consumed every bit of information she could find on Mansfield Park. She poured over state regulations for assisted living homes, reviewed the staff, and studied the patient files like a gung-ho freshman cramming for her first mid-terms.
She became utterly fascinated with the place. When her father had thrust his little pet project into her hands, she had balked at the idea. It had seemed more distasteful than a slice of stale wedding cake, and she had vowed that she would find a way out of the one-red-light-town that, at first, had seemed like an embarrassment to its big-city namesake.
Grace smiled. It was funny how the love of a man turned a woman’s world upside-down. And that was exactly what Theodore Harrison Brown has done for Grace!
With a gentle grip on her hand and a softly spoken word, the seventy-five-year-old had captured her heart. Now, she was bound and determined to take care of him...and not just Theodore, but the rest of the motley crew that was fast becoming her extended family. It wasn’t quite the thing to do in a business sense, but Grace was more than convinced that it was what her heart felt was right.
She looked around the room at the newly familiar faces and smiled. She had gathered them all together for an impromptu meeting just minutes before.
“So you see, Ladies and Gentleman,” she paused. Even though she was attempting to project her voice to a level that would reach even those sitting at the back of the dining room, she noticed that the group at the front table seemed to be having a hard time hearing. She tried again with a louder voice. “So you see--”
“What are you yelling for, girl?” a portly man in a pair of crisply-ironed blue jean overalls called from his place near the door. “That voice of yours is sure to give us the indigestion if you don’t lower it a notch or two!”
Shocked at his lack of decorum, Grace looked around to find quite a few of the residents nodding their heads in agreement. Nervously, she twisted her hands and searched for the words she had so painstakingly memorized earlier in the afternoon.
“I apologize,” she began again in a normal speaking voice and saw a wave of appreciation pass over the crowd. “I wanted to formally introduce myself. I am Grace Woodhouse, and my father’s company has recently purchased Magnolia Manor. Not only will we be changing the name to Mansfield Park, but we will be undertaking a major renovation in order to make your home a nicer place.”
“How much is it gonna’ cost us?” an old man with shockingly red hair piped in.
“There will be no additional cost,” she assured him. “The renovations will fall under operating expenses. Unfortunately, the previous management has not maintained the residence at the level of excellence required by our company. We expected that major renovations would be needed when we negotiated the purchase price and allotted funds for such.”
Grace watched as a few more residents began to nod their heads. The rest seemed completely enamored with their roast beef and mashed potatoes. Her stomach grumbled, and she realized that she had not eaten since breakfast. As good as Mrs. Elderman’s strawberry scones had tasted, they had not added much to her nutritional stores.
“Before I go, I wanted to let you know that I have placed a suggestion box in the foyer. Please feel free to let me know your thoughts on any improvements that you would like to see here at Mansfield Park. Also, I feel that I must inform you that Mr. Watson will no longer be the manager here.”
Before she was able to close her folder, the room erupted in applause. She wanted to think that her inspiring speech had done the trick, but she suspected that Mr. Watson’s termination was the kicker. Of course, the lot of them could have been simply been showing their relief that she was leaving them to enjoy their lunch in peace. Regardless of the reason, she could always hope that she had done a good thing for the
She became utterly fascinated with the place. When her father had thrust his little pet project into her hands, she had balked at the idea. It had seemed more distasteful than a slice of stale wedding cake, and she had vowed that she would find a way out of the one-red-light-town that, at first, had seemed like an embarrassment to its big-city namesake.
Grace smiled. It was funny how the love of a man turned a woman’s world upside-down. And that was exactly what Theodore Harrison Brown has done for Grace!
With a gentle grip on her hand and a softly spoken word, the seventy-five-year-old had captured her heart. Now, she was bound and determined to take care of him...and not just Theodore, but the rest of the motley crew that was fast becoming her extended family. It wasn’t quite the thing to do in a business sense, but Grace was more than convinced that it was what her heart felt was right.
She looked around the room at the newly familiar faces and smiled. She had gathered them all together for an impromptu meeting just minutes before.
“So you see, Ladies and Gentleman,” she paused. Even though she was attempting to project her voice to a level that would reach even those sitting at the back of the dining room, she noticed that the group at the front table seemed to be having a hard time hearing. She tried again with a louder voice. “So you see--”
“What are you yelling for, girl?” a portly man in a pair of crisply-ironed blue jean overalls called from his place near the door. “That voice of yours is sure to give us the indigestion if you don’t lower it a notch or two!”
Shocked at his lack of decorum, Grace looked around to find quite a few of the residents nodding their heads in agreement. Nervously, she twisted her hands and searched for the words she had so painstakingly memorized earlier in the afternoon.
“I apologize,” she began again in a normal speaking voice and saw a wave of appreciation pass over the crowd. “I wanted to formally introduce myself. I am Grace Woodhouse, and my father’s company has recently purchased Magnolia Manor. Not only will we be changing the name to Mansfield Park, but we will be undertaking a major renovation in order to make your home a nicer place.”
“How much is it gonna’ cost us?” an old man with shockingly red hair piped in.
“There will be no additional cost,” she assured him. “The renovations will fall under operating expenses. Unfortunately, the previous management has not maintained the residence at the level of excellence required by our company. We expected that major renovations would be needed when we negotiated the purchase price and allotted funds for such.”
Grace watched as a few more residents began to nod their heads. The rest seemed completely enamored with their roast beef and mashed potatoes. Her stomach grumbled, and she realized that she had not eaten since breakfast. As good as Mrs. Elderman’s strawberry scones had tasted, they had not added much to her nutritional stores.
“Before I go, I wanted to let you know that I have placed a suggestion box in the foyer. Please feel free to let me know your thoughts on any improvements that you would like to see here at Mansfield Park. Also, I feel that I must inform you that Mr. Watson will no longer be the manager here.”
Before she was able to close her folder, the room erupted in applause. She wanted to think that her inspiring speech had done the trick, but she suspected that Mr. Watson’s termination was the kicker. Of course, the lot of them could have been simply been showing their relief that she was leaving them to enjoy their lunch in peace. Regardless of the reason, she could always hope that she had done a good thing for the
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