Cream Puff Murder (Hannah Swensen, #11)(3)

“Can’t be too soon to suit me,” Hannah muttered, frowning deeply.

Andrea reached out to pat her sister’s hand, a more personal touch than what was the norm for the Swensen clan. Whether it was due to the Scandinavian influence or some other innate cold-climate reticence, warm hugs and embraces were more generally attributed to Mediterranean climates and did not come easily to Minnesotans. “Let me pay, and let’s get out of here. And then we’ll…” Andrea stopped, drew in her breath sharply, and then continued, “I can’t believe I forgot!”

“Forgot what?”

“The dresses Mother ordered came in at Claire’s dress shop. We have to go try them on now. She called me this morning.”

“Claire?”

“No, Mother. She wants us to go for a fitting this afternoon in case there are minor alterations.”

“You’re talking about the Regency dresses for the launch party?” Hannah guessed. Their mother had written a Regency Romance novel, and the launch party was set for the weekend before Thanksgiving. Delores had asked that her daughters wear Regency-style ball gowns to serve the refreshments, and they’d all agreed.

“That’s right,” Andrea confirmed it.

“Okay. We’re on the same page. But how did Claire know what size to order for me?”

“Mother told her to order the same size as the dress she bought you for Christmas last year.”

“Last year?” Hannah groaned loudly. “I gained some weight since last year. I can’t get into the dress Mother gave me anymore. It’s way too tight across the…well, you know.”

“Backside?”

“Yes, and other places, too.”

Andrea looked thoughtful as she signed the check and added a tip. She led the way to the door and as she pushed it open, she said, “We’ll have Claire let it out as much as she can and go from there.”



Not even the soothing décor of Claire’s nicest dressing room could turn Hannah’s ordeal at Beau Monde Fashions into a pleasure. Wallpaper the color of green tea with a lovely rose border could not erase the fact that her dress wouldn’t button.

“I’ve been meaning to tell you,” Claire said, her voice floating in through the louvers of the dressing room door. “Bob and I are really grateful to you as an enabler.”

“Huh?” Hannah was thoroughly puzzled.

“The way you helped us tell the congregation that we wanted to get married.”

“Thanks.” Hannah remembered the morning in church when she’d made the announcement that Reverend Robert Knudson and Claire were planning to be married. She’d certainly overstepped the bounds of friendship by forcing the issue in such a public way, but everything had turned out all right. She was just patting herself on the back, mentally, for a job well done, when she realized that Claire had used the word enabler. “You’re seeing a marriage counselor?” she guessed.

“A pre-marriage counselor, someone from the synod. It’s recommended when a minister gets married. Anyway…I don’t have any family and…will you be our maid of honor for the wedding?”

Hannah took a moment to think that over. The old saying, Three times a bridesmaid, never a bride, didn’t apply in her case since she’d walked down the aisle as a bridesmaid five times in the past. “I’d love to, Claire. Thanks for asking me. But you’d better order a larger size dress.”

“There’s a problem?” Claire glanced in as Hannah opened the door, and not even the soft pink bulb in the overhead lamp could hide her dismay. “Oh, dear!!”

“What’s wrong?” Andrea asked, coming up behind Claire. Hannah glanced at her sister. Of course Andrea’s dress fit perfectly. She hadn’t gained an ounce since high school.

“Hannah’s dress is too tight,” Claire murmured, stating the obvious.

“And how!” Andrea shook her head. “Is there anything you can do?”

Claire gave a little shrug. “I can let it out, but not that much. They clipped the seams.”

Even though she wasn’t a seamstress, Hannah knew that meant she was in trouble. “Can you order a larger size?”

“There’s no time. It takes at least two months for a special order, and your mother’s party is only two weeks away.” Claire thought for a moment and then she turned to Hannah with a hopeful look. “You said you were serving the refreshments. What kind of apron will you be wearing?”

“See-through lace. Mother ordered them from a catalogue.”

“Then we’ve had it. Unless…”

“Unless what?” Hannah asked, hoping that Claire had come up with a miracle.

“Unless I put in inserts.”

“Can you do that?” Hannah asked her.

Claire picked up the hem of Hannah’s dress and looked at it. “There’s not much material, and it’s a large print. I’m not sure I can match it.”

“What does that mean?” Andrea asked, every bit as clueless as Hannah was.

“It means that I’m a good tailor, but it’s still going to look like we had to enlarge it because it was too small.”

“Okay,” Andrea said, turning to Hannah. “Hurry up and change back into your regular clothes. I’ve got a plan.”