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Authors: Joanne Fluke
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Hannah. Her sister was always interested in fashion.
"According to your mother, half-mourning usually lasted a year or two, but there were quite a few women who never wore bright colors again. And then there were others, like Queen Victoria, who remained in full mourning for the rest of her life." Nettie glanced down at her bright pink sweatshirt and shrugged. "Thank goodness the customs are a lot different now! Of course, I'm not out in public, either."
Hannah stood up, preparing to head to the kitchen. "I'm going to see what the ladies left in the way of food. How about you, Nettie? Can I bring you something?"
"A ham sandwich would be nice. I was just so happy to see that ham when Carrie Rhodes carried it in. It's that spiral-cut kind from CostMart and it's absolutely delicious. I adore ham, but Jim didn't care for it. We never had it in the house unless he was gone overnight."
"How about you, Andrea?" Hannah turned to her sister.
Andrea looked uncomfortable and Hannah could tell that she was nervous about being alone with Nettie. "A ham sandwich sounds wonderful, but I'll go with you. Then I can help carry things."
"Hannah can manage for a minute alone." Nettie reached out and put her hand on Andrea's arm. "I need to talk to you, Andrea."
Nettie's dining room area was part of the living room and the kitchen was at one end. Since the rooms flowed together without walls and the shutters that could be used to cordon off the kitchen were open, Hannah could keep an eye on Andrea and Nettie while she made the sandwiches.
"Look, Andrea," Hannah heard Nettie say. "I know all about Bill."
"You do?" Hannah could see Andrea's panicked expression from where she stood at the kitchen counter.
"I just wanted you to know I think it's pure hogwash."
"Then you don't think that Bill…"
"Of course not!" Nettie interrupted, reaching out to pat Andrea's hand. "And that's exactly what I told Mike when he was here."
Hannah watched as her sister visibly relaxed. Andrea even ventured a small smile. "I really felt strange about coming over here, Nettie. I wanted to offer my condolences, but I just wasn't sure how you felt. I mean… it could have been awkward."
"Mustard, Nettie?" Hannah called out from her spot at the kitchen counter.
"Yes, thank you."
"Andrea?"
"Yes. Doc Knight told me I should watch it with the spices, but I've been really good today."
Hannah added the mustard, put a piece of lettuce on top of the ham, slapped on the top slices of bread, and cut each sandwich into fourths on the cutting board. Then, since the sandwiches were all the same, she arranged them on a platter around a small dish of pickles she'd found in the refrigerator.
"Soup's on," Hannah called out, carrying the platter into the living room. "Can I get anyone something to drink? There's a whole cooler of soft drinks on the counter."
"I'll take a Diet Coke, if it's there," Andrea made her choice. "And if it's not, I'll have a diet anything."
"The same for me," Nettie said, smiling at Hannah. "Unless you'd rather have wine. Your mother brought me a nice bottle of Bordeaux."
Hannah shook her head. "Thanks anyway, but I'm driving and Andrea can't drink."
"Just because we can't doesn't mean you can't," Andrea jumped in quickly, turning to give Hannah a wink. "I think you should have some, Nettie. It's been a rough day and you need to relax. Hannah? Why don't you pour a glass of wine for Nettie?"
For a brief moment, Hannah was confused by the wink, but then she caught on. Andrea believed that Nettie would be more forthcoming if she drank some wine. Hannah spotted it on the bar at the end of the living room, went over to open it and pour a glass, and carried it back to their hostess.
"Thank you, Hannah." Nettie put down her sandwich and took a sip of wine. "There's dessert if you want some later. I stuck four cakes in the freezer, but there's at least five still out on the counter."
Hannah remembered the dessert she'd brought and she reached for
"According to your mother, half-mourning usually lasted a year or two, but there were quite a few women who never wore bright colors again. And then there were others, like Queen Victoria, who remained in full mourning for the rest of her life." Nettie glanced down at her bright pink sweatshirt and shrugged. "Thank goodness the customs are a lot different now! Of course, I'm not out in public, either."
Hannah stood up, preparing to head to the kitchen. "I'm going to see what the ladies left in the way of food. How about you, Nettie? Can I bring you something?"
"A ham sandwich would be nice. I was just so happy to see that ham when Carrie Rhodes carried it in. It's that spiral-cut kind from CostMart and it's absolutely delicious. I adore ham, but Jim didn't care for it. We never had it in the house unless he was gone overnight."
"How about you, Andrea?" Hannah turned to her sister.
Andrea looked uncomfortable and Hannah could tell that she was nervous about being alone with Nettie. "A ham sandwich sounds wonderful, but I'll go with you. Then I can help carry things."
"Hannah can manage for a minute alone." Nettie reached out and put her hand on Andrea's arm. "I need to talk to you, Andrea."
Nettie's dining room area was part of the living room and the kitchen was at one end. Since the rooms flowed together without walls and the shutters that could be used to cordon off the kitchen were open, Hannah could keep an eye on Andrea and Nettie while she made the sandwiches.
"Look, Andrea," Hannah heard Nettie say. "I know all about Bill."
"You do?" Hannah could see Andrea's panicked expression from where she stood at the kitchen counter.
"I just wanted you to know I think it's pure hogwash."
"Then you don't think that Bill…"
"Of course not!" Nettie interrupted, reaching out to pat Andrea's hand. "And that's exactly what I told Mike when he was here."
Hannah watched as her sister visibly relaxed. Andrea even ventured a small smile. "I really felt strange about coming over here, Nettie. I wanted to offer my condolences, but I just wasn't sure how you felt. I mean… it could have been awkward."
"Mustard, Nettie?" Hannah called out from her spot at the kitchen counter.
"Yes, thank you."
"Andrea?"
"Yes. Doc Knight told me I should watch it with the spices, but I've been really good today."
Hannah added the mustard, put a piece of lettuce on top of the ham, slapped on the top slices of bread, and cut each sandwich into fourths on the cutting board. Then, since the sandwiches were all the same, she arranged them on a platter around a small dish of pickles she'd found in the refrigerator.
"Soup's on," Hannah called out, carrying the platter into the living room. "Can I get anyone something to drink? There's a whole cooler of soft drinks on the counter."
"I'll take a Diet Coke, if it's there," Andrea made her choice. "And if it's not, I'll have a diet anything."
"The same for me," Nettie said, smiling at Hannah. "Unless you'd rather have wine. Your mother brought me a nice bottle of Bordeaux."
Hannah shook her head. "Thanks anyway, but I'm driving and Andrea can't drink."
"Just because we can't doesn't mean you can't," Andrea jumped in quickly, turning to give Hannah a wink. "I think you should have some, Nettie. It's been a rough day and you need to relax. Hannah? Why don't you pour a glass of wine for Nettie?"
For a brief moment, Hannah was confused by the wink, but then she caught on. Andrea believed that Nettie would be more forthcoming if she drank some wine. Hannah spotted it on the bar at the end of the living room, went over to open it and pour a glass, and carried it back to their hostess.
"Thank you, Hannah." Nettie put down her sandwich and took a sip of wine. "There's dessert if you want some later. I stuck four cakes in the freezer, but there's at least five still out on the counter."
Hannah remembered the dessert she'd brought and she reached for
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