Elizabeth gave him a tired smile. “It did go rather well, in spite of the upset over the missing knife.” She frowned. “I must ask Rita if anyone found it. It means a great deal to her. I should hate to think someone stole it.”

“Well, at least the bride and groom didn’t know anything about it. They were too wrapped up in each other. Lucky stiffs.”

Elizabeth smiled. “They were rather precious, weren’t they. But then that’s the way it should be for two people in love.”

“Amen to that,” Earl said softly.

The gleam in his eyes unsettled her and she looked away, pretending to scan the room. Most of the guests had left, including all three Winterhalters, Daphne, Rodney, and Tess. Polly and Sadie were nowhere to be seen, and had most likely joined some of the other guests who had earlier announced their intention of continuing the celebrations at the Tudor Arms.

The band, whose members seemed determined to outlast everyone in the room, reached a crashing finale to the song they were playing. A smattering of applause echoed hollowly in the near empty hall. Elizabeth was about to suggest it was time to leave when an ear-splitting shriek rebounded among the rafters of the high ceiling.

“What the heck was that?” Earl stared in the direction of the kitchen, from where the scream had erupted.

Elizabeth was already on her feet and heading for the source of the commotion. The door flew open as she reached it and Florrie stumbled out into the hall, her hand over her mouth. “Ooh,” she moaned, “I’m going to be sick.”

Nellie appeared in the doorway and stared wide-eyed at Elizabeth.

“What’s happened?” Elizabeth demanded, prepared for the worst.

She felt a chill when Nellie said in an odd, matter-of-fact voice, “They found the wedding cake knife, your ladyship.”

Something told her she wasn’t going to like the answer, but she asked anyway. “Where was it?”