Reflecting Love's Charms (Bellingwood Book 14)

by Diane Greenwood Muir

  Henry planned to reinforce the doorways on both ends before too much traffic passed through there. He'd also talked to a few of his vendors about the best way to shore up the walls of the rooms where they'd found the still and the barrels. Since the holes had already been dug and the earth had long since settled, he and Polly were dreaming about what to build on top of that space. They'd discussed a patio, but with a large back porch attached to the house, it didn't make much sense. At this point, anything was possible.

  Polly turned the water off in the shower and rolled her shoulders. She had no idea how she'd been so lucky as to find someone like Henry. There was nothing he couldn't do and when he told her to dream big and they'd either figure out how to make it happen or scale back from there, she could hardly contain herself. The Bell House was going to take a long time to get to where she was happy with it. Henry had to remind her on a regular basis that they were in no hurry. That worked most of the time, but when she got excited, all she could see was the finished project and she wanted to be there right now.

  By the time Polly got to the kitchen, Henry was gone for the day. He liked being able to let his crews leave early on Friday afternoons, so that meant his day started before everyone else's.

  "Have the dogs gone out?" she asked.

  Heath was in front of the television eating his breakfast while Rebecca had her nose in a book at the dining room table.

  "Hey. Family," Polly said, louder than she'd spoken the first time.

  "Yeah. They went out," Rebecca said.

  "What are you reading?"

  Rebecca tipped the book up and then back down before Polly could focus on the title.

  "Is that for a class?"

  "No. Just some of my friends are reading it. It's okay. I got it at the library."

  "What are you watching, Heath?" Polly asked, loud enough for him to hear.

  "ESPN. No biggie."

  "Why don't you come over and join us?"

  Rebecca looked up; startled. "Are we having a family meeting or something?"

  "No. I just wanted to spend time with my family before the day started." Polly went into the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee, then looked around. "What did you guys eat for breakfast?"

  "I just had some juice," Rebecca said.

  Heath dropped into a chair at the table. "What's up?"

  "Did you eat anything?" Polly asked him.

  He shrugged. "I'm not that hungry."

  "For heaven's sake," she said and opened the cupboard. Pulling out cereal boxes, she put them on the peninsula and then took milk out of the refrigerator. "You two are eating something before you go to school. No argument. Heath, come get bowls and spoons. Rebecca, put your book down and grab the cereal and milk." She took a drink of coffee and then pulled the toaster away from the wall, making sure it was plugged in. "I'm going to make toast and you're going to eat it."

  "You don't have to do all that," Heath said.

  "What are your plans tonight?" Polly asked. He'd worked hard this week with Henry putting the porch on at the new house and though he'd offered, tonight they were taking a break. The weekend was going to be busy enough without starting it out with more construction.

  Heath moved past her with the bowls and spoons. She took down two clean glasses and put them on the peninsula, too.

  "Rebecca," she said, louder than she intended.

  "What?"

  "Put a bookmark in your book and close it."

  "But I'm almost to a stopping point."

  Polly laughed. She'd been there too many times to count. It wasn't going to work on her, though. "Just think about how exciting it will be to go back to that. Close the book."

  Rebecca jammed a piece of paper in the book and slammed it on the table.

  "Rebecca?" Polly warned.

  "Sorry."

  "So what are you doing tonight, Heath?" Polly asked. "Anything fun?"

  "I dunno," he said. "We were supposed to go over to Morgan's house, but her dad got the flu or something. Nobody has any money to go out."

  "Bring 'em here," Polly said. "We'll buy pizza. And we'll leave you all alone. I promise." She couldn't think of anything better than hiding in her bedroom, reading a book and snoozing while Henry watched television.

  "What about me?" Rebecca asked. Her shoulders slumped and she dropped her head. "It's my birthday weekend."

  "You're right," Polly said. "Heath, you can't have any of your friends over tonight."

  Rebecca looked up at her in confusion. "Why not?"

  "Because it's your birthday weekend."

