Head of the House

by Grace Livingston Hill

  “Vas I?” Robin smiled delightedly.

  “Yes, come on now, and let’s go very softly to see if the rest have waked up yet.”

  She put him down with his bare pink feet on the floor, taking his warm little hand in hers, and not till then did she notice that Peter Willis was standing in the door watching her.

  She gave him a dreamy, absent smile and went on past him, only taking in the significance of his presence when she reached the hall.

  “I’m sorry, Peter,” she said pleasantly, distantly, “but you can see I am very busy just now.”

  He suppressed a quick thundercloud in his eyes and nodded condescendingly. “This evening, then,” he said with a kind of authority in his voice. “I’ll be over about eight. The circus will certainly be over by that time, won’t it?”

  “No!” said Jennifer sharply. “Not this evening! Please, Peter, let me alone, won’t you? I can’t stand any more tonight! Can¾you let yourself out?”

  “Oh, certainly!” said Peter, in a displeased tone, but he watched her leading Robin away to have his face washed, and in spite of himself he saw something lovely in it all that he had not dreamed of in connection with the bright young Jennifer. So he set his determined lips in a firmer line than ever.

  Chapter 6

  By the time Jennifer had Robin bathed and suitably clothed for the journey she had completely forgotten the existence of Peter Willis. She heard the great hall clock downstairs chiming four o’clock and knew she had very little time in which to do a great deal. She had no time for former beaus. And marriage? What was marriage compared to the exciting adventure on which she was about to embark?

  She settled Robin on the seat in his bedroom bay window, with a comparatively new picture book, on his honor not to stir until she came back, and then she hurried to Jeremy’s room.

  That young man was just snapping shut the second suitcase.

  “All packed!” he announced. “I knew you wouldn’t get away from that chump as soon as you thought you would, so I went into Tryon’s room and got his things.”

  “Oh,” said Jennifer. “That’s wonderful! But¾are you sure you got everything he needs? Did you remember underwear, plenty of it, and socks? You know we may have very little opportunity to get laundry work done. We may have to stop at a stream somewhere and wash things out. We don’t dare go to hotels, not for a while yet, anyway. Because, Jerry, I don’t intend to get caught!”

  “Of course not!” said the young man shortly. “What do you think I am? A babe in arms? Don’t you think I have a mind? I ask you! Did you think I’d be packing nothing but dress suits?”

  Jennifer laughed. “No, of course not. But I didn’t think you’d realize about laundry.”

  “Well, I did! Got plenty! Remembered bath robes for us both, too, and bathing suits. We’ll have to take baths swimming in streams, probably.”

  Jennifer’s eyes brightened.

  “Of course,” she said eagerly. “Bright child! I hadn’t thought of that! And we’ll have to have a lot of bath towels along! Mercy! I don’t see how we’re ever going to get everything we need into one car with the whole seven of us. And we’ll simply have to take a blanket or two, for naps and in case some of us get sick.”

  “Sure, we’ll manage,” said Jeremy nonchalantly. “I’ve got that contraption fixed on one running board, and we can get two or three big boxes or suitcases in that!”

  “Wonderful!” said Jennifer. “I think I’ve been worrying in the back of my mind about how we could get all the baggage we need into the back of the car.”

  “Well, there’s the car trunk, you know, besides quite a big place under the backseat. Now, say, Jen, what time do we aim to start? I thought I heard that poor fish yell back he’d be here this evening. Is that right?”

  “I told him not to,” said Jennifer, with a worried brow. “I don’t think he’ll come.”

  “Well, if he does you’d better have an awful headache or something. Send me to the door. I’ll get rid of him. There! There goes the phone. That’s the other aunts, I’ll wager. Let me answer!” And he strode to the upper extension in the master bedroom. Jennifer stole anxiously after him. There was no telling what he might say if they were disagreeable. He might spoil the whole affair. But as she listened her face relaxed, and she eased herself into a chair by the door, and gradually a twinkly smile began to creep around her mouth.

