A Groom wirh a View Read Online Free PDF Page A

“Bong!“ which startled all of them.
    “What was that?“ Layla asked.
    “Either the doorbell, or someone announcing the end of the world,“ Shelley said.
    The woman at the door was not so much overweight as stocky. Short, but with a big-boned look. With that figure and the oddly crimped short hair, she reminded Jane of the field hockey mistress at a school she’d attended in England when she was a teenager. “You must be Mrs. Jeffry,“ the young woman said. “I’m Kitty Wilson.“
    “Bring your things in, Kitty, and please call me Jane.“ Jane introduced her to Shelley and Layla and said, “I’ll show you where your room is, then we better get you up to Mrs. Crossthwait for your last fitting.“
    “Are Livvy and Dwayne here yet?“ Kitty asked as they made their way to the corridor with the monks’ rooms.
    “No, they don’t arrive until tomorrow. There are lots of rooms, but they all share a bath with someone. I’ve put you and Layla together. Is that all right?“
    “Oh, of course. Isn’t Layla gorgeous? I wonder how Livvy knows her.“
    “They were in high school together. What’s your connection to Livvy?“
    “I’m a secretary at Novelties.”
    “Novelties?“
    “The Thatcher family company. Livvy is vice president.“
    “I knew there was a family business,“ Jane said, “but I didn’t know what it was. What does Novelties do?“
    “We supply companies with personalized novelty items. Company t-shirts, mugs, pens, key chains, that sort of thing. With their company logo imprinted. We also make up award plaques and framed tributes to retiring employees. Most of the items are little junky things, but some are very nice. Expensive fountain pens with names in gold, crystal paperweights with carved accomplishments—fifty years’ service awards and such.“
    “Here’s your room. The bathroom is there and Layla’s room is just beyond,“ Jane said. “What an interesting business. I never even wondered where all those things came from.”
    Kitty set her suitcases on the bed. She looked as if she’d packed for a month instead of just a couple days. Kitty had carried two big suitcases, Jane had carried a small one and a box. Jane half expected a trunk to be delivered later. “It’s an old company,“ Kitty said. “Livvy’s grandfather, Oliver Wendell Thatcher, founded it, I think. Or maybe it was his father. We have a little museum in the office complex with a bunch of old stuff they did. Wooden rulers with lumberyard names, stamped leather change purses from the twenties.“
    “This sounds like a big operation,“ Jane said. “And Livvy is vice president?“
    “She’s really the president and CEO although her father still officially holds those titles. But Livvy does all the work.“
    “And you’re her secretary?“
    “No, I’m the secretary of two of the sales reps. Oh, you’re wondering, I imagine, why she chose me as a bridesmaid? That’s because I introduced her to Dwayne. I had a blind date with him and we ran into Livvy at the movies. I introduced them and the rest, as they say, is history.“
    “Oh, I see. I’m sorry to rush you, but—“
    “I know. The fitting.”
    Jane showed her to the big upstairs room where Mrs. Crossthwait had been installed. Layla and Shelley were there as well, apparently out of sheer boredom. Kitty stripped down to her slip and tried on the jacket of her boxy suit. It was really enormously flattering to her chunky figure. Mrs. Crossthwait fussed about, measuring and turning the sleeves and pinning them in place.
    “Is that all that remains to do?“ Jane asked loudly.
    “That and the skirt hem,“ Mrs. Crossthwait said. “Take off the jacket, dear.”
    Kitty slipped the skirt on and fumbled at the back of the skirt waistband for the button.
    “I’ll do that, dear,“ Mrs. Crossthwait said. “Hmmm. You’ve put on a bit of weight, haven’t you?“
    “I have not. You must have put the button in the wrong place.“ Kitty looked extremely