Kilt Dead (38 page)

Halfway through the second story, Dan wandered off.
Liss started to call him back, then let him go. It wasn’t as
if he didn’t know anyone at the reception.

She surveyed the gathering, quietly pleased at its success. A great many local people had come, in addition to
a good number of college students and faculty members.
Liss caught sight of a neighbor, Angie Hogencamp, and
her daughter Beth, at the other side of the room. Liss had
been giving the girl dance lessons since August and had
found the task surprisingly enjoyable.

A burst of laughter pinpointed Stewart Graham’s location. Good old Stewart-the more he drank, the worse his
puns became. Liss tuned in just long enough to hear him
proclaim that Scottish country dancers were “reel” people and had to stifle a groan at hearing that old chestnut
again. None of Stewart’s puns were particularly original
and he tended to repeat the same ones over and over.

“Nice shindig, Liss,” Sandy said a short while later,
when they found themselves standing together with no
one else nearby.

“Yes,” she agreed. “Thanks” But she couldn’t hold
back a sad little sigh.

“What’s wrong, kid?” he asked. He was all of three
years older than she was, but he’d always called her that.
He claimed it was because, during those first few years
with Strathspey, she’d tended to look at the world through
rose-colored glasses.

No longer. That wide-eyed nineteen-year-old innocent
had started to grow up a long time ago and the abrupt end
to her career as a dancer had completed the process.

“Kid?”

“I was just daydreaming-wishing there could still be
a place for me with the company. A non-dancing role, of
course. But there isn’t. Not unless Victor suddenly decides to resign.”

“He’ll never do that” Sandy sounded grim. “It would
make too many people happy.”