by Terri DuLong
Between the two of us, we managed to make a few trips and empty the car of the food, my luggage, and Basil’s bed.
“Where is that little scamp?” he asked, placing the bed on the living room floor.
At that moment Basil came racing down the stairs and over to David, who picked him up for a cuddle.
“There you are, you handsome boy.”
“It’s really strange. He seems quite enchanted with my bedroom. He wouldn’t budge off the bed in there.”
“Really?” David said, and I saw an odd expression cross his face.
“Do you know why Mavis wanted me to take that particular room rather than the others?”
He shrugged but I noticed he avoided eye contact with me. “I have no idea,” he said, putting Basil back down. “Now, here, let me help you carry these food bags into the kitchen.”
When we finished and I had the food put away, I offered him a glass of wine.
“Help me celebrate my new home,” I said.
He glanced at his watch and nodded. “Yes, okay. I have a little time before I have to prepare dinner. Clive will be later than normal this evening. He went to meet with a client in New Smyrna Beach.”
I uncorked the wine and poured two glasses, passing one to David. “Let’s sit outside,” I said. “Come on, Basil, come enjoy your new yard.”
David touched the rim of my wineglass. “I hope you’ll both be very happy here, Chloe. I’m so excited for Mavis. I don’t think I’ve seen her quite this happy in a long time.”
I took a sip of the pinot noir as I settled on the patio sofa and nodded. “Yes, I think opening the yarn shop has fulfilled one of her dreams.”
“Oh, that too,” he said and seemed to hesitate. “Although it might seem foolish, I think she’s even happier that this house will be lived in again.”
I watched Basil as he ran around the fenced yard, checking out the fishpond area and running back to sniff the outside of the schoolhouse. He seemed delighted to have a yard where he could run loose on his own rather than being leashed.
I recalled what Louise had said that morning. “But she lived here until a few months ago, so it was lived in.”
David took a sip of wine and nodded. “True. But at one time there was Mavis, Yarrow, and me. And before that my father was alive and of course Emmalyn. I think the house was most alive when Emmalyn was here with us.”
“I imagine you both still miss her a lot. I’m sure Mavis and her sister were quite close.”
David surprised me by laughing and shaking his head. “Hmm, I’m not so sure about that. I think they had a love/hate relationship. Emmalyn could be pretty difficult. Her beauty and charm were both a blessing and a curse. I think deep down she meant well, but she would do or say things spontaneously that could test the patience of a saint.” He took another sip of wine and seemed to be remembering a sister who had left an indelible mark on her siblings. After a pause, he said, “I can still see her so clearly. I was thirty when she died, living in London with Clive. But I still see her in her early twenties, with that long wavy auburn hair and deep green eyes. She could meet somebody once, especially a man, and he would be instantly dazzled by her. Emmalyn could be petulant one minute and truly enchanting the next. She was quite the enigma, and adding to her sense of allure was the scent she always left behind—Chanel Number Five. It wasn’t overpowering, but it was almost like a subtle presence once she had been in your company.”
“She sounds quite remarkable,” I said. “What a shame she died so young. It was a car accident, wasn’t it?”
David nodded and let out a deep sigh. “Yes. She was a passenger, and with a married man. Needless to say, it created quite a scandal. They were both killed instantly when the car went over a bridge into the Halifax River.”
“How tragic,” I said. “And poor Yarrow left with no parents. She was very fortunate to have you and Mavis.”
“Oh, yes, Yarrow has been such a joy to us. Well,” he said, taking the final gulp of his wine and standing up, “I’ve kept you long enough. I’m sure you want to get settled in. And if you need anything at all, just give us a call. Mavis has been off with a friend this afternoon and should be home shortly so I’ll mosey along and get dinner started.”
“Thank you so much for everything, David.”
“Oh, and by the way, I’m not sure you noticed, but there’s a gate in the fence between our yards. Makes it much easier than walking to the driveway. I hope you don’t mind if I use that.”
I laughed and shook my head. “Not at all. Come visit me anytime.”
Chapter 18
I opened my eyes the following morning and felt a mound near my feet. Looking to the end of the bed, I saw Basil curled up, sleeping away. So much for using his own bed.
During the course of the evening, he’d scampered up the stairs again, and each time I found him on my bed. Apparently, he’d mapped out this spot as his own. At least he was willing to share it with me.
I had spent a relaxing and quiet evening in my new home. I had the delicious chicken pie for supper along with a healthy salad I’d put together. Then I settled myself on the sofa in the living room with a glass of wine and my knitting. Mavis had called to check on me and then I had a surprise call from Berkley. She brought me up to date on the news from Cedar Key. By ten I was ready to call it a day and fell into a dreamless sleep.
