Room at the Inn (Bellingwood #5.5)

by Diane Greenwood Muir

  Henry folded up the letter and put everything back together and slipped it into the envelope. "That's so sad. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could tell someone how much she was loved?"

  "Yes, it really would be," Polly leaned over and kissed his forehead. "Being loved is a pretty amazing thing."

  CHAPTER SIX

  "Come on, let’s go!" Obiwan was sleeping in a sunbeam and Polly was ready to head outside. He stood up and stretched, then waited while she put the leash on. They walked to the corner garden where a group of people were gathered. The churches in town were working together this afternoon to build the structure for the Living Nativity. She found Lydia standing off to one side, watching as hay bales were stacked around the wooden walls to add insulation as well as stability.

  "Hi, dear," Lydia said. "What do you think?"

  "This is so cool. It will be beautiful!"

  "We've been advertising in the area. Hopefully that will bring traffic." Lydia nodded back toward Sycamore House. "And with your Christmas lights and decorations, this corner will be lovely."

  "We have an event every night this week, so it will be nice for people to make this part of their celebrations."

  "Office parties?" Lydia asked.

  "Some of those and some different groups are hosting parties. There's a wedding on Friday night and another on Saturday."

  "I'm sorry you aren't having your big Christmas party this year. That was quite a celebration."

  "Jeff filled the calendar and I have plenty of opportunities for parties throughout the year. After Halloween, we needed a break."

  "That's smart. So, what do you think about Jason and the donkeys? We are creating a little home for them right here. They can come and go as they please and Jason can be in the shelter.

  "I wouldn't be surprised if both boys will be here. You aren't expecting them every night, are you?"

  "No. Our church is here tonight and the kids know everyone. We'll be here again next Sunday, so they can do it again."

  " Oh, Lydia, those donkeys are adorable! I'm in love with them already. They were so happy to see me this morning."

  "How are the horses getting along with them?"

  "Nan isn't sure about it yet, but the others seem to be taking it in stride. I'll take Obiwan down sometime when we don't have so much work to do. I want him to be comfortable with them, too."

  "It will all come in time. Excuse me, just a minute," Lydia stepped into a cluster of people and pointed to the back of the structure, speaking quietly to them. Then she returned to Polly's side. "I should get busy."

  Polly stopped her by touching her arm, "I found something yesterday in an old dresser that I bought down at the Antique Shoppe. It's a Christmas card with pictures and a letter that a mother wrote to her daughter. The family died and this daughter ... I don't know. Would you come upstairs when you're finished to look at it and tell me if you have any idea who it might be? I don't think the letter ever made it to the person who was meant to have it and I'd love to find her."

  Lydia scrunched her eyes in thought and said, "Of course I'll come up. It will be good to get warm. Do you have coffee?"

  "I’ll make it! Come on up whenever. I'm taking Obiwan for a walk right now. We both need the exercise. It's supposed to get cold tomorrow and he likes being out in that more than I do.."

  "I'll see you in a bit," Lydia said.

  Polly crossed the road into the parking lot by the swimming pool and then ducked onto the trail that followed the wooded area behind it. There was snow beside the trail and Obiwan took his time sniffing it, looking for something interesting to mark. When they returned to Sycamore House, lights were being strung up on the outside of the nativity structure and two men were unloading the manger. Old horse blankets were covering hay bales and she laughed as she saw women holding heating pads. She wondered if they planned to heat the manger with those.

  She and Obiwan ran back upstairs and she quickly put a pot of coffee on, then straightened up the living room. The pizza party had gone longer than she expected last night, with everyone having a good time. Jose and Maria finally relaxed when they realized that there was someone else who could understand them and help them integrate into the group. Eliseo talked more than she'd ever seen, trying to draw the two newcomers out. Rachel came upstairs when she was finished in the kitchen and not long after, Sylvie joined them before taking the boys home.

