Books Can Be Deceiving (28 page)

She lowered it into her lap and said, “Did you know that Sheene was inspired to write this novel because of a French art deco brooch that she discovered?”

They all turned to look at her.

“Oh, no—here she goes again,” Mary said. She shook her head and tsk-tsked at Lindsey. “She’s annoyed with her knitting, and she’s putting her scholarly voice on again.”

“I am not,” Lindsey protested.

“Yeah, you are,” Nancy said. “Your voice goes up when you get all miffy with your project. Give it here. I’ll take a look at it.”

Lindsey handed it over, awaiting the peals of laughter that would no doubt accompany her first efforts with knitting needles. There were none. As Nancy turned it this way and that, the group studied the heather-blue rolled hat and then they all looked at her.

“What?” Lindsey asked.

“It came out really well,” Nancy said. Her blue eyes shone. “Your dad is going to love it.”

“You mean it’s finished?” Lindsey asked.

“Well, you have to tie off the last row, but yes, you’re done,” Violet said. “You did good.”

She reached over and patted Lindsey’s knee.

“Good job,” Mary said.

“It’s perfect,” Charlene added.

“You should be proud of yourself,” Beth said. “It looks great.”

Lindsey sat back and marveled that she had managed to wrestle that pretty blue ball of yarn into a hat. She put it on her hand and turned it this way and that. She could just see it on her dad’s bald head, and she smiled.

Why this felt like the equivalent of climbing Mount Everest without a Sherpa, she didn’t know, but she couldn’t have wiped the grin off of her face if she tried. Such a little thing, and yet it brought her such a huge sense of herself and her possibilities.

She wished life could have been this simple for Ernie.

She’d thought a lot about Sydney Carlisle, Ernie Shadegg and Astrid Blunt over the past few weeks.

It turned out that Sydney had not known that Ernie had stolen Astrid’s work and that she had believed that Astrid was a crazed stalker, not too far off the mark there, and had encouraged him to acquire the name Rick Eckman and sever all ties with his past so that Astrid couldn’t find him.

And Rick, well, he’d been so desperate to prove his worth artistically that he’d betrayed the people who had cared about him the most, both Astrid and Beth. The lack of personal effects at his cabin turned out to be because he had already begun to ship his things out of the cottage. He had been planning to move away before the book came out, so his breakup with Beth at the Blue Anchor on that stormy night had really been quite convenient for him.

And then there was Astrid, who was now a guest in the county jail and likely to acquire permanent residency in the state penitentiary. Her life decisions had particularly bothered Lindsey. Perhaps it was because Lindsey knew what the sharp blade of betrayal felt like when it was jammed right between the ribs, but still she couldn’t imagine allowing herself to become so consumed with her bitterness that she would be driven to commit two, and almost four, acts of murder.

She glanced around the room at these women who had become her friends over the past few months. She valued them and the time they spent together. In the end, when she thought of Rick and Astrid, it was with pity. Life was full of so many precious gifts, and they had missed the greatest one of all: friendship.

She shook off her sad musings and glanced back down at her hat. She really was so pleased with it, but then a thought struck her and she frowned.

“Um, can someone show me how to tie it off?” she asked. “Or I’ll be forced to go into a very long-winded monologue on how novels help us to understand historical events and put them in an appropriate contemporary construct.”

All five of her crafternoon buddies roared forward in a mad scramble to help her with her rolled hat, and Lindsey grinned. She glanced around the room and down the hall to the main part of the building, where she could see the patrons come and go, and she noticed that at the moment, everything felt right in her world. As much as her life had changed over the past six months, she knew there was no other place she’d rather be.

What is a crafternoon? Well, in Briar Creek, it is a meeting between close friends where they share a craft, a good book and some yummy food. Here are some ideas for having your own crafternoon.

Start with a good story. Lindsey recommends
The Last Time I Saw Paris
by Lynn Sheene, which comes with a handy discussion guide in the back of the book. The reading guide is also enclosed here to give you a sense of the novel.

