“Are you ready to bail on us now?” asked Jane.
Alice firmly shook her head. “No. I just wanted to let you know that I’m really glad that I went to part-time at work. I know I was worried about it the other day. And I’m sure I haven’t quite been myself lately, but now I know for absolute certain that it was the right thing to do.”
Jane smiled. “I’m so relieved. I was feeling guilty, thinking that maybe I’d talked you into something you weren’t really happy about. And then you’ve got Louise and me at home, waiting for you like a couple of spoiled children who need a referee to get along.”
Louise shook her head. “Goodness, Alice, I wouldn’t blame you if you’d decided you wanted to go back to working full time just to avoid us. We’ve behaved miserably.”
“I apologize,” said Jane. “To both of you. I hope you’ll forgive me.”
“I’m sorry too,” admitted Louise. “I’m not usually like this. I think it has something to do with being back at home again, especially after all these years. It’s as if I’m suddenly seventeen again, trying to play the mothering role and thinking I can make my two younger sisters just fall into step.” She shook her head. “It’s really rather silly.”
Jane got up and sat down on the bed next to Alice now. She took Alice’s hand in hers. “Oh, it feels so much more balanced and peaceful having you here.”
Louise reached over and patted Alice on the back. “Yes, dear, you have no idea how much we need your help around here.”
Alice chuckled. “Oh yes, I think I do.”
It didn’t take long for Alice to adjust to her new role at the hospital. She let the administrator deal with the two nurses who couldn’t get along. After a week or so, she was getting better at accepting the fact that she didn’t need to take responsibility for everything that happened there anymore.
“You need to learn to let go and let God,” Vera reminded her during their morning walk one day. “You have such a tendency to carry the world on your shoulders, Alice.”
“I know.” Alice zipped her sweatshirt up higher against the chilly morning air.
“Old habits are hard to break. It just seems that most of my life I’ve been taking care of people. It just seems natural to think that everything is up to me to work out or resolve or fix up somehow.”
Vera laughed. “Well, thank the good Lord that it’s not.”
Alice nodded. “Yeah, if it were, we’d be in some kind of a mess.”
“It’s okay to let people help you out too, Alice. You know, that’s why God put us all down here together.”
Alice turned and smiled at her friend. “Thanks for reminding me.”
“Well, we all need a little reminder from time to time.”
Chapter Sixteen
During the week after the little standoff, Jane and Louise both worked at more civilized behavior, but it was plain to see that their differences in style and décor were deeply ingrained into the fiber of their personalities. Alice wasn’t really surprised by this. She still remembered how these traits had displayed themselves throughout her sisters’ childhoods.
Jane, the perennial tomboy, adventure seeker, free-spirited artist, had grown up in the sixties and had always leaned heavily toward no-nonsense contemporary styles. She still loved bold colors and sweeping statements, clean-lined furnishings and large striking pieces of modern art. It’s just who she was.
Louise, on the other hand, had always been a very feminine girl. She had been a teenager in the fifties and had enjoyed wearing pastels and ruffles. She had never liked to get her hands dirty and nothing pleased her more than playing the piano in a frilly dress with a nearby vase of tea roses perfectly centered on a lace doily. So it was only natural that Louise was drawn to floral wallpapers and fussy curtains. She loved anything with flowers or lace.
Fortunately, during the past week, instead of fussing over the interior design decisions, Jane and Louise had managed to distract themselves with the mundane tasks that no one could disagree on. All sorts of jobs needed to be done, things like sanding the wood molding and prepping the walls. Jane had even managed to talk Louise into donning a pair of coveralls and gloves and sanding the staircase hand railing one afternoon.
“It wasn’t so bad,” confessed Louise that night at dinner. “I wore safety goggles and one of those fiber masks, and then I simply paced myself.”
“She did a good job,” admitted Jane.
“I can’t wait to put on a pair of coveralls tomorrow,” said Alice. “I feel like I’ve been missing out on all the fun.”
Louise shook her head. “Fun might be a bit of an overstatement, Alice.”
Jane winked at her as she ladled out another serving of black bean soup and then topped it with a generous dollop of sour cream.
By the end of the following day, Alice could tell that both her sisters’ patience was starting to wear thin again. Not only that, but they were also quickly approaching the time when more decisions had to be made. Louise had already been poking around in the attic and bringing down old pieces of Victorian furniture that she thought would look perfect in the guest rooms. Meanwhile, Jane kept hinting that Louise’s flowery wallpaper selections would only make the house look too fussy and that the walls would look much better painted in some bold and interesting colors. Alice felt like a Ping-Pong ball bouncing back and forth between her two sisters. She honestly wanted to encourage both of them and somehow to manage to make everyone happy, yet she felt unsure about how they would find a happy compromise.
By mid-morning on a particularly controversial Saturday—her two sisters were grumbling about wallpaper again—Alice decided she definitely needed a break. She figured it was only a matter of time before Jane and Louise got into a really serious disagreement that even Alice wouldn’t be able to referee. Louise had already taken numerous Victorian replica wallpaper books and spread them across the dining room table like an out-of-control flower garden. Then she had cornered Alice and demanded an opinion regarding the blue and pink “Posy Rosy” and the yellow and purple “Lacy Lilac” wallpapers. “For the foyer,” Louise urged her. “Don’t you think the Posy Rosy would be perfectly warm and inviting?”