  Sylvie had checked the baby and smiled when she saw that Salvador was sleeping and quiet. After they left, the party continued. When Jose and Maria finally took their baby back to their room and Eliseo hadn't made a move to leave, Doug mentioned watching a movie. Before she knew it, they were watching Christmas Vacation with everyone reciting lines.

  Billy went to get his dog, Big Jack, for a last run that evening and Doug had offered to take Obiwan along, leaving her and Henry and Eliseo to clean up. They'd worked quickly and Henry took the pizza boxes and a bag of trash downstairs for her. Eliseo finally seemed to be part of the family. He'd sacrificed his Sunday morning to play with them. Since she knew he'd be in the auditorium cleaning this morning, Polly had helped get the horses and donkeys ready for the day, then followed him in and insisted he let her help clean up. They'd worked steadily, gathering trash and the few leftover plates and silverware off the tables, then wiped everything down. While Eliseo put the majority of the tables away, Polly had vacuumed.

  Jose Rivera had come down while they were working and helped Eliseo rearrange the tables for the evening’s holiday party. Polly couldn't imagine being stuck in a single room all the time and was glad he felt he could move around freely. He took over the vacuuming and Eliseo had given her a nod to let him, so she’d gone into the kitchen to see if Sylvie had leftovers for lunch.

  Not only were there leftovers, but on one of the containers, Sylvie had written a note: "Polly. Serve this for lunch."

  She opened it and found sliced roast beef and ham. She loved that woman. A bag on the prep table also had Polly's name on it and in it was a package of buns and two bags of potato chips.

  Polly went back into the auditorium and said, "Sylvie has lunch for us. It's just sandwiches and chips. Jose, you and Maria can eat wherever you'd like, but please help yourself."

  Eliseo and Jose spoke to each other in rapid Spanish and she sighed, then walked away. Pretty soon Eliseo showed up at the kitchen window. "We'll eat here, if that's okay, Polly. He's going to get Maria and Salvador."

  "Are they going to be all right with this?" she asked.

  "It's difficult for him to accept your hospitality. He's a proud man and has had some trouble. They were living in Chicago with his family, but are heading to southern California where her family lives. I don't know if they have enough money to make it across the country. But I told him that you were generous and a good person and that if I could learn to accept it, he could, especially when there was a baby involved."

  "I don't want him to feel bad," Polly said. "What can I do?"

  "We could use the help this week. Let him work with me."

  Polly breathed a huge sigh of relief, "Yes! That's perfect. You figure out what you need from him and please, let me find a way to give him some cash at the end of this to help them keep going. I don't want him to be working here simply for room and board."

  "I'll do that and I will speak with Sylvie. Her Christmas break has started, so she won't be in school, but I suspect she might be able to use Maria in the kitchen, too."

  He stepped back, his face blushing.

  "Can I leave you to this?" she asked, pointing at the food on the counter. Eliseo nodded and Polly went upstairs.

  The last day and a half had been busy and Polly was ready to settle in. Henry was coming that evening and she wanted to beg him to help her go through the stacks of boxes in her garage to look for her family’s Christmas decorations. The Santa Claus Polly had picked up at the Antique Shoppe was in the middle of the dining room table, but that was it.

  There was a knock at her fro
nt door and Polly waited a heartbeat. Lydia opened the door and called out, "Can I come in?"

  "I'm here!" Polly said. "Come on in. I have fresh coffee."

  "It was getting chilly out there. I'm glad they have some heaters for those poor folk who will be sitting outside tonight."

  Polly poured two cups of coffee and handed one to Lydia. "It's over here. Let's get comfortable."

  After they sat down in the living room, Polly handed the envelope to Lydia, who looked at the pictures, read the card and then, the letter. Lydia's eyes were swimming with tears and Polly pushed a box of tissues toward her. "I know. It destroyed me, too. Henry even got teary-eyed last night when he read it."

  "He didn't have any idea who this might be? His family has lived in the area for a long time."

  "He didn't say anything. He thought maybe Simon at the Antique Shoppe might remember where he got the dresser, but I figured if anyone might know something, it would be you."