I hadn’t bothered to unpack the night before and had just grabbed pajamas from my luggage along with my toiletries, so after breakfast that would be my first chore: getting unpacked. I glanced at the bedside clock and saw it was just after six.
“Come on, lazy boy,” I said, as I got up. “Time to get you out in the yard.”
I let Basil outside and then prepared a pot of coffee. While I waited for it to drip into the carafe, I gazed out the French doors and thought about the conversation with David the day before. I was intrigued with the story about Emmalyn. I wondered if perhaps the man in the accident might be Yarrow’s father, but by the time the accident had happened she was already ten years old. Possible but not likely. David had said there was a scandal and I was sure that hadn’t been easy for the family. Despite Emmalyn’s behavior, I got the feeling she was still very much loved by both Mavis and David. I thought back to a time, years ago, when I had betrayed my sister, Grace. She had been very angry with me, to the point we hadn’t spoken for years, but in the end both she and Aunt Maude had shown me unconditional love when I’d showed up on Cedar Key. Somehow, Grace had found a way to forgive me.
I poured myself a mug of coffee and joined Basil in the yard. It was then I realized it was June first—the start of a whole new month. The sun was shining and it looked like it was going to be a gorgeous day. Beyond unpacking, I had no plans. I thought maybe I’d spend some time working on a design for the knit-along shawl.
Following two mugs of coffee and a bowl of cereal, I headed upstairs to the shower with Basil close at my heels. I lifted one piece of luggage onto the bed to unpack some items, then walked to the bureau to place my underwear. As soon as I opened the top bureau drawer an aroma wafted up to me—sensual and haunting. I shivered as the fragrance seemed to fill the room. I wasn’t positive but I could have sworn it was Chanel No. 5. I sniffed the air and noticed that Basil was sitting beside my foot whining as he looked up at me.
“This is silly,” I said out loud as I sniffed again. But yes, that was definitely the perfume David said Emmalyn had always worn. Well, of course. This was Emmalyn’s bureau. Her clothes had been kept here and the scent had just lingered even all these years later. That did make sense, didn’t it?
I quickly put my underwear in the drawer, shoved it shut, and headed to the shower.
Later that morning I was sitting at the patio table when I looked up to see Marta coming through the gate from the driveway.
“Good morning,” she said. “I hope I’m not bothering you.”
“Not at all. Would you like some coffee?”
“No, no, bu
t thank you. I just wanted to make sure you settled in okay and check to see if you needed anything.”
“Marta, you’ve done way too much already, leaving me that delicious chicken pie. I really enjoyed that last night for supper, so thank you.”
She smiled and sat down. “I’m glad you enjoyed it. Everything is going well? You slept okay?”
“Yes, very well. I guess I was tired but got a good night’s sleep.”
“Oh, good. I also wanted to let you know that I arrive on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays around ten to clean. Will that be okay with you? I’m at David and Clive’s house the other two days.”
“Yes, that’ll be fine. And Mavis mentioned that I could hire you to prepare meals for me if I needed that. Would that work for you? Most nights I’ll do my own cooking, but once the yarn shop opens, it would be a big help a couple evenings a week.”
“Oh, yes, that would be good. Just let me know ahead of time when you’ll need me. During the summer, I’m pretty wide open but once school starts in August, I have to be available to drive my daughter to various events.”
“Sure. Your daughter is Krystina, right?”
A smile of pure love covered Marta’s face and she nodded. “Yes, Krystina is now almost fifteen. She has ballet lessons after school and she plays basketball, so I like to be available to take her. We live with my sister and her husband, and they always offer, but . . . well . . . I am Krystina’s mother, so they shouldn’t have to do that.”
“That’s really nice,” I said. “You sound like a very involved mom. It’s also nice that you have family here. You came from Poland, right? And your daughter was born here?”
Marta nodded but refrained from going into any detail. “Yes,” was all she said before standing up. “Well, I won’t keep you. I just wanted to let you know I’d see you around ten tomorrow.”
“Thanks again, Marta,” I said and watched her walk to the driveway. I couldn’t help but think everybody has a story and I had a feeling that maybe over time I would learn Marta’s.
I had just finished lunch on the patio and resumed working on the shawl pattern when I heard Mavis’s voice. I looked to the gate separating the yards and saw her walking in. Basil ran to greet her and she let out a chuckle.
“Well, it looks like this handsome boy is settling in just fine,” she said, sitting down to join me at the table. “And how about you?”
“Very well. I had a good night’s sleep and I love the house. It has such a warm and cozy feel to it.”
Mavis nodded with a satisfied expression on her face. “Good. Well, the house is happy again. I’m certain of that. You and Basil have begun to restore some of its former happiness, and I think in time it will resume the joy it had years ago.”
“You really think the house can feel emotions?”