  “Hello! Oh, hello, Aunt Agatha! This is Jeremy. No, Jennifer is busy right now. At least, I’m not sure where she is, but I’ll go hunt her up if you say so. A message? Oh, sure I’ll give her a message. She’ll be around at dinner time. Sorry you didn’t see her this afternoon? Oh, I’m sure she’ll understand. You had a bad headache and had to go right home to bed! Say now, that’s tough luck. You take care of yourself, Aunt Agatha. Oh, sure I’ll tell Jen. She’ll understand. Thanks a lot, Aunt Ag! Yep! We’re all right! Right’s we can be under the circumstances! Oh, sure, Aunt Ag. We know we had your sympathy! It means a lot and all that, you understand. Yes, I’ll take care of Jen. She’s doing fine. She’s getting the kids inta line now fer a bath and dinner! Oh, sure! I’ll tell her. No, she wouldn’t expect you ta come. So long, Aunt Ag! See you soon.”

  Jeremy hung up and turned grinning, repeating a few of Aunt Agatha’s sentences, mimicking her little affected accents.

  “She’s ‘just ahf-ly sorry she cawn’t come over this evening and chee-ah you up!’” Then suddenly Jeremy lifted his eyes and his gaze fell upon the picture of his mother there on the chiffonier before him, and his voice failed him. An unbidden mist came into his eyes. He was standing there making fun of his mother’s sister! Of course, if mother had been there she would only have laughed merrily over his clever imitation of the affectation, which she had always acknowledged herself, but somehow it got him for the moment, and he had to go over to the window and get out his handkerchief and blow his nose hard. And then, right in the midst of that the telephone rang again, and he whirled around quickly and took down the receiver again.

  “Yes, Aunt Lutie!” His voice was a bit hoarse and his tone grave now. “Oh yes, Aunt Lutie. It was nice of you to call. Yes, this is Jerry. Well, that’s kind of you, but I guess you’ll have to excuse us tonight, Aunt Lutie. I don’t think Jen feels up to it and neither do I. Roast duck? Oh, I say! That sounds swell! But I guess you’ll have to excuse us tonight. Jen and I are about all in. Oh yes, the kids are all right. They’ve had a good long nap this afternoon, and I expect they’ll go to sleep again early tonight! Thank you for calling, Aunt Lutie.”

  “Oh,” sighed Jennifer, “you’re swell! I’ll send you to the phone every time. And now, I guess we’d better get to work again. I’ve got a money belt for you to wear, and you had better put it on right now.” She stepped nearer and whispered.

  The brother nodded.

  “Okay!” he said. “Say, that was great Dad left that money! Looks almost as if he knew we were going to need it!” His voice was husky again with feeling. “There! Isn’t that Karen calling? Say, are you going to tell the kids what we’re going to do?”

  “Not till Maggie and Letty are gone,” said Jennifer decidedly. “One of them would be sure to forget and yell out something and then our goose would be cooked. If either of those two women found it out they wouldn’t go! They would think it was their duty to stay and stop us, or else go and tell Aunt Petra. No, we’ll do as much as we can before dark and have everything all ready to put together and leave as soon as you get back from the station. It doesn’t take long to put that trunk on the back of the car, does it?”

  “Trunk’s already on,” said Jeremy laconically. “The car’s away back in the garage behind my runabout.”

  “Well, but won’t the servants see the trunk on when you take them to the station?”

  “No, for I’m taking Cook in my runabout, so she won’t even know we are thinking about the other car. And as for Letty, she fell all over her tongue just now telling me her young man was calling for her at six thirty, so s
he’ll be out of the way, and we haven’t that to consider.”

  “Jerry,” said Jennifer, with a grave sweet look of appreciation. “I really begin to think you are almost more grown-up than I am, and certainly much more thoughtful!”

  “Thanks awfully, sister; I’d have to be going some to catch up with your class. The way you’ve managed this servant question, and the matter of finances, can’t be beat! There! I hear Robin calling. Can’t you get him out and let him run a little so he won’t get restless tonight?”

  “Yes, I’m going to send them all out to the playground.”

  Jennifer hurried to Robin.

  “Just sit still till I get Karen ready,” she said, “and then you two can go out and play hide-and-seek.”

  Robin smiled sweetly.

