Chapter 18
Change
The day that followed was filled with hard work, lively conversation, and a boatload of good stories. As a way to become better acquainted and pass the time while they toiled, Anne proposed that each of them take turns entertaining the others with tales from his or her past. Henry and Millie agreed that it was a good idea, and they got busy. Whenever it was Anne’s turn, she talked about her wide travels throughout the world and her many adventures that had later led to some of her bestselling books. Millie didn’t have a vast globe-trotting resume to recount, so on her turns she shared memories of her grandmother and her childhood in Georgia. Much of what she said was new to Henry, and he was delighted to learn more about her younger days in the Deep South. As for him, when it was Henry’s opportunity to speak, he regaled the women with anecdotes about famous people he knew or exotic places that he had been to. Millie was amused by his antics and shook her head often, surprised by how much she didn’t know about him though she had been in his household during much of the timeframe he spoke about. Anne, on the other hand, couldn’t resist the temptation to ask plenty of questions and feed her author’s curiosity. Along the way, she discreetly made detailed mental notes with plans to utilize them in a storyline that would enchant her readers.
Henry dutifully applied a coat of yellow paint to the dreary kitchen and by the afternoon had it looking fresh and crisp. Meanwhile, Anne scrubbed the hardwood floors on her hands and knees as Millie wiped down nearly every wall and surface in the house with disinfectant. By the time they were done, the home was greatly improved from the state that it was in just forty-eight hours before, and they were feeling good about their efforts.
“What do you say, gang? I think it’s time for a chat with Jake!” Anne declared joyfully as she stood in the hallway next to the stairs and admired her handiwork.
“Is he here?” Henry asked from the kitchen where he was cleaning his paintbrushes.
“Sure is; I went out last night after you two left and picked him up,” she confirmed.
“Hot dog!” Millie exclaimed as she came down the stairs. “That sounds pretty good to me right now.” She was hot and tired and ready to sit down for a bit.
Anne stepped to the sink and filled a teakettle with water from the tap.
“I thought you were going to have a talk with Jake?” Henry asked.
“Oh, I am. I told you before that I thought he would enjoy a cup of tea, and I’m going to give it a try. Are you game?”
“Not me,” Henry said, shaking his head while waving his right hand in her direction. “I like him just the way he’s always been.”
Anne shook her head in disapproval but didn’t push the matter. Just then, Millie entered the room as Henry was taking a seat at the kitchen table. She heard the remarks that had just been exchanged and saw the blue flames from the gas stove licking at the base of the copper kettle.
“How about you, Millie? Are you braver than Mr. Engel? I’ve got some fine Earl Grey here that I think will mix ever so nicely with our friend.”
“You’ve got Earl who?” Millie asked as Anne chuckled.
“It’s Earl Grey; it’s a type of black tea. It’s blended with oil from an orange, and it has a delicious citrus flavor. Smells scrumptious too. It was named for British Prime Minister Charles Grey, 2nd Earl of Grey dating back to the 1830s.”
Millie had been widely impressed by Anne and Henry’s tales from their world travels, and now, the opportunity to try something different and exotic appealed to her.
“I think I’ll try some of that Earl’s tea,” she said. “Count me in.”
“Hooray!” Anne exclaimed. “That’s the spirit; you won’t regret it!”
Henry patiently sat and waited for Anne to retrieve Jake from the cabinet along with one glass and two cups. She placed a box of tea bags on the table next to the bottle as she took Henry’s tumbler to the refrigerator for ice. When she returned, she put it in front of him but kept her hand on it for an exaggerated pause, which caused Henry to look up at her.
“Are you quite certain you wouldn’t rather have a cup?” she asked playfully.
“Quite,” he confirmed in his best English accent, which brought a smile to both Anne and Millie.
“So stubborn,” Anne lamented softly.
“Boy, you don’t know the half of it,” Millie added as Henry poured a portion of whiskey into his glass and stepped to the sink for water to top it off.