  "I didn't mean that. I just kinda thought Kayla would be around and we'd do something."

  Polly hugged her shoulders. "I know that. But we're going to have a wildly busy weekend with a lot of people celebrating different things. You're going to meet Henry's grandparents tomorrow night and I know they're looking forward to meeting both of you. Sal's baby shower is tomorrow and your party is on Sunday. Beryl is taking you out for lunch tomorrow before the shower. There is so much going on." She turned to Heath. "Do you want to bring your friends here?"

  "Yeah. That'd be great," he said. "Six thirty okay?"

  "That's fine. And as for you, little Miss, you have a couple of options. I could talk to Jessie about you..."

  "Could I spend the night with her and Molly? That would be awesome. I haven't been over there in a long time. We could stay up late and watch movies and she could do makeup and my hair. Please, please, please?"

  "I'll talk to her. If that's what you want to do and she's available, you're set."

  "Beg her," Rebecca whined. "That would be the perfect start to my birthday weekend." She clasped her hands together in front of her face, "Oh please."

  Polly chuckled. "I'll see what we can do." She walked around the table and put her hand on Heath's shoulder. "If you think about it, text me today and tell me about how many are going to show up."

  He nodded, his mouth full of cereal. "I will," he said once he'd swallowed. "Thanks."

  ~~~

  Polly smoothed a phantom wrinkle in her skirt as she turned to look at her back in the mirror. Everything was in place and she was fit to be seen with Lila Kahane. The woman was as judgmental as could be, but so far, Polly had escaped much of her criticism. It was funny. She encountered these same people every day in Bellingwood, but gave them no thought. She didn't care what they thought of her and when some of the women she knew made snide comments about what she wore or how Rebecca dressed, she just ignored it. They weren't her friends, they didn't impact her life and she didn't have time for their petty behaviors. But for some reason, Sal's mother was different. Polly knew it was probably because Sal was always concerned about her mother's perceptions and that rubbed off. The thing was, Lila loved Polly and could never say enough nice things about her. Polly had caught Sal sticking her tongue out more than once as her mother gushed over something Polly said or did.

  The number of times Polly had to dress up to this degree during the day were limited now that she owned Sycamore House, but she still had a few nice things from the days she worked in the Boston Public Library. She slipped her feet into blue pumps that matched her skirt, checked one more time that everything was in place, and headed for the back door. When she opened the garage door, she laughed out loud. Only in the Midwest could she dress as she had and then drive a truck to lunch. Polly had to hike her skirt to climb up into the cab and that made her laugh all the harder. This was the life. Lila Kahane would never understand its appeal.

  She pulled into a parking space at Davey's and was relieved to see that Sal's car wasn't already there. Being late was an incredible sin in Lila Kahane's eyes. It wouldn't matter that you were three minutes early. Mrs. Kahane had her own clock and judged everyone's timing accordingly. Polly used the extra moments to get out of her truck as gracefully as she could manage. Maybe a more flared skirt the next time would be a better idea. She went inside, told the hostess there would be three of them and when asked if she
wanted to be seated, Polly chose to wait instead.

  She didn’t wait long for Sal and her mother. Both women were tall. Where Sal preferred deep reds and rich tones, her mother accented her beautiful silver hair with blues and sumptuous grays. They caused heads to turn no matter where they were, both entering a room with an air of authority and grace.

  "Polly," Lila said, giving her a light hug and touching her cheek to Polly's. "It's good to see you. Living in the country has done wonders for you." She patted both of the younger women's faces. "For both of you. You look so healthy." Lila pinched Sal's cheek and said, "All of that color in your faces, extra meat on your bones and you look comfortable in your lovely clothes."

  Wham. Polly wondered what the car ride up from Des Moines had been like for Sal.

  "Is this your party?" the hostess asked Polly. When given an affirmative nod, she continued. "Right this way."

  Lila Kahane led out and Sal drifted behind, grabbing Polly's hand. She opened her eyes wide and shook her head, mouthing, "Oh my lord!"

