Catastrophe in a Cloister Read online

  CATASTROPHE IN A CLOISTER

  (A Lacey Doyle Cozy Mystery—Book Nine)

  FIONA GRACE

  Fiona Grace

  Fiona Grace is author of the LACEY DOYLE COZY MYSTERY series, comprising nine books; of the TUSCAN VINEYARD COZY MYSTERY series, comprising six books; of the DUBIOUS WITCH COZY MYSTERY series, comprising three books; of the BEACHFRONT BAKERY COZY MYSTERY series, comprising six books; and of the CATS AND DOGS COZY MYSTERY series, comprising six books.

  Fiona would love to hear from you, so please visit www.fionagraceauthor.com to receive free ebooks, hear the latest news, and stay in touch.

  Copyright © 2021 by Fiona Grace. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior permission of the author. This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Jacket image Copyright Isaac Slow, used under license from Shutterstock.com.

  BOOKS BY FIONA GRACE

  LACEY DOYLE COZY MYSTERY

  MURDER IN THE MANOR (Book#1)

  DEATH AND A DOG (Book #2)

  CRIME IN THE CAFE (Book #3)

  VEXED ON A VISIT (Book #4)

  KILLED WITH A KISS (Book #5)

  PERISHED BY A PAINTING (Book #6)

  SILENCED BY A SPELL (Book #7)

  FRAMED BY A FORGERY (Book #8)

  CATASTROPHE IN A CLOISTER (Book #9)

  TUSCAN VINEYARD COZY MYSTERY

  AGED FOR MURDER (Book #1)

  AGED FOR DEATH (Book #2)

  AGED FOR MAYHEM (Book #3)

  AGED FOR SEDUCTION (Book #4)

  AGED FOR VENGEANCE (Book #5)

  AGED FOR ACRIMONY (Book #6)

  DUBIOUS WITCH COZY MYSTERY

  SKEPTIC IN SALEM: AN EPISODE OF MURDER (Book #1)

  SKEPTIC IN SALEM: AN EPISODE OF CRIME (Book #2)

  SKEPTIC IN SALEM: AN EPISODE OF DEATH (Book #3)

  BEACHFRONT BAKERY COZY MYSTERY

  BEACHFRONT BAKERY: A KILLER CUPCAKE (Book #1)

  BEACHFRONT BAKERY: A MURDEROUS MACARON (Book #2)

  BEACHFRONT BAKERY: A PERILOUS CAKE POP (Book #3)

  BEACHFRONT BAKERY: A DEADLY DANISH (Book #4)

  BEACHFRONT BAKERY: A TREACHEROUS TART (Book #5)

  BEACHFRONT BAKERY: A CALAMITOUS COOKIE (Book #6)

  CATS AND DOGS COZY MYSTERY

  A VILLA IN SICILY: OLIVE OIL AND MURDER (Book #1)

  A VILLA IN SICILY: FIGS AND A CADAVER (Book #2)

  A VILLA IN SICILY: VINO AND DEATH (Book #3)

  A VILLA IN SICILY: CAPERS AND CALAMITY (Book #4)

  A VILLA IN SICILY: ORANGE GROVES AND VENGEANCE (Book #5)

  A VILLA IN SICILY: CANNOLI AND A CASUALTY (Book #6)

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

  CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

  CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

  CHAPTER TWENTY NINE

  EPILOGUE

  CHAPTER ONE

  “It’s going to snow tomorrow,” Gina said, turning from the dark view out of the kitchen window of Crag Cottage to face Lacey. “I’m sure of it.”

  Lacey tucked a brown curl behind her ear. “You’ve been saying that every day since New Year’s,” she retorted.

  “Well this time, I’m right,” her gray-haired friend replied, adjusting her red-framed spectacles as she glanced back out the window. “I just saw a squirrel burying an acorn.”

