Alice felt by that statement. Finally, Jane said, “Most of it will fall off if you take them out in the grass and bang them together. Come find me after you try that, and I’ll show you how to remove what’s left.”
Alice heard Jane climb the stairs as Maxwell’s footsteps headed down the hallway. In a moment, he was back, his stockinged feet making soft thuds as he walked.
“Alice!”
Rats. He’s seen me . Alice was not feeling very social at the moment, but she couldn’t be rude to a guest. “Hello.”
Maxwell dropped down on the sofa beside her, then turned and peered down at her. “What’s wrong? Have you been crying?”
She nodded. “Our cat got lost today.”
“How do you know he’s lost?”
Alice relayed the story of Wendell’s escape and Louise’s futile search. “It hurts my heart to think of how afraid he must be, alone in a strange place with no food or water. I’m so afraid he’ll get hit by a car or attacked by some other animal. He isn’t used to fending for himself.”
“Maybe someone will find him.” Maxwell patted her shoulder. “And if not, you can always get another cat.”
“Maxwell!” Alice was too upset now to worry about offending a guest. “Wendell is not replaceable. He’s a living being, not a stuffed toy. My father picked him out of a litter when he was a tiny kitten, a few years before Father died, and he’s very special to me—to all of us.”
Maxwell was quiet for a moment. Alice hoped he might take her silence as a hint and just go away.
Then he said, “I’m sorry, Alice. I never had a pet. I don’t really know what it’s like to love an animal.”
Alice sighed. He’d succeeded in making her feel petty and mean. “I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have snapped at you. It’s just that Wendell is very special. No other cat will have his silly little quirks, his personality.” There was a pause. Then, as his words penetrated her haze of sadness, she said, “You never had any kind of pet?”
“Not even a fish,” he confirmed. “My father never would have tolerated having pets in the house. And as I told you before, I was at school most of the time. Of course, pets are not welcome at boarding school. I did learn to ride, but I never cared much for horses.”
“I see.”
“You know, I don’t believe I’ve ever spoken so much to anyone about my past.” Maxwell sounded surprised. “You’re very easy to talk to, Alice.”
She considered the fleeting exchanges that she’d had with their guest, and the few details she’d learned. How sad that he felt she had learned a lot about him. “Thank you,” she said quietly, resolving to be a better hostess and a better Christian friend. “I’m happy to listen any time you’d like to talk.”
“Actually,” Maxwell said, “I would like to ask you some questions. I’m very interested in Acorn Hill. I can imagine that growing up here was very peaceful and secure.”
“Peaceful might not be a term I’d use for a household of three girls,” Alice said, smiling a little. “But we were happy most of the time. And secure—yes, I certainly felt comfortable and safe anywhere I went. The community still inspires that feeling in people, I believe.”
“So you’ve known most of the people around here your whole life.”
“Many of them, yes. Others are more recent transplants from other locales who enjoyed our atmosphere and decided to make their homes here.”
“Everyone seems to know one another awfully well.”
“It’s a given in most small towns,” Alice told him. “There are no secrets.”
Maxwell chuckled. “That would be an interesting theory to put to the test.”
There was something remotely disdainful in his tone, something that she couldn’t quite put her finger on. But, she reminded herself, he had not grown up in an atmosphere conducive to trusting others. She imagined the concept of other people knowing all about your business was so alien that he couldn’t quite grasp
Alice heard Jane climb the stairs as Maxwell’s footsteps headed down the hallway. In a moment, he was back, his stockinged feet making soft thuds as he walked.
“Alice!”
Rats. He’s seen me . Alice was not feeling very social at the moment, but she couldn’t be rude to a guest. “Hello.”
Maxwell dropped down on the sofa beside her, then turned and peered down at her. “What’s wrong? Have you been crying?”
She nodded. “Our cat got lost today.”
“How do you know he’s lost?”
Alice relayed the story of Wendell’s escape and Louise’s futile search. “It hurts my heart to think of how afraid he must be, alone in a strange place with no food or water. I’m so afraid he’ll get hit by a car or attacked by some other animal. He isn’t used to fending for himself.”
“Maybe someone will find him.” Maxwell patted her shoulder. “And if not, you can always get another cat.”
“Maxwell!” Alice was too upset now to worry about offending a guest. “Wendell is not replaceable. He’s a living being, not a stuffed toy. My father picked him out of a litter when he was a tiny kitten, a few years before Father died, and he’s very special to me—to all of us.”
Maxwell was quiet for a moment. Alice hoped he might take her silence as a hint and just go away.
Then he said, “I’m sorry, Alice. I never had a pet. I don’t really know what it’s like to love an animal.”
Alice sighed. He’d succeeded in making her feel petty and mean. “I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have snapped at you. It’s just that Wendell is very special. No other cat will have his silly little quirks, his personality.” There was a pause. Then, as his words penetrated her haze of sadness, she said, “You never had any kind of pet?”
“Not even a fish,” he confirmed. “My father never would have tolerated having pets in the house. And as I told you before, I was at school most of the time. Of course, pets are not welcome at boarding school. I did learn to ride, but I never cared much for horses.”
“I see.”
“You know, I don’t believe I’ve ever spoken so much to anyone about my past.” Maxwell sounded surprised. “You’re very easy to talk to, Alice.”
She considered the fleeting exchanges that she’d had with their guest, and the few details she’d learned. How sad that he felt she had learned a lot about him. “Thank you,” she said quietly, resolving to be a better hostess and a better Christian friend. “I’m happy to listen any time you’d like to talk.”
“Actually,” Maxwell said, “I would like to ask you some questions. I’m very interested in Acorn Hill. I can imagine that growing up here was very peaceful and secure.”
“Peaceful might not be a term I’d use for a household of three girls,” Alice said, smiling a little. “But we were happy most of the time. And secure—yes, I certainly felt comfortable and safe anywhere I went. The community still inspires that feeling in people, I believe.”
“So you’ve known most of the people around here your whole life.”
“Many of them, yes. Others are more recent transplants from other locales who enjoyed our atmosphere and decided to make their homes here.”
“Everyone seems to know one another awfully well.”
“It’s a given in most small towns,” Alice told him. “There are no secrets.”
Maxwell chuckled. “That would be an interesting theory to put to the test.”
There was something remotely disdainful in his tone, something that she couldn’t quite put her finger on. But, she reminded herself, he had not grown up in an atmosphere conducive to trusting others. She imagined the concept of other people knowing all about your business was so alien that he couldn’t quite grasp
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