About the Book
Wedding bells are ringing in Barbeaux Bayou. But, of course, what would a happy event be without a little visit from the dead? Three visits, to be exact, all wrapped up in the past, present, and future and all at Christmas time when Raleigh Cheramie is supposed to be enjoying the wedding festivities.
Now with a few mischievous spirits involved, the wedding will be a disaster if Raleigh can’t identify the culprit, man or spirit, trying to ruin her friend’s happiness. Will Raleigh be able to solve the origins of the family curse in time?
Journey back to Barbeaux Bayou for this haunting tale of mystery.
Excerpt from the Book
Chapter One
“Have you had an opportunity to study the foyer mural?” Horace Datin droned on, his tone as nasal and snooty as his awareness that no one wanted to listen to his endless drivel.
While waiting for Sheri to return, Raleigh Cheramie had been unfortunate to be cornered by the pretentious soon-to-be relative of her friend. He’d tried every guest at the engagement party in hopes of sharing stories of the manor’s history. Even though time and time again, they’d excused themselves from the conversation, he still didn’t understand that no one wanted to hear it.
While he rambled on about vibrant colors and traditional painting techniques, Raleigh scanned the ballroom, searching for an escape from this painful conversation.
Boyfriend Mike Simmons did not appear among the faces of the guests as all the groomsmen had escaped a half hour ago and had not returned. Nate had mentioned something about a boxing match. Luckily, Sheri had missed the conversation while Horace was informing her about the updates fifty years ago to the ballroom. Sheri hadn’t turned into a bridezilla by any means, but a MIA groom could be problematic.
Not seeing any of the other bridesmaids, Raleigh considered enlisting her sister’s help. Currently, Madison worked behind the bar area. Three hours into the party, a line had formed for the beer and wine. From the decibel level and the dancing of this crowd, Madison should probably tell them the alcohol had dried out. Her sister seemed agitated and more likely to toss a drink at a guest than tell them no, which is why she didn’t typically serve the drinks. Continuing her scan, Raleigh found the new hire for Madison’s party business standing in stilettos near a topiary flirting with Sheri’s cousin Jerry. As Raleigh watched, the young woman ran a finger down Jerry’s chest and leaned in close to his ear. Raleigh guessed they’d be ducking off soon. Raleigh should probably go and help Madison, maybe commiserate with her on the unreliability of employees. But Raleigh and Madison didn’t really have that kind of relationship, and Madison preferred keeping a distance so if she ended up dancing on top of a bar, Raleigh didn’t drag her scantily clad butt off. It’s how their sisterhood worked without the two murdering each other. Besides, as the maid of honor, Raleigh should at least be able to enjoy all the parties and hoopla. She’d have to escape the manor’s historian first.
“That mural is original to the house,” Horace continued, his large forehead wrinkled in emphasis. “Painted by our very own patriarch, my grandfather.”
Raleigh nodded, keeping her opinion to herself. She believed the whole scene of shooting and skinning an alligator grotesque as a first impression when walking into a home of this magnitude. But what did she know? The only art she could afford was her six-year-old nephew’s sketches of trees that looked like fuzzy squirrel tails.
The groom Jeff Dantin’s grandmother, Eliza Dantin, belonged to one of the old money families of Barbeaux Bayou. In the early 1900s, the family had bought into the shipping industry. They’d sold out only a few years ago, but the sale had made them even wealthier. The family’s southern manor stood as a testament to the time when the family had reached its summit. Equipped with its own ballroom and six bedrooms, the gawdy monstrosity of a house stood too large for the two people remaining residents. Neither the family’s matriarch nor Horace seemed ready to abandon the family home though.
“Perhaps when the place belongs to me,” Horace rambled completely unaware of his audience’s disinterest. “I can open it up for events such as this. Then everyone will see our family’s good taste.”
Raleigh’s eyebrow arched and she turned away quickly so he wouldn’t see her disapproval. During the entire wedding planning process, Sheri had attempted to play nice with the future-in-laws. Sheri’s own family tended to be a trainwreck, so the effort had gone into smoothing the edges between the two families. Raleigh didn’t want to cause a derailment, especially during the holiday season when everyone aimed for grace, but tensions ran high.
With only two days before Christmas, Raleigh could extend Christmas spirit to even Horace’s over inflated ego.
“I see you are counting me out already.” A sharp, shrill voice spoke from behind her, causing Raleigh to turn.
A petite woman in a navy-blue beaded ball gown hobbled her last two steps toward them, her carved cane leading the way. Even as the woman neared a century, her upswept gray hair held hints of the black it had once been. Impeccably dressed, her drawn in eyebrows were raised at her son.
“No, mother,” Horace stuttered, looking down at his black loafers.
