to his parents and
grand-parents. Many of them are museum pieces now. Anyway, when Grandmother and
Grandfather were married, he brought her to this house. It had been decorated
originally by my great-grandmother. My grandmother, as the new bride, made some
changes but she couldn’t radically alter things. Over time, even though things
like the wiring and plumbing have been brought up-to-date, the decor hasn’t.
Grandmother would repaint and replace draperies but not the furnishings. Mother
hates it,” she added, quite unnecessarily. “I think that was part of the reason
that Grandmother refused to let her make changes.”
“And how do you feel about it?”
“Me? I hardly notice. My room is
very comfortable. I know the parlor isn’t but, then, I’m rarely in there.” She
smiled absently and he could feel her slipping away. The same frustrating thing
happened every time he attempted to ask a personal question. She kept him at
arm’s distance, never letting her guard down, never letting him past the wall. “Here’s
mother with dinner.”
Dinner was superb: spinach salad
with sliced strawberries and pine nuts, prime rib au jus with Yorkshire
pudding, roast potatoes, creamed peas and pearl onions, and a delicious sherry
trifle for dessert.
The night was filled with the
scent of roses and the shrill whirr of cicadas. From off in the distance, came
the muffled pounding of waves on the shore.
And Marmalade was nowhere to be
seen.
With the evening progressing so
well, Alice relaxed, and in the mellow candlelight, Chris could see the young
girl James Dunbar had married twenty-six years before.
“Are you sure you won’t have
anything more, Mr. Mallory?”
“No, I couldn’t possibly eat
another bite. Everything was marvelous. And, please, won’t you call me Chris?”
“Why, yes, if you’d like. Now, if
you’ll excuse me, Chris, I’ll just run in and bring out the tea.” She walked
back through the garden along a path lined with coach lamps, across the veranda
and in the kitchen door.
“I can’t remember when we’ve
spent such an enjoyable evening.” James smiled happily. “I want to thank you,
Chris. This has been a difficult situation and you’ve been so very helpful.”
“I’m glad you think so. I’d begun
to doubt it.”
“I assure you, you have. And I
know Alice feels so too. Look, she’s even using her grandmother’s tea service.
That’s a real honor.”
They looked up as the kitchen
door banged shut. Alice was walking towards them carrying a silver tea service
and four delicate china cups and saucers on a silver tray with Marmalade
trotting behind.
“No, don’t get up. I can manage
this. But would you please clear a space on the table. Marmalade, stay away
from my ankles. You are such a pest. Get away! Alicia, would you come and get
this animal?”
Alicia ran down the steps to
where Marmalade was playing cat and mouse with Alice’s feet. She was too late.
Just as she reached them, the inevitable happened. Alice tried to push the cat
away with her foot, lost her balance and stumbled forward. The tea pot rocked
and went crashing to the ground, sending china flying in all directions.
“Alice, are you all right, my
dear?” James dashed to where Alicia was attempting to brush the hot tea off her
mother’s gown.
“Yes, yes, I’m fine,” she
snapped. “Stop fussing over me. Just look at that mess. And my china, it’s
ruined! This is the last straw! God help that cat if I get my hands on him.”
She made a grab for Marmalade
who, oblivious to the chaos he’d created, was placidly lapping cream from a
pitcher that had somehow remained upright.
“Alice, you can’t!” Chris shouted
while James tried to run interference for Alicia who had scooped up the cat. “Remember
the will. If you harm him, you’ll all have to leave.”
His warning must have penetrated
her rage, because she stopped short and visibly checked her angry impulse.
Turning to him, white-lipped with anger,
grand-parents. Many of them are museum pieces now. Anyway, when Grandmother and
Grandfather were married, he brought her to this house. It had been decorated
originally by my great-grandmother. My grandmother, as the new bride, made some
changes but she couldn’t radically alter things. Over time, even though things
like the wiring and plumbing have been brought up-to-date, the decor hasn’t.
Grandmother would repaint and replace draperies but not the furnishings. Mother
hates it,” she added, quite unnecessarily. “I think that was part of the reason
that Grandmother refused to let her make changes.”
“And how do you feel about it?”
“Me? I hardly notice. My room is
very comfortable. I know the parlor isn’t but, then, I’m rarely in there.” She
smiled absently and he could feel her slipping away. The same frustrating thing
happened every time he attempted to ask a personal question. She kept him at
arm’s distance, never letting her guard down, never letting him past the wall. “Here’s
mother with dinner.”
Dinner was superb: spinach salad
with sliced strawberries and pine nuts, prime rib au jus with Yorkshire
pudding, roast potatoes, creamed peas and pearl onions, and a delicious sherry
trifle for dessert.
The night was filled with the
scent of roses and the shrill whirr of cicadas. From off in the distance, came
the muffled pounding of waves on the shore.
And Marmalade was nowhere to be
seen.
With the evening progressing so
well, Alice relaxed, and in the mellow candlelight, Chris could see the young
girl James Dunbar had married twenty-six years before.
“Are you sure you won’t have
anything more, Mr. Mallory?”
“No, I couldn’t possibly eat
another bite. Everything was marvelous. And, please, won’t you call me Chris?”
“Why, yes, if you’d like. Now, if
you’ll excuse me, Chris, I’ll just run in and bring out the tea.” She walked
back through the garden along a path lined with coach lamps, across the veranda
and in the kitchen door.
“I can’t remember when we’ve
spent such an enjoyable evening.” James smiled happily. “I want to thank you,
Chris. This has been a difficult situation and you’ve been so very helpful.”
“I’m glad you think so. I’d begun
to doubt it.”
“I assure you, you have. And I
know Alice feels so too. Look, she’s even using her grandmother’s tea service.
That’s a real honor.”
They looked up as the kitchen
door banged shut. Alice was walking towards them carrying a silver tea service
and four delicate china cups and saucers on a silver tray with Marmalade
trotting behind.
“No, don’t get up. I can manage
this. But would you please clear a space on the table. Marmalade, stay away
from my ankles. You are such a pest. Get away! Alicia, would you come and get
this animal?”
Alicia ran down the steps to
where Marmalade was playing cat and mouse with Alice’s feet. She was too late.
Just as she reached them, the inevitable happened. Alice tried to push the cat
away with her foot, lost her balance and stumbled forward. The tea pot rocked
and went crashing to the ground, sending china flying in all directions.
“Alice, are you all right, my
dear?” James dashed to where Alicia was attempting to brush the hot tea off her
mother’s gown.
“Yes, yes, I’m fine,” she
snapped. “Stop fussing over me. Just look at that mess. And my china, it’s
ruined! This is the last straw! God help that cat if I get my hands on him.”
She made a grab for Marmalade
who, oblivious to the chaos he’d created, was placidly lapping cream from a
pitcher that had somehow remained upright.
“Alice, you can’t!” Chris shouted
while James tried to run interference for Alicia who had scooped up the cat. “Remember
the will. If you harm him, you’ll all have to leave.”
His warning must have penetrated
her rage, because she stopped short and visibly checked her angry impulse.
Turning to him, white-lipped with anger,
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