by Ruth Hay
“That takes priority,” she said, and with typical resolve she set about the task.
First she went to see Louise and Dennis. There was much to and fro between the houses since the desperate incident with the ambulance. So much so that Dennis, with Andy’s help, had opened a passageway in the tree barrier so Hilary and Mavis had easier access.
The first difficult few hours with Dennis Ridley when she took him to task for his behaviour with Louise, were now in the past. Hilary still maintained close contact with Louise, even visiting her in the psychiatric ward, and with Mavis’s support, taking Louise for outings around the Forks of the Thames where the sight of children playing happily in the fountains seemed to calm her mind remarkably.
Louise’s progress had been rapid once her situation was understood. Dennis played his part in this recovery, with some urging from Hilary and Mavis. He underwent shock therapy of a kind when he realized how he had unwittingly contributed to his wife’s deterioration by neglect of her needs.
Hilary learned Louise had once been a smart and efficient legal secretary. It was her husband who insisted she stay at home as a symbol to his business associates of how well he was prospering.
For some reason he got it into his head that men with stay-at-home wives were superior to others.
The original plan for Louise to have babies did not work out and the situation was allowed to drift until the two were isolated in the house that was far too large for the needs of either of them.
“I can’t thank you enough, Hilary. I know I did not welcome your intrusion into my private life, initially, and I apologize for my abruptness, but when I realized what you did to comfort and advise my wife; things I should have done for her, I used my guilt to amend my behaviour and my work schedules and everything else that came between us. When Louise returns home, all will be changed.”
He was as good as his word. The proof was in Louise’s demeanour. She smiled. She stood tall. She looked Mavis and Hilary in the face. She came over to Harmony House and took afternoon tea as she had dreamed of doing. She was welcomed by all. Vilma took her on a shopping expedition to buy a new wardrobe of fashionable clothes to suit her slim figure and also introduced her to the world of subtle make-up and hair styling.
A refreshed and energetic Louise now took particular interest in Eve’s paintings. With very little encouragement, she tried the emotional release that Eve had discovered and painted wildly alongside her while Eve was working in her room.
Louise declared after these sessions, “I had no idea how therapeutic art can be. I love splashing around the colours and seeing what comes to mind.”
Dennis was happy to subsidize the materials required, and as it turned out colour became a theme in their renewal. Together they redecorated the master bedroom in a sunny yellow and organized the upper bedroom into an art studio where all the old fixations were painted into oblivion.
There was one other colour venture that brought a satisfied smile to Hilary’s face every day.
When Dennis begged her to say what he could do to recompense her for all her help with Louise, Hilary immediately remembered the stair carpeting next door.
“Well, Dennis, my reward is to see how well you two are doing these days. But, if you insist, I would love it if you could arrange for someone to remove the gaudy purple carpeting from our hall staircase at Harmony House and replace it with a nice neutral colour, similar to your own choice.”
This was, clearly, not what Dennis Ridley had expected to hear but he recovered swiftly and agreed to get this done with all speed before Thanksgiving.
“It’s the very least I can do, Hilary. Without your intervention my life would be a shadow of what it now has become. I am at your service and the service of all at Harmony House, from now on. Just ask me.”
Louise and Dennis would be invited to join the Harmony House family for Thanksgiving the next time she was in their home. Louise would be asked to contribute something to the feast and that would be the topic of their discussion.
* * *
Next on her list was the matter of approaching Vilma about the idea of including Andy this year. For one thing, Dennis would be more comfortable if another male was at the table.
For another, Andy Patterson had become an essential part of the co-housing project with respect to all things external around the property. Her observations of his interactions with Vilma and her dogs indicated he was becoming equally important in that sphere also. Mavis confirmed this, and it was decided to tackle Vilma as she returned from the dogs’ morning exercise.
This was duly accomplished the next day. Hilary waited patiently while the dogs’ feet were wiped and dried. She was happy to observe this routine, especially now that the new staircase carpet was likely to show the marks of eight paws and claws more readily.
“Just give me a minute to settle these two and I will join you in the kitchen, Hilary.”
What Hilary did not know was how anxious Vilma was to talk about the fast-approaching Dog Show venture. Although she had already made up her mind to participate, it was something she wanted to run past Hilary for advice.
The matter of the Thanksgiving invitation was quickly settled over a cup of steaming hot coffee and Vilma used it as an introduction to her more pressing topic.
“Of course you have noticed how much time I spend with Andy at his farm. The dog training has advanced far beyond the basics now and I have agreed to accompany Andy to a Dog Show near Cornwall, Ontario, in a few weeks.”
Hilary immediately realized this was a major expedition requiring one or, more likely, two overnight stays. She refrained from pointing to this delicate matter and applauded Vilma for her generosity of time and devotion to her dogs.
