Room at the Inn (Bellingwood #5.5)

by Diane Greenwood Muir

"It's Polly and I look forward to meeting you."

  They hung up and Polly squealed.

  Henry laughed at her and said, "I don't know if I've ever heard that sound come from you."

  "We have to get moving! I know Dad had an artificial tree downstairs and I want to get some Christmas decorations up."

  "You're decorating for Christmas now? What about dinner?"

  "I have no idea." She took off at a dead run for the back door, leaving a room full of startled animals and Henry behind her. Doug and Billy were coming into the garage to go to their apartment as she ran to where she had stacked her boxes.

  "What's up, Polly?" Doug asked.

  "I have to find my Dad's Christmas decorations. I've got five hours to decorate the apartment and get dinner on the table." The boys followed her and began to help her sort through the boxes.

  "Why are you here and not working?" she asked

  "It's really slow right now. We don't have much until after the New Year. We forgot about this part of the job," Billy said.

  "Then you should definitely come and have supper with us. It's going to be fun. I found the woman who belongs to those pictures." Polly pushed a stack of boxes aside and handed a table lamp to Billy, who set it down on top of more boxes.

  "Where is that tree?" she growled.

  "Hello boys," Henry said, entering the fray. "Did you offer to help or did she beg?"

  "We offered. She said we could come to dinner," Doug replied, moving more boxes. "Polly, you have a lot of books."

  "Yeah, yeah, yeah. There's a tree in here somewhere."

  "I found it!" Billy popped up from behind a tall stack of boxes. "It's a tall box. Dude, I'm gonna need help." He started lifting it over his head and both Doug and Henry ran to take it from him.

  "Are there any more Christmas boxes?" Polly asked.

  "Here's one," he responded. "And a box of ornaments."

  Polly pulled her wallet out of her back pocket and handed a twenty dollar bill to Doug. "Would you go downtown and buy me, like, five boxes of white lights?" She pulled another twenty out. "Make it six or seven boxes. Thank you! Billy, can you help us haul these up to the apartment?"

  Both boys looked at Henry and he shrugged. Doug left and they carried boxes up the steps to Polly's apartment. She pointed to the corner where her favorite chair sat. "Don't you think the tree would be pretty right there?"

  Henry and Billy nodded and she giggled, "Do I have to beg you two to put it up? I need to start dinner and figure out where I'm going to seat everyone. And I have to call Lydia and Adele."

  They both stood there and Polly cried, "Please help me!"

  Henry opened the top flap of the box with the Christmas tree in it and began pulling green branches out. "How old is this tree?"

  "I don't know," she laughed. "The ends are painted the same color as the hole on the trunk. I used to put it together every year." Polly stepped close to him and kissed him on the cheek, "Thank you for helping even if you think I'm crazy."

  She stepped close to Billy and he bent backwards at the waist. "What?" she asked, "You don't want me to kiss you?"

  "No ma'am," he slyly said. "My girlfriend would kill me."

  "You just ma'am'ed me." Polly chuckled.

  "On purpose, too," he said and bent over into the box to pull out more branches. Polly gave him a push when she saw that he was nearly off balance and he toppled into the box, knocking it over to the floor. Billy scrambled to get back up and Henry backed away from the two of them. "You're mean, Polly Giller," Billy said.

  "I am and I'm a little amped up right now, so it's even worse," she laughed and walked toward the kitchen.

  Henry and Billy built the tree from the ground up while she opened cupboards and looked in the refrigerator. "I'll be back. If Doug gets here before me, would you string lights on the tree?" She ran out the front door and down to the kitchen. Sylvie and Rachel were preparing dinner for a party that night. The two looked up when she ran in.

  "What's going on, Polly?" Sylvie asked.

  "I invited way too many people over to my apartment tonight for dinner and while I have plenty of chicken, I wondered if you had an extra ten pounds of potatoes down here."

  Sylvie chuckled and looked to Rachel. "Only at Sycamore House, would she think there was an extra ten pounds of potatoes. Yes, Polly. I do."

  "I'll make sure to replace them by tomorrow."

  "No, don't worry. I'll stop at the store before I come over. Do you need anything else?"