  "I don't remember this, but it probably happened before I was born. I can ask some of the older ladies that I know. Someone is going to remember an accident that killed four people. Especially when two of them were little boys and there was a baby girl who lived through it. We have to find out what happened to her."

  "I'll ask Henry to call his mom. Maybe she'll remember something, too," Polly said.

  "You should bring all of this to the women's meeting Tuesday morning. It's our Christmas party." Lydia laughed at the horrified look on Polly's face. "It's not that bad. Okay, maybe you wouldn't have quite as much fun as we do, but still, you might be able to get some good information. These women have been around a long time and they know everyone's history in all the surrounding counties. Trust me, they're better than the CIA and the FBI together when it comes to holding on to secrets."

  "That doesn't make me feel any better about showing up, you know," Polly chuckled.

  "You already know some of them. I always invite Beryl, but she knows better than to come. I dragged her to something years ago and she had one of the meanest old biddies in the group backed into a corner in the kitchen after the woman had torn into some poor young woman for using the wrong dishtowels to dry dishes. It was the young woman's first time in the kitchen and the rest of us should have paid more attention. Old Mabel was a terrorist and we generally kept her occupied, but somehow she escaped us and before anyone knew what had happened, Beryl was on the offense. Looking back, it was pretty hilarious, but I thought I was going to have to call for the cavalry to separate them."

  "Still not helping."

  "Oh, after Mabel died, there were a few more ladies who wanted to run the kitchen with an iron fist, but that's calmed down a lot over the years. However, they would be one of your best resources for tracking this Marian Jeanine down."

  "If I don't get information from nearly anyone else, I'll call."

  "There is a program at ten and then luncheon begins at eleven. If you give a presentation, they'll mull it over during the meal and I can guarantee you'll have an answer before we leave."

  "I'll think about it. You aren't giving up on this, are you?"

  "If you tell me you'll come, I'll invite Beryl."

  "You are really sick and twisted, aren't you!" Polly laughed.

  "Aaron says it's my best attribute. Being dull, boring and sugary sweet all the time isn't much fun."

  "Well, I love you this way. You always surprise me."

  "That's what my sweet baboo says and I like being able to surprise him after thirty years of marriage." Lydia looked through the photos once more. "So, you'll come on Tuesday?"

  Polly grimaced, "I'm not going to get out of it, am I."

  "Not if I can help it."

  "You're kind of mean."

  "And manipulative. Don't forget manipulative. Whenever Beryl thinks I've backed her into a corner, that's what she calls me. Just because I'm always thinking and planning and involving and organizing, she gets huffy."

  "You're one of the smartest people I know," Polly reached over and hugged her friend, "and I'll bet that brain of yours never turns off when it's looking for the best way to make something happen."

  "See. You get it," Lydia laughed. "My kids and Aaron finally figured out that if they pay attention to what I'm saying, it will be the easiest way to do something."

  "What you’re telling me is that I'll get my answers on Tuesday."

  "That's exactly right, dear! And you'll meet people and get a good lunch."

  Andrew and Jason showed up after Lydia left that afternoon, since their mother was in the kitchen. Both boys were carrying a small bag and when Polly asked what they had, Andrew proudly pulled out a brown robe.

  "Mrs. Randall had a bunch of old costumes that Doug wore and she let us have them. We’re going to be donkey herders!"

  "You are! That's wonderful," Polly said. "Which donkey are you going to herd?"

  "Tom likes me better, so I'm going to hold his leash."

  "His lead, you're going to hold his lead," Jason scolded.

  "Whatever. Just because you ride horses, you think you know everything."

  Jason walked into the kitchen mumbling, "I know that, runt." Then he spoke a little louder. "Can I get something to drink?"

  "Sure. There's juice and milk and cold water in there."

  "Do you want anything?"

  "No, I'm good," she said, watching Andrew play with the two cats. Obiwan lay on the floor beside them, doing his best to ignore the activity.

