A Groom wirh a View

eye and prevents him from advancing elsewhere and having a job if he even thinks about getting out of the marriage eventually. That’s very perceptive of you.“
    “Who do you think messed up his room?“ Jane asked, inadvertently cutting short Shelley’s appreciation of the compliment.
    “I’d have done it if I’d thought of it, just to provide an irritant,“ Eden said with a wicked smile. “But I didn’t. I don’t know. His own chums are the best possibility. They’re all a tad low-rent, don’t you think? And it’s such a male thing.“
    “Actually, I’d guess they’re all pretty ambitious,“ Shelley replied. “They’re obviously in awe of Jack Thatcher and his successful friends. I think some of them harbor the illusion that one of these rich businessmen will recognize their sterling qualities and pluck them out of the abyss of lower management.”
    Eden stared at Shelley for a moment with a look of surprise. “Yes. Yes, I can see that. But who would that leave? Not me. Not you two. You don’t want anything messing up the wedding.“
    “The aunts?“ Jane suggested.
    Eden shook her head. “No, they live for tidiness. Both of them have three-times-a-week cleaning ladies. And besides, why would they want to make him miserable?“
    “Maybe just because they don’t approve of him marrying Livvy,“ Jane said, thinking this was pretty thin reasoning, but unable to come up with anything else.
    Eden stirred in her chair and yawned. “I guess we’ll never know. I’m giving it up for the night. Have to get my beauty sleep.”
    Jane and Shelley sat silently watching her leave. Then Shelley said, “It’s odd. Nobody seems to have much affection for Dwayne. Not even his own mother. And if Livvy is passionate about him, she certainly doesn’t show it.“
    “And at least one person seems to actively dislike him. The one who wrecked his belongings,“ Jane said. After another few minutes of thought, she added, “And it’s very possible that someone in this wedding party is capable of murder. If I were Dwayne, I’d be worried. In fact, I am worried.”

Sixteen

    Uncle Joe turned up about ten minutes before the bachelor party ended. He wandered into the side room where it was being held and wandered back out a moment later with a cold beer in one hand and a fistful of pretzels in the other. Jane wondered if he’d appeared just to show he was entitled to attend, but chose not to participate. Or had he just wanted a free beer? He sat down near Shelley and Jane, but not close enough to encourage conversation. Jane nodded at him politely and he nodded back.
    Aunt Iva and Aunt Marguerite had been seated at the far end of the room, sipping sherry and holding an animated, but whispered chat, and now rose and approached Jane and Shelley. “What is the schedule for tomorrow?“ Iva asked.
    “Breakfast from seven to eight. A light lunch at twelve and the wedding itself at two,“ Jane said. She’d prepared and handed out this information, nicely printed out on pink card stock, to all the family members as they arrived, but apparently Iva and Marguerite had lost theirs or simply ignored them.
    “We think we’ll just stay on here for a bit after the wedding,“ Marguerite said, poking ineffectually at her snowy white wig, which seemed to be slipping off center again. “After all, the lodge will be gone soon and this is our last chance to stay here.”
    Jane didn’t know why they were telling her this or how she was expected to respond. They were free to stay until the bulldozers came up the driveway as far as Jane was concerned. She settled for a simple, “I see.“
    “We spent a lot of time here as girls, you see,“ Iva explained. “And we think we’d like some time to relive a few memories.”
    And search more thoroughly without interference, Jane thought.
    “Take some nice walks in the fine weather...“ Marguerite added.
    Maybe they were just rehearsing their explanation to Jack, Jane speculated, and wondered if he was going to buy their story or pitch them out so he could have a last look around the place.
    “That will be pleasant for you,“ Jane said mildly.
    Uncle Joe had finished his beer and pretzels. He left the empty beer can on a side table and walked away.
    “Well... good night,“ Iva said. She seemed dissatisfied with Jane’s reaction to their plan.
    “I think they expected you to argue with them,“ Shelley said when the elderly, bewigged pair had gone.
    “I had that