“I don’t need to change now. Jake and I have gotten along just swell all these years just the way things are.”
As Anne waited for the water to come to a full boil, she put a tea bag into each cup. She then collected a small pitcher of milk from the refrigerator and a bowl of sugar from a cabinet. She told a brief story about how her father’s mother had taught her to love tea the way that she preferred it, and she was about to show Millie the family’s secret formula.
When the moment had arrived and the water was at a rolling boil, she filled each cup three-quarters full. She then explained that they must allow the tea to stand for a couple of minutes so that it could steep. Once she was confident that the flavor had been released from the bags, she removed them and added sugar along with a splash of milk to each cup.
“There we are, that’s lovely! Now, we just need to wait a couple more minutes to let it cool. Then we can introduce Jake to his first cups of tea,” she announced as she inspected the color of the liquid to ensure that she had mixed in just the right amount of milk.
Henry watched with amusement as he sipped on his nice cold drink. He wondered why anyone would go to such lengths when clearly the best way to enjoy a conversation with Jake had been established long ago. Millie, on the other hand, was filled with anticipation. The aroma from the tea was taunting her, and she was anxious to give it a try. Finally, Anne determined that the proper moment had arrived, and she carefully flavored each cup with a dose of the guest of honor. After a stir from their spoons, the ladies were ready to begin high tea.
“To your health,” Anne toasted.
“To yours as well,” Millie reciprocated before bringing the cup to her lips. She tested it slowly to make sure that it was cool enough to drink. Once she was certain that it wasn’t too hot, she took a large sip and gently swirled it in her mouth before swallowing.
“Oh my word!” she declared with a grin as she looked toward Anne.
“You see? I told you it was going to be spectacular.”
“You were sure right!” Millie agreed before taking another drink. “Henry, you have to try this.”
“I’m over seventy years old; I don’t have to do anything,” he protested.
“Oh, come on now, just take a sip,” she encouraged him and handed the cup his way.
Reluctantly, Henry cautiously brought her cup to his lips and took a small sample from it. Immediately, he made a wild grimace and a grunt akin to one made by a bull moose on the move.
“Really? As bad as all that?” Anne questioned after watching his reaction.
Henry broke into a smile and took another small sip. “Nah, I’m just fooling around. It’s not terrible,” he said as he handed the cup back to Millie.
“Well, I think it’s fantastic!” Millie proclaimed. “I’ll have to get some of that Earl’s tea for Oak Forest. From now on, when I talk to Jake, I’m gonna do it like Anne’s grandma did.”
Henry shot her a skeptical look, but she nodded her head with conviction.
“After all, we’ve got a teakettle now. Might as well put it to use,” she said as Anne grinned in support.
We’ve got a teakettle. Henry liked the way it sounded. He was reminded of all that had happened in just a few days’ time, and he was very happy. As they sat and talked with Jake and each other, he relished the path he now found himself on. If it included tea, perhaps Jake would understand. As far as Henry was concerned, it now didn’t seem like such a bad idea.
The meeting went on for a while and by the time Henry an
d Millie got back to her house, they both were exhausted from the long weekend. It was mutually determined that Millie should stay in town and get a good night’s rest while Henry went back to the estate alone to do the same. He suggested that she should take time the next day to get things in order and gather some belongings to move to Oak Forest. Whenever she had accomplished what needed to be done, she could join him and then be able to stay for as long as she liked.
*
The following afternoon as Henry returned from the mailbox, his eyes were drawn to a large thick manila envelope that was amongst the day’s delivery. The return address indicated that it was from a firm called Johnston Investigations. Henry concluded that it was the information he had sought from Carl Johnston pertaining to Millie’s son and waited to reach his desk before cracking the seal. He closely studied the detailed report and the associated supporting documents that Carl had assembled. It was a tragic tale of a young man’s life gone awry, and it saddened him to read it. He had expected it to be a negative report. However, the actual accounting of Edward’s life was truly depressing. There was no doubt whatsoever in Henry’s mind that this poor soul had been destined almost from birth for a life of pain. It was not a narrative that Henry intended to share with Millie, and he was reminded that she had asked him to help her discover this very thing. Fortunately, there was time to figure out how to divert her from the pursuit, but at that moment he was perplexed as to how he would be able to do it.
