“What on earth!” exclaimed Jane as she fully opened the door to see Ethel standing there, with a bright purple silk scarf draped over her head and partially covering her face, which was blotchy, red and swollen. “What happened to you, Auntie?”
Ethel pulled her scarf more tightly around her chin, clearly embarrassed by her appearance. “An allergic reaction.”
Jane nodded as realization sunk in. “Oh. Was it from last night's facial?”
“I'm afraid so. Anyway, that's what Dr. Bentley suspected.”
“You've already been to the doctor?”
“He came to see me. I felt bad calling him so early, but I wasn't sure what had happened to me and I seemed to be having difficulty breathing. I was quite alarmed.”
“Oh my!”
“Dr. Bentley gave me a shot and some antihistamine pills. He said I should feel and look better in a day or two.” She slowly shook her head, then pulled her scarf over her face a bit more.
“Poor Aunt Ethel.” Jane gently patted her aunt's shoulder.
“Believe it or not, my dear, I actually looked worse than this only a few hours ago.”
“Good grief,” said Jane. “Why didn't you call over here for help?”
“I considered doing that, but I felt it was rather serious and I knew that our good doctor would make a house call. I thought it best to see a physician.”
“Yes, it seems you were right about that.”
“Anyway, it just hit me a few minutes ago that I had promised to show Belle the town today. I wanted to introduce her around and all. And I'm afraid I won't be able to do that now.”
“You could've just called over here to cancel, Auntie. I'm sure Belle will understand.”
“Yes, I suppose. But I wanted to ask you a personal favor, Jane. You see, I thought perhaps you could step in for me. Belle is a sweet person, and I do so like her. I really do want to help her, despite my reaction to her beauty products. Anyway, I would like to assist Belle in establishing herself in Acorn Hill. And I thought that you, being not terribly busy since the inn isn't full, well, couldn't you step in for your poor old auntie?”
“Oh, I don't really think that's a good—”
“Please, Jane,” pleaded Ethel. “It will only be for a day or two at the most. And, as you know, time is of the essence. Belle needs to get started on her mission right away.”
“Her mission?” Jane frowned.
“Of finding a man.” She shoved a piece of paper at Jane. “I've made a list of all the people you can begin introducing her to.”
“But, Auntie,” demanded Jane, “surely you don't expect me to drag poor Belle about the town, introducing her to every available male and making complete fools of both of—”
“I only expect you to use your head, Jane. Of course, you won't let it be known that Belle is, well, on a manhunt. You must be more diplomatic than that. Just casually give Belle a tour of our dear little town and make it seem coincidental when you just happen to run into certain eligible bachelors. It's really quite simple.” Ethel sighed heavily, as if this whole business was wearing her out.
“Oh, Auntie, I really don't think—”
“That's just the point, Jane. Don't think. You're always making a mountain out of a molehill, dear. It's really not such a great deal to ask of one's niece. In fact, while you're at it, you might take some notes from Belle because she seems much more likely to wed than you.”
Because of Ethel's pitiful condition, Jane decided to control the urge to respond. What good would it do anyway?
“So, you'll do it for me then?” Ethel twisted her swollen and purplish lips into a crooked smile.
“I'll do what I can, Auntie. But no guarantees.”
“And I'll give Lloyd a call later this morning. Maybe he can be of some help to us as well. Thank you, Jane.” Ethel pulled her scarf closer around her face. “Now I feel the need to go and rest a bit. I think I shall put my feet up, perhaps have a cup of tea.”
Jane softened toward her aunt. “And I'll bring you some breakfast in a little bit.”
“Oh, you are a dear.” Then Ethel went out the back door.
Jane watched as her elderly aunt scurried toward her home in the inn's carriage house. She walked in a hunched-back manner, as if she thought this posture might make her less visible as she quickly returned to the sanctuary of the carriage house. Poor Auntie!
Then, as Jane noticed smoke coming out of the waffle iron, she thought, Poor Jane! Not only had her waffles burned, but she had allowed Ethel to rope her into a perfectly silly scheme. Really, what could I have been thinking?
