Page 32 of Artful Deceit
“Aren’t you missing him at all?” Saffronasked.
“You’ll think I’m awful, but no. I’m having a wonderful time, and it’s only marred by his nightly phone calls.”
“How sad,” Saffron mused. “Have you ever thought of leaving him?”
“I think about it all the time, but I can’t imagine actually doing it.” She looked lost in thought for a moment. “Although while I’ve been here, I have wondered if maybe it’s possible…”
“Anything is possible,” Saffron said eagerly. “I can help you make a plan for a new life if you’d like. I’m great at that kind of thing. It’d give me a thrill to help you come up with ideas for your new life.”
Martha seemed to ponder the idea. “I don’t know. It feels wrong even considering it.” She shook her head and left the room.
Lily stared after her, wondering what it was about her time at the retreat that made her feel as though leaving her husband was a possibility. Stealing a backpack full of cash, perhaps? That would probably make someone feel they had more options in life.
“I have to get back to work,” Lily told Saffron.
“Thank you for coming to visit me,” Saffron said with a cheeky wink.
Out of ideas for where to look next, Lily wandered slowly outside. Aside from Gideon’s private rooms, she’d searched everywhere she could think of. Though maybe the thief had been more creative about where they stashed their goods.
“Can’t keep away, can you?” Gideon’s voice drew her attention to the studio, where he was standing in the doorway.
“I struck up a friendship with Saffron,” she replied. “Just called in to say hello.”
“She’s cheerful. I’ll give her that. Enthusiastic is the only good thing I can say about her artistic abilities, but I should be used to that by now.” He puffed out a breath. “When I opened this place as a retreat, I naïvely thought I’d be mingling with like-minded souls, and others with artistic talent such as my own. Sadly, all I get are washed up housewives trying to fill agap in their lives, or ragtag wannabes who beg to come despite not being able to pay for accommodation.” His gaze went pointedly to Silas’s tent. “Not an ounce of artistic talent among the lot of them. I try not to let it get me down, but I can’t say that’s easy.”
“It must be enjoyable too,” Lily ventured. “Getting to meet all kinds of people. Plus, you get to do what you love for a living. I think that’s what most people dream of.”
“I suppose I shouldn’t grumble.” Bending, he picked something from the floor.
Wrapped in his fist, Lily almost missed that it was an identical pencil to the one she’d found at her place.
“Marketing materials?” she asked, tipping her head at it.
“Yes. The guests expect some sort of goodie bag. So they told me in the reviews. That’s what other places do. Or so they say.” He rolled the pencil between his thumb and forefinger. “So now I give out a little welcome pack.”
“They’re just for guests, then?”
“Oh, you’re welcome to as many as you like.” Misunderstanding the question, he moved inside and reappeared with a handful of them. “Bane of my existence, these things. As though I don’t have enough junk to contend with, I went and added an extra zero to the order by mistake. Now they seem to be everywhere I look. I give them away to everyone I meet, but the stash doesn’t seem to decrease.”
Lily’s heart sank. All the time she’d spent assuming the thief was someone from the retreat and it could have been anyone.
“I’ll just take a couple,” she said, handing the rest of the pencils back. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He told her to have a good day, and she left feeling utterly disheartened. Maybe she’d never see her backpack again.
The only good thing was that the police didn’t seem to be having any more luck than her. So long as they didn’t find her stuff, she was okay.
Chapter Sixteen
A feminine voicepulled Lily from her thoughts as she ambled down the lane away from Gideon’s place.
“Excuse me!” the woman in front of the cottage called, waving madly.
“Hi,” Lily said, glancing around to check she wasn’t actually trying to get the attention of someone else.
“It’s Lily, isn’t it?”
“Yes.” With a nervous smile, she veered in her direction.