  "I just need to get these boiling for mashed potatoes."

  "No you don't," Sylvie said. "We're making loads of mashed potatoes for tonight. Maria is coming down to help when the boys get here. Andrew is babysitting little Salvador. Send Jason down before dinner starts and I'll have the potatoes ready for you."

  "Really? Thank you!" Polly hugged her and ran back out and up the stairs, slowing when she got to her front door and took a deep breath, then walked inside. The tree was nearly finished.

  "Do you want to put the top on?" Henry asked.

  "That's okay. It looks great though."

  By six o'clock, the tree was decorated, lights and garland were hung and two tables were set with her mother's china, crystal and silver. Andrew was across the hall with Salvador and Jason was downstairs waiting for the guests. Henry, Doug and Billy had gone home to dress for the evening and Polly was changing clothes. She still couldn't believe she had managed to pull off a dinner party and decorated her apartment in less than six hours. How did people ever make things happen without friends!

  The first knock at the door was Lydia. Aaron followed her in, holding a pie carrier. When Polly had called early that afternoon, Lydia had offered to make pie. At that point, refusing would have been suicide.

  "Are we the first ones here?" Lydia asked. She looked around, "Your place is gorgeous! You did all this today?"

  "Yes and I'm glad to see you. I'm really nervous about tonight. I couldn't leave anyone out, but I think there are too many people. Doug and Billy helped me today and I need to feed them. Jason and Andrew will be here and you and Adele and how could I not invite Henry?"

  "Don't worry, dear. When she gets here, take her aside and show her the package. Let her have some time alone with it and if she needs to leave, she can sneak out the back. We'll celebrate no matter what. You've done a wonderful thing today. Stop fretting."

  Aaron held up the pies and said, "Kitchen?"

  "Oh, I'm sorry, Aaron. I'll take that. Thank you, Lydia."

  "Lydia?" he exclaimed. "I'll have you know that I was the one who …"

  His wife interrupted him, "The one who did what?"

  He grinned and passed the carrier to Polly. "The one who says thank you to my beautiful wife for being so gracious and the one who carried them up here. That's all."

  Another knock on the door and a woman's voice tentatively called out, "Hello?"

  Polly set the carrier down on the peninsula and ran back to the door. She didn't recognize the couple standing there and asked, "Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell?"

  "The nice boy downstairs told us how to find you. Sycamore House is quite lovely," Marian Maxwell said.

  "Come on in. Let me take your coats." Polly waited as they removed their coats and she hung them over the coat tree. "I have to apologize. There will be a large group here tonight. People kept helping and I kept inviting them to join us."

  Marian Maxwell smiled and said, "It's Christmas. But I hope all of those cars out front aren't for this party."

  "No," Polly laughed. "There's a corporate party in the auditorium. Please come in. Before everyone gets here, I'd like to show you what I found."

  She led them to the sofa and placed the envelope onto Marian's lap. Sam Maxwell set his large, callused hand on top of his wife's and squeezed it. She gently opened the envelope.

  "I'm sorry it isn't as pristine as the day I found it," Polly said. "Several people have read this as I've been looking for you."

  There were no words from eith
er of them as she pulled the card out, opened it and thumbed through the pictures. They read the note in the card and she looked at the photographs again.

  "I couldn't remember what they looked like," she said quietly. "My two big brothers. I couldn't remember them. Look Sam. These are my brothers."

  She ran her finger across the family photograph, stopping to rub the image of her mother and then her father. "I remember that night. People didn't think I would. I was asleep in the car and mommy didn't want to wake me up. We'd been out shopping all day and stopped at the grocery store. Daddy stayed in the car with me when mommy went into the store. I pretended to sleep because I didn't want to walk any more. Then I did fall asleep and woke up when the world exploded. That's all I remember."

  "The letter is from your mother," Polly said. "If you want to go into the bedroom to read it, I understand."

  Marian looked into her husband's eyes and he shrugged. She opened the letter and her lips moved as she read through it. Sam followed along and his arm reached around her shoulders as Polly watched her eyes fill with tears.

  "Oh Sam," Marian said and slumped into him.

