“Whatever difference does that make?”
Dolly answered by rolling her eyes, then squeezed her way through the tables in the direction of the kitchen.
Cecily shook her head. “Madeline, you are utterly incorrigible.”
“I fail to see why I should be treated any differently as a married woman.” Madeline flipped her hair away from her face with a careless hand. “I’m still the same person.”
Cecily studied her friend. “Are you?”
Madeline gave her a rueful smile. “Well, no, I’m not. I’m not as free to do what I like when I like. I have someone else to think about now, and in several more months, there’ll be a third someone else to worry about.” She laid a gentle hand on her stomach.
It took Cecily a moment or two to realize what she meant.
“Madeline! Are you…?”
“With child, as they say.” Madeline’s tinkling laugh rang out. “Don’t look so stunned, Cecily. Even witches can bear babies, you know.”
Shocked gasps from across the room greeted this statement, confirming that Dolly’s customers had been avidly following the conversation. Not that it had been all that difficult for them, since Madeline had deliberately raised her voice in order to titillate her audience.
Cecily was far too delighted at her friend’s news to scold her, however. “Madeline… how utterly delightful. Kevin must be over the moon.”
“Kevin doesn’t know yet, though no doubt he will by tonight.” Madeline sent a sly glance over to the other table. “I suppose I’d better tell him before then.”
“How long have you known?” Speaking in a near whisper, Cecily leaned forward. “How could Kevin not know? He’s a doctor, for heaven’s sake.”
“Kevin doesn’t know everything, even if he thinks he does.” Madeline shrugged. “Besides, I only realized it myself a few days ago. I wanted to be sure before I told you.”
“Well, I couldn’t be happier for you.” Cecily touched her friend’s hand, knowing that wasn’t quite the truth. It worried her that Madeline had told her before she’d broken the news to her husband. She couldn’t help wondering if all was not well in the Prestwick household.
That wasn’t something she felt comfortable inquiring about, however. That was Madeline’s problem, and she couldn’t interfere. All she could do was hope and pray that she was wrong.
“Anyway, enough of that.” Madeline reached for her serviette and laid it in her lap. “What did you want to talk to me about?”
“How do you know I want to talk about anything specific? Can’t two friends meet just to have a cozy chat?”
Madeline’s gaze raked her face. “I know you, Cecily. You want to know if I have any revelations about Ian’s death.”
Cecily was prevented from answering by Dolly, who arrived at their table with a loaded tray, which she began to unload with excruciating precision. After placing each cup carefully in its saucer, she laid out a china bowl filled to the brim with cubes of sugar, into which she placed tiny silver tongs. The jug of cream followed, then the teapot dressed in a bright green knitted tea cozy.
Next, she placed in the center of the table a large platter of scones, a bowl of clotted cream, and a jar of strawberry jam. Tucking the tray under her arm, Dolly surveyed the table. “I’ve just baked some Banbury cakes. They’re hot out of the oven. Would you like me to bring you some?”
Cecily could already savor the aroma of the spiced raisin cakes wafting from the kitchen. “Oh, please do.”
Madeline sighed. “I suppose, now that I have to eat for two, it wouldn’t hurt.”
Fortunately, Dolly had already moved out of earshot. Cecily frowned. “Don’t you think you should tell your husband the good news before you spread it all over town?”
Madeline raised an eyebrow. “You sound a little put out with me.”
“I am.” Cecily leaned forward again, whispering, “Kevin should have been the first to know.”
Madeline didn’t answer at first, then she murmured, “I know. You’re right, Cecily. I suppose I’m afraid of what he might say.”
“Why? I don’t understand.”
“Shall I pour?” Madeline reached for the sugar bowl and picked out two lumps with the tongs, then dropped them into Cecily’s cup. “Judging by our conversations on the subject, I suspect that Kevin is worried about me bringing another witch into the world.” She dropped two more sugar lumps in her own cup. “I can’t say I blame him.”
“You must be joking.” As far as Cecily could tell from her expression, however, Madeline was perfectly serious.
“He’s right, you know. My child could well possess talents that are completely misunderstood by most people. Having lived with that all my life, I don’t know if I want to place that burden on anyone, much less my own flesh and blood.”
She reached for the milk jug and poured a small amount in each cup. “Don’t look so distressed, Cecily dear. This is my predicament, and I must decide how to settle it. I have no doubt it will be resolved, one way or another.”
Cecily felt a pang of apprehension. “What does that mean, exactly?”
Madeline smiled. “It means I shall find a way to make everyone happy. Including you, so take that frown off your face and tell me why you summoned me here this morning.” She lifted a scone from the platter and held it to her nose. “Oh, heavens, just the smell is divine. How I wish I could bake like this.”
Still not reassured, Cecily took a scone and laid it on her plate. “Promise me you won’t do anything drastic without talking to me first.”
Madeline raised a delicate eyebrow. “Drastic? My whole life has been drastic. Why should things be any different for me now?”
“Because you are a wife and, soon to be, mother. Things have to be different.”
“You worry too much. I shall take very good care of my child, no matter who she is or what happens to her in the future.”
“It’s a girl? Really? How do you know that?”
Madeline put her fingers to her forehead and closed her eyes. After a moment she opened them again and announced, “I don’t. I’m just guessing.”
Suspecting her friend was having fun with her, Cecily gave up. “Well, do let me know what Kevin has to say. I have an idea he will be delighted.”
“I hope you’re right.” Madeline picked up the teapot and poured the hot liquid into Cecily’s cup, then filled her own. “Now, for the third time, why exactly am I here?”
Cecily sighed. “Very well.” She glanced over at the occupied tables but the other customers seemed immersed in conversations of their own. Keeping her voice low, just in case, she murmured, “I saw your reaction when I told Kevin about finding the candlestick. I confess, I did wonder if you’d had… a moment of insight perhaps. I know he doesn’t want you using your powers to help me, but frankly, I’m at a loss as to how to proceed. If I don’t solve this murder before Sam Northcott returns, I’m afraid Gertie might be taken down to the station and held there on suspicion of murder.”
Madeline gazed at her over the rim of her cup. “You’re quite sure Gertie didn’t kill Ian? After all, she has threatened to do away with him often enough.”
“I’m quite sure. In fact, I have my own ideas as to who might have been responsible, but at present I don’t have much evidence to substantiate my suspicions.”
Madeline’s eyes lit up. “So tell me, who do you think is responsible?”
“I’d rather not say at this point.” Cecily hesitated, then added, “Actually, I have more than one suspect, which doesn’t help matters.”
“Oh, my. Poor Ian. Apparently he was not a popular fellow.”
Cecily scowled. “This is not exactly a laughing matter, Madeline.”
She was immediately contrite. “Of course not, Cecily. I apologize. The truth is, I don’t remember my reaction yesterday. Except to wonder if Gertie really had killed Ian and had actually hidden the candlestick under the bed herself. I thought perhaps, when the twins found it, she was forced into lying about it. I suppose I was concerned about what would happen to the twins if she was convicted of murder.”