As Robert turned to leave, Joan got to her feet. “We should all get out of your way,” she said. “I’m sure you have a great deal to do.”
“I’ll be here for a few days, at least,” Gretchen replied. “I have to talk to my solicitor and arrange to sell the house, and probably do a million other things. Beverly, I thought you might like to buy the house?”
Beverly glanced around the room and then shook her head. “I’m going to move closer to my son,” she said. “I think that will be better for both of us.”
Janet and the others followed Joan back down the corridor. They were all silent as they climbed into the car. As Janet drove away, Bessie spoke first.
“I’m feeling slightly shocked,” she said, “but also relieved and very happy for Gretchen.”
“She and Jack seemed awfully happy together,” Janet said.
Doona chuckled. “Imagine getting married for the first time at eighty. It’s odd, but wonderful.”
“I think it’s very odd,” Joan said. “If you’ve managed on your own for all those years, why would you want to get married?”
“Maybe because you’re in love,” Janet said, sighing. “Maybe we’ll all be as lucky one day.”
Bessie laughed. “I can’t imagine finding love at my age and I’m not sure that I want to, but I wish the rest of you the very best of luck.”
The foursome spent the rest of the week visiting stately homes and historical sites. Janet arranged for Stuart to come over each afternoon to give Aggie her lunch. While Aggie was still a bit grumpy about the amount of time Janet was spending away from home, at least she was getting fed on schedule.
On their last night, they all curled up in the sitting room with books from the library.
“I’m quite jealous of your lives,” Doona told Janet and Joan. “This seems idyllic.”
“You wouldn’t feel that way if you’d met some of our guests,” Janet laughed.
“It’s a wonderful house, but I would hate having strangers staying all the time,” Bessie mused.
“You used to have strangers staying with you all the time,” Doona pointed out. “Bessie has always been an honourary auntie to the children of Laxey,” she explained to the Markhams. “As such, she often had unhappy teenagers sulking in her spare bedroom.”
Bessie laughed. “It wasn’t quite that bad,” she protested. “Anyway, none of them were strangers. I knew them, and I knew their parents and often their grandparents. It wasn’t the same thing at all.”
“It’s been odd having guests, but I’ve almost grown to like it,” Joan said. “It certainly adds a great deal of variety to our lives, and none of the guests have stayed beyond a week, so even when they’re awful, there’s always an end in sight.”
Janet chuckled. “That’s true. And you’re right about the variety as well. I will admit that having the bed and breakfast has been better than I’d feared it might be. Doveby Dale does seem to have a higher crime rate than I was expecting, but at least Gretchen Falkirk turned up safe and sound.”
“Let’s hope we have nothing but happy endings from now on,” Joan said.
“Oh, no,” Janet exclaimed. “I never did ask her about Alberta.”
Glossary of Terms
bin - trash can
biscuits - cookies
booking - reservation
boot - trunk (of a car)
car park - parking lot
chemist - pharmacist
chips - french fries
cooker - oven
cuppa - cup of tea (informal)
dear - expensive
fizzy drink - carbonated beverage (pop or soda)
flat - apartment
holiday - vacation
jumper - sweater
lie in - sleep late
midday - noon
pavement - sidewalk
pensioners - retired people
pudding - dessert
queue - line
shopping trolley - shopping cart
starters - appetizers
telly - television
till - checkout (in a grocery store, for example)
torch - flashlight
Other Notes
In the UK, dates are written day, month, year rather than month, day, year as in the US. (May 5, 2015 would be written 5 May 2015, for example.)
In the UK, when describing property with more than one level, the lowest level (assuming there is no basement; very few UK houses have basements) is the “ground floor,” and the next floor up is the “first floor” and so on. In the US, the lowest floor is usually the “first floor.”
When telling time, half six is the English equivalent of six-thirty.
A “full English breakfast” generally consists of bacon, sausage, eggs, grilled or fried tomatoes, fried potatoes, fried mushrooms, and baked beans served with toast.