“Hello in there?” called Kenneth.
“Come in, come in,” she called in a less than welcoming voice as she turned on the range fan and began scraping blackened waffle crumbs from the waffle iron and into the sink.
“Uh-oh,” said Kenneth in a teasing tone, “looks like I picked the wrong day to have breakfast at the inn.”
“Just a little mishap,” she assured him. “I was distracted.”
He poured himself a mug of decaf. “Was that your aunt I saw hurrying away from here just now?”
Jane chuckled. “Yes. And that was my distraction.”
“She was moving pretty fast,” he said as he sat down at the kitchen table, planting his elbows and taking a slow sip. “Anything wrong?”
Jane explained that her aunt had suffered an allergic reaction and had been forced to call for medical assistance early this morning.
“God bless small-town doctors who still make house calls.”
“My sentiments exactly.”
“Are those blueberry muffins?” he asked, nodding to the basket on the counter.
“They are. Help yourself.” Jane flipped over the ham slices that she'd been heating on the grill, then began cracking eggs into a heavy ceramic bowl.
“So, what's new with you, Jane?”
“You mean besides the fact that, thanks to the weather, my garden is weeks behind and the inn is having a slump?”
He chuckled as he buttered his muffin. “Yes, besides that. What's up with Jane?”
She avoided his question. Kenneth was a good friend and trustworthy confidant, but even so she just wasn't sure that she was ready to tell him, or anyone, about Justin's impending visit. At least not yet. “Hey, I forgot to ask, how's the church? Will I need to bring my snorkel on Sunday?”
He laughed. “It's not too bad. Just some leaks in the basement. It looks like it may have happened before.”
Jane told him about what Alice had said, and he nodded. “Yes, that sounds about right. I'll stop by the hardware store and ask Fred if he has a recommendation.”
Then to distract him from any more personal inquiries, Jane told him about Belle's little “beauty treatment” last night and how it may have been the source of Ethel's allergic reaction. “The rest of us seem perfectly fine.” She touched her cheek. “In fact, I think my skin genuinely feels better than usual this morning. I was a skeptic, but I may actually buy some of her products myself.”
“You say your guest showed up unexpectedly,” said Kenneth. “With no reservation? Do you know where she's from?”
“Atlanta. Well, Kenneth, she also mentioned a small town in Georgia. I'm not really sure where she lives now, but she is definitely Southern.”
“So what brings her up north?” Kenneth picked up another muffin. She almost warned him not to spoil his appetite, but then she knew how much he was able to eat sometimes. “Certainly not the weather.”
“Well, that's a rather interesting question.” Jane turned the gas down under the eggs, then checked the temperature of the waffle iron. “Maybe I should let our guest tell you for herself.”
“Now you've got me curious.”
She poured batter into the waffle iron and closed it again. “Well, it's a curious story.”
“Is it supposed to be a secret?”
Jane tossed him a mysterious grin. “Let me just say this: The main thing that brought her to Acorn Hill was a dream.
And she believes the dream came from God.”
“Oh.” He shook his head and his face creased a slight frown.
“Now, don't be a skeptic, Kenneth. As a man well- versed in Scripture, you are well aware that God can give people prophetic dreams.”
“I'm thankful the dream I had last night wasn't prophetic.”
Jane laughed. “Yes, that is a relief.”
“Good morning,” Louise cheerfully greeted them both as she entered the kitchen. “Kenneth, it's a pleasure to see you this morning. Are you joining us for breakfast?”
“Yes, I am. Jane kindly invited me.”
“Belle is in the dining room,” Louise lowered her voice. “She wanted to come in the kitchen, Jane. I explained that we prefer to have the kitchen to ourselves during meal preparation. However, I told her I'd bring her some coffee.”
“Breakfast is on the way,” said Jane as she checked the waffles, which looked just about perfect.
“Would you care to come out and meet our guest?” Louise asked Kenneth.
“Certainly,” he told her as he refilled his cup with decaf.
