Uncle James’s
noble efforts to enter into the spirit of the festive 75 occasion (she had never seen him smile so often), he had obviously given his usual precise instructions. Aunt Caroline was holding young William’s hand as he took the big steps required to stay even with his mother in the procession. Rebecca Isabella, nearing six, was all but marching down the carpeted steps, side by side with pretty ten-year-old Margaret, followed by James Maxwell, almost twelve, and John Lord, who must be close to fourteen by now. Bringing up the rear were Robert, eight, and Alexander, sixteen—a self-conscious age at best, Pete remembered.
When Aunt Caroline embraced Pete’s mother at the foot of the stairs, everyone began to chatter and laugh. Little William, who struck Mama as always shouting as much as Pete had when she was young, had to be shushed by his father’s hand over his mouth because the small boy was yelling to his Aunt Anne that he knew “a big, fat secret.”
“We will settle for shaking Aunt Anne’s hand and you may even try out the bow I’m teaching you,” Uncle James told the boy firmly, “but not one word. Do you understand, William? We
all made a promise—in fact, you and I made a gentleman’s agreement, remember? Not one word to Aunt Anne about—anything. Just be polite and silent.”
“Caroline, for heaven’s sake, what is going on in this house?” Pete’s mother demanded. “Don’t let my brother bully you! He and Papa both look terribly guilty to me—about something. What is it? What’s this strange behavior all about?”
Pete saw her aunt, smiling as she did it, make a locking gesture as though she’d inserted a key between her own lips and then pretended to toss the key into the corner of the entrance hall.
“No one’s going to give us even one clue, Mama,” Pete said. “We might just as well go along with the game. Somehow I think Grandpapa’s behind the whole thing. Look at his crinkled-up face. He’s having a dreadful time trying not to look too smug.”
“What is it we’re supposed to do, Grandpapa?” Selina asked. “We’ll play Grandpapa’s game, won’t we, Fanny?”
Fanny laughed sharply, then said, “Of course we will. What’s next, Grandpapa?”
The old man bowed as deeply as he 77 could while gesturing for everyone to follow him into Uncle James’s large, beautifully furnished parlor. “Follow me, all of you—that is, all of you except my daughter Anne.”
“And why, sir, am I being kept out of whatever this is you and James have cooked up? I don’t think I like it. You know I never like being left out of a game.”
A finger over his lips for Mama to say no more, Grandpapa took Pete’s arm, gesturing for the others to come too. They literally marched into the parlor, leaving poor Mama standing alone in the entrance hall.
“You don’t think you’re being mean, Grandpapa?” Pete asked, entering into his game fully by helping him herd all the younger ones inside the large room so that Uncle James could close the heavy mahogany sliding doors—of which he was so proud. Pete even pulled Eve inside the parlor a little against her will. Exchanging grins with Eve, Pete was now positive the faithful servant had also guessed the happy truth of the surprise planned for Mama.
Chapter 3
For an undecided moment, as instructed, Anne stood alone in the entrance hall, not sure whether to laugh or compose a cross little speech to deliver to both her father and her brother. Actually, she felt almost embarrassed. “Being embarrassed after all the jokes Papa and I have played on each other is just plain silly,” she whispered to herself.
Then for no apparent reason, she went quickly to the tall looking glass to examine her hair. For goodness’ sake, why? she thought to herself. Everyone’s shut up in the parlor. Who’s going to see me who hasn’t already?
At first sure she’d only imagined she heard a voice, she turned quickly to peer up the stairway.
noble efforts to enter into the spirit of the festive 75 occasion (she had never seen him smile so often), he had obviously given his usual precise instructions. Aunt Caroline was holding young William’s hand as he took the big steps required to stay even with his mother in the procession. Rebecca Isabella, nearing six, was all but marching down the carpeted steps, side by side with pretty ten-year-old Margaret, followed by James Maxwell, almost twelve, and John Lord, who must be close to fourteen by now. Bringing up the rear were Robert, eight, and Alexander, sixteen—a self-conscious age at best, Pete remembered.
When Aunt Caroline embraced Pete’s mother at the foot of the stairs, everyone began to chatter and laugh. Little William, who struck Mama as always shouting as much as Pete had when she was young, had to be shushed by his father’s hand over his mouth because the small boy was yelling to his Aunt Anne that he knew “a big, fat secret.”
“We will settle for shaking Aunt Anne’s hand and you may even try out the bow I’m teaching you,” Uncle James told the boy firmly, “but not one word. Do you understand, William? We
all made a promise—in fact, you and I made a gentleman’s agreement, remember? Not one word to Aunt Anne about—anything. Just be polite and silent.”
“Caroline, for heaven’s sake, what is going on in this house?” Pete’s mother demanded. “Don’t let my brother bully you! He and Papa both look terribly guilty to me—about something. What is it? What’s this strange behavior all about?”
Pete saw her aunt, smiling as she did it, make a locking gesture as though she’d inserted a key between her own lips and then pretended to toss the key into the corner of the entrance hall.
“No one’s going to give us even one clue, Mama,” Pete said. “We might just as well go along with the game. Somehow I think Grandpapa’s behind the whole thing. Look at his crinkled-up face. He’s having a dreadful time trying not to look too smug.”
“What is it we’re supposed to do, Grandpapa?” Selina asked. “We’ll play Grandpapa’s game, won’t we, Fanny?”
Fanny laughed sharply, then said, “Of course we will. What’s next, Grandpapa?”
The old man bowed as deeply as he 77 could while gesturing for everyone to follow him into Uncle James’s large, beautifully furnished parlor. “Follow me, all of you—that is, all of you except my daughter Anne.”
“And why, sir, am I being kept out of whatever this is you and James have cooked up? I don’t think I like it. You know I never like being left out of a game.”
A finger over his lips for Mama to say no more, Grandpapa took Pete’s arm, gesturing for the others to come too. They literally marched into the parlor, leaving poor Mama standing alone in the entrance hall.
“You don’t think you’re being mean, Grandpapa?” Pete asked, entering into his game fully by helping him herd all the younger ones inside the large room so that Uncle James could close the heavy mahogany sliding doors—of which he was so proud. Pete even pulled Eve inside the parlor a little against her will. Exchanging grins with Eve, Pete was now positive the faithful servant had also guessed the happy truth of the surprise planned for Mama.
Chapter 3
For an undecided moment, as instructed, Anne stood alone in the entrance hall, not sure whether to laugh or compose a cross little speech to deliver to both her father and her brother. Actually, she felt almost embarrassed. “Being embarrassed after all the jokes Papa and I have played on each other is just plain silly,” she whispered to herself.
Then for no apparent reason, she went quickly to the tall looking glass to examine her hair. For goodness’ sake, why? she thought to herself. Everyone’s shut up in the parlor. Who’s going to see me who hasn’t already?
At first sure she’d only imagined she heard a voice, she turned quickly to peer up the stairway.
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