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your party this weekend.”

      “You’d enjoy it a whole lot more if you weren’t coming alone.”

      “It’s going to be such a boring party I’ll need extra entertainment? Now you tell me.”

      “Stop changing the subject, Danny. Where’s the harm in going out with someone for a movie now and then?”

      “The harm comes when they don’t want to keep it casual and you do—and you keep running into them over lunch.” Danielle picked up a stack of menus and tapped them against the counter till the pile was straight and square.

      “Like Deke Oliver.”

      “Are you back to him again? As a matter of fact, that wasn’t who I meant”

      “Then who? You mean Kevin hasn’t given up yet?”

      “Almost, I think.” The front door opened, and in relief Danielle turned to greet the newcomers.

      “Well, it’s about time,” Pam mused. “Of course, showing guys the door is getting to be a habit, Danny. You never have told me exactly why you broke up with Deke.”

      And I was hoping you wouldn’t notice that, Danielle thought. She smiled at the Goodwins, who were among her favorite customers, and led them toward their usual table in the solarium. Half of her felt guilty for simply walking off instead of answering Pam, even though it was her job and not rudeness that took her away. The other half, Danielle admitted, felt guilty for not telling the truth about Deke. Yes, she’d been the one who’d officially called a halt to what most of Elmwood had expected would soon be an engagement, followed closely by a wedding. But in fact—

      

      “I was really surprised to see it,” Mrs. Goodwin was saying as Danielle handed her a menu. “I thought they were doing very well.” She shook out her napkin and looked up expectantly at Danielle. “And with the strawberry festival coming up and everything...”

      Danielle was startled. You ought to know better than to let your mind wander, she scolded herself. What on earth was the woman talking about?

      Mr. Goodwin said gruffly, “Always did think it was a silly idea Begging your pardon, of course, Danielle—but Elmwood’s not big enough to support a fancy hotel. The new motels are one thing, but this—”

      “It’s not a hotel, George. It’s a bed-and-breakfast.” Mrs. Goodwin tipped her head to one side like an inquisitive robin and peered up at Danielle. “You didn’t know, then, that there’s a Closed sign in front of the Merry Widow?”

      Apprehension tingled through Danielle’s veins. That was silly, she told herself. The Merry Widow wasn’t her concern anymore. “Perhaps the Jablonskis are taking a little vacation.”

      “Right before a holiday weekend?” Mrs. Goodwin scoffed. “And leaving a sign out front telling everyone they’re gone? Elmwood may be an old-fashioned town, but most folks are smart enough not to hang out an invitation to thieves nevertheless ”

      Danielle couldn’t argue with that. “Are you certain they’re gone? Maybe they just needed a couple of days’ break, so they pulled the shades and took the telephone off the hook.”

      Mrs. Goodwin shook her head. “Didn’t look that way to me. All those silly figurines she kept on the front porch are gone.”

      Danielle frowned. It didn’t seem likely that Kate Jablonski would have moved all her ceramics if she was only going away for a few days. But it was even less likely that the Merry Widow would have closed with no notice, no rumors... Not in Elmwood, she reflected, where nothing is too minor for gossip!

      Pam was zipping the bank bag when Danielle returned to the maître d’s stand. “Anything you need from the bank?” she asked. “I noticed the register’s low on ones and fives, so I’ll drop those off before the dinner rush.”

      Danielle shook her head. “I can’t think of anything else. Pam, would you drive past the Merry Widow on your way to the bank?”

      “Sure. It’s the most direct route anyway. Why?”

      “Because I want to know what the new sign out front says.”

      Pam looked thoughtful. “You still aren’t over your infatuation with that house, are you?”

      “Of course I am. It’s big and drafty and expensive and impossible—”

      “And very, very romantic. If you’re not still in love with it, why should you care what kind of sign the Jablonskis put up? You don’t own it anymore.”

      Technically, Pam was right. Danielle didn’t own it any more—not even the half that had once, very briefly, been hers. On the other hand... “Call it curiosity, all right? I just want to know.”

      Pam dropped the bank bag and put both hands to her throat in mock horror. “Danny, please tell me you’re not turning into one of Elmwood’s old gossips!”

      “Of course I am. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ’em, my mother always said. Now that I’m past twenty-five and there’s not a man in sight, what choice do I have but to start minding other people’s business?” Danielle burst into laughter. “Pam, if you could see your face—”

      “It was your tone of voice that did it. You sounded every bit as self-righteous as Mrs. Hansen when she’s on a roll.” Pam grinned. “All right I started it, so I’ve got no one to blame but myself. You can knock it off now—I’ve got the message that I shouldn’t keep asking why you’re interested in the Merry Widow.”

      “Then at least we’ve accomplished something,” Danielle murmured. She looked over her shoulder into the dining room to check that the large table in the center was ready, then went to greet the first of a group of businessmen coming in for their regular Thursday luncheon.

      The busboy was just setting the last water glass into place as she showed the men to the table. Danielle ran an eye over the settings and gave the busboy an approving nod.

      A high, tinkling laugh rang out from the corner table, and despite herself, Danielle turned to look. Norah had placed a hand on Deke’s sleeve and was leaning toward him with an expression of calculated worship. Danielle wondered if the woman really thought Deke Oliver was such an inexperienced fish that he’d succumb to that lure.

      And she wondered if Deke knew about the Merry Widow. He had every bit as much reason to be interested as she did. After all, he had—once upon a time—owned half of it, too.

      Not that she was going to stroll over and ask, of course, or share the bit of information she had. Long training had taught her never to interrupt a customer, and in this case she’d look as if she was trying to sidetrack Deke’s conference—or whatever it was—with Norah and focus his attention on herself It was hardly the impression she wanted to make.

      Besides, Danielle had far more important things to do. The lunch rush had taken hold with a vengeance; three parties were waiting when she got back to the entrance, and from then on there wasn’t a chance to draw a long breath, much less think up explanations for the Jablonskis’ sign.

      But the question nagged at the back of her mind nonetheless. The Merry Widow had opened as a bed-and-breakfast just eight months ago, and this should be the start of the busiest season. The Memorial Day holiday that marked the traditional opening of summer was this weekend, and it would be closely followed by the end of the school year, freeing families to travel. Elmwood’s strawberry festival, the most important civic event of the year, was next week.

      The last time Kate Jablonski had been in the Willows she’d told Danielle that the Merry Widow’s reservation book was already full for festival time. Which indicated that wherever the Jablonskis had gone, they fully intended to be back in plenty of time to cash in on those reservations.

      Didn’t it?

      The rush ended as abruptly as it had begun. Danielle made change and small talk for a few of the businessmen

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