“Oscar and Astrid are remarkably disciplined animals for which both you and Andy are to be commended. I will admit I had some misgivings when you suddenly appeared with the dogs, but I know all of us welcome them for our own reasons. I am glad of the security aspect, for instance. No intruder would get far in this house without alerting those dogs of yours, Vilma.
Now, how do you feel about spending this amount of time in his company in a different environment from home?”
“Frankly, Hilary, I feel obliged to help Andy. He would like to reinvent himself as a dog trainer and doing well at a competition like this one would allow him to advertise his skills and set up a dog-handling business. He has not charged me for all the hours he devotes to my two and I know he has little money from his gardening and snow clearing routes. I mean to find a way to pay for this event out of town as a thank you.”
“Good idea! The Thanksgiving meal invitation can be our way to begin to thank him for all he does at Harmony House. Now that you mention it, Vilma, I will do something about a regular payment for extra services here. I should have thought of it before this. We have been taking advantage of Andy.
But, my dear, you have not answered my question. What are your personal feelings toward Andy Patterson?”
This might be considered as stepping across a line and Hilary did not want to offend Vilma. She waited for the answer with some concern.
Vilma put down the large mug of coffee with which she was unconsciously concealing the lower part of her face. Hilary had forced the issue and she must respond.
“It’s very difficult for me. I swore never to let a man into my life again. Andy has not been intrusive; quite the opposite, in fact. He makes it perfectly clear how much he values his privacy.
I won’t go into the story, but he has some traumatic events in his past that give him cause for reticence.
If anything, he has been the one pushing me away.”
“So, not an easy man to know?”
“Exactly!”
“But that has given you time to appreciate his qualities, I think?”
“I suppose you are right. I feel differently about him each time he comes to my rescue in one way or another. I think that slow progress is probably a good thing. Certainly my other rel
ationships with men have been much more of the fast and furious variety.”
Both women chuckled at this description and the mood altered.
“Well, Vilma, it seems your association with Andy will come to a point of change at the Dog Show, for better or ill. I will be interested to see how this works out for you.”
“Me, too, Hilary! The family meal here will be a first step.”
Conversation over a second cup of coffee turned to other matters until Vilma gave a start and announced, “I almost forgot. There’s another issue with respect to this trip. I looked at the itinerary and it is likely we will stop overnight at Kingston to give the dogs, and us, a break from travelling.
Didn’t Honor say Faith’s supposed father lives in Kingston with his family? I was wondering if Faith would like to arrange to spend a weekend with them. Andy and I could pick her up on our return journey.
What do you think?”
“I think that’s amazingly generous, even for you, Vilma. I thought you were not particularly keen on Faith.
“Correct! I am suspicious of teenagers in general, and she has proved me right more than once. However, I have to give the girl credit for the initiative she showed with the Finding Father business. I do not approve of the way she chose to do that, of course.”
“I totally understand your feelings on that particular matter. Honor and I are determined to keep a tight rein on young Faith from now on and she has given us fervent promises to that end.
I suggest you talk to Honor about this. Don’t mention it to Faith, of course. It would be a huge incentive for her if everyone involved agrees.”
Vilma nodded. She thought there was another benefit to having Faith in her car during the long hours of driving. Conversation would be easier between the two females and Andy would be unable to introduce any personal topics.
* * *
Hilary felt she was doing well and receiving positive responses. She wanted to continue with the good momentum but she needed time to recover.
Eve entered the kitchen just as Vilma departed and offered to make an omelette or scrambled eggs.
It was exactly what Hilary needed and provided an opportunity to discuss the Thanksgiving meal plans.
Breakfast was shared and the plans advanced.
Eve suggested special family recipes should be included.
“Every family seems to have one special dessert, or dish of stuffing, or vegetables that represents Thanksgiving to them. It would be fun to incorporate those dishes and makes the conversation around the table flow with good memories.”
“I love that idea, Eve! This will be such a lovely evening. We’ll ask the men to pour wine. It will be rather nice to have some male company at the table for a change.”
* * *
Later in the afternoon, Hilary went downstairs to talk to Honor before Faith arrived home from school.
She found Honor flat on the floor and was alarmed for a moment until she realized she was doing yoga exercises while watching a video on her computer screen.
“Oh, Honor, I don’t want to interrupt. I can come back later.”
“No, Hilary. Almost done. Just a last stretch or two. Sit down, please.”
It was interesting to see Honor work through the stretches. She was much more flexible than when she first arrived at Harmony House. It occurred to Hilary that the office space could be used as a sort of yoga studio. With winter fast approaching an indoor exercise program could be of benefit to more than one of the women. It was another example of the multiple ways the house could adapt to their needs. She would broach the subject with Mavis and Eve and see what they thought. Honor would be an excellent guide to yoga if what she now saw was typical of her skill level.
“My goodness, Honor! That last position was quite difficult. How long have you been doing this?”
“Several months now. I decided to improve my overall health now my hip is comfortable. It’s amazing how it helps brain and body to be more fit.”