Jane put the finishing touches on breakfast, setting it on the kitchen table so that she and Louise could transport the warm platters to the dining room table. When they entered the dining room, Kenneth and Belle seemed to be hitting it off, casually chatting about the weather and the church's slight water problem that he'd been investigating. Finally, they were all seated at the table.
“Well, isn't this lovely,” said Belle happily. “So homey and sweet and everything smells absolutely delicious.” She beamed at Kenneth, who was sitting across from her. “And I'll just bet you're the man to say the blessing too. It's so nice to have a member of the clergy joining us for breakfast.”
As Louise bowed her head, a little alarm went off inside of her. Had Belle already set her sights on poor Kenneth? Of course, he didn't have on a wedding ring, but as far as Louise knew, no one had mentioned his marital status just yet. Why would they? But perhaps Belle had radar about such things. Louise wouldn't be a bit surprised.
Chapter Five
So, I hear you're from a small town in Georgia, Belle.” Kenneth passed the platter with eggs and ham across to their guest, and she smiled shyly at him. Carefully made up and dressed in a pale pink pantsuit today, Belle looked very pretty.
“Why, yes, that's right, Rev. Thompson. Warbler, Georgia. It's an itty-bitty town in southwest Georgia. I recently moved back there from Atlanta. I'd been in Atlanta about ten years, but I'm just not a big-city girl. At first, I liked all the things there were to do and all the great shopping, but after a few years, all that traffic and noise and hustle-bustle got to me.”
“It must've been a great relief to get back to your hometown.” He smiled in a congenial, pastoral way. A completely unsuspecting way, thought Louise as she poured warm maple syrup onto her waffle.
“Oh, I suppose it was something of a relief,” said Belle. “But things had changed there. Most of my friends had moved on, and my parents had relocated to Florida a couple years back. So, I guess it wasn't quite what I'd hoped for. Still, it's a sight better than Atlanta. That's for certain.”
“Belle is thinking about Acorn Hill for her new residence,” said Louise in a way that suggested she was not completely sure about this idea.
“Really.” Rev. Thompson nodded with a surprised expression. “That's a pretty big move to make. What motivates you to want to do this? Do you have any friends up here?”
“No. The truth of the matter is, before showing up here, I didn't know a single soul in this sweet little town. Then I met the lovely Howard sisters and their dear aunt Ethel, who has promised to show me around town today.”
The pastor nodded, but he looked even more confused. “Yes, they are definitely a delightful family.”
“So, I really do think I'm off to a very good start.” Belle smiled happily.
“I still don't quite understand how you can be so certain that you want to move up here so soon, Belle. Didn't you only arrive yesterday?” Rev. Thompson asked.
“That's right.” She winked at Jane. “Oh, I suppose I might as well just spill the beans. After all, the pastor, being a godly man, should appreciate such things, don't y'all think?”
“Oh yes,” said Jane, trying not to chuckle. “I'm sure he should.”
“Well, it all started with a dream,” she began in a mysterious tone. “A very specific dream that I believe came from God. It was very, very real.” She addressed the sisters. “I didn't even tell y'all all the details. In that dream, I moved to a small town in Pennsylvania, a town named after an acorn. I thought the acorn was symbolic at first. You know the old saying about a great oak tree springing from a little acorn—I thought the acorn had to do with faith. But then I got on the Internet and searched the words acorn and Pennsylvania, and I found Acorn Hill.”
“Really?” asked Louise.
“Yes. And God showed me something else in this dream. He showed me that I would move here and that I would meet my Mr. Right and that we would be married on the first Saturday of June.”
“This June?” Rev. Thompson frowned.
Belle nodded. “In fact, I suppose I should ask you whether the church is available on that day, Rev. Thompson.”
“The church?” He studied her as if she was from another planet. “You mean for your wedding?”
“That's right.”
“But you don't know who the groom is yet?”
“Oh, I have some ideas.” She giggled.
Poor Rev. Thompson actually choked on a bite of waffle. Holding his napkin over his mouth, he coughed several times before he managed to swallow a sip of water.
