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see any visitors who need welcoming, we’ll move on to the reading of the minutes and the financial report. I’d like a motion to dispense with both.”
    Charlotte heard June make the motion and another voice seconded it.
    â€œGood,” Mimi said. “Thank you. Our next order of business for the day is our presidential election. After the election we’ll take a short refreshment break before tackling the rest of our business. Nominations for president of HHS are now open.”
    There were a few moments of complete silence, and then a crisp voice with a no-nonsense tone spoke up. “I nominate Rita Landers for president.”
    Almost immediately, a second, more vigorous voice chimed in. “I second the nomination.”
    As Charlotte headed back toward the kitchen, she heard June Bryant speak up. “I nominate Mimi Adams for president.”
    In the kitchen, Charlotte iced down the remaining bottle of wine in a silver wine bucket, and when she returned to the dining room with the wine and the first platter of pastries, Mimi was talking again. “Are there any more nominations?” A short silence followed; then she continued. “Voting will be by secret ballot. Our vice president, June Bryant, is passing those out now. And since there are no more nominations, we’ll vote. When you’ve finished marking your ballot, give it back to June and she’ll count them.”
    A murmur of protest broke out. “That doesn’t seem quite fair, Mimi.” It was the same voice that had nominated the woman named Rita. “We all know that you and June are friends, and besides, she was the one who nominated you.”
    â€œAre you insinuating that I would cheat?” June challenged.
    Personally, Charlotte thought that the woman had a valid point, so why on earth was June being so defensive? In spite of herself, Charlotte’s curiosity overcame her common sense. With her ears tuned to the goings-on in the parlor, she made a show of straightening the forks on the table while she waited to hear how the woman would respond to June’s question.
    There was a slight hesitation before the woman finally answered June, and even to Charlotte’s ears, she sounded embarrassed. “No, June,” she said. “Of course I don’t think you would cheat. Sorry…” Her voice trailed away.
    Charlotte rolled her eyes. June’s intimidation tactic had worked. The woman had given in. The woman might as well have said nothing at all if she hadn’t been prepared to back it up. Instead, all the poor thing had done was humiliate herself. Too bad, Charlotte thought, as she headed back to the kitchen for the remaining platters of pastries.
    A few minutes later, when Charlotte returned to the kitchen for the last platter, June was standing by the kitchen table. On the table were two stacks of small square pieces of paper.
    â€œJust counting the ballots,” June said absently, as she thumbed through the first stack. With a frown, she counted the same ballots again. Then, after only a moment’s hesitation, she wrote something down on a notepad.
    Charlotte picked up the last platter and carried it to the dining room. When she returned to the kitchen, June was tearing one of the ballots into little pieces. Startled by Charlotte’s return, June glanced up with the look of someone who had been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Then, with an expression of relief and a tight smile, she picked up her notepad and pen and walked over to the trash can. She dropped the pieces inside, and without a word, she marched out of the kitchen.
    Once June had disappeared through the doorway, Charlotte tilted her head and stared at the trash can. There was only one reason why June would have torn up one of the ballots.
    â€œOh, for pity’s sake,” she muttered. Though she couldn’t be certain, she was pretty sure that June had just rigged the election to make sure