The Armstrong Assignment (A Janet Markham Bennett Cozy Thriller Book 1) by Diana Xarissa (books for 10th graders TXT) 📕

“What a beautiful dress,” Beverly Osborne said. “I don’t believe you’ve ever met my son. This is Daniel.”

Janet smiled and shook hands with the man. “Edward, I know I’ve told you about Beverly.”

He nodded. “It’s very nice to meet you,” he said, shaking hands with both Beverly and Daniel.

“Where’s the bar?” Daniel asked Edward.

“Along the wall at the back,” Edward told him.

Beverly shook her head as she followed her son.

“Nancy pushed her way to the front,” Edna Green said as she hugged Janet. “But the rest of us decided to be polite.”

Janet laughed. “Edward, meet the rest of the lovely ladies from the Doveby Dale Ladies’ Club. This is Edna Green, this is Martha Scott, and this is Harriet Thomason.”

Edward shook hands with each of them in turn. “It’s very nice to meet you all,” he said.

“He’s very handsome,” Edna whispered loudly. “But who were all of the men and women in the dark suits? None of them looked happy to be here.”

“Those are my former business associates,” Edward told her.

Edna raised an eyebrow. “They’re either dangerous criminals or spies,” she said. “For Janet’s sake, I hope they’re spies.”

Edward was still laughing as the three women walked away.

“Congratulations,” Gretchen Falkirk Murray said. “Being married is the most wonderful thing ever.”

Janet smiled at her. “I’m glad to hear that you still feel that way.”

Gretchen smiled at her husband, Jack. “I waited a lifetime to be his wife. I’ll always feel that way.”

Janet introduced them both to Edward.

“And now I must go and find Bessie and Doona,” Gretchen said. “And I suppose I must say something to Beverly, although I’ve no idea what to say to her.”

Janet took that to mean that the two women hadn’t spoken since Gretchen had sold the house that she and Beverly had once shared.

“Congrats,” Mack Fenton said, giving Janet an awkward hug.

“Thank you,” Janet replied. “You’ve met Edward, of course.”

“Yeah, nice to see you again,” Mack said. He glanced backwards and then slipped away into the crowd.

“That was odd,” Janet whispered to Edward.

“It’s nothing for you to worry about,” Edward replied.

“Paul!” Janet exclaimed, pulling the man into a hug. “Edward, this is Paul Nichols. He stayed with us for several weeks while he was working in Doveby Dale. Aggie thought the world of him.”

“Nice to meet you,” Edward said. “Aggie is a very good judge of character.”

Aggie, which was short for Agatha Christie, was the cat that Edward had given to Janet. Joan had promised to take good care of her while Janet and Edward were on their honeymoon.

“I do miss you and Joan,” Paul said. “Life in Doveby Dale was much less hectic than it is in London.”

“You know you can come back and stay any time,” Janet told him.

He shrugged. “My father is thinking about buying the antique shop and sending me up here to manage it. There are a lot of details that still need to be worked out, though.”

“We’d all love to have you in Doveby Dale,” Janet replied happily.

Paul had worked at the shop when William Chalmers had been the owner. The man who’d purchased it when William had decided to leave Doveby Dale was currently in prison awaiting trial on several charges. A “For Sale” sign had been put in the shop window in late October.

“And now for my friends,” Edward murmured as Paul walked away.

“My dear, I can’t begin to congratulate you enough,” Marcus Talford said. “I’m ever so happy for both of you.”

Janet hugged the man tightly. “I can’t believe that it’s been a year since you stayed with us,” she said as she released him. “You should have come for Christmas again this year.”

He shrugged. “As it happens, I spent Christmas with a friend this year. It’s still early days, but we may be more than friends by next Christmas.”

Edward had sent Marcus to help the sisters out of a difficult situation involving their distant cousin, Roland Dickerson. Although Roland was the only other relative the sisters had, neither of them had invited him to her wedding.

“Darlink, what a wonderful thing,” Eugenie Snelling said in her unusual and exotic accent. “I knew that Janet was perfect for you, but I didn’t trust you to be smart enough to agree.”

Edward laughed. “I’m not certain how to reply to that,” he told her.

“It doesn’t matter. Just know that I’m incredibly happy for both of you,” Eugenie said.

“As am I,” a nearly unrecognizable Tamela Underwood added.

Janet stared at her. Clearly, she was a good deal happier than she’d been when she’d lived in Doveby Dale. Tamela looked beautiful, her hair cut short and styled to frame her face. Her dress was stunning and her eyes sparkled with an enthusiasm for life that had been absent the last time Janet had seen her.

“How are you?” Janet asked.

“So much better, thank you,” Tamela replied. “After very carefully going through everything that my mother left me, I’ve found several accounts about which my uncle knew nothing. It turns out that I’m quite wealthy. I’ve given up worrying about the money that my uncle stole from me. He has enough problems to worry about, anyway.”

Janet nodded. “I’m so pleased that things have worked out for you,” she told the woman.

“Welcome to the family,” Margaret Burns, Edward’s sister, said, hugging Janet tightly.

“Thank you,” Janet said.

They chatted for a moment before Edward put his arm around Janet.

“I think that’s everyone,” he said.

Janet looked around the room. “But what about all of your friends? The men and women in the black suits?” she asked.

“They couldn’t stay for the party,” he replied.

Janet opened her mouth to ask a dozen more questions, but she was interrupted by a waiter with a tray of finger