There were only a handful of orangeries in the United States and Lois Millhouse had one in her side yard. The tall metal and glass structure was an architectural marvel—fashioned after the original 17th century orangery on the grounds of the Palace of Versailles in France, albeit much smaller—and had been featured in several magazine and newspaper articles over the years. Most recently, House Beautiful did a cover shoot on the property.
Inside, orange trees flourished year-round at one end and flowering plants such as Tropical Anthurium, various varieties of roses, African Violets, and scores of orchids were extremely well maintained on the other. Lois employed three part-time employees to tend to ‘her babies’ and she toiled in the greenhouse herself most mornings after she ate breakfast and had carefully read every page of the Wall Street Journal. She had a thing for financial news and plants, in that order.
And, of course, for making Wabanaki everything it should have become decades earlier.
On Tuesday morning, she was on her hands and knees cleaning up a broken pot and spilled soil when she heard someone approaching. She turned her head to see Skyler holding a pie plate and smiling widely.
“I hope I didn’t startle you,” Skyler said. “I was knocking, but I don’t think anyone heard me.”
“I don’t startle too easily, Skyler,” Lois said, getting to her feet. “How are you, dear?”
“I’m fine. I brought you a pie. It’s apple. Not blueberry.”
Lois chuckled. “You are very sweet. And, yes, I do not eat blueberries anymore. I appreciate them, mind you.” She waved her arms around like a flight attendant pointing out emergency exits. “I wouldn’t have all this without those little blue berries, now would I?”
“I have a feeling that you’d be successful no matter what.”
“You didn’t come over here just to give me a pie, now did you?”
“You’ve seen right through me.”
Lois pulled off her gloves and set them on the potting bench. “You’re working with my grandson to keep the Chowder House from sinking in bad press.”
“I am.”
“Thank you for that. And Wabanaki thanks you.”
“Well, Madam Mayor, I too have dedicated my life to this town.”
“I know that very well,” Lois said. “Let’s go get some coffee. There’s always a fresh pot in the kitchen.”
Skyler followed the old woman through a side door, down a covered breezeway, and up a few steps into the main house. They were in the cavernous kitchen and sitting at the built-in banquette sipping coffee out of enormous mugs when a young woman appeared out of nowhere and set a plate of muffins in the center of the table. She was gone as quickly as she appeared.
“Who was that?”
“Midge,” Lois said softly. “She’s new. And like a ghost. I hardly hear her moving about the house but she manages to clean and bake and sort the mail and she changes my bed sheets every day like at a first class hotel. I’m paying her next to nothing. It makes me feel bad. But I enjoy the help.”
“Maybe she deserves a raise,” Skyler said, biting into a muffin. “These are amazing. And still warm.”
“I will be sure to compensate her appropriately. So, what is on your mind?”
“Brenda and I were talking yesterday and she told me that she had a drink with an old mutual friend of ours, a man named Augie Alameda.” Skyler stopped and inspected the woman’s face for some kind of recognition.
“And?” Lois asked evenly.
“Well, to be very blunt, we wondered if perhaps you hired him.”
“Hired him to do what?”
“Seriously? Do you not know him?”
“It’s really none of your business, frankly.”
Skyler blushed. “It’s sort of my business. I mean, that’s my business. I’m a public relations professional. It’s what I do. And it’s what I’m doing for Tanner and the Chowder House. We all want to see Wabanaki overcome this slump, don’t we? Especially the mayor?”
“My dear,” Lois began sweetly, “I want nothing more than for this town to flourish. Just like my plants out there. But I did not hire this Mr. Alameda to do anything and I have no idea what he does anyway. How could he possibly help?”
“You said it was none of my business, like there was something there.”
“Because I meant that, not because I actually have something to hide from you. I don’t think I like you coming in here and interrogating me, that’s all. You’re a P.R. professional, not a detective on the Wabanaki police force.
“I see. And I am sorry if I upset you.”
“I’m not upset. But I will bite. Who is Augie Alameda?”
Skyler gave the woman a rundown of Augie’s credentials and history. “And he got Brenda her start.”
“But you don’t like him?” Lois asked.
“I don’t, but that’s because we worked together a few times and we’re both pretty much independent contractors. We’re both solo practitioners, if you will. We butted heads and it wasn’t pretty.”
“But he can get the job done?”
“Oh yes. He can. And he most certainly will. Which is why the Chowder House and the Lobster Shanty and the Sea Captain’s Inn and all the businesses in town need to be prepared. Combined with the Boston Globe piece that’s coming, we could get quite busy.”
“I’m thrilled, Skyler,” Lois said, standing, indicating that the visit was over, “I really am. But it wasn’t me.”
They exchanged pleasantries and Skyler was shown the door. It didn’t actually slam shut behind her, but it felt that way.
Skyler was more suspicious than ever and wondered if the Mayor was lying to her…or if someone else was behind Augie’s coming to town.