  Polly tried not to chuckle and barely contained it when Lila turned around. "Hurry, girls. Don't make me walk by myself."

  "Yes, mother," Sal said. She squeezed Polly's hand and then dropped it, walking around the table to sit beside her mother.

  The hostess handed out menus and then asked if she could get anything from the bar for them.

  Lila spoke up first. "Please bring me a tall glass of iced tea. Pour the tea over the ice, please, do not put the ice in after you've filled it with tea. I would like real sugar brought to the table in a bowl, not any of that packaged stuff and in another dish, bring four lemon wedges. Be sure to wash the lemons before you slice them." Then she looked at Sal and Polly.

  Polly had always known Sal to be picky when she ordered food in a restaurant, but she watched Sal process on what her mother was doing.

  "I'll just have water," Sal said.

  Polly smiled at the hostess. "Water is fine for me, too. Thank you."

  "Is there anything other than steak to eat here?" Lila asked.

  Sal took a breath. "Open your menu, mother. It's a very nice restaurant with a large selection."

  "So you don't have a chef who specializes in interesting entrees," Lila said. "Just run of the mill food." She looked through the menu, turned to the back, then opened it again and glanced through it before putting it down. "I guess a cobb salad will have to do."

  "Mother," Sal said.

  Polly nudged Sal's foot with her own. "I think I'll have a salad as well," Polly said. "But their pepper steak salad is very popular."

  Mrs. Kahane picked her menu back up. "With a raspberry vinaigrette? That sounds lovely."

  It nearly killed Polly to not snort a laugh, but she kept a straight face and didn't even wince when Sal kicked her under the table.

  "You should also have a salad," Mrs. Kahane said to her daughter. "I can't imagine how much work you'll have to do to take off all the weight you put on during pregnancy."

  "My doctor says that I'm doing just fine with the weight I've gained, mother. I'm not worried."

  "Of course you aren't. You're young and don't see things through hindsight like I do."

  Sal smiled and closed her menu. "I've seen pictures of you while you were pregnant with me and just a few months after I was born. You never experienced much weight gain. How could you possibly know about this?"

  Lila pursed her lips and glared at Sal. "I do have friends and they talk about the issues their daughters go through."

  "I'm my own person and you do not need to compare me to the lazy slobs who belong to your friends," Sal said. She looked up when the waitress approached with their drinks. "The tea and all its special fixins' are for my mother."

  After the girl was finished putting drinks down, she asked, "What may I get for you today?"

  "First of all," Lila said. "I want you to make sure that I am the only one who sees the bill for today's meal. I will take care of it."

  "Okay," the waitress agreed, her pen poised.

  "I will have the pepper steak salad with raspberry vinaigrette. Be sure the dressing is on the side and in a real dish, not a plastic cup. I'd like the steak to be medium rare, not beat to death on the grill or griddle or whatever you cook it on and I can not abide onions. Whatever you do, make sure that there are none on my salad. Do you have all of that?"

  "Yes ma'am. Dressing on the side, medium rare, no onions." Without waiting for a response, the waitress turned her body to face Polly. "And you?"

  "I'll have the same, but with onions and the dressing directly on the salad," Polly said. "Thanks."

  "And for you, Miss Kahane?"

  "I feel like steak today, too," Sal said. "But I want a New York strip, medium rare, baked potato with butter and sour cream and whatever your vegetables are for today. Oh, and a cup of corn chowder. You can just bring it out with the meal."

  "Anything else?"

  Sal looked at her mother, who was doing her best not to look shocked, but she was too well-mannered to say anything.

  "That should be fine," Sal said. "And thank you."

  "Are you sure you'll be able to eat all of that?" Lila asked. "That's an immense meal."

  "What I don't eat, I'll take home to the pups," Sal said.

  "Salliane," Lila scolded.

  "Mother," Sal retorted in the same tone of voice.

  Lila turned her attention to Polly. "I'm looking forward to seeing your little Sycamore House. Sal says that you have quite a nice business going on here. That's wonderful, dear."

  "I enjoy it," Polly said. "There is always something interesting happening in the building."

