The Deep End (A Saints & Strangers Cozy Mystery Book 2) by Keeley Bates Page B

scowled. “Lovely mother is a bit of an oxymoron, don’t you think?”
    Mrs. Goodington laughed. “Oh, you two and your silly quarrels. Your mother is the saintliest of all the saints. I adopted two of her rescue cats last year. Amos and Andy are delightful creatures.”
    Kit groaned and snatched a champagne flute from a passing server. She didn’t want to hear any more about her mother’s selfless actions. It was nauseating. Every time she heard one of these tales, she wanted to provide a counterstory, like the time she fell off her horse in third grade. Her mother had been more concerned about the horse’s state of mind than her concussed daughter.
    A couple came and stood beside Mrs. Goodington. Although Kit didn’t recognize them, between her pearls and newswoman haircut and his yacht club persona, she was fairly certain that they were Pilgrim Society.
    Mrs. Goodington ushered them closer. “Ah, Dorothy and Clyde, may I introduce you to Rebecca and Charlotte Tilton, the hostesses of this fine event.”
    Romeo tapped Kit on the shoulder and gestured for her to step away. “I’d like to tour the rooms,” he whispered. “Do a little eavesdropping.”
    Kit nodded mutely and slipped away from the group without anyone noticing.
    “Thank you for including us,” Clyde said to the sisters. “We were so sorry to hear about your father.” He paused. “And his wife, too, of course.”
    “Such an untimely passing,” Dorothy agreed. “Have they caught the nasty culprit?”
    “I’m afraid not,” Rebecca said with a quick glance at Romeo’s back as he walked away.
    “Your father was such a pillar of the community,” Clyde continued. “You must still be feeling his absence.”
    “Every day, Clyde,” Rebecca replied. “Thank you for your kind words.”
    Dorothy leaned forward and whispered, “We know a good lawyer if you’re interested in pursuing your estate.”
    “That’s sweet of you,” Rebecca said.
    “Oh, and here is our goddaughter now,” Clyde said. “We were so pleased when she asked to pay us a visit this weekend. We haven’t seen her in ages.”
    A young woman approached holding a flute of champagne. She wore a pinched expression and Charlotte took an instant dislike to her.
    “Kristy, my love, you must meet our wonderful hostesses,” Dorothy said.
    Kristy looked from Rebecca to Charlotte. “Thank you so much for including me tonight. I’ve heard such wonderful things about you both.”
    “Thank you,” Rebecca said. “We’re pleased to see such an amazing turnout.”
    “It was perfect timing. I don’t often make it down to Pennsylvania. It’s hard enough to keep up with your own family, let alone someone else’s.” Kristy smiled at Dorothy, all teeth and no emotion.
    While Kristy yammered on about nothing, Charlotte’s gaze wandered around the room to see where Kit and Romeo had gone. She was already bored and ready to go home and read a book. She appreciated that people were here to support her father’s cause, but she wasn’t in the mood to socialize. She hoped it wasn’t too obvious.
    Across the room, Kit spotted her cousin, Crispin Winthrop. Like Kit, he’d taken a different path from the one his family intended, although his parents seemed less vindictive about it than Heloise.
    “Crispin,” Kit called with a frantic wave.
    “You’re looking beautiful tonight, cousin,” he said, giving her a peck on the cheek. He gestured to man across the room snapping photographs. “Should we include you in the society pages?”
    She rolled her eyes. “I’d rather use my selfie stick. If I ended up in the society pages, Mother will probably use it as a calling card for Westdale’s eligible bachelors.” Kit grabbed his wrist. “There aren’t any Breedloves lurking around, are there?”
    “None that I’ve seen,” he replied. “I saw your detective friend roaming the premises. Did you come together?”
    Kit couldn’t keep the color from rising to her cheeks. “We did.