A Season of Miracles Read Online Free PDF

cheerfully.
    She was leaving. She glanced at her watch one more time. Taxi or subway? She was due to meet Connie in fifteen minutes.
    Feet. She wasn’t that far from the coffee shop where they had planned to get together. She would just walk fast. That would be her best bet.
    â€œâ€™Night, Jeeves,” she told the cat. Happy Halloween. Trick or treat.
    She grabbed her coat and her handbag, and exited her office.
    The cat, heedless of the comings and goings of mortals, gave no note. It greedily drank up the milk.
    Suddenly the animal’s body went rigid, then convulsed.
    It collapsed by the tea tray.
    The body twitched once. Twice.
    And then it was still.
    Dead still.

CH A PTER 2
    â€œI didn’t think I was ever going to get away this afternoon,” Jillian told Connie when she met her at the little coffee bar off Fifth. She’d been in such a hurry to leave. She had actually gotten here first. But now, out of the office at last, she was beginning to relax. Not even the caffeine in her café mocha could start her blood rushing again.
    â€œYou shouldn’t have given me the day off,” Connie said sadly, stirring her tea.
    Jillian looked at her friend. Connie Adair Murphy was petite, dark haired and blue eyed. Her face was round and always pleasant; she had a dimpled smile, and could be a powerhouse despite her small and cheerful appearance.
    â€œYou always take Halloween off. And I don’t think anyone could have helped. It was just one of those family kind of days,” she said, rolling her eyes, then grinning.
    â€œThey were feisty today, huh?”
    â€œMoody, I think.”
    â€œOver the cross?”
    â€œOnly Daniel.”
    â€œWhat did your grandfather have to say?”
    â€œHe didn’t come in today. He likes to take Halloween off, too.”
    â€œAre you going to start over? It would be a shame. It’s such an outstanding design.”
    â€œNo, Daniel says we’re going with it. We’ll just put a different spin on it.” She looked at her watch. “My God, it’s getting late.”
    â€œNo, it’s not so bad, only three-thirty.”
    â€œIt gets dark so early.”
    â€œDoesn’t matter,” Connie assured her cheerfully. “I told the girls we’d head out at five-thirty or six. We’ve got a little time. It won’t take long to get home on the subway. We’ll just shove anyone in front of us away from the platform. We’re fine.”
    â€œIf we hustle.”
    â€œSo we’ll hustle.”
    â€œLet’s do it.”
    They hustled. And to good avail.
    Connie found darling dresses for her daughters. And though Llewellyn Enterprises offered an elegant line of evening wear, they took pleasure in finding the bargains that could be had in haute couture by other designers. They went on to find some fantastic gowns for the season’s parties, and there were going to be a lot of them. They would be celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of Llewellyn Enterprises, and the rounds of activities and events planned for the estate in Connecticut were endless. Naturally Connie, as Jillian’s assistant, was included, as was her husband. There were benefits to having both members of the family working for the same business. Connie had met Joe right out of college, during her first year working for Jillian; Joe had already been a rising star in the management division.
    At the end of their whirlwind shopping spree, they happened upon a costume shop, with a last-minute sale. Connie was totally incapable of passing a sign that stated—in large black letters—50% Off, Today Only!
    â€œWow! Will you look at this?” Connie said.
    Inside, Connie pulled a costume off a rack and brandished it before Jillian. It was a witch’s costume in silk and velvet, decorated with rhinestones. It had a high collar, draping sleeves and a suggestive bodice. It was fitted at the waist, and flowed from