“You’re mine; I know that much,” was Rosco quiet answer.
“I’m being serious,” Belle said, but she was smiling softly as she spoke.
“So am I.”
“I know.…”
They held each other, remaining happily silent as they watched the flames flickering upward with a radiant glow. The room was incredibly peaceful—and warm against the snowy cold of the world beyond.
“I’m really looking forward to introducing Lee to everyone at Martha’s party Wednesday evening. And she’s incredibly pleased to be included. You should have seen her discussing the shindig with E.T.” Belle sighed; the sound was full of contentment. Then she suddenly sat straighter and chuckled with delight.
“I take it you’re planning to share your private joke.”
Belle smiled grew into a grin. “I was thinking what a Dickens of a time Martha’s going to have solving the crossword I constructed to accompany the gift Stan bought her.”
“She has to do a puzzle in order to get her present? Why not make her take the bar exam? Belle, I thought you were helping Stan, not making things tougher.”
“It’s the icing on the cake, as it were.… Stan found Martha a really pretty gold bracelet with a heart-shaped charm that he had engraved with the words For My Special Friend. He’s hiding it in a box of chocolates; Karl Liebig is foil-wrapping the bracelet so it looks like an innocent cordial cherry. That way, if Martha decides to open her gift in front of her guests, she won’t be reduced to the part of blushing teenager … and the surprise when she unwraps it will be that much sweeter.”
“A bracelet? That’s it? No fancy ring? With a rock the size of Rhode Island? No bended knee and stammered question? Sara’s going to pretty darn disappointed at these turn of events. Rumor has it, she’s already reserved a reception hall for the nuptials.”
“Well, Sara will have to learn to be patient,” was Belle’s rather smug reply. “Love can’t be hurried.”
“As proclaimed by Miss Patience herself,” Rosco observed with his own wry chortle.
“Hey, I’m tackling my missing social skills in order. Learning to be patient will just have to be put on the back burner.”
“May I ask what pressing ‘social skill’ precedes learning patience?”
“Baking.” Belle beamed. “I just discovered how to make a pretty darned fabulous dessert.”
“Ah, the old ‘Let them eat cake’ thing.”
Belle gazed at her husband. “Isn’t this the most wonderful coincidence, Rosco? Marie Antoinette and her mother and siblings were reunited in those two paintings—enjoying chocolate, just like Lee and her mom and E.T.”
“Don’t lose your head over the similarities here, Belle.”
“I’m not even going to respond to that crass remark.”
“I hate to break the news, but you just did.”
“There’s Nothing Better Than a …”
ACROSS
l. Record label
4. Fur magnate
9. Hoop and holler
13. Tore
14. New Zealander
15. Mr. Gillis
16. _____ April”
18. Synthetic fabric
19. “Adios!”
20. Quote ending, part 1
22. Sample
25. Author of quote
32. Incline
33. See 34-Across
34. With 33-Across, classic Monroe film
37. Quote ending, part 2
41. “ _____ Wednesday,” Resnik play
42. Miss Karenina
44. Some Southeast Asians
46. Quote ending, part 3
52. Mr. Guinness
53. Roofing support
55. Williams & O’Neill
61. Bulldogs home?
62. Unresponsive states
63. Quote ending, part 4
65. Metal on metal sound
66. 34-Across director
67. Take home
68. Penny
69. Les _____ Unis
70. 4-Down members
DOWN
1. Build
2. Wild one
3. Payment method
4. M.D.’s org.
5. Caroled
6. Oz pooch
7. Cookie sandwich
8. Expelled
9. Namesakes of “a fellow of infinite jest”
10. North Sea feeder
11. Jungle king
15. Column class
17. “ _____ the blazes”
21. Datebook abbr.
23. Mr. Gardner
26. Slack
27. Letter add-on; abbr.
28. Mr. McQueen
29. Seventh Greek letter
30. Profit or sense lead-in
31. Mole
34. Snare
35. Not quite due?
36. _____ -Cat
38. Type of cushion
39. Mr. Danson
40. Old soap? abbr.
43. Unyielding
45. Witch
47. Winter warmer?
48. No longer at it; abbr.
49. Tree decoration
50. “ _____ Sympathy,” Anderson play
51. Reindeer reiner?
54. Runs into
55. Charlemagne’s crowning year
56. Hamlet, e.g.
57. _____ a plan, a canal, Panama
58. Worn out
59. Forum grab
60. “Beat it!”
64. Switch positions
To download a PDF of this puzzle, please visit openroadmedia.com/nero-blanc-crosswords
Answers
Holiday Slay Ride
Angel in Disguise
Christmas Current
“There’s Nothing Better Than a …”
About the Author
Nero Blanc is the pseudonym of Steve Zettler and Cordelia Frances Biddle, who are husband and wife and serious crossword buffs. Biddle is also the author of the Martha Beale historical mystery series, which is set in Philadelphia, Zettler and Biddle’s hometown. Their website is www.crosswordmysteries.com.
All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this ebook or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2005 by Cordelia F. Biddle and Steve Zettler
Cover design by Tammy Seidick
ISBN: 978-1-4976-7179-9
This edition published in 2014 by Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.
345 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014
www.openroadmedia.com
CROSSWORD MYSTERIES
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