Clare ODonohue - The Lovers Knot: A Someday Quilts Mystery

Table of Contents

A PLUME BOOK

THE LOVERS KNOT

CLARE ODONOHUE is a freelance television writer/producer. She has worked worldwide on a variety of shows for the Food Network, the History Channel, and truTV, among others. An avid quilter, she also was a producer for HGTVs Simply Quilts .

PLUME
Published by the Penguin Group

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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

First published by Plume, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

First Printing, October 2008

Copyright Clare ODonohue

All rights reserved

REGISTERED TRADEMARKMARCA REGISTRADA

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

ODonohue, Clare.
The lovers knot : a Someday Quilts mystery / Clare ODonohue.
p. cm.

eISBN : 978-1-436-23651-5

1. QuiltingFiction. 2. QuiltmakersFiction. 3. QuiltsFiction. 4. MurderFiction.
5. New York (State)Fiction. I. Title.
PS3615.D665L68 2008
813.6dc22 2008016909

. Kirch

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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To my mom, for teaching me
to love words and live life

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Writing may be a solitary process, but this book would not have been written without the aid of quite a few peoplea few are listed here. First of all, Id like to thank Allison Dickens and Branda Maholtz, my wonderful editors, Nadia Kashper, and the team at Plume. My agent, Sharon Bowers, and everyone at the Miller Agency. My sister Mary for serving as head cheerleader, first editor, and unofficial publicity director. My friend and fellow writer Kara Thomas, who nudged and nagged me to sit down and write. Alex Anderson for her friendship, advice, and quilting knowledge. Laura Chambers and the producers and guests of Simply Quilts . Cindy ODonohue, Allison Stedman, Kelly Haran, Alessandra Ascoli, Joi De Leon, Amanda Young, Aimee Avallone, Bryna Levin, Kevin Dorff, and V for friendship, support, and for not letting me slack off. Margaret Smith, for serving as official photographer. Peggy McIntyre, for a lifetime of friendship. And my family, Dennis, Petra, Mikie, Jim, Connor, Grace, Jack, and Steven.

CHAPTER 1

Im fine, I said between sobs.

I know you are, dear. My mothers worried voice on the other end of the phone made it clear she knew just the opposite. Call Grandma. You can go up and stay with her for a few days.

I will.

And try to get a good nights sleep.

That was out of the question. Id scheduled crying for the next few hours, followed by fits of anger, loneliness, despair and denial. An intense desire to call Ryan would likely keep me occupied from midnight to three. Then, if all went according to plan, Id fall into an unsatisfying sleep and wake up with a splitting headache and a bed full of tissues.

I pushed the wedding invitations off the bed and watched them fan out over the floor. The envelopes bent and the response cards landed in dust. What did it matter? They were headed to the garbage anyway.

How had this happened? This morning I was happy. I had everythingalmost everything. And the one thing that was missing had arrived in the afternoon.

Six months ago when I announced my engagement, my grandmother Eleanor Cassidy, the formidable matriarch on my mothers side of the family, called me with a question.

What colors do you want?

I immediately knew she was speaking of my wedding quilt. My grandmother owns a small quilt shop in upstate New York. She has made me a quilt for all special occasions, from my first day at school to my college graduation to my first apartment. Some are large enough for a bed, but most are wall hangingsintricate, modern, and usually in her preferred bold, bright colors.