“I’m not terribly fond of pink and blue,” Alice admitted.
“Then how about the Lacy Lilac?”
“For the dining room?” Alice asked weakly.
Louise nodded. “Yes, I think it will really brighten it up in here.”
“I’m just not sure.” Alice squinted her eyes and tried to imagine their dining room walls covered with flowers. For one thing, she knew Jane would throw a fit. She’d already made it clear that she wanted the kitchen and dining area to be a little more contemporary. And this seemed fair since Jane was to be the main cook.
“We must make a decision,” said Louise. “It will take two to four weeks for the wallpapers to arrive.”
“Wallpapers?” echoed Jane from the front foyer. “Did I hear someone mention wallpaper again?”
“I need to go to town,” Alice said as she quickly made her way to the back porch, where she removed her coveralls and left them on a shelf. She could hear her sisters’ voices growing louder as she cut through the backyard, passed Aunt Ethel’s and headed toward town.
She stopped in the Coffee Shop and ordered a cup of tea.
“No pie today?” asked Hope.
Alice shook her head. “I’m trying to cut back on the sweets.”
Hope nodded. “Yeah, I know what you mean. We gotta watch our girlish figures.”
Alice laughed.
“So how’s it going up at the house?”
“Don’t ask.”
“That bad, huh?” Hope leaned over as if to get the real scoop. “Your sisters driving you nuts again?”
Alice blinked in surprise. “How—I mean, what makes you think that?”
Hope grinned. “Word gets around.”
“Well, it’s awfully hard to make decisions about things like paint colors and wallpaper.”
> “Hey, I walked by your house yesterday and I happen to think your exterior paint colors look great.”
“You and about four other people in town.”
“Still catching some flak, are you?”
Alice sighed. “I’m sure we won’t hear the end of it for a long, long time.”
“Didn’t Irene’s article in the newspaper help?” Hope refilled a coffee cup at the other end of the counter. “I found it pretty interesting myself. I didn’t realize there was so much to know about historic colors.”
“That was a nice article.” Alice sipped her tea. “And I hope it will help convince some people in this town that Victorian homes were originally painted something other than white or peach.”
“I heard Mabel Torrence saying that she might just go ahead and paint her house pink now. Said she always fancied a nice flamingo shade of pink, but that Harold would never agree to it when he was alive.” Hope chuckled. “Might make the poor old guy roll over in his grave though.”
“Flamingo pink?” Alice tried to imagine the little pale gray bungalow painted a shade of bright pink and shuddered. “Goodness, I hope we haven’t started something that—”
“Oh, don’t worry.” Hope waved her hand. “This town could use a little more color.”
Alice finished her tea and went across the street to the bookstore. She figured she could spend a few more minutes just looking around before she forced herself to head back home and face the fray.
“How’s it going, Alice?” asked Viola.
“Okay, I guess.”
“You don’t sound too sure.”
Alice forced a smile. “Well, we’re just reaching the stage where it’s time to make some decisions on the interior of the house.”
Viola grinned. “I’ll bet your two sisters are probably going at it all over again.”
Alice shrugged. “Seems everyone knows about our troubles.”
“It’s a small town, Alice.”
“So I’ve heard.”
“I’ve never seen two sisters less alike than Jane and Louise.” Viola lowered her voice a little since there was another customer in the shop. “I like Louise just fine. Why, she and I even share the same interest in nineteenth-century literature. But Jane, she’s a bit too outspoken if you ask me.”
“Oh, you haven’t had a good chance to get acquainted with Jane yet. She’s a very creative person, very talented. In fact, she’s a free thinker, sort of like you. You should get to know her better.”
“I’m sure you’re right. My first impressions are often a little off.”
Alice glanced around the bookstore. “Say, Viola, you wouldn’t have anything on home décor in here, would you?”
“Well, now that you mention it, I just got some books in the other day, and come to think of it, I might have one that’s right up your alley. Let’s see, where did I put those?”
Finally Viola emerged from the backroom with a large book in her hands. “Here it is.” She held up the book Simply Victorian.
Alice took the book from her and began to flip through the glossy pages. It was a pretty book, full of nice color photos, but what Alice immediately noticed was that the rooms didn’t appear overly fussy and frilly. “This is different.”
“That’s what I thought too. If you read the introduction, it explains that it’s the Victorian style simplified. I think it’s rather nice myself. Maybe it will be of some help to you and your sisters.”
Alice nodded. “Yes, this might be just the ticket.” She gladly paid for the expensive book and then hurried home.
She was barely in the front door when she heard Jane’s voice from the dining room. “Oh, Louise, how on earth do you expect me to serve food in a room that looks like a bedroom?”
“A bedroom?” Louise’s voice was a bit sharp. “What do you mean—”
“Hello?” called Alice in a tentative voice.
“Alice,” Louise turned to her with a slightly flushed face. “I’m so glad that you’re back. Our little sister doesn’t like these authentic Victorian reproduction wallpapers.”