  "And you've taken in two young children to care for?"

  "Rebecca will be going into the eighth grade this fall and Heath will be a senior in high school," Polly replied. "They aren't so young, but they're mine and I love them."

  "Tell me about this new house that you're renovating. It used to be a speakeasy? I attended a lecture several years ago on women who brought about Prohibition. It was fascinating information."

  "The house was originally built as an upscale hotel, and I believe the owner thought he could make extra money by selling whiskey. They also had musical groups come in from the larger cities in the Midwest. We don't know anything for certain except that he was distilling whiskey over there."

  "You certainly have your hands full. And you're happy with your husband?" Lila wrinkled her forehead. "Tell me why you didn't take his name. Is it purely for business reasons?"

  "The business had much to do with it, but it was personal as well," Polly said. "I suppose some might call me an independent girl, but I've always been Polly Giller and since I wasn't expecting Henry to take my name, he didn't think it crucial that I take his."

  Lila laughed a pert little laugh and dabbed at her lips with the napkin. "You girls and your newfangled ways. I just hope Sal decides to give the child a solid foundation before it's born."

  Sal took a deep breath and looked up in relief as the waitress approached with a large tray. She neatly placed their plates in front of them and stepped back. "Is everything to your liking?" she asked, looking directly at Lila. She had taken extra time to make sure that each request of Lila's was correct as she put things on the table.

  "This looks fine," Sal said and held up her glass. "Could I get some more, please?"

  "I'll be right back with a pitcher."

  Polly knew this meal could go one of two ways, so she quickly took a bite of her salad and when it was just as she expected it to be, looked up at Lila. "This was such a good choice. It's one of my favorite dishes here. I love the blend of flavors. How does yours taste?"

  Sal shook her head and smiled at Polly as they waited for Mrs. Kahane to take a bite.

  "It's very good, dear. Thank you for recommending it to me." She put her knife and fork down, wiped her hands on her napkin and turned to Sal. "How is yours?"

  Sal hadn't done anything other than cut into the steak. "It looks
perfect. I'm sure it's fine. Mother, you should hear what Polly's been up to this week. She found another body, you know."

  "Other than the bones with the still?" Lila asked, turning her focus to Polly.

  Polly kicked Sal under the table again and smiled. This was going to be a long afternoon.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  "Everything is good here. Let's take the dogs for a ride," Henry said. "It's a beautiful evening."

  Jessie had picked Andrew and Rebecca up after she left work. They were going to have a pizza and watch movies until Sylvie collected her son. Heath and Polly had made a quick run to the store for extra junk food and soda pop for his party and all he needed to do was be downstairs to bring up pizza when it arrived. He was pretty excited about the evening.

  "I don't feel comfortable leaving the kids all alone in the house."

  Henry laughed at her. "We'll only be gone a couple of hours and there are so many adults downstairs that know us and care for our kids, we have nothing to worry about." He smiled. "And consider this another step in showing Heath that we trust him."

  "But I don't want to set him up to fail," Polly protested.

  "We've already talked to him about being responsible and keeping an eye on his friends so they're responsible, too. These are good kids and we'll be back long before the party's over. Then you can send me to our room and I'll go peacefully.

  "Fine." Polly relented. It didn't sound like Henry was giving up easily. "But what about dinner?"

  "We'll figure it out as we go," he said. "Come on."

  They went out to the dining room where Heath was re-stacking cups and plates for the third time.

  "Are you really okay with us being gone for a while?" Polly asked.

  He shrugged. "It's fine. Not like anything's going to happen. We're just going to play games and eat.

  "Okay," Polly said. "Have fun."

  She patted her leg and Obiwan jumped up from where he'd been lying in the kitchen. "Come on, boy. We're going for a walk."

  Han ran to the back stairway and waited, dancing in place until Polly and Henry got there. Henry snagged two of their longest leashes and herded the dogs into his truck's back seat, then held the door for Polly.