Read Online Blame It On The Mistletoe - A Novel of Bright's Pond by Joyce Magnin - Free Book Online
Authors: Joyce Magnin
Tags: A Novel of Bright's Pond
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gander."
Before she reached the door I said, "See you next week."
Charlotte turned. "Aren't you coming to the blessing?"
"Blessing?"
"Of the fountain. Asa Kowalski is planning a big old ceremony when they turn on the fountain Sunday. They're calling it the Blessing of the Fountain Day."
I contained a chuckle. "Oh, good grief. The people in this town will use any excuse to have a blessing or parade. Maybe I will. Can I bring a friend or two?"
"Bring three or more. Heck, bring everyone."
Mercy popped up next to me. "This one looks good."
"Oh, Sherlock Holmes. I guess you're ready for it. You like mysteries? Crime stuff?"
"I like figuring stuff out, and it sounds like that's what Mr. Sherlock Holmes is good at."
"Elementary, my Dear Watson."
She looked at me.
"You'll see. I hope your mama is feeling better."
"She will. It's the third time this week she been sick in the morning."
6
It wasn't until after Charlotte and Mercy left that I started to put two and two together and wonder if the new Paradise Fountain, Leon Fontaine, and what was happening at Greenbrier had any connection. It didn't seem possible, but one thing I learned by hanging around Mildred Blessing is that you never let any hunch go unheeded. I dialed Mildred's number hoping she was in her office.
"Chief of Police, Mildred Blessing."
"Oh, good, you're there," I said.
"Who is this? Griselda?"
"Yes. Mildred, I might have some info about that Leon fellow and Greenbrier."
"Really? Because I talked with Nurse Sally and she said that man is just as sweet as can be and claims he doesn't know anything about why the residents might be acting so strange— including Haddie Grace. She said he just came every day, did his work on the gazebo, and left."
"Uh-huh, that may be so, but let me come and tell you what I just thought about."
"OK, meet me at the Full Moon."
That was the last place I wanted to go that morning. I wasn't in any mood to deal with Zeb, but I agreed.
After locking up the library, I went and found Mildred at the café talking with Dot Handy and Studebaker Kowalski. Studebaker and Asa were cousins. I'm sure they might have been discussing the upcoming Blessing of the Fountain. I looked for Zeb out of the corner of my eye and saw his paper hat bobbing around in the kitchen.
"Hey, Mildred," I called with a wave.
"Hey, Griselda," Stu said. "We were just talking about the Blessing of the Fountain. Cousin Asa is pretty excited."
"I figured as much. I just learned about it," I said. "Charlotte Figg came into the library looking for some information, and she told me. I think it's pretty neat they got that old fountain going."
Dot Handy offered me coffee.
"No thanks, Dot. I had enough today. But I would like a glass of water."
"Water?" Mildred said. "Everybody is asking for water today. Must have something to do with that fountain."
"That's right," I said. "That's what I wanted to tell you."
I squeezed into the booth seat. "Charlotte Figg came looking for information on—now get this—the Fountain of Youth."
"Really?" Mildred's eyebrows rose. "You don't say." She took out her trusty black notebook and scribbled in it. Fountain of Youth. Then she drew a great big question mark next to it. "It doesn't exist," she said. "But I wrote it down anyway. A clue is a clue even when it isn't really a clue."
"Everybody knows it doesn't really exist, that's it's just a story," I said.
Dot placed a glass of water in front of me. "Want anything else, Griselda?"
"No, thank you."
"Of course not," Stu said. "Charlotte is just as wacky as the rest of them up there."
"That's not nice," I said. "I think she's very sweet and is really concerned about things. But get this. Isn't it weird that this man, Leon comes to town, rebuilds a fountain and the gazebo and now the people at Greenbrier are all acting so young and—"
"Wait, wait, just a doggone minute," Mildred said. "Are you implying that the Fountain of Youth is in the Paradise Trailer
Before she reached the door I said, "See you next week."
Charlotte turned. "Aren't you coming to the blessing?"
"Blessing?"
"Of the fountain. Asa Kowalski is planning a big old ceremony when they turn on the fountain Sunday. They're calling it the Blessing of the Fountain Day."
I contained a chuckle. "Oh, good grief. The people in this town will use any excuse to have a blessing or parade. Maybe I will. Can I bring a friend or two?"
"Bring three or more. Heck, bring everyone."
Mercy popped up next to me. "This one looks good."
"Oh, Sherlock Holmes. I guess you're ready for it. You like mysteries? Crime stuff?"
"I like figuring stuff out, and it sounds like that's what Mr. Sherlock Holmes is good at."
"Elementary, my Dear Watson."
She looked at me.
"You'll see. I hope your mama is feeling better."
"She will. It's the third time this week she been sick in the morning."
6
It wasn't until after Charlotte and Mercy left that I started to put two and two together and wonder if the new Paradise Fountain, Leon Fontaine, and what was happening at Greenbrier had any connection. It didn't seem possible, but one thing I learned by hanging around Mildred Blessing is that you never let any hunch go unheeded. I dialed Mildred's number hoping she was in her office.
"Chief of Police, Mildred Blessing."
"Oh, good, you're there," I said.
"Who is this? Griselda?"
"Yes. Mildred, I might have some info about that Leon fellow and Greenbrier."
"Really? Because I talked with Nurse Sally and she said that man is just as sweet as can be and claims he doesn't know anything about why the residents might be acting so strange— including Haddie Grace. She said he just came every day, did his work on the gazebo, and left."
"Uh-huh, that may be so, but let me come and tell you what I just thought about."
"OK, meet me at the Full Moon."
That was the last place I wanted to go that morning. I wasn't in any mood to deal with Zeb, but I agreed.
After locking up the library, I went and found Mildred at the café talking with Dot Handy and Studebaker Kowalski. Studebaker and Asa were cousins. I'm sure they might have been discussing the upcoming Blessing of the Fountain. I looked for Zeb out of the corner of my eye and saw his paper hat bobbing around in the kitchen.
"Hey, Mildred," I called with a wave.
"Hey, Griselda," Stu said. "We were just talking about the Blessing of the Fountain. Cousin Asa is pretty excited."
"I figured as much. I just learned about it," I said. "Charlotte Figg came into the library looking for some information, and she told me. I think it's pretty neat they got that old fountain going."
Dot Handy offered me coffee.
"No thanks, Dot. I had enough today. But I would like a glass of water."
"Water?" Mildred said. "Everybody is asking for water today. Must have something to do with that fountain."
"That's right," I said. "That's what I wanted to tell you."
I squeezed into the booth seat. "Charlotte Figg came looking for information on—now get this—the Fountain of Youth."
"Really?" Mildred's eyebrows rose. "You don't say." She took out her trusty black notebook and scribbled in it. Fountain of Youth. Then she drew a great big question mark next to it. "It doesn't exist," she said. "But I wrote it down anyway. A clue is a clue even when it isn't really a clue."
"Everybody knows it doesn't really exist, that's it's just a story," I said.
Dot placed a glass of water in front of me. "Want anything else, Griselda?"
"No, thank you."
"Of course not," Stu said. "Charlotte is just as wacky as the rest of them up there."
"That's not nice," I said. "I think she's very sweet and is really concerned about things. But get this. Isn't it weird that this man, Leon comes to town, rebuilds a fountain and the gazebo and now the people at Greenbrier are all acting so young and—"
"Wait, wait, just a doggone minute," Mildred said. "Are you implying that the Fountain of Youth is in the Paradise Trailer
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