“I'm sure it must sound a little crazy,” Belle continued seriously. “And I guess I'll have to get used to people's reactions. But when God gives you a dream, I believe you should sit up and pay attention. Don't you think so too, Rev. Thompson?”
“Well, yes, when God gives you a dream, of course, you should pay attention. I suppose,” said the pastor, “that I'm just unsure as to how you make the determination that a certain dream is from God.”
“Faith,” said Belle confidently. “I remember from my Sunday school classes: It's the substance of things hoped for, not seen. Just like my dream, Rev. Thompson.”
His eyebrows lifted as he picked up his coffee cup and took a slow sip.
“But you never did answer me, Rev. Thompson. Is the church available on the first Saturday of June?”
He slowly cleared his throat. “Actually, it is available. As a matter of fact, it's not booked for the entire month, which is unusual for this time of year.”
She clapped her hands, then pressed them to her pink-blushed cheeks. “Ooh, that's just wonderful. Now, Rev. Thompson, I'd like you to schedule the wedding ceremony on that day for me. If you don't mind.”
“You're sure about this?” He frowned.
“Sure as the sunshine.”
Louise laughed. “Well, considering the weather lately, that's not terribly sure, Belle. Not around here anyway.”
Belle turned and smiled knowingly at her. “But, darling, you know that the sun is always shining. Even when the clouds are out and it's pouring something awful, the sun is still shining. Even in the darkness of night, it's still shining somewhere. It's just that you can't always see the sun. Sort of like faith, don't you think?”
Louise leaned back in her chair. “Yes, I suppose you're right.”
Belle smiled at Kenneth again. Louise thought that he was starting to resemble prey that had been caught in the crosshairs. “And, naturally, I'll expect you to be there too, Rev. Thompson—at the wedding ceremony, I mean.”
He sat up straighter, squaring his shoulders and perhaps putting on his pastor's hat. “Of course, I'll be happy to perform the ceremony, Belle. But it's customary for the engaged couple to come in for a premarital counseling session. I could schedule that too, but it might be tricky without a fiancé to bring along with you.”
“Oh, don't worry, God is working on that.” She nodded her head. “I have no doubt about it.”
“Yes, well, I see.” Kenneth turned to Jane. “Breakfast, as always, was delicious, Jane. Thank you for having me.” Then he turned back to Belle. “Pleasure to meet you, Belle. I hope you enjoy your time in Acorn Hill.” Then he stood, excused himself, and left via the back door.
Belle laughed lightly. “Goodness gracious, I certainly hope that I didn't scare the poor man away.”
“Oh, I don't think our pastor is too easily scared,” said Louise, though her creased brow indicated that she might not be as convinced as she sounded.
“Well, God certainly does work in strange ways,” said Belle. “But I believe that He is definitely at work.”
Jane began clearing the table.
“He's surely an attractive man.” Belle seemed to be speaking to no one in particular as she enjoyed another cup of coffee. “And a godly man too. One could hardly ask for anything more.”
“Rev. Thompson is a good and sensible man,” said Louise as Jane retreated with a stack of dishes to the kitchen.
Jane set the dishes into the sink and turned on the water, hoping the noise would drown out any more conversation from the dining room. She had no desire to hear another word about Kenneth's fine attributes or Belle's aspirations to lead him to the altar. She chuckled as she rinsed a plate. Poor Kenneth. He thought he'd been simply coming for breakfast, but probably left feeling like he'd been on the menu. She'd have to apologize later.
Louise came in bringing the rest of the dishes from breakfast. “Our guest is inquiring about Aunt Ethel.”
Jane clapped a soapy hand over her mouth. “Oh dear, I forgot.”
“Forgot what?”
Jane told her about Ethel's condition. “I promised to take her some breakfast, and she also talked me into showing Belle around town today for her.” Jane gave an appealing look to her oldest sister. “Unless you'd rather do that, Louise. I'll take Auntie her breakfast and you can go—”
“I'll take Aunt Ethel her breakfast, Jane.” Louise gave her a stern look, although it appeared to be hiding mirth. “And you can give Belle the tour.”
Memories from Acorn Hill Page 24
