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“If anyone can, Giselle and her crew can,” Vivi said.
I glanced at Nancy. “Maybe Giselle knows someone who should look at the carved table. Someone other than me. Like I told you, I don’t have art restoration experience. Certainly not with an antique that valuable.”
“No. I want you to do it. You promised, and I’m holding you to it.” Nancy’s voice was forceful. She looked at her sisters. “I want him to do it. He has a feel for that table. He vibes with it. And he’s incredible at joining work.”
“Is he, now.” Vivi tried not to smile.
“Yeah,” Nancy went on. “You should see the table he’s been working on in his workshop. It’s a work of art.” But as she mentioned the table, her face flushed a rosy pink. Both of her sisters giggled helplessly under their breath.
“Fine,” Nell said, eyes sparkling. “I trust your judgment completely when it comes to your good friend’s expertise in, er…joining.”
Damn. That was my cue to get the hell out of the room for a while, to let them get their ya-yas out with no witnesses. I stood up. “You all ready for some dessert? I got lemon profiteroles from Fanelli’s Italian Bakery. They’re the real deal.”
Nell moaned with delight under her breath. “Omigod, I’m stuffed. But I can’t say no to lemon profiteroles.”
“Same,” Vivi said promptly. “Lay it on me. I’ll suffer if I must.”
Nancy was grinning. “Of course. Bring it on. Want help bringing it out?”
“Nah.” I backed away swiftly, toward the kitchen. “You stay here. I got it.”
I tried not to listen from the kitchen, but couldn’t help hearing the smothered giggles, bursts of whispered talk, more giggles. Then Nancy’s sharper protests, met with still more laughter from her sisters.
I was glad to hear them laugh, even if it was at my expense. Their day had been a long, exhausting series of unpleasant shocks and painful losses. They had been forced to throw away treasured furniture, sweep up the shards of Lucia’s fine china and shattered crystal. They’d salvaged what they could, and we’d all been on the alert for another letter. So far, no such luck.
I scooped the goopy profiterole onto one of Mom’s cut crystal serving dishes. It occurred to me that none of Mom’s nice china or crystal had been used since she died. My own stuff was very plain. Mom’s stuff hadn’t even made it out of the box in storage until today. It didn’t fit with my austere, monastic bachelor life.
I’d hung onto the stuff, though, figuring it might come in handy when I got married. I’d thought, vaguely, that my future wife might appreciate things like that.
But I didn’t even want to meet that future wife. There was no place for her in my head. All the space, all the air, was taken up by Nancy.
I came out carrying the serving dish piled with goopy pale yellow pastries swimming in lemon cream in one hand and a handful of small crystal bowls from the same dessert set in the other. I dished up the sweet using Mom’s nice silver dessert serving spoon, laying on heavy lashings of the cream.
All the while, Vivi and Nell shot each other speaking glances and kicked each other under the table. Those two were having the time of their lives.
“Nancy looks great, since she’s been hanging out with you, Liam,” Vivi said. “So relaxed. Great color. Lips as red as cherries.”
“Oh, stop. I think I’ve gained about eight pounds,” Nancy grumbled.
“I think she looks perfect.” I passed Nancy a dish of pastry.
Nell accepted her bowl. “Liam,” she said. “Thanks for helping us with Lucia’s house. But we have to pay you for your time and energy. Really.”
I shook my head. “Lucia was my friend. It’s my privilege to help.”
“Well,” Nell said. “Isn’t that refreshing to hear. What a change of pace.”
“Nell.” Nancy’s voice had a warning tone. “Don’t start.”
“I’m not,” Nell said, rolling her eyes. “Just let me be pleased and happy for you, okay? Is that allowed?”
Nancy sniffed. “Far be it from me to impede anyone’s pleasure or happiness.”
Tension in the air made me search for a change of subject. I scooped up a bite of profiterole. “So. Since you three have cleared away all of Lucia’s household stuff, me and my crew can start salvaging the building supplies,” I said. “Maybe two-thirds of it is still usable, if we can find some matching tiles.”
“Good,” Vivi said. “I can’t stay to help right now, though. I need to head out to Ohio in the next couple days for another couple of back-to-back craft fairs.”
I gave her a narrow look. “Isn’t that dangerous? Traveling alone?”