  Polly turned around and the apartment was empty. She assumed Lydia had corralled them elsewhere. When she turned back, Marian Maxwell was brushing the tears from her eyes.

  "I didn't know anything about my past. The Garrisons were wonderful to me, but they didn't have any information about my family. It is so good to know who I was named after. My son gave his little girls my names as their middle names. Now I can tell him that they are from two other women in my family."

  "I'm so sorry that I have a house full of people tonight," Polly said. "If you want to go home, we will all understand."

  "No!" Marian said. "I would love to meet your friends. This is a celebration! You've given me an amazing gift this Christmas. It's been over fifty-five years and I want to share this."

  She looked around, "Where did they go?"

  Polly smiled. "They are probably in the hallway. Lydia Merritt is a genius at knowing when not to be in the way. Let me get them." She went to the front door and found everyone milling around. Lydia had baby Salvador in her arms and smiled.

  "How are things in there?"

  "Things are great," Polly responded. "Come on in and meet the Maxwells. They are looking forward to celebrating tonight."

  CHAPTER NINE - EPILOGUE

  Room at the inn. Polly thought about how fortunate she was to be able to offer space for the Living Nativity and for animals who needed a home and for a young family whose car had broken down. This was the last night of the Living Nativity. Sycamore House was finally quiet. Polly had driven Jeff to Des Moines earlier in the day so he could catch a flight to Ohio for Christmas with his family. Her friend, Sal, was at Mark Ogden's house decorating for the onslaught of his family from Minnesota. She promised Polly they would spend time together, but Polly wasn't holding out much hope and that was fine.

  Jose, Maria and Salvador were still here. The baby was healthy and laughing. Nate and Henry had gotten the car working again and it was parked out front. Jose and Maria had been a huge help to Eliseo and Sylvie throughout the busy week and decided that they would stay until after Christmas. Polly and Eliseo worked out a fair salary for them and she'd let him be the one to pay Jose.

  Yesterday morning, when everyone had been down at the barn, Mark showed up with a crate. He opened it and introduced Hansel and Gretel. Hansel, the male cat, was pure black and beautifully sleek. The female, Gretel, was a gorgeous dark calico. They made their way around the barn, cautiously sniffing until they found Tom and Huck's stall. The donkeys were already out in the pasture and both cats climbed through the straw until they found a place to curl up. It had nearly killed Andrew to stay away, but Polly asked him to be quiet so he wouldn't scare them.

  According to Mark, the cats had come from another barn and were more comfortable being here than inside. As long as there was food, water and shelter, they would be content and happy. Polly had already added a large bag of cat food to the feed room.

  While they worked, they tried to ignore the cats, hoping they would get comfortable enough to explore the barn. Andrew was sitting on a bench when Tom came back in looking for some affection. Before they knew it, a black cat was standing beside Andrew. He tentatively reached out his hand and the cat brushed his face on him. Tom got closer to the cat and Andrew grew still. The moment passed, the donkey pushed his head against Andrew's leg, and the cat jumped down.

  One year ago, Polly had a dog and two cats. Now there were more animals in her life than she knew what to do with. Eliseo could never leave. Jason had come out of Nat's stall to watch Andrew with the donkey and the cat and she heard him laughing quietly as he went back in to finish mucking it out. One year ago, these boys lived in a small apartment with their mother. Today they lived in the same apartment, but because of the family's involvement at Sycamore House, they had room to play and grow. Both of them had grown up a lot since she first met them.

  This morning everyone was there again. Weekends were fun at the barn. Jason and Andrew didn't have to be in school and they all spent time with the animals. Hansel and Gretel had apparently found their way around the entirety of the barn overnight. When Eliseo opened the doors, he found them curled up in Demi's stall tucked in for warmth.

  Jason and Andrew were bringing the donkeys up for the Living Nativity one last time. They had already donned their costumes and were down with Eliseo. Polly put the finishing touches on dinner. She had invited all her friends, and everyone but Jeff would be there before they began their family Christmas celebrations. Dinner would be simple. Sandwiches and appetizers, salads and plenty of crackers, chips, and cheese.