  “Awright!” he said contentedly. “I wike you better’n my nurse!” he vouchsafed irreverently.

  “That’s nice,” said Jennifer and stepped into Karen’s room, for she could hear her stirring now.

  “Now, Karen, get up and get into your play clothes. You and Robin are going out to the playground and have a lovely time until I call you in to dinner. Be quick about dressing. Robin is waiting for you.”

  “Okay!” said Karen, springing up. “I don’t have to wait for that old nurse, do I? I like to dress myself.”

  “Don’t you like the nurse, either?” said Jennifer.

  “I sure do not,” said the little girl. “She never lets me do a thing. She says I don’t know how, and I like to dress myself!”

  “Well, don’t be long. I want you to get out before the sunshine is all gone and have a good time running in the fresh air.”

  “And are we going to do something after dinner, too? We don’t have to go right to bed again, do we?”

  “Not right away,” said the sister. “I guess we’ll have a nice time after dinner, if you are all good.”

  “Oh, we’ll be good!” promised the young cherub.

  In the next room Heather and Hazel were both wide eyed.

  “We don’t have to stay here in bed any longer, do we?” pleaded Heather. “I certainly am sick of lying still.”

  “Come over here on Hazel’s bed,” said Jennifer in a low voice. “I want to tell you something.”

  Heather sprang up and snuggled in beside her sister. Jennifer sat down on the edge of the bed.

  “Now,” she said in almost a whisper, “I’m going to take you both into my confidence.”

  “Well, it’s about time,” said Hazel. “I think I at least ought to understand.” But their heads were snuggled closer and two pairs of eager eyes were fixed on her face.

  “Now listen, girls, you’re not to tell a soul anything about this. It’s a secret. We’re going away tonight after dinner, after Maggie and Letty are gone.”

  “Forever?” asked Hazel, aghast, her eyes casting a quick fond glance around her room.

  “Oh, no!” assured Jennifer. “But I’ve told the servants we have been invited out for tonight¾we were, you know, to several places¾and I thought we might be away for a little while.”

  “But, Jennifer!” said Heather, aghast. “We aren’t going to any of the aunts, are we? Oh, please Jennifer, not to the aunts! They’ll separate us! I know they will! And you promised we shouldn’t be separated!”

  Then suddenly Jennifer, to her amazement, found that both the girls were crying. Her heart went out to them with a quick warm love of which she had never been so conscious before. She came closer and enfolded them in a sudden big hug and kissed one tear-wet face and then the other.

  “No, no, no! You dear things! Of course you shan’t be separated! Didn’t I promise you? That’s what we’re going away for, so they can’t separate us. You know I’m not of age yet, and if we stayed here they would say I wasn’t old enough to manage things, and they would all jump in with both feet and make an awful time for us, so we’re not going to give them the chance. Now, will you sit up and mop up your faces and get to work? We’ve a lot to do, and we haven’t time to talk about it, or even to think about it. Do you think you both are grown-up enough and have strength of mind enough to put this out of your thoughts entirely and work like lightning? I want thoughtful work, too, the kind that doesn’t have to be done over and checked up on afterwards. Can you do it?”

  Two bright faces were suddenly lifted with hope shining like a rainbow behind the shed tears.

  “We can! We can!” they cried. “What shall we do?”

  “You can get ready to go,” said Jennifer. “You know we’ve got to take clothes enough along so we won’t have to buy any until we get back, and we’ve got to have the right kind of clothes, to keep either cool or warm in, according to the weather, so you’ve got to think as you pack and not forget a thing you may need very badly when you are away and haven’t much money to buy things with.”

  The girls’ eyes were round with wonder of it all.

  “Why, it’ll be kind of fun, won’t it, sister?” said Heather, who had scarcely smiled since she knew of the death of her beloved parents.

  “Perhaps,” said Jennifer, with a wistful look in her eyes. “I surely hope it will. Let’s make it fun. That will help us not to feel sad about all that has happened. Now get to work! You’ll want your plainest clothes. Nothing fancy. Do you understand?”

  The girls nodded, their eyes shining intelligently.

  “Won’t there be any parties?” asked Heather thoughtfully.

