Page 8 of Easton Island: A Wedding to Remember

“He’s no trouble at all.” Elizabeth closed the door and rolled the window down. “It was a beautiful party. Thank you, Morgan.”

“You’re welcome. I love you, Grandmother. I want this to be a special time for both of you. This was my small contribution.”

“You succeeded splendidly,” Gerard said. “I’m not sure the wedding can top this.”

“It will, but on a completely different scale. I should get back inside.” Morgan waved goodbye and turned toward the house. As much as she had looked forward to hosting the celebration, a tiny corner of her heart was sad.

Elizabeth had been such a huge part of her life these past couple of years. She and Gerard planned to split their time between Toronto and Easton Island, a change that was bittersweet in so many ways.

The senior Easton stepping back meant one thing for certain. Morgan and Brett would take on more prominent roles in the family’s business. She only hoped they were ready to fill a very important pair of shoes.

Chapter 4

Chester sprang from his chair as soon as Morgan stepped into Easton Estate’s kitchen the following day. He circled twice and pawed at her pant leg, his signal he wanted to be picked up.

She promptly complied, cuddling her squirming pup. “There’s my buddy. You must’ve missed me last night.”

“Missed you? Chester has been sitting by the door since first thing this morning.” Mrs. Arnsby bustled across the kitchen and eased a plate of sandwich buns onto the counter. “My guess is he thought you were away on another business trip.”

“Not for a while.” Morgan playfully fluffed his ear and set him back down. “I hope he behaved himself.”

“He was as good as gold. In fact, I let him spend the night with me after I got home from the party. I’ll have you know he’s a bed hog.”

“I thought I was the only one he did that to. When he’s feeling generous, he’ll let me have a small sliver of the bed.” Morgan dusted her hands, eyeing a set of matching bowls lined up on the counter. “What are you making?”

“Guédille.” Mrs. Arnsby reached for a spoon. “Elizabeth and Gerard are taking advantage of a little downtime, cozily ensconced in the library and requested a light lunch. I thought I would surprise them and whip up a French-Canadian dish.”

“Guédille,” Morgan repeated. “I think I slaughtered the pronunciation.”

“It’s pronounced gay dee yuh,” the cook said. “At least that’s how I was taught to say it. I’m actually serving Guédille au poulet.”

“Which is…”

“Basically grilled buns filled with chicken salad.” Mrs. Arnsby tossed several ingredients into a mixing bowl and gave it a good stir. She taste-tested it twice, adding generous shakes of both salt and pepper. “I believe I’m ready to fill the bread.”

“Let me help.” Morgan dashed over to the sink and washed her hands. Working together, she and the cook filled several buns with the creamy chicken filling. “Is there a history lesson to go along with the Guédille au poulet?”

“Not this time. It’s a simple meal originating from Quebec.”

Morgan licked her lips. “It looks delicious.”

“I made extra. Let me take these into the library, and you and I can sample some leftovers.” Mrs. Arnsby added a bowl of made-from-scratch coleslaw to the tray and placed that, along with the stuffed sandwiches and glasses of lemonade, on the serving cart before wheeling it out of the room.

By the time she returned, Morgan had assembled two more sandwiches and poured drinks.

“Thank you, dear. I do love a good stuffed sandwich.”

Morgan admired the crispy bread before taking a big bite. “I couldn’t figure out how to cut ours into those fancy little triangles you’re so good at.”

“No worries. It all tastes the same.” Mrs. Arnsby picked up her sandwich and nibbled the edge. “I hate to nitpick, but I believe the filling could use a pinch more salt.”

“I think it’s delish.” Morgan closed her eyes, savoring the flavors that tingled her tastebuds.

The cook plucked a chunk of chicken from her sandwich and popped it into her mouth. “The party at Locke Pointe was so much fun. Did you happen to catch the look on Elizabeth’s face when she saw everyone hiding in the living room?”

“She was surprised.”

“More like shocked, but in a good way. It was nice to celebrate without all the chaos and busyness the wedding will bring. I believe the final guest count is a little over two hundred.”

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