Henry took pen in hand and was writing out a check to cover Carl’s fee as Millie came in through the kitchen.
“Hi Henry, it’s just me,” she called out to him.
“Hey there!” he shouted back as he nervously scrambled to push the file and envelope beneath some other papers on his desk. He quickly moved to head her off in the kitchen, both because he was eager to see her and because he did not want her to discover what he had been doing.
“I’m happy to see you!” he said as he approached and kissed her softly.
“Me too!” she replied excitedly. “I’m sorry I took so long. Are you mad that I’m later than I thought I’d be? I had some bills to pay and then I needed to clean up a little too. I hate to leave knowing it’s a mess behind me. You know me and cleaning.” Her words were rapid and excited. It was clear that she was enthusiastic about the move.
Henry understood just what she meant and assured her that he was in no way agitated by her late afternoon arrival. He was very happy to see her. He knew privately that any discord she was sensing was due to the extremely unpleasant report he had just read. Also, he was feeling guilty and uncomfortable about having pursued the matter without her knowledge. Now that it had come to such a negative conclusion, it was hard for him to recall why he had believed it was a reasonable idea in the first place.
Millie and Henry unloaded her car and carried several bags and boxes upstairs. She had brought necessary items to establish a foothold in the spare bedroom and bathroom and spent the remainder of the afternoon unpacking. As Millie gleefully worked, Joe frolicked about jumping from one bag or box to another and playing among her things. Henry retreated to the outdoors and spent his time doing some much-needed maintenance on the yard.
Later, Millie broke in the teakettle, and they enjoyed a fine meeting with Jake and Joe. Despite her newfound affinity for Anne’s version of Jake, Henry opted to stick with tradition.
Following a good dinner consisting of fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, and sweet corn, the couple spent the evening watching television in the family room. Joe slept fitfully next to Henry in his favorite chair as Millie stretched out on the couch. Though they had rarely spent such time together, they chatted about a wide variety of things and the time flowed by naturally. The most important topic that they discussed, however, was saved for last. They had each lived and slept alone for a majority of their lives and to suddenly entertain a different way of life left both of them slightly uncertain about how to proceed. After considering and debating all of the options available to them, they decided that for now it was best to move forward as they had. They agreed that it would be best to simply allow things to happen naturally when, and if, they did. After some fond goodnight kisses, each retired to separate bedrooms for a pleasant night’s sleep. Joe was somewhat confused by the strange happenings but finally settled into her typical place at Henry’s side. Though they were not all sleeping in the same bed, they were under the same roof, and it felt very warm and cozy.
Tuesday began with Henry’s realization that he wanted to get a new filter for his lawnmower. The grass was growing more aggressively now in the early May sunshine, and he hadn’t yet changed out the oil from last season. He drank his coffee and read his newspapers before excusing himself and heading off to Lewis. Millie and Joe promised to hold down the fort until he returned and set about getting involved with some light cleaning. As Henry drove to Lewis, he was blissfully ignorant of the storm he would be returning to.
While Millie dusted the family room, Joe was especially frisky. She was intensely focused on a small paper ball that she was batting and then chasing around the floor. It was quite a show to behold, and Millie frequently laughed and encouraged her as she pursued her prey. Clearly, Millie thought, Joe was as excited as she was that they were now staying there together on a more permanent basis. After a particularly aggressive swat of her paw, the ball shot into Henry’s office, and Joe raced after it. Millie could hear her scrambling around but never knew what happened next. Apparently, something startled the little predator, and she jumped up onto Henry’s desk in panic. What followed next was a large crash as a stack of his papers flew across the floor.