Share a craft, such as knitting, where participants can work on their own projects at their own pace. See the next page for the pattern Lindsey used to make the rolled hat for her father.

Enjoy some delicious food. Nothing brings people together like good food. Recipes for Mary’s clam chowder and Sully’s hot chocolate follow the knitting pattern.

Lastly, the most important part of crafternoons is to relax and have fun with people you enjoy!

1. Claire’s most prized possession when she left Manhattan was her Cartier jewelry. How did the importance of this jewelry change for Claire throughout the book? Do you have a piece of jewelry that holds meaning for you? Is its worth measured in monetary or sentimental value? Have you inherited an antique or valued treasure from a loved one that carries important memories for you?

2. The book described the elaborate floral displays that Claire and Madame Palain created for the Nazi-occupied hotels, as well as flowers tumbling down a garden wall and a bucketful of simple stems that Claire loved. What did these different flowers represent in the book? What did they mean personally to Claire? Do certain flowers hold meaning for you?

3. Did you find elegance in Claire’s expensive Manhattan brownstone, or in the simple wine and bread dinners Madame Palain served, or in both? Give other examples of elegance from the book. How do these different examples each represent elegance? In today’s society, do you believe people define elegance based on material things, or is it an attitude and an approach to life?

4. Madame Palain told Claire that “elegance is in the details” the first night they met. How did Madame demonstrate this belief in her daily life and in the way she ran La Vie en Fleurs? Did Claire embrace this way of living? How did it shape her actions and beliefs? Have you had a similar mentor in your life?

5. Claire went to Paris to change her life. She did, but was it in the way she’d expected? Where in the story did you see a dramatic shift in Claire? How many people were touched by Claire’s character growth? Have you had an experience that transformed your life in unexpected ways?

6. How did Claire’s changing perception of Grey mirror her own shifting consciousness? Did your opinion of Grey change along with Claire’s? How was he different from other men whom Claire had known? What was it about Grey that drew her in?

7. Why did Claire assume that the Oberons would take in Marta and Anna? Would you risk your safety and open your home to children in peril?

8. Odette pressed Claire to put her life in danger to save the Resistance leader Kinsel, and justified it by saying, “We are in a war, Claire. I must sometimes act as a soldier, not as a friend.” Could you ask your friends to risk their lives in an attempt to fight a great evil?

9. What historical details of life under the Occupation were most surprising or moving for you? In what ways do novels provide a means for understanding history?

One skein Loop-d-Loop River (90 percent cotton, 10 percent cashmere), 103 yards

One size 10.5 US circular needle and one set 10.5 US double-pointed needles (or a second 10.5 circular needle) for working the top of the hat

Scissors and yarn needle

Gauge

14 stitches and 20 rows per 4 inches in stockinette stitch in the round. Take time to check gauge.

 

 

Cast on 76 stitches. Join in round, being careful not to twist.

Work in stockinette stitch for 9 inches.

Next round, *knit 2, knit 2 together. Repeat from * around.

Work in stockinette stitch for 1 round. Change to double-pointed needles or work in second circular when needed. Divide the stitches evenly among the needles.

Next round, *knit 1, knit 2 together. Repeat from * around.

Work stockinette stitch for 1 round.

Next round, *knit 2 together. Repeat from * around.

Work in stockinette stitch for 1 round.

*Knit 2 together. Repeat from *, ending knit 1.

Cut yarn, leaving a long tail. Thread tail onto the yarn needle, slip stitches onto needle and pull yarn tight, closing the top of the hat. Weave in ends.

SULLY’S HOT CHOCOLATE

 

Bring all ingredients (except cinnamon sticks) to a simmer in a medium saucepan, whisking often. Remove from heat, add cinnamon sticks, cover and let sit for five minutes. Remove cinnamon sticks, bring to a simmer again, whisking often. Pour into mugs and serve hot.