“It’s been so long since I’ve had ice in a drink.” Hannah sighed with pleasure, tilting the glass from side to side so the cubes clanked against each other.
“Shall we sit?” Mimi indicated a cozy cluster of upholstered chairs surrounding a stone fireplace.
I perched on the edge of a chair, unwilling to sink back into the expensive-looking upholstery wearing the same grubby clothes I’d slept in on the dirt. Hannah had no such scruples and flopped back into the comfortable chair.
“We need to get back to the main road,” I said. “We have people waiting for us who will be worried about where we are. Would you be willing to drive us? We can walk, of course, but we’re tired.”
“You poor girls. You do look exhausted. It’s a little more than five miles back to the main road. I’d be happy to give you a ride and spare you the walk. Unfortunately, my staff took the car. They should be back within an hour or two, then they can drive you anywhere you want to go.”
“That’s super nice of you,” Hannah said.
“Not at all,” Mimi murmured. “In the meanwhile, perhaps you two would like to bathe while I launder your clothing? By the time your clothes are dry, George and Lillian should be back with the car.”
“I’d kill for a hot shower,” Hannah said. “It’s been forever since I’ve had one.”
I didn’t like the idea of waiting for Mimi’s staff to return, but Hannah looked so happy at the prospect of a hot shower that I didn’t have the heart to argue against the plan. Really, would it make a bit of difference if we waited a couple of hours to depart, then got a ride in a car? It would take just as long—possibly longer—to traverse the distance on foot.
“Very well.” Mimi rose gracefully to her feet. “While you shower, I’ll wash your clothes and prepare lunch.” She led us upstairs to a pair of guest rooms, each with a luxurious private bath. “Leave your dirty clothes outside the bedroom door. You’ll find cotton spa robes hanging on the back of the doors. Take your time. We’ll have lunch whenever you’re ready.”
As soon as Mimi was out of earshot, Hannah whooped and threw her arms around me. “Don’t you feel like you died and went to heaven?” She kicked off her sneakers, then tore off her clothes, depositing the pile in the hall. “Kenzie, get moving.”
Nodding, I crossed the hall to the other guest room. I stripped and left my dirty clothes outside the bedroom door. When the hot water touched my skin, I actually shuddered with pleasure. Within a minute, I had slathered lavender-scented soap over every inch of my body. I washed and conditioned my hair, then shaved my legs. Reluctant to abandon the blissful treat, I stood for a long time under the shower head, luxuriating in the sensation of hot water sluicing over my skin.
Finally, with a regretful sigh, I turned off the water and stepped onto the thick bath mat. I wrapped a towel around my head, slipped into the white terrycloth robe, picked up my boots, and padded across the hall to Hannah’s bathroom.
I found her unashamedly searching through the bathroom drawers. She handed me an unwrapped toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste. We shared the sink while we brushed our teeth. I combed her long hair, then she combed mine. We took turns using the blow-dryer we found in a cupboard.
“Score.” Hannah twisted the lid off an expensive body lotion, then dropped her robe so she could smear it over her arms and legs. After sniffing it to confirm that I liked the scent, I followed suit.
“I’m starving,” Hannah said. “I wonder what Mimi fixed for lunch. What do rich people eat, anyway? Caviar and lobster?”
I shrugged. “We’ll just have to see.”
Arm in arm, we descended the stairs.
Mimi had set the table in the formal dining room for our lunch. As we came into the room, our hostess was lighting candles. Odd for a casual lunch when her guests were decked out in bathrobes.
Candles are used on the table only after dark.
Kyle’s mother had chided his niece when the girl begged her grandmother to light candles for the family brunch. At the time, I’d dismissed his mom as a stuck-up killjoy, hung up on the archaic rules of polite society. If Kyle’s mom said that daytime candles breached some obscure etiquette, wouldn’t the ultrarefined Mimi follow the same rules?
Mimi was humming to herself. When she spied us standing in the archway, she gestured toward the table, where four places were set.
“Please, sit down.”
She disappeared into the kitchen and returned with a platter of grilled chicken. After placing two pieces of chicken on each plate, she fetched a bowl of mashed potatoes and deposited a large helping on each of the four plates. Finally, she brought two more glasses of strawberry lemonade and placed them before Hannah and me.
“Will George or Lillian be joining us?” Hannah asked as Mimi took her seat. Hannah lifted the glass and gulped down half of her lemonade.
“Hmmm?” Mimi sipped her glass of wine. “George or Lillian? No, dear. I’m afraid they haven’t returned yet.”
Dammit, I really wanted to get back to the others as soon as possible. Manners, I reminded myself. “What do George and Lillian do for you?” I asked, cutting off a bite of chicken.
“George maintains the property and the landscaping, while Lillian is my housekeeper.”
It took an effort not to look up at the antler chandelier that hung over the table. The thing was festooned with cobwebs. And the front flowerbeds were full of weeds. George and Lillian were either overwhelmed by the amount of work, or they were slacking off.
I hid my face behind my upturned glass, swallowing several mouthfuls of lemonade.
“Is someone joining us for lunch?” Hannah’s voice sounded tentative, as if she wasn’t sure she should ask. When Mimi looked at her, Hannah nodded at the fourth plate.
“My husband Peter promised to fly in.” Mimi took another sip of wine. “I’m expecting him to arrive any minute.”
Peter promised to fly in?
“Peter doesn’t live here with you?” I kept my expression neutral, my tone conversational, even as my stomach began to churn.
“Our primary home is in La Jolla, outside of San Diego. I’m a painter and sometimes when I have a commission, I come here, to our vacation home, to work. I prefer a quiet environment when I paint, and the light here is amazing. If you like, I’ll show you my studio tomorrow.”
Tomorrow? George and Lillian were supposed to give us a ride today.
“The phones and the internet are down.” Hannah set down her fork. I shot her a warning look. Despite her serene facade, I was beginning to suspect that all might not be well with our hostess. Hannah ignored me. “When’s the last time you talked to Peter?”
Mimi waved her hand, dismissing the question. She leaned forward and her voice took on a confidential tone, as if she were sharing a secret with her best friends. “It’s our anniversary next week. We always spend our anniversary together. I know he’ll be here soon.”
“Where are George and Lillian?” Hannah persisted.
Mimi thumped her wine glass on the table. The ruby liquid sloshed over the side.
“That’s enough,” she snapped. She closed her eyes and held her breath, visibly composing herself.