We Interrupt This Date (33 page)

“Is something burning? Dear, it is not safe to
daydream while you are cooking. Did I ever tell you about my friend
Celia who left a pan of bacon frying on the stove and went outside
to flirt with her new neighbor, an overtanned gentleman who claimed
to be an actor?”

“Yes, of course.” I yanked the smoking pan off the
burner. “Just singed.”

“I am not so badly injured that I can’t help, you
know.” Mama hobbled to the nearest kitchen counter to help me bring
the food to the table. I knew she was afraid I’d ruin something
else.

Cole was asleep by the time I collapsed into
my chair in front of my place setting. Mama peered down at him and
her expression went gooey as if her face had melted. “Such a
darling little man, but it’s nice to have a few minutes peace and
quiet. He was fussy today. Teething, most likely. Remember when
Christian was at that stage?”

“How could I ever forget? I thought I’d never
get another moment of sleep.” Mama had still had her job in those
days and wasn’t free to watch Christian while I rested and
certainly T. Chandler was helpless when it came to looking after
his baby son.

But the reminder about my son made this a
good time to tell her about my plans before Cole decided to wake up
and fuss again. “Speaking of peace and quiet, you know I’ve had a
really stressful week. And it’s not over yet. Friday we’re doing a
preview ghost tour and then we have our grand opening the following
week after the reporters have time to spread the word and our
advertising comes out.”

“How nice for you. Still, you know I have
reservations about this new job. I mean, ghosts? Surely the good
Lord did not mean for the dearly departed to wander the earth when
they should be sitting on porch swings in paradise. Some of them
anyway. Of course you know there’s a place that’s the opposite of
paradise and going by some of the people I’ve met here in
Charleston, it’s likely to be full up. But that doesn’t mean you
should go around looking for spirits who don’t have enough sense to
know whether to go up or down so they just stayed put. That is, if
there is such a thing as earthbound spirits.”

I put my fork down and looked at her sharply.
“Ghost tours are my job. Mama, you said you wouldn’t interfere
anymore.”

“So I did.” She made a little wavy motion
with her hand as if erasing an invisible blackboard where she’d
started writing her latest criticism. “Never mind, Susan. The
important thing is that you’re happy.”

“I’m not sure I’m happy. I’ve decided a
little mini vacation is exactly what I need to perk me up, so I’m
going to the open house at Christian’s college next weekend.”

“But I have plans with Rhett for Saturday. I
couldn’t possibly make the trip and I’ll still be on crutches
anyway.”

“No problem, Mama. I’ll go alone.” I didn’t
tell her that had been the plan all along. Surely the good Lord
didn’t mean for me to spend hours in a car with Mama when I should
be having a restful weekend.

“I suppose it would be a good idea to see how
Christian is doing. Especially now, with that Trinity person he’s
seeing. You can find out exactly what’s going on with the two of
them. It wouldn’t hurt to ask some discreet questions.” She
sniffed. “I knew he should have gone to school in Charleston and
then I would have been able to supervise his actions even if you
seem to think he should be free to bring females into his bedroom
any time he pleases.”

“Mama.” I sucked in the deepest breath I
could handle without over-oxygenating my lungs. “I am not a
detective and I have no plans to question anyone, discreetly or
otherwise. Besides, Trinity is planning to transfer to Charleston
after this semester.”

“In that case, better that Christian stays in
Virginia.”

“There you go. But Trinity needs a job, and
that’s why I’m going to offer her one when I see her. Veronica says
I can hire an assistant.”

Mama choked on her bread and I got up to
pound her on the back. Cole woke and started howling.

“You can’t be serious, Susan.”

“Of course I’m serious.” I lifted Cole from
his blanket and rocked him back and forth in my arms.

“I suppose I see your strategy. Keep her here
and she won’t be there, though you wouldn’t want her to scare away
the customers.”

I rolled my eyes. “We’re talking people who
are out for a little fun, people who are hoping to see ghosts. I
hardly think they’ll run screaming into the night over someone who
looks like an advertisement for “Goth meets army.”