Millie heard the commotion and rushed to see what had happened. She was startled to find Joe now on the back of Henry’s chair with every hair on her body on end. In addition, the floor of the office was littered with debris.
“Oh my heavens!” she exclaimed. “What on earth has gotten into you?” she asked the wild-eyed little cat who then dove off the chair and past her out of the room. Millie surveyed the war zone and sighed as she bent down to begin the cleanup. She reached for the various papers and envelopes that were scattered about and organized them into stacks as she crept along. Suddenly, something caught her attention that stopped her cold.
A folder with the name Edward James printed on the front of it was protruding from a large open manila envelope. Millie turned it over, and the return address revealed that it was from some sort of private detective agency. In all her years, she had never pried into Henry’s private affairs or papers, but now the curiosity was utterly overwhelming. She guessed that he had hired someone to find her son for her, and her heart stopped. She was both excited and terrified by the possible outcome of an investigation. But that’s impossible, I just told him a few days ago that I wanted to find Edward. How could this get done so fast? She slowly pulled the folder completely out of the envelope and began to read the report.
“I’m home!” Henry announced as he opened the side door. When he stepped into the kitchen, he could instantly tell that something was terribly amiss. Millie was sitting at the table in the chair nearest the French doors with her face in her hands.
“Millie, what’s wrong?” he asked with alarm as he walked toward her. Spread across the table were papers, a folder, and the large envelope. The sight of these items left him speechless, and he halted next to the island. For several minutes, neither of them said a word. Finally, Millie removed her hands from her face to reveal tear-stained cheeks and swollen eyes that had been concealed beneath them.
“What do have to say for yourself?” she demanded.
“I…” He attempted to answer her but couldn’t find the words. He imagined all of the emotions that she was feeling—hurt, despair, guilt, and betrayal. Henry reached for something to say to comfort her, or to explain himself, but nothing came. Millie stood and stepped to the front door to get her purse as Henry watched.
“Where are you going?” he asked
meekly as she passed by him on her way to the door. His words brought her to a halt next to the refrigerator.
“Home. I don’t belong here,” she said softly without turning toward him.
The day was hard and long for Henry. He wished time and again that he had done something, said something, to stop Millie from leaving that morning. He had not. In his mind, he knew how terribly wrong he had been, and there was no way to justify his actions or the concealment of them. It was the second time in his life that he had broken the heart of someone he loved, and it was devastating to him. He didn’t know what to do or how he could ever make this right. It seemed that just when he had been freed from his burden by one woman, he had repeated history and wronged another. By early evening, he was at his wit’s end. In his sorrow, he turned to the one person that he thought might be able to help him navigate the troubled waters.
“Hi George, it’s Henry. You got a minute?”
“Hi Henry, what’s the matter?” George answered from the other end of the telephone with alarm. It was highly unusual for Henry to call him at this time of day, and the tone of his voice concerned George.
“I stepped in it something fierce today. Millie got ahold of the report from Carl, and all hell has broken loose.” From there, Henry and George spoke for nearly two hours. George was stunned to learn all that had transpired just since the week before and felt a little hurt that Henry had left him out of it. However, now was not the time for bruised egos and he parked his at the door. Henry needed a friend and George tried to decipher what had happened and how best to advise him to mitigate the damage.
“Henry, it sure sounds to me like Millie is in love with you. If that’s the case, I think if you talk to her and explain how this all happened, she’ll forgive you. Hell, tell her it was my idea and I did it on my own.” George was offering to sacrifice his own integrity to protect his friend. Henry, of course, would have nothing of it.
“Damn it, George, you know that’s a lie. I was in on this all the way. It was just such a dumb thing to do. Why didn’t I tell her about it?” he wondered aloud.
Celebrations With Jake and Joe Page 20