  “No parties!” said Jennifer. “Now go!”

  The children sprang into action, and Jennifer went down to be sure the front door was locked and no relative could walk in on her unawares.

  Through the dining room door she glimpsed the table set. The aroma of chicken getting itself to the finished stage was pleasantly obvious. Then Maggie stuck her head out of the pantry door and saw her going toward the stairs.

  “Miss Jennifer, is that you? Well, Miss Jennifer, I was just coming up to ask you. Should I defrost the refrigerator? Or should I leave it going to keep things? Will you be coming back that soon? Today is the day I usually defrost it, only I’ve been that busy¾”

  Jennifer considered. These were questions that had never come into her life before, but now she must do the best she could with them.

  “Is here much in the refrigerator that will spoil?” she asked, trying to look wise.

  “Well, there’s a good bit. There’s the big part of a roast. You folks scarcely ate a bite yesterday. And there’ll be some chicken left tonight, perhaps. I cooked a-plenty. There’s eggs, too, and quite a lot of butter. The week’s order just came this morning. If I had known we was all going away for a time I wouldn’t have let him leave it. And there’s three bottles of milk¾”

  “Well, I guess you’d better defrost the refrigerator,” Jennifer decided, realizing that she wouldn’t know how to do it herself after Maggie was gone. “You can put anything that will spoil out on the kitchen table and I’ll have the gardener come in and take some things to his cottage. I guess he’ll be glad to have them.”

  “You’re right there! He certainly will be glad to get anything, with all his flock of kids. All right, Miss Jennifer. I’ll see to it all. And I’ll leave the keys out on the sideboard for you to attend to. The silver and that like’ll be all right in its regular place, like your father used to fix it when we went to the shore.”

  “Thank you, Maggie. But when are you going to do your packing?”

  “Oh, I’ll manage that easy,” said the woman. “I went up while the chicken was cooking and got most of my things folded. It won’t take long. Miss Jennifer, do you mind if I take a couple of those big pasteboard suitcases in the box closet? There’s a-plenty of them up there. And if you don’t mind, I’d like to take a pound of that nice fresh butter to my sister as a present.”

  “Yes, do take it,” said Jennifer. “Perhaps Letty would like a pound, too. She said she was going to board herself while she was away.”

  “I’ll tell her, Miss Jennifer, and thank you kindly. Yo
u’re getting like your blessed mamma every day.”

  “Thank you, Maggie.” Jennifer choked back a sob that suddenly swelled into her throat, and she sped away up the stairs. How hard it was going to be to break even this humble link to their old life. Maggie had endeared herself to them in many ways, and Jennifer had a sudden appalling feeling of her own inadequacy. How was she ever going to be able to take the place not only of Father and Mother, but of all the servants as well, to her dear young family? She who knew so little about the routine of daily living?

  Heather put out a cautious head from her door and called softly:

  “Sister! Come here and tell us. Are these dresses too fancy?” She held up a thin gingham outfit of dark blue with scarlet rickrack edging on thin white ruffles. It was just a cheap little dress but evidently one that Heather admired greatly.

  “No, that’s all right! Now, let’s see how much you have done!”

  The girls had really done good work, and little piles of socks and underwear, a row of shoes to be selected from, and piles of neatly ironed cotton dresses were duly displayed to her. She made a few changes, suggesting an addition or two and eliminating one or two items.

  “Now,” said the older sister, “that’s fine. You might run in my room and get those two suitcases under my bed. I had Jerry put them there. I think they will about hold your things, and then we can hide them in the closet for the present.” Quietly the two girls tiptoed into their sister’s room and brought back the suitcases, looking furtively behind them as if they expected to see an enemy-aunt lurking in every corner.

  With awe they brought their piles of clothing and handed them to Jennifer as she knelt by the open suitcases and laid things carefully in.

  “What about our brushes and combs and things?” asked Hazel practically.

  “We’ll have to take a couple of little overnight bags,” said Jennifer. “One for us and one for the boys. They have all the fittings in, and then everything will be easy to get at. Get your necessities together. Now, are you sure you’ve saved out all you’ll need for the journey?”