  Lacey tutted affectionately at her older friend’s penchant for superstition. “I’m starting to think you want a white wedding more than I do…”

  In just a few days’ time, Lacey was tying the knot with her fiancé, Tom, and Gina, her maid of honor, was being even more crazy than usual about the last-minute preparations. Her most recent anxiety was over whether it would snow or not. Since the theme of the wedding was Winter Wonderland, Lacey would of course love it if it snowed, but she wasn’t about to get stressed over something she had no control over. Gina, on the other hand…

  “We should do another wedding dress fitting,” her friend suddenly exclaimed, jumping back from the window and swirling to face Lacey.

  “I did one yesterday,” Lacey replied.

  “Yes, but it’s better to do small adjustments now rather than wait until the actual day to find out we need to do a big one.”

  Lacey smirked. “Is this your way of telling me I’m putting on weight?”

  Gina put her hands on her hips. “Lacey. Please. Just try the dress on again. For me.”

  “Fine,” Lacey replied with a sigh. “I’ll be right back.”

  She headed out of the quaint country-style kitchen and along the dark, low-ceilinged corridor to the staircase opposite the wooden front door. The steps creaked as she ascended, passing the many antique artworks she’d collected over the past year.

  She didn’t mind trying on the dress again really. The beautiful gown was a one of a kind, handmade, antique redesign; the result of some secretive scheming between her father, Gina, and Taryn from the boutique next door to Lacey’s store. It couldn’t be more perfect for a vintage-lover like Lacey, and trying it on always made her feel like a million bucks.

  She went into the large master bedroom at the front of the house, where long white lace curtains hung either side of the beautiful French doors that opened onto the balcony. As she trotted inside, Chester, her English shepherd, stirred from his slumber at the foot of her four-poster bed. He raised his head, blinked at her, and yawned deeply.

  “You and me both, Chester,” Lacey said, catching his yawn and yawning herself. “Wedding prep is exhausting.” She went over to the beechwood closet. “I swear these days I wake up tired.”

  She pulled open the closet doors, revealing the gorgeous wedding dress in all its glory, and let out a sigh of admiration.

  Just think, in a few days, she’d be married to Tom! It was so close now, she was starting to feel queasy with nerves. Which was understandable, given her complicated family history.

  Speaking of family, Lacey headed over to her bedside dresser and checked the calendar. Her mom, sister, and nephew, Frankie, were due to fly here in two days, and she was a bundle of nerves about it. It was their first face-to-face meeting since Lacey had dropped the bombshell on them that she’d tracked down their long-lost father, Frank. She suspected there would be some difficu
lt conversations ahead, though of course nothing would be more awkward than the moment they all reunited. She’d made some careful plans for that moment, by booking a table at a comfortable restaurant a little off the beaten track. The place wasn’t overly stuffy or informal, and the tables were more like booths, which would give them at least some semblance of privacy from prying eyes during the inevitable raised voices and heated discussions.

  Lacey pushed the thoughts out of her mind and took the dress over to the vanity mirror. Her hair had grown quite long now, ever since the rebelliously short style she’d had cut on her first days in Wilfordshire, and it hung in dark curls over her shoulders. She slipped out of her day clothes and into the wedding dress. Just like the day she’d first tried it on, it fit perfectly.

  “See,” Lacey said to Chester. “I told Gina I hadn’t put on any weight!”

  Chester snorted through his nostrils, then laid his head back down on his paws and closed his eyes. But as Lacey turned back to her reflection, a fresh wave of nausea washed over her. So much for pushing her family worries out of her mind.

  She smoothed her hands down the fabric, taking deep breaths to settle her nerves.

  “Lacey!” Gina called from the kitchen. “Where are you?”

  “Just coming,” she called back.

  At last the sick feeling passed. Lacey gathered up her dress with both hands to stop it from dragging on the floorboards and headed back out of the bedroom door. She began her slow, careful descent down the staircase, feeling a bit like a debutante at a ball as she took one slow, cautious step at a time.