“I think you two need a timeout,” said Alice with a weak smile.
“We need to make some decisions,” said Louise. “This wallpaper can take up to four weeks for delivery, and that’s with a rush order and we’ve got to—”
“Why do we have to have wallpaper in the first place?” Jane closed the wallpaper book with a thud. Wendell, who had been lying under the dining table, got up quickly and left the room.
Smart cat, thought Alice.
Louise patted Jane on the head. “Settle down, little sister.”
Jane sighed. “Yeah, I guess I am getting fairly worked up. Sorry.”
“Okay, can you both give me your attention for just one minute?” pleaded Alice as she opened her bag. “Viola showed me this great book at Nine Lives, and it might be just the answer.” She pulled out the large book and set it on top of the wallpaper books that were spread across the dining room table.
“Simply Victorian,” Jane read in a suspicious tone.
“Let’s have a look,” said Louise.
“Hey, that’s not half bad,” said Jane as they studied a two-page photo of a Victorian dining room.
“See,” said Alice. “It’s not all flowers and frills and yet it still looks nice.”
“No wallpaper,” noted Louise with a slight frown.
“It doesn’t need it,” said Jane. “See how the architecture and wood paneling really stand out against that pale blue paint. It’s lovely.”
“The furniture is antique,” said Alice, “but it doesn’t look too busy or crowded.”
“Or fussy,” added Jane.
They flipped through some more pages, and before long it seemed that Louise and Jane were coming to a real place of compromise.
“I guess I could give up some of the fussiness,” admitted Louise.
“And I suppose it would look silly to have everything all modern and contemporary in here,” said Jane. “Just the same I’d like it to feel clean and light and cheerful.”
“That’s what I want too,” said Louise.
“Then maybe we’re all in agreement.” Alice smiled hopefully.
“I think we’re getting closer.” Jane pointed out a photo with a shining mahogany table with a beautiful bouquet of fresh flowers in a crystal vase on top. “Now, I think that’s simply gorgeous. I would love to grow our own flowers and have arrangements like that throughout the house.” She turned to Louise. “Really, isn’t that much better than silk flowers and frilly doilies?”
Louise nodded. “Yes, I think I might have to agree with you on that.”
“So what do you think of that color for our dining room?” asked Alice as she pointed to the background color in that particular photo.
“It’s kind of a celery green,” observed Jane. “I like it.”
“I like it too,” said Louise, “but do you think it would look right in here?”
“I think it would be lovely,” said Jane. “Fresh and clean, and a nice contrast with the dark wood dining room furniture. Can’t you just see it with a bouquet like that on the table?”
“I can!” Alice felt excited now.
“It looks to me like a faux finish,” said Jane as she bent over to examine the photo more carefully.
“What’s that?” asked Alice.
“It’s when you use several shades of paint and a special technique. It’s easier to show you than to explain it.” Jane stood up straight and rubbed her hands together. “When do we begin?”
Alice shrugged. “It’s up to you guys.”
“What do you think of that area rug in the picture?” asked Louise in what seemed a slightly cautious voice. “I mean, I realize that Jane has been saying that she doesn’t want to see a lot of area rugs strewn all over the place.”
“It’s actually quite nice,” admitted Jane. “Not too busy.”
Louise smiled now. “Well, I happen to have a rug almost exactly like that. It�
��s pure wool and just the right size for this room.”
“This is great,” said Jane.
Alice nodded. “I think we’re onto something, girls.”
“Too bad we didn’t stumble across this book sooner,” said Louise. “I’m sure we gave Aunt Ethel something new to talk about today.”
“Aunt Ethel was here?” Alice felt her eyebrows going up.
“We were acting like children again,” admitted Louise. “I’m sure Aunt Ethel has already told Lloyd and half the town about our little disagreement by now.”
“Oh well.” Alice sighed. “It’s not as if there aren’t rumors going around Acorn Hill already.”
“We’re going to have quite a reputation before long,” said Jane with what almost seemed like pride.
“I have an idea,” said Louise. “Why don’t we all go out for lunch right now? My treat. We’ll put on our best manners and show everyone just how much we really love each other.”
“Give them something new to talk about?”
They took their paint samples and new décor book to the Coffee Shop and sat around a big corner table. Hope winked at Alice as she refilled their water glasses. “Everything okay here?” she asked.
“Couldn’t be better,” said Louise.
“What do you think of this color for our dining room?” Alice asked Hope.
“Ooh, that’s nice.”
Before the day was over, they had picked out most of their interior paint colors and had even agreed upon a few samples of some of the less intricate styles of wallpaper. If all went as planned, then the finished appearance of the inn would be fresh and clean and yet elegant.
“I think the colors we’ve chosen will feel nice and peaceful,” Alice said later on that evening as they sat around the kitchen table sipping cinnamon tea. “Our guests will just sigh deeply when they step in the front door. They’ll know this is a place where they can simply relax.”
“A place where one can be refreshed and encouraged,” said Louise.
“A place of hope and healing,” added Jane.
“A place where God is at home,” said Alice.
“I like that,” said Jane. “Maybe we should put those words on a plaque or something.”
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