I hoped Trinity would want the job. She’d
shown herself to be competent and responsible despite the purple
hair, the army clothes, and the nose stud. Having her around might
even be good for business, though I was pretty sure her look would
clash with the period costumes Veronica and I had selected for the
tour leader to wear.

“Even so, I do hope you’ll reconsider.”

“I’m asking her this weekend while I’m in
Virginia.” I’d drive up Friday night after the work reception and
no family crisis short of bodily harm was going to stop me. I
thought about calling Christian, but held off. It would be more fun
to surprise him.

Though I really did think Veronica’s idea for
a preview tour of the mansion was a good plan, rushing the opening
made a lot more work for me. Between coordinating furniture
delivery, helping the decorator, and arranging a caterer for the
reception, I didn’t have a spare minute to myself. I’d known that
being the manager for Veronica’s new business would involve a lot
of extra responsibility and the handling of millions of extra
chores. I just hadn’t known how frazzled I’d be from trying to pull
every last detail together on short notice.

But here we were after a frenzied week, ready
for our Friday debut. I’d practiced my tour guide speech, tried on
my dress, and assured Veronica that all was well. I glanced at my
watch. Almost time for the caterers to arrive and start setting up
in the main parlor. I’d had the furniture moved to the attic and
buffet tables set up in place of the couches.

I peeped in the door for a final check of the
room. Perfect, except that someone had left a lamp on the floor in
a corner. I picked it up, extra careful to cradle it in both arms.
I’d seen the inventory list Veronica had made for the insurance
company and the lamps in the house were pricey.

When I got to the attic, I made sure to prop
the door. Jack had promised that one of his men would repair the
sticky lock before leaving, but he’d apparently forgotten. One more
detail for me to worry about. I made a mental note to have Veronica
call him Monday.

Though I still didn’t believe in ghosts, the
attic gave me an eerie feeling I couldn’t seem to shake. It was
supposed to be haunted. I peered from side to side in the dim light
of the single bulb hanging from the ceiling. Nothing here, except a
few old boxes and the stored furniture draped with cloth that made
the couch look like a resting camel and the chairs and end tables
look like—well, something that shouldn’t be there. Hidden monsters,
perhaps.

I shivered.
Get a grip
, I told myself.
Nothing but opening night jitters.

I scurried back downstairs like a mouse
escaping from a burning building. I’d be fine once I had the first
tour out of the way. And I wouldn’t have to worry about being alone
in the house for long. Even if Trinity didn’t take the job I’d
offer, someone would.

A knock sounded at the front door. I pulled
it open and was relieved to see the caterer, Diane.

She waited on the steps with her mini
entourage close behind her holding boxes. “All set?”

“Just finished the final detail.” I motioned
her and the junior caterers inside.

We were putting the last of the fruit on the
table when Veronica arrived, quickly followed by DeLorean, Patty
and Kyle--and Jack. I should have figured Veronica would invite
him. Mama had stayed home with Cole. He was still teething and his
wails of distress had probably kept the whole neighborhood awake
for the past few nights.

“Hello, all,” I said, waggling my fingers at
them and making sure my gaze didn’t linger on Jack for too long so
he wouldn’t think he meant something to me. “You’ll have to excuse
me while I change into my dress.”

After much serious discussion, Veronica and I
had decided I’d wear a period costume, and though she’d kidded me
about a hoop skirt, I’d persuaded her the hoop would pose serious
difficulties during bathroom breaks. We’d settled on a simple
design of an ankle length cotton dress. I had five in various
colors—plenty to start. I’d passed on wearing a bonnet. Bonnets
make me look like I’m auditioning to play an eighty-year-old
grandmother on Little House on the Prairie.

I returned from the bathroom to find Jack and
Veronica standing together in a corner while Patty and Kyle chatted
with DeLorean. Judging by the expression on DeLorean’s face, I
figured Kyle had just told her his latest taxidermy story. The
other guests arrived soon after and I kept busy greeting
everyone.

Veronica finally clapped her hands for
attention. “Welcome to the preview tour of the Blackthorn House. I
know you’re all eager to begin, so I’ll turn the proceedings over
to Susan Caraway, house manager and tour guide.”