  Andrew jumped up, "Should I take Obiwan out for a walk?"

  "You can any time you want to. He always likes going outside with you." Andrew bolted for the back stairs and called Obiwan to follow him.

  "He's weird," Jason muttered and sat down on the couch with a glass of milk.

  "He's your brother," she laughed.

  "Polly?"

  "Yes, Jason?" Polly had her back to him as she walked into the kitchen. His glass of milk had given her a craving for a cookie. There was still at least one more container in the freezer.

  "Now that I'm thirteen, I want to make sure Mom has something nice for Christmas. Not some little kid gift that we make at school, but something important."

  Polly spun around. He was staring into his glass.

  "What are you thinking about?"

  "I don't know," he said. "That's why I'm talking to you."

  She refilled her coffee mug and took it and the cookies back to the living room, then sat down beside him. "Do you want to get her perfume or something for the house? What kind of money do you want to spend?"

  "I've saved twenty dollars and Andrew gave me ten dollars. We want this to be special."

  Then it hit Polly, "Why don't I meet you downtown tomorrow after school. I saw some jewelry at the Antique Shoppe and I bet you could find something that would be perfect for her."

  He dug around in his pockets and handed her a wad of cash. "Would you keep this? I don't want to take it to school and lose it. It's the whole thing."

  "I'll be glad to hold it for you."

  "Thank you. Mom always makes sure we have a good Christmas, but I've never been able to put a present under the tree for her. Starting this year that changes," he declared. "It's about time she had something nice."

  He put his empty glass down on the coffee table with a flourish and Polly held herself back from hugging him. The little boy who still had traces of a milk moustache was doing all he could to grow up and be a man.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Unless the world ended, Polly needed to leave soon. She wasn't sure why she dreaded going to this meeting, but the thought of it sent shivers down her back. Lydia told her to be there at ten forty-five. Polly's presentation would be just before lunch.

  She’d met Jason and Andrew at the Antique Shoppe yesterday afternoon. Before they arrived, she had a conversation with the owner, Simon Gardner, about the dresser. He told her that it had been in the store for at least five years and thought maybe it had come from an estate auction.

  The bo
ys had entered the store with wide eyes. Jason was on a mission to buy a necklace for his mother, while Andrew's idea of the perfect gift was an immense, gaudy, blue glass vase. Polly led them to the jewelry counter, where Simon patiently set out pieces for them to hold. Jason's eyes lit up over a lapis and rhinestone necklace with matching earrings, but was crushed to see it marked at fifty dollars. He pushed it aside until Simon stopped him.

  "Young man," the man had said. "This is the Antique Shoppe. You make me an offer. None of these prices are set in stone."

  Jason had looked up at Polly. She bent over and whispered, "Don't offer him all you have. Start low. Let him meet you."

  The boy stood a little straighter, looked at Simon in the eyes and said, "I can give you twenty dollars."

  Simon clutched his heart, "You're killing me. I can't go that low! I'll sell them to you for forty dollars."

  Jason looked at Polly again and she pointed her finger up and he said, "Maybe twenty-five dollars for the set."

  "No," Simon said. "You'd take out all my profit. I need to make a little bit of money. It's Christmas!"

  One more glance at Polly and she winked at him. Jason stood a little taller and said. "The very highest I can go is thirty dollars and that has to include sales tax, because that's all I've got."

  The man sighed as dramatically as he could and after exhaling loudly, said, "For someone who didn't know how to make a bargain, you did very well, young man. This is quite a deal you've made. I hope that it makes a wonderful gift for someone special."

  Andrew's eyes were as big as saucers. He'd watched the entire transaction take place with his mouth open. "It's for our mom. This is the first time we've ever bought a present for her. We work at Sycamore House and Polly pays us to take care of her animals."

  "Your mother must be pretty special to have sons who are willing to spend thirty dollars on her. Let me get two nice boxes for these. Do you want me to wrap them?"