  But when she was halfway down the staircase, she suddenly heard a sound.

  Her head darted up and her eyes found Tom, paused halfway through the open front doorway, key still in the lock, gazing at her with his mouth agape and a stunned look in his light green eyes.

  “Tom!” Lacey screamed, aghast, gathering up the dress and racing in an ungainly fashion back up the staircase. “You’re not supposed to see the dress until the wedding! It’s bad luck!”

  She reached the landing, her heart thumping, and pressed her back to the wall. It wasn’t so much her own superstition that she was worried about, but Gina’s. Gina was notorious for bad omens. Once she got an idea in her head, she rarely let it go, and the last thing Lacey wanted right now was another reason for her maid of honor to stress.

  “Sorry!” Tom’s voice floated up the staircase to her. “I didn’t actually see much. Or anything. I—er—I didn’t see anything!”

  Lacey knew he was only saying that for her sake. He’d quite clearly gotten a good look. And whether it was Gina rubbing off on her or her own superstitions, Lacey felt a sudden niggle of worry in her chest. She’d already been feeling anxious about the family reunion, and now she felt even worse.

  She raced back into her room—Chester harrumphing at the second intrusion to his slumber—and quickly changed back into her normal clothes. Then she hurried back downstairs, bracing herself for whatever Gina was about to unleash.

  She entered the kitchen, stepping down the step onto the ochre tiles. Tom, dressed casually in a pair of jeans and gray T-shirt that showed off his golden-hued arms, was cowering beside the Aga, framed by the dark window, with Gina standing in front of him like some kind of schoolteacher mid-scold. Lacey could tell this was going to be bad.

  “Good news,” Lacey said nervously, forcing out a breezy voice as she crossed the tiles toward them, “I haven’t put on ten pounds since yesterday…”

  But her attempt at light-hearted joviality did not work. Gina swirled on the spot and glowered at her.

  “Is it true?” she demanded. “Did Tom just see you in your dress?”

  “I was looking at my phone,” Tom said, hurriedly. “I only caught a glimpse.”

  “A glimpse is still a glimpse!” Gina cried. “It’s very bad luck!”

  “Gina, please,” Lacey warned. “Don’t make a big deal out of this. I am already nervous enough as it is, what with Mom and Dad about to meet face to face for the first time in thirty years. I don’t need you adding to it with talk of bad omens!”

  “I don’t make the rules,” Gina retorted. “I just point out the signs. And that’s one of the worst, Lacey!”

  Lacey was about to refute that when at that very moment, the phone began to ring. The uncanny timing and the sudden shrill interruption of their conversion made everyone freeze—even Tom, who didn’t have a superstitious bone in his body.

  The three of them exchanged glances.

  “I told you!” Gina cried. “I’ll bet that’s something bad.”

  “Gina!” Lacey hissed, shuddering.

  Tom started to chuckle, showing off his lovely straight pearly white teeth as he did. “Come on, now. It’s just coincidental timing. It’s probably a cold caller. No one else calls at this time of the evening.”

  His words didn’t make Lacey feel particularly reassured. Tom clearly thought Gina was off her rocker, which meant Lacey, by default, was a fool for even entertaining her.

  As Lacey hurried across the kitchen toward the ringing phone, Gina shook her head of frizzy gray hair.

  “It’s already beginning,” she muttered, ominously.

  “Nothing’s beginning!” Lacey exclaimed, glaring over her shoulder at her friend.

  She reached the telephone and picked it up. But despite her bravado, her voice quavered as she spoke. “He—hello?”

  “Is that Lacey Doyle?” the voice on the other end asked, a male voice that was croaky with age.

  “Yes…” Lacey said.

  “And you’re an auctioneer?”

  Lacey drew her brows together. Her home phone was set up to get diverted calls from the store when it was closed for business, but as of yet, she’d never actually received one. Most people just waited until the next day to call about their queries. She wondered what was so urgent that this man had decided he needed to speak to her off-hours.