“Very impressive! Well done! A good example for the rest of us women.”
Honor blushed to the roots of her red hair, which Hilary noticed was now a more subdued shade of auburn rather than the previous, rather glaring red. It seemed Honor was making more than one change. Faith’s presence could be having an effect on her aunt in positive ways. It was a good thing. Keeping an eye on the activities of one Faith Jeffries demanded all the brain and body fitness that could be obtained. She was a challenge all right but her arrival had, undoubtedly, brought a breath of youth and vitality to their home.
Honor rolled up her yoga mat and wiped her face with a towel before fetching a glass of mineral water from her mini fridge. “May I get you something, Hilary?”
“No thank you. I won’t take a minute of your time. I have a proposition for Faith, courtesy of an offer from Vilma, but I need to know if it would be something you think Faith wants to do.”
“Sounds intriguing!”
Honor slipped a sweater over her shoulders and composed herself to receive this news.
“I remember you saying that Jar Jeffries, I mean Mason, of course, invited Faith to visit his family in Kingston. It turns out that Vilma and Andy are driving out of town in November to an event. They will pass through Kingston and stay there overnight. It’s a chance for Faith to meet up with Mason and that child of his, Melvin, who was instrumental in connecting the two.
Vilma assures me she would take Faith there and stay long enough to make sure everything is comfortable for Faith with respect to facilities like accommodations. I understand there are three young boys in the family.
I need you to talk to Faith and see if this is amenable to her. If so, the Jeffries would require to be notified about the dates and so on.”
Honor looked thoughtful. She folded the arms of her sweater across her chest in a loose knot.
“The last time Faith mentioned the Jeffries she suggested the whole business was finished and done with. Of course, she did not foresee an opportunity like this.
Leave it with me, Hilary. I will find the right time to ask her. She is, as you know, keeping very busy with school projects. This break might be good for her in several ways.”
“I’ll leave it in your capable hands then. It could be something interesting to share at Thanksgiving if it all works out.”
“Indeed!”
Chapter 20
“I suppose it’s too early to bring a potted Christmas tree indoors like we did last year?”
“If you want the poor thing to dry out completely, it is, but I have another idea.”
Mavis and Hilary stood in the foyer, planning the program for the big Thanksgiving dinner. It seemed appropriate to spend time on the appearance of the house entrance. It was the first thing their visitors would see when they arrived. Hilary was particularly anxious to showcase the area now that the stairs were carpeted in beautiful new fabric of a neutral colour.
“I was thinking we could find a fragrant bush like lavender or rosemary. I still have some nice, large pots in the garage storage. We could set the potted plant up on the hall table with a fall bouquet or pumpkin, similar to the one we’ll place in the centre of the dining table.”
“Should we have candles?”
“Absolutely! But not out here! We need to keep an eye on them. What about a collection of smaller candle holders in the dining room? We don’t want anything too tall to block sightlines across the table.”
“I’ll get started on that right away, Mavis.”
“One more thing; I was thinking we should have a reception with drinks and snacks before we go into the dining room.”
“That would be elegant, but the kitchen will be too busy with preparations for serving. We will all take a turn of serving and clearing so there must be space left for coming and going.”
“Correct! I wondered if we could kill two birds with one stone, as it were. What about holding our reception in the former guest suite?”
“Oh my! I see what you mean. It�
��s the perfect place, but Faith would need to vacate after doing a massive clean-up first. Once the bed is folded up, there’s plenty of floor space……”
“….and the piano could be played, Mavis. Wouldn’t that be a lovely welcome?”
“I suppose I could practise a few pieces for the occasion.”
“Excellent! It’s all coming together perfectly. We will give Faith a hand with the cleaning and we’ll spring it on her soon, so she has time to hide anything personal from view.
Will Marble mind being ousted for a few hours?”
“She will be happy in my quiet tower room far from the hustle and bustle, don’t worry.”
The mention of the word ‘tower’ gave Hilary another festive idea which she meant to discuss with Andy.
If she could persuade him to do the ladder climb, up to the top of the tower, and place in there a large lantern with a battery, the light would send out a glow to suit the season of goodwill. It might last for weeks, possibly until Christmas, and Andy would not need to remove it when the battery ran out.
By Thanksgiving Sunday, Harmony House was ready. There was an air of excitement, combined with delicious smells and the rustle of dresses and skirts since the women had decided it was an occasion deserving of their best attire.
Honor had taken Faith shopping for a long skirt and lacy top and the outfit added inches to her height, assisted by her first heels and a hairstyle consisting of curls piled loosely on top of her head.
Honor used the opportunity to buy a smart dress in a size and colour she had never dared to wear before. When aunt and niece admired their finished look together, in a long mirror, there was, for the first time, a resemblance between them that had nothing to do with hair or clothes but more to do with the pleased expressions on their faces.
* * *
Jannice borrowed an older dress of Vilma’s which she had saved because it had good memories of Nolan attached to it.
