Murder and Salutations by Elizabeth Bright Page A

going?” Helena asked me. “Just because Claude can’t make it, that’s no reason we should be deprived of your company.”
    As a single woman in her thirties, I’d been in enough situations where I was the odd person out, and it never got any easier. Even with Helena and Gail urging me to stay, I still felt uneasy about it, but then I decided to have dinner with them after all. How many times was I willing to dress that fancy for an evening meal, anyway?
    When I agreed, Helena said, “Let me call Martin and we can begin.”
    “ Is Martin your husband?” I asked innocently enough.
    Before Helena could answer, Reggie said, “No, he’s just a friend of the family. My father’s sick, so he won’t be joining us.”
    “ We’re among friends,” Helena said. “You can tell the truth. I’m afraid it’s a bit more serious than that. Peter is dying. He has been for the last ten years, the poor dear, but he wants this house filled with food, friends and laughter, and I mean to abide by my husband’s wishes.”
    What had Gail gotten me into? I looked over at her, and I could see that she was as uncomfortable as I was with the declaration.
    An older man with graying temples soon joined us, and the five of us sat down to dinner. The food was delightful—lobster and filet mignon were among the choices—and I soon forgot that I had actually been stood up.
    As we waited for dessert to be served, Martin said, “Did you all hear about the murder in town last night? Tragic event, that.”
    I wasn’t about to admit that I’d been there, and when I saw that Gail was about to say something, I gave her a short burst of my “shut up” look.
    When no one rose to the bait, Martin continued, “I understand a shop woman did it. Seems her husband was stepping out on her with the victim. They were having some tawdry affair. These commoners have no more morality than alley cats.”
    I tried to keep my mouth shut, honestly I did. So nobody was more surprised than I was when I said, “The woman you’re referring to is my sister, and while it’s true that Eliza was having an affair with her husband, Sara Lynn did not kill her.”
    I felt my cheeks burning from the statement, but there was nothing I could do about it now. I was certain that same conversation was going on around dinner tables all over Rebel Forge, but that didn’t mean I had to sit and listen to it while I was eating. I stood up and put my napkin on my plate. Reggie looked at me with real venom in his gaze, but Helena’s look was pure sympathy. “How dreadful for you,” she said as she stood, too. “I think a walk around the grounds would be excellent before we tackle dessert. Coming, Jennifer?”
    I wanted to storm out of there in righteous indignation, but my hostess had been so gracious throughout the evening, there was no way I could say no to her.
    Reggie and Gail stood as well. “We’ll join you. Mother,” he said.
    Helena waved a hand in their direction. “No, Jennifer and I need some time to get acquainted. You two can stay here.” Then she looked at Martin. “You, on the other hand, have my permission to leave.”
    He protested, “I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just making conversation.”
    Helena didn’t say a word. She just stood there staring at him until he finally pushed away from the table.
    “ I’m afraid I’ll have to leave after all. Got a pile of work on my desk, you know. Thanks for the meal, Helena. It was lovely, as usual.”
    He excused himself, and Helena and I left. My shoes weren’t exactly designed for hiking, but they worked perfectly for strolling on the carefully manicured grounds.
    “ Forgive him, my dear, he’s a boor at times, but Martin can be a dear friend.”
    “ You didn’t have to throw him out on my account,” I said.
    “ I don’t have many joys in my life at the moment. Surely you wouldn’t rob me of that?”
    I matched her grin. “Well, I wouldn’t want to do that.”
    After a few moments,