Free Shaded Light: The Case of the Tactless Trophy Wife: A Paul Manziuk and Jacquie Ryan Mystery (The Manziuk and Ryan Mysteries Book 1) by J. A. Menzies Page B

as obvious as that?”
    “Usually. But then I know you better than most.”
    “Well, I’ll try to be better company.” He looked over at Lorry. She was standing in the shade of one of the enormous trellises. As she leaned forward to smell one of the roses, a shaft of bright sunlight hit her, making her face glow and her hair shine like new copper. As if seeing her for the first time, Nick said, “She is attractive, isn’t she?”
    Kendall smiled. “Not exactly what you expected.” He snapped off a dead flower and threw it under the bush. “Not what I expected, either, to be honest.”
    “So, do I have a clear field?” Nick grinned. “You still prefer blue-eyed blondes?”
    “Well,” Kendall teased, “I may regret this, but go ahead. Don’t worry about me.”
    “Sounds like you’ve met your Waterloo. I’ll make sure I let Marilyn know how faithful you are.”
    Kendall traced the curve of a large rose petal with one finger. “You in any danger of meeting yours?”
    “You wish.” Nick smiled, but his eyes remained grim. He walked over to Lorry, who was staring at a spectacular Chicago Peace rose. “Nice, huh?”
    “Breathtaking.”
    “Yeah, I agree.”
    She looked up, saw he was looking at her rather than the rose, and blushed.
    Nick then began a guided tour of the garden, making up names for the roses, and before long all three were laughing as though they were old friends.
    They were interrupted by the chime of a clear bell.
    “Mom’s idea,” Kendall announced. “This place is too big to yell. The bell means, ‘Dinnah is served, m’lud and lady.’ Shall we?” He held out his arm, and Lorry, after a small hesitation, took it.
    Nick bowed and dutifully took Lorry’s other arm. “Amazing things one learns at law school. How to escort a lady to a formal dinner.”
    “Really?”
    “One of our classes had a very large book on etiquette as required reading. As a lawyer, one has to be polite at all times. Even if you call someone an idiot, there are ways to do it politely. Don’t laugh; it’s true. One of the many reasons I’m not a lawyer.”
    “I know you’re joking about the book. But I thought Ellen said you had both graduated from law school.”
    “We did. But unless I actually practice law I defy anyone to call me a lawyer. I’m a skier.”
    “So am I, but—”
    “You ski?”
    “Whenever I get the chance.”
    “Any good?”
    “Average.”
    “Downhill?”
    “Uh huh. You?”
    “Anything. Mostly moguls and aerials.”
    “Really?”
    Nick laughed. “No, I made it up. Just kidding. I’m a freestyle skier.”
    “Oh, that’s great. I love watching freestyle skiing. But isn’t it difficult?”
    “No more difficult than a lot of things.”
    “And not nearly as remunerative as law,” put in Kendall, who had been silent since Nick began to talk.

    The party gathered in the enormous living room. Like the rest of the house, it was a show piece. One entire wall was a fireplace made from white marble. Indirect lighting brought out its gleaming charm. It contrasted with the large pictures on the other three white walls—abstract pictures of giant royal blue and emerald green flowers. Four white satin brocade sofas held court on the off-white carpet, amid a scattering of bright green and blue Queen Anne chairs and white marble end tables. Gold-tone lamps with white shades speckled with tiny blue and green flowers rested on many of the tables. Here and there were green or blue vases of various sizes holding a profusion of fresh roses and other flowers from the gardens.
    Lorry, Nick, and Kendall entered the room just ahead of Douglass and Anne. The room became the topic of conversation. Kendall assured them that a decorator his father hired had full responsibility for every room in the house except the den. “Dad said to spare no expense, and she didn’t.”
    They all turned as Anne gave a brittle laugh. “Jillian seems to be missing. She obviously knows the effect of an