Read Online Silence of the Lamb's Wool (A Yarn Retreat Mystery) by Betty Hechtman - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Betty Hechtman
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reassure her before I left with a chilled bottle of ginger ale made with real ginger.
When I came back, Olivia and Scott had joined Bree. They both seemed confused.
“I thought we were supposed to have a spinning lesson?” Olivia said. Scott and I went to the meeting room, but when nobody showed up, we finally went to the dining hall and had lunch.”
“We heard sirens. Did something happen?” Scott asked. The two of them sat down and took out their knitting and began to work their needles while I tried to think of what to say.
Bree rushed ahead and told them about finding Nicole. Then I told them all who she was.
Bree got upset for me, but I urged her to take out her knitting, knowing it would help calm her. Frankly, I wished I had some yarn as well. I looked toward the gift shop and wondered if Gwen and Crystal had made their delivery. Telling the group I’d be right back, I went to the shop to find out.
Someone from the yarn shop had clearly been there because the gondola was full of yarn and supplies. It seemed foolish with all the yarn I had across the street, but I didn’t want to leave my people just now, and besides, you can never have enough yarn. I picked out a skein of kelly green cotton yarn and a set of circular needles. I’d made so many washcloths and bandannas, I had memorized the pattern.
I rejoined the group and we all began to knit. Silently at first, but then the conversation started. Scott was thinking of joining a group of knitters back home. He was worried about being accepted since the group was all women. Olivia admitted to moments of intense anger toward her newly married ex, though they were fewer and farther between. Bree had been told she was a helicopter parent, which meant she hovered too much.
“But look, I’m here. If I was hovering so much I’d never leave, would I?”
After reassuring Bree she was right, they all looked at me. “My life is running perfectly,” I joked. Then, being honest, I said that Cadbury had begun to feel like home to me and that I liked what I was doing and left it at that.
The ginger in the soda had a tonic effect and the color returned to Bree’s face. I think the knitting played a part, too. I sat with them for a while longer.
I was so busy thinking about taking care of the three of them, I barely considered there was probably going to be a problem with the retreat program.
Probably
was an understatement, but it was all I could handle at the moment. My aunt Joan would have been proud of how well I was taking care of the others. It was a skill I was learning from these retreats. Before, my whole MO had been that I was barely able to take care of myself. The thing I’d done best was drop things and move on.
When I saw Kevin St. John come from the office area behind the registration counter, I excused myself and went up to him. “Have you heard anything about Nicole Welton?” I asked.
His usually placid face appeared disturbed. “The news isn’t good. She died shortly after she got to the hospital.” I bombarded him with questions about how and why, but he said he had no details. “It’s troubling that her death is going to be connected to Vista Del Mar. Any idea of why she was on the grounds?”
I was going to say there could have been many reasons, including meeting her husband, who was the caretaker, but I just came clean and said she was there to meet me. “She was going to run a program for my retreat. We were going to go over some things.”
He shook his head with mock concern. “First the problem with the sheep shearing and now this. Some people might take all these obstacles as a sign that this yarn retreat business wasn’t for them.”
I waited, expecting him to offer to take the business over as he’d done before, but all he said was that he hoped I had some kind of backup plan. I think I understood. He was just going to let me fall on my face and then when I’d given up, he’d pick up the pieces.
“I’ll manage
When I came back, Olivia and Scott had joined Bree. They both seemed confused.
“I thought we were supposed to have a spinning lesson?” Olivia said. Scott and I went to the meeting room, but when nobody showed up, we finally went to the dining hall and had lunch.”
“We heard sirens. Did something happen?” Scott asked. The two of them sat down and took out their knitting and began to work their needles while I tried to think of what to say.
Bree rushed ahead and told them about finding Nicole. Then I told them all who she was.
Bree got upset for me, but I urged her to take out her knitting, knowing it would help calm her. Frankly, I wished I had some yarn as well. I looked toward the gift shop and wondered if Gwen and Crystal had made their delivery. Telling the group I’d be right back, I went to the shop to find out.
Someone from the yarn shop had clearly been there because the gondola was full of yarn and supplies. It seemed foolish with all the yarn I had across the street, but I didn’t want to leave my people just now, and besides, you can never have enough yarn. I picked out a skein of kelly green cotton yarn and a set of circular needles. I’d made so many washcloths and bandannas, I had memorized the pattern.
I rejoined the group and we all began to knit. Silently at first, but then the conversation started. Scott was thinking of joining a group of knitters back home. He was worried about being accepted since the group was all women. Olivia admitted to moments of intense anger toward her newly married ex, though they were fewer and farther between. Bree had been told she was a helicopter parent, which meant she hovered too much.
“But look, I’m here. If I was hovering so much I’d never leave, would I?”
After reassuring Bree she was right, they all looked at me. “My life is running perfectly,” I joked. Then, being honest, I said that Cadbury had begun to feel like home to me and that I liked what I was doing and left it at that.
The ginger in the soda had a tonic effect and the color returned to Bree’s face. I think the knitting played a part, too. I sat with them for a while longer.
I was so busy thinking about taking care of the three of them, I barely considered there was probably going to be a problem with the retreat program.
Probably
was an understatement, but it was all I could handle at the moment. My aunt Joan would have been proud of how well I was taking care of the others. It was a skill I was learning from these retreats. Before, my whole MO had been that I was barely able to take care of myself. The thing I’d done best was drop things and move on.
When I saw Kevin St. John come from the office area behind the registration counter, I excused myself and went up to him. “Have you heard anything about Nicole Welton?” I asked.
His usually placid face appeared disturbed. “The news isn’t good. She died shortly after she got to the hospital.” I bombarded him with questions about how and why, but he said he had no details. “It’s troubling that her death is going to be connected to Vista Del Mar. Any idea of why she was on the grounds?”
I was going to say there could have been many reasons, including meeting her husband, who was the caretaker, but I just came clean and said she was there to meet me. “She was going to run a program for my retreat. We were going to go over some things.”
He shook his head with mock concern. “First the problem with the sheep shearing and now this. Some people might take all these obstacles as a sign that this yarn retreat business wasn’t for them.”
I waited, expecting him to offer to take the business over as he’d done before, but all he said was that he hoped I had some kind of backup plan. I think I understood. He was just going to let me fall on my face and then when I’d given up, he’d pick up the pieces.
“I’ll manage
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