This is a work of fiction. Characters, places, and events are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to real people, companies, institutions, organizations, or incidents is entirely coincidental.

The interior design and the cover design of this book are intended for and limited to the publisher’s first print edition of the book and related marketing display purposes. All other use of those designs without the publisher’s permission is prohibited.

Copyright © 2014 by Lea Wait
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America

A Perseverance Press Book
Published by John Daniel & Company
A division of Daniel & Daniel, Publishers, Inc.
Post Office Box 2790
McKinleyville, California 95519
www.danielpublishing.com/perseverance

Distributed by SCB Distributors (800) 729-6423

Book design by Eric Larson, Studio E Books, Santa Barbara, www.studio-e-books.com

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA
Wait, Lea.
Shadows on a Maine Christmas : an antique print mystery / by Lea Wait.
pages cm
ISBN [first print edition] 978-1-56474-547-7 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Man-woman relationships Fiction. 2. Murder—Investigation—Fiction.
3. Christmas stories. I. Title.
PS3623.A42S5348 2014
813’.6—dc23
2014008706

To the many readers who have become Maggie’s friends and followers

Contents

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Acknowledgments

About the Author

1

Poinsettia pulcherrima. Plate XXXI from Volume I of Les plantes à feuillage coloré, written by English botanist Edward (E.J.) Lowe (1825–1900) assisted by W. Howard, and translated from the English by publisher K. Rothschild: Paris, 1867. Beautiful detailed color lithograph of a single poinsettia flower and two leaves. Based on Lowe’s Beautiful-Leaved Plants, being a Description of the Most Beautiful-Leaved Plants in Cultivation in this Country, London: Groombridge, 1864. 7 x 10.5 inches. Price: $60.

Christmas on the coast of Maine with the man she loved. It sounded like an ad for a 1940s romantic movie starring Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn.

Maggie’s students and colleagues who’d heard her holiday plans had immediately assumed engagement bells as well as Christmas bells were in the offing. She’d found herself fending off everything from knowing smiles to slightly off-color jokes to well-meaning high fives.

Three people volunteered to take Winslow, her cat, for the holidays. Neighbors had promised to watch her house, and even plow her driveway and shovel her sidewalk should Somerset County, New Jersey be blessed with a white Christmas. Some days even Maggie herself had felt she was getting into the spirit. Admittedly, a few bedtime glasses of sherry had also helped with late-night nerves.

And after all, she told herself on those sleepless nights, she loved Will. He said he loved her. And wasn’t this the season for love to conquer all? (Or was that Valentine’s Day?)

Okay. So they had a few issues to iron out.

She was set on adopting a child. In fact, last week she’d heard she was now officially on her agency’s waiting list for “one girl or two sisters between the ages of five and nine.” Not news she’d shared with Will. Not yet.

Because although he might love her, he’d been clear that fatherhood was not for him.

And then there was the little issue of geography. He’d moved to Maine to care for his ninety-two-year-old Aunt Nettie. Maggie lived in New Jersey.

So, yes, they had a few lifestyle issues to work through.

Maggie kept replaying the moment he’d asked her to marry him when they’d been on Cape Cod in October.

And even more vividly, the moment after that when she’d told him she was having her adoption home study done. The moment he’d backed off. Way off. As in, slamming the door and leaving, off.

Nothing—not even the death of her husband two years ago—had felt as awful. But of course, Michael’s accidental death had also been the end of his philandering. Death had just made a dying relationship officially over. Her experience with Michael was one of the reasons it had taken so long for her to finally trust Will.

Trust him to love her. But whether their love could survive their both being independent individuals with separate dreams and responsibilities? That was still open to question.

Her right hand, which was clenched on the steering wheel, still wore the R-E-G-A-R-D ring Will had given her. It was their private token of friendship; a Victorian ring with stones spelling out the sentiment they’d felt when they were two antique dealers (she specialized in prints; he in kitchen and fireplace wares) getting to know each other. The Ruby, Emerald, Garnet, Amethyst, Ruby, and Diamond still glittered, despite today’s low December clouds.

She’d offered the ring back to him in October. Her heart raced remembering that moment. What if he’d taken it? What if he’d driven back to Maine and they’d never seen each other again?

He’d refused the ring. But she’d almost had to beg for another chance. Promised she’d never keep a major secret, like her adoption plans, from him again. Promised she wouldn’t put crazy distractions like trying to solve murders ahead of being with him.

Now it was two months later. No murders had presented themselves, thank goodness, but she hadn’t given up her dream of opening her home and heart to a child who needed her.

This visit, this Maine Christmas, would be their test. Was their relationship going to work?

Could she give up her desire to be a parent? Or could Will find it in his heart to love a child?

No; this wasn’t going to be a simple, romantic Christmas in Maine.

But she was on her way.

About the Author

Mystery writer Lea Wait lives on the coast of Maine with her artist husband, where she also writes historical novels for young readers. She is a fourth-generation antiques dealer, and adopted four older children as a single parent. Shadows on a Maine Christmas is the seventh in Wait’s Agatha-finalist Shadows mystery series. She participates in two authors’ group blogs, and she may be visited at www.leawait.com, Facebook, and Goodreads.

Books by Lea Wait

In the Maggie Summer “Shadows” Antique Print Mystery Series

Shadows at the Fair

Shadows on the Coast of Maine

Shadows on the Ivy

Shadows at the Spring Show

Shadows of a Down East Summer

Shadows on a Cape Cod Wedding

Shadows on a Maine Christmas

Novels for children and young adults

Stopping to Home

Seaward Born

Wintering Well

Finest Kind