The Body in the Moonlight Read Online Free PDF

course,” Faith remarked.
    Paula wrinkled her brow. “We’re giving them soup and salad?” She made it sound like “caviar and foie gras.”
    â€œYes,” Faith said firmly. The tickets weren’t cheap, and besides, Paula’s timetable would have them eating dessert before ten o’clock. It was Aleford, but even so,the guests wouldn’t be ready to leave that early. Suitably, a combo would be playing twenties music and people would be dancing as well as sleuthing. Of course, each course would inevitably stretch out longer than planned. Faith hated events where plates were whisked from the table before you had a chance to finish, or if you had, the next was arriving while you were still full.
    â€œThen salad it is. Our salad days! But surely after the soup and before the main course.”
    Faith sighed. “If everyone insists, but I like to serve it after the main course. It refreshes the palate for dessert—light, you can always eat salad.”
    The party planner brayed her distinctive laugh and cried, “We bow to the expert, of course. It’s going to be a madcap night, so why not have salad then? I’m sure you know best, dear.”
    The next day, she called to change the table decorations one “absolutely last time.” It was revenge—a reminder to “dear” of who was really in charge. Faith had already sprayed the gourds she’d selected to use with gold paint and decided to let them come as a surprise to Paula the night of the party. She planned to group them around the centerpieces, clear glass globes filled with crushed colored tissue that bled beautifully when wet. The flowers themselves would be simple—snowball dahlias, tiny late sunflowers, burgundy astilbe, and sprigs of boxwood lightly touched with the same gold as the gourds.
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    At last, the night of the First Parish 250th Anniversary Campaign Kickoff arrived. Faith and Niki were at Ballou House, getting ready. The sun had set in a glory of roses and magentas streaked with molten rays, but the evening was still warm, especially for October 23. At breakfast, Ben had informed the family that today was the day the swallows left Capistrano. More lore from Chairman Black? Faith hoped he wasn’t becoming precocious. This yearly event was something she had never given much thought to, but now a host of questions crowded into her mind. How did the birds know when to leave? Where did they go, anyway? Why did they always come back to the same place? She could imagine a group of birds challenging the leader: Can’t we go someplace new for a change? Just because you like it so much doesn’t mean we all do.
    When she’d tuned back into the conversation, Ben had been posing the same queries, except for the bird conversation part. She’d felt relieved. He wasn’t ready for Jeopardy yet.
    A bird flew by Ballou House’s kitchen window. Niki looked up from the bread she was cutting. Faith had combined the salad with a cheese course by serving mixed greens in a vinaigrette topped with warm chèvre on a lightly toasted round of thin ficelle .
    â€œWhat a place! Can you imagine the staff they must have had to keep everything running? Talk about Upstairs Downstairs !”
    Faith nodded. She’d brought plenty of staff tonightherself. It was a big party and, so far, a great party. Her spirits had been lifting steadily since she’d arrived.
    The kitchen door swung open and Tricia Phelan, who worked for Faith part-time, came through with an empty tray. “Nobody wants to sit down. Lots of people are out on the veranda watching the moon rise. It’s almost full and I need another tray of hors d’oeuvres.” Her words rushed together and she was slightly flushed. The party mood was infectious. “We’re also pouring champagne like there’s no tomorrow. You could almost believe it is the twenties, the way people are acting. Hubba, hubba!