  “That’s right,” she replied.

  “My name is Abbot Weeks of St. Cyril’s Abbey.”

  An Abbot? Lacey thought with surprise, her mind going straight to horror movies and creepy old monasteries. Now that certainly felt ominous.

  “How can I help you, Abbot Weeks?” she asked, forcing her voice to stay level.

  From where they were watching on, Gina’s and Tom’s eyes widened. Gina looked like the world was ending, while Tom looked thoroughly entertained.

  “I have a very urgent matter I need your help with,” Abbot Weeks said in her ear.

  Lacey felt herself begin to tremble. “And what would that be?”

  “It’s not something I feel comfortable speaking to you over the telephone about, but it’s regarding an antique. Would you be able to come here so we can talk about it further? Tomorrow?”

  Lacey floundered. She was supposed to be going through wedding things with Gina tomorrow—not because they were necessary, per se, but because Gina had insisted on it. Yet this sounded so intriguing. She couldn’t help the spark of curiosity igniting inside of her. Besides, St. Cyril’s Abbey was only a couple hours outside of Wilfordshire. It wouldn’t take too much time out of her day.

  She flicked open her diary and saw that almost every spare inch had been written on. She grimaced as her eyes glanced over all the wedding-related dates—flight times and hotel details of various guests flying in from the states, invoice payment dues for the caterers and musicians, rehearsals, breakfast, photo shoot—until she spotted the smallest slither of space. Her eyes lit up with excitement.

  “I can certainly squeeze you in tomorrow,” she said. “What time would it be?”

  From her peripheral vision she saw Gina’s face drop. Then her friend came marching toward her, hands on hips. She was clearly going for the phone, and Lacey had no choice but to turn her back on her and cradle the phone before she got a chance to yank it from her and slam it down.

  “Whenever suits you,” Abbot Weeks replied. “As soon as you’re able.”

 
“Perfect,” Lacey said, turning on the spot as Gina grappled for the phone. “The morning would be best for me.”

  “Wonderful. I look forward to seeing you. Oh, and please come alone. This must remain secret.”

  “Alone?” Lacey echoed with a flutter of apprehension. “Yes, that’s fine. Goodbye.”

  She put down the phone and disengaged herself from the tangle of Gina’s arms. Her friend was red-faced with exasperation. Behind her, Tom, on the other hand, appeared to be thoroughly amused.

  “Lacey!” Gina cried. “Please don’t tell me you just agreed to go to a monastery alone?”

  “It was too good an opportunity to turn down,” Lacey admitted. “It’s not every day I get a call from a monk requesting an urgent visit about some secret antique he can’t discuss over the telephone!”

  Gina stared at her, aghast. “This is bad,” she fretted, pacing away and wringing her hands. “Very, very bad.”

  “Please don’t worry,” Lacey said. “I’ll have Chester with me. He can protect me.”

  Gina swirled on the spot. “Not from ghosts, he can’t! Not from curses and omens! Oh Lacey, I really think you should give this one a miss. However exciting it may sound. I just don’t have a good feeling about it.”

  Lacey knew better than to entertain Gina’s anxieties, but that didn’t mean they didn’t worm their way into her mind. Maybe going to the monastery tomorrow was a bad idea.

  She caught Tom’s eye. He gave her a little shrug. At least he thought Gina was overreacting and worrying about nothing.

  Well, there was only one way to find out who was right, Lacey decided, and that was to go to St. Cyril’s Abbey tomorrow and find out.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Lacey awoke to a frigidly cold, misty morning and hurried to the window to discover the world shrouded by fog. But there wasn’t a single flake of snow in sight.

  “Aha!” she announced to Chester, as he snored at the end of the bed. “See! Gina’s whole squirrel burying acorn superstition was wrong. And if she can be wrong about that, she can be wrong about the monastery trip being a bad omen.”