While Cabot awaited his day in court, professing his innocence to theLedgerand a reporter sent up from Denver for theRocky, as well as his lawyer and whoever happened to be in the adjoining cell, usually on a Friday or Saturday night, the people of Frost Falls went about their business, which at this time of year was most notably preparations for Christmas and the annual New Year celebration at the Butterworth.
Ridley Madison decided Christmas Eve was the ideal occasion for the dinner party she wanted to host. Lily helped her select a menu agreeable to the palates of the adults and children, though she assured Ridley her children would eatwhatever was put in front of them. At Lily’s suggestion, Ridley delivered the invitations personally, thus assuring Fedora’s attendance.
One of the reasons Martin Cabot’s incarceration elicited so little comment among the town busybodies was that the busiest body of them all was taking the high road for the time being. By anyone’s measure, it was a fine path that Amanda Springer was walking, and it was frequently whispered outside of her hearing that she could not maintain the straight and narrow for long. What even her closest acolytes did not take into account was her considerable pride, and rather than air her frustration and disappointment that her son was courting Fedora Chen or remarking on Miss Chen’s unsuitability as a match for Hitchcock, Amanda kept her head up and acted as if there was nothing at all extraordinary about the pairing. It was Amanda’s rather significant insight when she realized that the longer she actedas ifthere was nothing extraordinary about the courtship, therewasnothing extraordinary about the courtship.
Ridley’s dinner party was a success, which surprised only Ridley. Ellie had nothing but admiration for the dining arrangement and enjoyed herself fussing over the children, who had their own table and comported themselves so beautifully that Lily was moved to wonder if Roen had bribed them.
“Of course I did,” he said when she asked him that night. “I promised them a sleigh ride. It’s all been arranged with Hank Ketchum for tomorrow afternoon.”
“You must have been sure they would do very well if you had the sleigh reserved.”
“I set rather low expectations. Ham had to keep his shoes on. Lizzie had to keep her bottom on her chair and not climb up on her knees. Hannah had to help Lizzie cut her food into small pieces, and Clay had to keep his napkin in his lap and direct passing of the food.”
“I am in awe,” she said. Lily leaned over and kissed him on the mouth. “Merry Christmas, my love.”
As joyous as Christmas Day was with its candy-and-fruit-filled stockings and exchange of presents, the days leading up to New Year’s Eve grew increasingly somber. Roen was sensitive to the two-year anniversary of Jeremiah Salt’s death butuncertain what he should do, or even if there was anything he could do. Lily’s efforts to remain emotionally even were forced and Roen was not alone in noticing it. He observed Clay and Hannah watching their mother more closely. Lizzie and Ham took their cue from their older brother and sister and were clingy and needy. Roen had to remind himself it was not necessarily their father’s death they were remembering and mourning, but the trauma of the fire when they lost their home and almost lost their lives.
“Am I right that you will not want to attend the New Year’s Eve party at the Butterworth?” Roen asked Lily when they were alone at the table after breakfast, finishing their coffee.
She nodded. “The children can’t attend and I will not leave them alone.”
“I understand. Don’t look at me as if you think I’m disappointed. I’m testing the water here, trying to figure what the right thing to do is, or if not the right thing, then the best thing.”
“You probably wish I could help you. I can’t. I don’t know.”
“What did you do last year?”
“Nothing,” she said quietly, staring into her coffee cup. “We survived it.”
“We can do better than that.”
Lily’s smile was wan, but she did not dismiss the idea. “I’d like that.”
“What do you think about a party for the children?”
“A party?”
“Nothing fancy. My parents used to allow us to invite a friend to sleep over. We never did it on New Year’s Eve, but it’s really the perfect night for it so now I’m wondering why we never did. Clay can invite Frankie. I’m sure Hannah and Ham will have someone in mind.”
“Who would Lizzie ask?”
“Her best friend. Fedora.”
Laughter bubbled on Lily’s lips. It felt good. “What about Hitch?”
“He’ll come, too. I don’t think they’re ready to go to the Butterworth as a couple. And Hitch is probably working tonight so Ben can have it free. He’ll be able to come and go. We’ll bring blankets and pillows down to the parlor and spreadthem out. I’ll make ice cream punch and you’ll make little jam sandwiches. We’ll play games and tell ghost stories and—” He stopped because Lily was frowning. “All right. Maybe not ghost stories, but you get the idea. They’ll all try to stay up until midnight and they’ll all fall asleep by ten.”
“Optimist.”
“We’ll give them breakfast in the morning and send them home.” He waited for Lily to give him an indication that she was on board or preparing to throw him off the train. She did neither. Though she had not moved, it struck him that she was suddenly far away, so deep in thought that she was oblivious to her surroundings, to the cup she clutched tightly, to the tremor of the saucer, to him. When she spoke, it was so softly that he wasn’t certain that she meant for him to hear.
“I killed him.”
Arrested, Roen stared at her while she continued to stare into her cup. “Lily?”
“You heard me. I can’t say it again. I promised Ben and Ridley and Hitch I would never say it once, and now I have. To you. I’ve said it to you.” A tear leaked from her right eye and rippled the smooth brown surface of the coffee. “It’s yours now. My guilt is your burden, too. You must do what you think is right. Not what is best. What is right.”
Roen took the cup away from Lily and then he took her by the hand. “Come with me. We can’t talk here.” He tugged and without any real effort brought her to her feet. He led her out of the kitchen, down the hall, told the children they were going upstairs and not to be disturbed, and nudged Lily to take the first step. When they were in their bedroom, he closed the door and leaned against it. Lily stood alone, all at sea, and then slowly sank to the edge of the bed.