  Andy and Len were back from their honeymoon and were bringing his daughter, Ellen. Beryl had come out of seclusion, announcing she was finished for a month. She needed a vacation. Billy and Rachel were coming and Doug had finally gotten up the nerve to ask Anita Banks for a date. He was bringing her and texted Polly that she had to be nice because he was really nervous. Polly had made Sylvie promise to take a long afternoon nap and stay away from the kitchen this evening. The Merritts were coming, Sal and Mark would be in attendance, and Nate and Joss Mikkels said they wouldn't miss it. The party would be a grand way to celebrate friends, both old and new.

  Polly dimmed the overhead lights, allowing the strands of white Christmas lights to stand out. She lit candles in the kitchen and turned on the flickering electric candles in her windows. The coffee was brewed, cider was bubbling, hot water was ready for cocoa and the egg nog poured into a punch bowl. She was ready.

  Cars slowly passed the Nativity outside and some pulled into the parking lot. People walked over to spend a few moments considering a night long ago, when the world changed forever. Each night the tableau had been filled with different participants and each night Polly spent time watching as they prepared themselves to represent that very holy family, the shepherds and wise men, who were the first to greet the Savior. Those moments were filled with reverence, even amidst the craziness of donkeys and sheep, attempts to keep warm and the bright lights of cars flashing over them as the twenty-first century clashed with images from two thousand years ago.

  She looked out the window and watched as the scene played out one more time. Lydia's Jeep pulled into the lot and Beryl glanced up to the window and waved at Polly.

  Polly propped her front door open. Footsteps coming up her back stairs, along with Obiwan's wagging tail, told her that Henry had arrived. She met him at the top of the steps and when he kissed her, she allowed the moment to take her breath away. She was going to savor every moment this evening with her friends. She hadn't felt this much love since she'd been home with her father, Mary, and Sylvester. That had been too many years ago.

  "Halloooo," Lydia called.

  Polly pulled back from Henry and said, "I'm glad you're here. Did you have a good day?"

  "I think the house is finally ready for Mom and Dad."

&
nbsp; "What time will they be in tomorrow?"

  "Knowing Dad, they'll get in tonight, but they really aren't supposed to be home until tomorrow afternoon."

  Polly had spent time with him yesterday scrubbing down bathrooms, washing curtains and re-making the beds. When she'd left, the house had been sparkling, but Henry told her this morning that he was still cleaning and decorating. She supposed it would be difficult having your mother return to her old home. His mother couldn't be that much trouble, though. Polly tried not to be nervous about meeting them and then shook her head. Now wasn't the time to think about that. She had guests.

  They went into the living room and saw that Andy, Len and Ellen, Joss and Nate and Sylvie were also there.

  "Merry Christmas!" resounded through the room as everyone greeted each other. Billy, Rachel, Doug and Anita all showed up, then Eliseo came in with Jose, Maria and Salvador. Eliseo was carrying the baby and laughing at something Jose had said. Mark and Sal were the last to arrive and Polly smiled and shook her head when they walked in holding hands. Sal's laughter was contagious and soon they were mingling with everyone.

  Polly turned on Christmas music. She was glad to not have the pressure of a large Christmas party this year.

  "I'm glad you are all here tonight," she said. "You are my family and I couldn't imagine not spending Christmas with you. One of the best parts of family is that it grows. Andy and Len are back and I am thankful he is part of my family. Welcome home."

  She reached over and took Henry's hand. "This last week Henry and I have been working on a new business deal and we are going to begin a partnership ... "

  Before she could finish her sentence, there were gasps and smatterings of applause around the room. "No, not that," she scolded. "A business partnership. We are purchasing the old hotel out by the new winery. Sycamore Inn will open next summer or fall. Bellingwood needs a hotel and I can hardly wait to begin work on this. I've spoken with both Eliseo and Rachel. Rachel will begin working for us full-time just after the New Year. She will help in the kitchen and be responsible for the guest rooms here at Sycamore House, leaving Eliseo more time to be outside. This spring he is going to plant a rather large vegetable garden out back and we will start having a monthly Farmer's Market here in the spring. It is going to be an exciting year and I look forward to our continued growth. I wish Jeff were here to celebrate with us this evening since he has been such a big part of everything."