My heart pounding extra hard, I stepped
forward and delivered a brief history of the house. We’d sent out
brochures to everyone when they were invited, and I didn’t want to
bore them by repeating information, so I kept it short.

After taking a few questions, I led the way
out the back door and we proceeded a few blocks to one of
Charleston’s oldest church graveyards. I halted the group near the
entrance gate. “You’ll note the skull and crossbones on some of the
stones,” I said, pointing downward. “Those indicate plague
victims.”

The local reporters who had come for the tour
were, no doubt, familiar with that particular aspect of local
history. Even so, most jotted busily in notebooks and some took
photographs. Veronica caught my eye and shot me a thumbs up. Jack
smiled politely and I responded in kind. I’d mastered a cool smile
that almost reached my eyes—a smile that matched his.

“Some visitors have reported a shadowy figure
wearing a white dress standing near this grave in the corner,” I
said, touching the stone. I suspected the white dress was nothing
but mist, common enough in Charleston’s high humidity. “There’s a
story about a young woman who died of yellow fever while waiting
for her fiancé to return from a trip to marry her, though it’s not
been confirmed that this is her grave.”

Flashbulbs went off. Mama would likely call
for smelling salts when she spotted a photo in the local tourist
guide of me in my costume standing next to a grave and grinning
foolishly. I wondered if it would be legal to have the photographer
Photoshop in a blob of dress-shaped mist to really give her a
turn.

I motioned for the group to follow and we
snaked our way out of the cemetery and down the street to another
churchyard. On the way I told more ghost stories and pointed out
supposedly haunted landmarks—bad guy hanged here, soldier died
there, strange noises heard all around.

Patty caught up to me and linked her arm
through mine. “Fabulous,” she whispered. “I knew you’d be a huge
hit.”

“The tarot never lies,” I whispered back.

Back at the Blackthorn House we toured
the downstairs amid much picture taking as I told stories about
supposed ghost sightings in the mansion. I pointed out the painting
of Eli Blackthorn over the fireplace mantle in the dining room.
Eli, with his rheumy blue eyes and thin, sallow face, looked more
like an underfed preacher than someone who’d instilled fear in the
hearts of half the Charleston population during the
18
^th
century. But the guests
seemed suitably impressed when I told them about his evil career as
a plunderer and pillager and how he’d supposedly never moved out of
the house he’d built.

Veronica dimmed the lights and I finished by
saying, “Dark apparitions on the stairs. Bloodcurdling screams and
strange lights in the attic. Mysterious thumps and bumps from the
main bedroom. Blackthorn House is a busy place, especially at
night.” Someone—I suspected DeLorean--let out a shriek and Veronica
quickly turned the lights back up and nodded in my direction.

“This concludes our tour,” I said, taking my
cue. “I hope you’ve enjoyed our preview and I know you’ll enjoy the
reception.”

I waited until the guests had filled their
plates before I got myself a glass of fruit punch and some shrimp
puffs and went to mingle. I would rather have had the white wine
Veronica had provided, but I’d be leaving for Virginia as soon as
everyone left and I knew the wine would only make me sleepy.

The next hour whipped by and then the room
started emptying. I escorted Patty and Kyle to the door.

“Susan, you are so lucky to have found this
fabulous dream job.” Patty squeezed my arm. “Isn’t she Kyle?”

“Yes, I’d say so. Not sure I believe in
ghosts, though.” Kyle winked at me.

Patty nudged him. “What? Haven’t I told you
it’s not nice to question my beliefs.”

I laughed and watched them have a mock
argument about the afterlife while they headed to Kyle’s truck.
DeLorean gave me a quick hug and then went to fetch Mama’s
Cadillac.

“Nice job,” Jack said, appearing beside me
out of nowhere.

“Thanks” I stepped to one side to let a
couple of caterers carrying a buffet table get past.

“Looks like the caterers are about done.” He
glanced at his watch. “About time I got going, too. I promised
myself a quiet evening at home as a reward for finishing this
project.”