Tuesday Tales: From the Word FLOWER

Wow! It’s the last day of April, and we are 1/3 through 2024. Spring has arrived, although it took its own sweet time getting here. This week, our Tuesday Tales authors worked with the word prompt FLOWER. I’m continuing my contemporary paranormal romance suspense, Listen to the Stones.

Instead of reaching for another book, she picked up a silver frame with a black and white snapshot of two dark haired men and a woman who looked startlingly familiar. She could easily be her double. While there was no color to the photograph, she was certain the woman’s hair would be a red similar to her own. Was this her grandmother?

A tear dribbled down her cheek. Marina shoved a hand into her pocket searching for a tissue but pulled out the note James had found on the doorstep and handed her. As he’d said, it was addressed to Lady Fraser. The item was roughly the same size as the card accompanying the flowers. Perhaps this would tell her who’d sent them. She tore open the envelope and pulled out the small, white business card, shoving the envelope back into her pocket.

She read the note.

Fraser blood has no place here. Leave here now, or you never will. Life is a matter of choice. Choose wisely.

Marina dropped the card as if it had burned her. The sound of a throat clearing made her turn, still holding the picture frame.

Maeve stepped into the room. “I dinna want to disturb you but was wondering how long you wanted me to wait before serving tea?” She glanced at the frame in her hand. “That’s your grandmother with your grandfather and your great-uncle. I found the picture when we were cleaning out the croft.”

Deciding not to mention the note, Marina fixed her mind on Maeve’s last words.

“Which croft? The professor is interested in renting something on the estate where he can study the stones and still live close to them without having to stay in Fraser Hall. I was going to ask Brian if there was a building that could be renovated into a but and ben like Ainsley’s, but a croft might be more to his liking.”

“He certainly would be close. It’s the one your parents occupied before your father was killed. Ye lived there until the laird had his stroke, and your mother moved in to look after him. The house is the one closest to the stone circle. We moved out most of the furniture for your room. Brian and Donald refinished it, and we purchased a new mattress. We thought ye might like your parents’ things, but if you’d prefer something else—”

That’s it. Come back next week for more. Don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.