Grand’Mere Eliza Lydia Dantin shook her head and focused on Raleigh. “He always forgets that he only inherits if a girl isn’t born into the family.”
Horace tsked. “Much too late for that to happen now. We aren’t having any children at our age.”
Eliza Dantin smiled in amusement, leaning on the curve of her cane. “My son always counts the ladies out. Aren’t we marrying one of my grandsons in three days?”
Horace drew back, appalled. “We’re counting great grandchildren now. Surely Sheri would not want another child with hers being so old. She’s not getting any younger either.”
Cringing, Raleigh bit down on her bottom lip. Shawn may have turned ten at his last birthday party, but she and Sheri happened to be the same age. She’d been called old at 30. Paw would say Horace had skipped the commonsense line at birth, but the man’s insult didn’t sting any less.
“Nonsense,” Eliza said, pulling her tiny body up straight. “Not to mention insulting. Where is the bride to be? Perhaps we should ask her about her plans instead of gossiping.”
Raleigh scanned the room again and didn’t see her. In fact, the bride had disappeared a while ago. “How about I go and find her?”
Eliza smiled and nodded as if that had been her point all along. Raleigh left the two, hearing Horace’s nasally voice following her as he pleaded with his mother to take it easy tonight. The ballroom had been stuffed with poinsettia and spruce tree arrangements that indicated a Christmas soiree more than engagement party. The soft 3-piece jazz band on the center stage did not drown out the deep voice of Sheri’s uncle as he said, “They have more money than they know what to do with. They won’t miss a statue.”
Raleigh walked by without eyeing said statue, not wanting to be a witness in what would certainly be a family scandal. Sheri’s Uncle Cedric had served five years in his younger days for robbing a convenience store. He claimed he’d been in uncontrollable circumstances. Sheri said those circumstances involved a case of beer a day chased down by a joint or two a day habit. Old habits died hard, especially in Barbeaux Bayou where they typically went to curl up and collect dust.
Raleigh headed in the direction of the kitchens, thinking Sheri had said she was going to refill her glass from the coolers. The bride had made a special concoction that she’d read would not cause puffiness or hangovers. Raleigh didn’t want to burst her bridal bubble that the only drink that could possibly deliver on that promise was water. All brides should be able to believe in wedding cake with no calories and receptions with no family drama.
In the kitchens she only found the two other bridesmaids proposing a sloppy toast to each other having the marriage portion of their life to-do lists out of the way already.
“I think Sheri went to the bathroom,” Elizabeth said, pausing in her sip to consider the question. As the groom’s stepsister, Elizabeth had been the obligatory pick for bridesmaid. Although Sheri did seem to genuinely like her future sister-in-law.
“No,” Stephanie corrected. “Her dress. She had to go fix the strap on her dress.”
Stephanie had enjoyed best friend status in high school. She and Sheri rarely spent more time than her monthly salon appointment now. But when the woman had found out about Sheri and Jeff’s engagement, she’d declared herself a bridesmaid because of a promise made back in eighth grade at a slumber party. Sheri had said that it was too strange to even argue with the woman.
Turning down an offer for a glass of champagne, Raleigh headed toward the upstairs bedrooms. For the wedding week, Sheri had been staying at the manor to help with the wedding details but also to honor Jeff’s family wishes of them not living together before the wedding. Since Sheri’s mom and dad had been divorced since she was two years old, Raleigh could imagine that Jeff’s family had issues on many levels that they struggled with besides the fact that the two had been living together for three months.
The first bedroom door stood open and two young girls sat at a vanity playing with jewelry. Their brunette and blonde heads leaned in so close they touched as they ran tiny fingers over opalescent pearls.
Raleigh caught a glimpse of herself in the low mirror and could see that the curls that Madison had set in her normally stick straight brunette hair had begun to lose their bounce. They did at least wave, so that was a plus. Raleigh had no words for the dark eye shadow and make up her sister had layered on her otherwise fair complexion, but it did make her green eyes “pop” like her sister had assured her.
Raleigh slid away from her reflection not wanting to look at that mess anymore. She realized much too late that Madison had made her look like her. Not the look Raleigh would ever willingly aim for.
“Have you two seen the bride by chance?” Raleigh asked.
Startled, they grabbed for the string of pearls as they turned toward Raleigh.
“I tell you what,” Raleigh said, winking at them. “I won’t tell anyone what I saw if you tell me where I can find Sheri.”
The pale blonde with the deep blue eyes stared at her before saying, “She’s in the room across the hall crying.”
Raleigh smiled, backing out of the room. “Just be gentle, girls. A string of pearls can break easily. But they are beautiful.”
They dissolved into a fit of giggles as Raleigh left, closing the door behind her.