A semi-detached house is one that is joined to another house by a common center wall. In the US they are generally called duplexes. In the UK the two properties would be sold individually as totally separate entities. A “terraced” house is one in a row of properties, where each unit is sold individually, (usually called a row house in the US).
The emergency number in the UK is 999, not 911.
Ready meals are fully prepared and chilled meals that are purchased from the refrigerated section of grocery stores in the UK. You simply bring them home and cook them according to the package instructions. (The ingredients will be raw inside the packaging.)
Acknowledgments
I’m always hugely grateful to my readers who keep enjoying my books. Thank you for your continued support.
My editor is a huge help in a million ways – thank you!
My beta readers are incredibly helpful and I truly appreciate the time and effort they put in on my behalf.
The Patrone Case
Release date: March 15, 2019
Janet is happy to help William Chalmers, the owner of Doveby Dale’s antique shop, interview a few potential employees. She and William are friends, although William often hints that he has romantic intentions. Regardless, it makes a nice change for Janet from the day-to-day running of the bed and breakfast that she shares with her sister, Joan.
The three candidates for the part-time job are less than stellar, though. When a brick gets thrown through William’s window the day after the interviews, Janet can’t help but wonder if one of the three was involved.
Robert Parsons, Doveby Dale’s police constable, begins an investigation. Meanwhile, Janet and Joan are dealing with fighting couples in both guest rooms; Edward Bennett, the handsome man who may or may not be a spy, rings to ask for a favour; and more windows get broken.
Can Janet help Robert work out who is behind the vandalism? Can she help William find a suitable new employee? And can she help their guests get along, at least until they leave Doveby House?
Also by Diana Xarissa
Aunt Bessie Assumes
Aunt Bessie Considers
Aunt Bessie Decides
Aunt Bessie Enjoys
Aunt Bessie Finds
Aunt Bessie Goes
Aunt Bessie’s Holiday
Aunt Bessie Invites
Aunt Bessie Joins
Aunt Bessie Knows
Aunt Bessie Likes
Aunt Bessie Meets
Aunt Bessie Needs
Aunt Bessie Observes
Aunt Bessie Provides
Aunt Bessie Questions
Aunt Bessie Remembers
Aunt Bessie Questions
Aunt Bessie Solves
Aunt Bessie Tries
The Isle of Man Ghostly Cozy Mysteries
Arrivals and Arrests
Boats and Bad Guys
Cars and Cold Cases
Dogs and Danger
Encounters and Enemies
Friends and Frauds
Guests and Guilt
Hop-tu-Naa and Homicide
Invitations and Investigations
Joy and Jealousy
The Markham Sisters Cozy Mystery Novellas
The Appleton Case
The Bennett Case
The Chalmers Case
The Donaldson Case
The Ellsworth Case
The Fenton Case
The Green Case
The Hampton Case
The Irwin Case
The Jackson Case
The Kingston Case
The Lawley Case
The Moody Case
The Norman Case
The Osborne Case
The Patrone Case
The Isle of Man Romance Series
Island Escape
Island Inheritance
Island Heritage
Island Christmas
About the Author
Diana grew up in Northwestern Pennsylvania and moved to Washington, DC after college. There she met a wonderful Englishman who was visiting the city. After a whirlwind romance, they got married and Diana moved to the Chesterfield area of Derbyshire to begin a new life with her husband. A short time later, they relocated to the Isle of Man.
After over ten years on the island, it was time for a change. With their two children in tow, Diana and her husband moved to suburbs of Buffalo, New York. Diana now spends her days writing about the island she loves.
She also writes mystery/thrillers set in the not-too-distant future as Diana X. Dunn and middle grade and Young Adult books as D.X. Dunn.
Diana is always happy to hear from readers. You can write to her at:
Diana Xarissa Dunn
PO Box 72
Clarence, NY 14031.
Find Diana at: DianaXarissa.com
E-mail: Diana@dianaxarissa.com