accommodations, she thought with a touch of pride. Score one for Sutton Hall. “Rick’s helping them with their luggage. I’m going to go do the same but I thought I’d make sure everything was okay in here.”
“Yep, everything’s almost ready,” Ellen said with a satisfied nod. “I hope your guests are ready to eat.”
“Based on how they reacted when I mentioned dinner, I’d say they are. Should I tell them we’ll be ready to serve in a half an hour?”
“Sounds about right.”
“I’ll be back to help serve. Unless you need me to do anything now...?”
“Nope. I’ve got it all under control.”
Meredith couldn’t argue with her there. Everything looked as amazing as it smelled.
Not for the first time, she thought how lucky they’d been to find the woman. When they’d had to replace the original staff following the terrible events of a few months ago, she’d had her doubts about whether they’d be able to find anyone good. They couldn’t promise long-term employment at the moment. They didn’t know if they’d be able to keep the business—or Sutton Hall—going much longer. A lot depended on how the wedding went this weekend, if they could get some good publicity. Until they had a better idea of what the future held, they couldn’t hire a full-time staff.
That left them trying to find locals willing to work on a part-time or temporary basis for the time being. It hadn’t been easy. After the murder, many locals hadn’t wanted anything to do with the place. Luckily she’d found Ellen and Rick, both of whom lived in the area and had surpassed her wildest expectations.
Good thing, too. It looked like it was going to be just the three of them this weekend. While the rest of the temporary staff she’d hired had planned to drive in during the day, Rick and Ellen had both agreed to stay at Sutton Hall through the weekend even before they’d known about the storm.
“Thanks again for being willing to stay this weekend,” Meredith said.
Ellen waved off the comment with a flutter of her hand. “Doesn’t look like I’d be able to go anywhere if I wanted to.”
Meredith turned toward the windows, unable to see anything through the glass but a cloud of white. “You’re probably right about that.” The snow wasn’t supposed to stop until tomorrow evening at the earliest, with the worst yet to come tonight. No one would be getting out of here for a few days at least. They were well and truly stuck, she thought with a flicker of trepidation.
Once again, the wish that Adam and Jillian were here floated through her mind. This time she did her best to shake off the feeling. She was the one who’d wanted to open Sutton Hall for weddings. Part of that had been wanting to prove to everyone—and herself—that she was capable of running this business, that she was strong enough. With Adam and Jillian gone, this was truly it, a chance to stand on her own two feet.
The idea strengthened her resolve and she pushed away the last of her doubts.
Whatever challenges lay ahead this weekend, she’d have to handle them herself.
* * *
THE SOUND OF SILVERWARE clinking against glass cut through the light buzz of conversation in the dining room, silencing the group.
Tom looked up in time to see Greg rising to his feet, glass firmly in hand. “I’d like to make a toast,” he announced. “After all,