She gave me a look of astonishment. “Yes, of course. Don’t you?”
I wasn’t sure if my rental lease was contingent on this belief, so I only said, “I’m not sure. I suppose it could be true.”
Mavis nodded emphatically. “Oh, it’s true enough, honey. I can vouch for that. I know for sure the house was the happiest before Emmalyn moved out.”
“When was that?”
“As soon as her pregnancy was confirmed. My father begged her to stay at least until she had the baby . . . but she wouldn’t hear of it. Nope. Not Emmalyn. She wanted to be on her own. So of course my father relented and purchased the cottage on Orchard Lane for her. Turns out, that was probably the best thing. It wasn’t an easy time here.”
When I remained silent, she continued.
“A few weeks before Emmalyn announced that she was pregnant, my Jackson was killed in Vietnam. It was a very difficult and sad time for me and I wasn’t the most pleasant person to be around. Actually, I became a bit of a recluse. And then Yarrow was born and convinced me that life does indeed go on.”
I reached over to pat Mavis’s hand. “I’m sure it wasn’t easy for you. So your sister and niece helped you to heal?”
“Oh, I’m not so sure Emmalyn had anything to do with it.” She let out a sarcastic chuckle. “Emmalyn was always too wrapped up in her own life to be very concerned about others. But she did share the gift of Yarrow with me and for that, I was grateful. Children have a way of making sense out of life.”
“So what do you think accounted for the house being the happiest when your sister lived here?”
“Oh, it was her energy. There’s no doubt about it. She had a passion and zest for life that simply overflowed, and it consumed everyone and everything surrounding her. Not always in a good way—and that was her problem. Enough about the past,” she said, slapping the table with her palm. “Is that the shawl design you’re working on?”
“It is. It’s just my first draft but I have a starting point. It will be a lace pattern.”
“Oh, nice. Lace knitting is so popular right now. Do you have a name for it yet?”
“Not yet, but I’m sure I’ll come up with something once the design is complete.”
“Very good,” Mavis said, reaching for her cane and standing up. “Well, I won’t keep you. Have you spoken to Marta yet?”
“Yes, she stopped by earlier and explained she’ll be here tomorrow around ten to clean.”
“Right. If you need anything, just give a call or pop over. Oh, the workmen will be here tomorrow working on the shop. They promised to come around eight.”
“Great. Thanks for everything, Mavis.”
“Believe me, it’s my pleasure.”
I watched her cross through the gate back to David’s house and once again I felt grateful to have met this woman.
Chapter 19
I awoke the following morning with a sense of unease. Rolling over onto my side, I pulled one of the pillows to my chest as I tried to understand why I felt agitated, and then I remembered—it was the dream.
I dragged bits and pieces together until the dream came back into focus. I was standing outside near the fishpond, looking through the archway. A woman was kneeling to the side, gazing into the water. She had long, wavy auburn hair and was wearing a flame red evening gown, off the shoulders, that fell in folds down her slender body. When she glanced up at me, I saw that sadness covered her face and I also saw the most intense green eyes I’d ever seen. I began to walk toward her to see if I could help, but she put up a hand, shook her head and indicated I shouldn’t come closer. That was when I saw the tears rolling down her face. And then I woke up.
What the hell, I thought. Was that Emmalyn? Although I’d never seen her, the dream woman certainly matched David’s description. Why on earth would I dream of her? I let out a deep sigh. It had to be because of the discussions I’d had about her with both David and Mavis. The subconscious was such a mystery.
I was surprised when I glanced at the clock and saw it was almost seven—later than I normally slept. But I’d been awake till almost midnight working on my design.
Whining drew my attention to Basil, who had leaned over and was kissing my cheek.
“Yes, I know,” I told him. “Time to get up and get moving.”
By noontime I’d finished the shawl design and was ready to think about lunch. Stretching and letting out a yawn, I stood up from the patio table and could hear the workmen in the schoolhouse.
They had arrived promptly at eight. I went out to introduce myself, bringing mugs of much appreciated coffee. Ed, John, and Tony appeared to be in their early to midforties and greeted me with friendliness. I complimented the work they’d done so far and found myself getting excited about the day when the space would look like a bona fide yarn and tea shop.
I had just walked into the kitchen to prepare myself a salad for lunch when my cell phone rang..
“Hey, there,” Chadwick said when I answered. “Have you got a minute?”
“Sure. What’s going on?”
“I wanted to invite you to dinner on Saturday evening. Are you free?”
“I am,” I told him.
> “Do you like Italian?”
“Love it.”
“Great. I’ll make a reservation at Genovese’s and I’ll pick you up at seven. Will that work?”
“Perfectly.”
I heard a chuckle come across the line.
“You’re an easy woman to please. I’ll see you Saturday evening and I look forward to it.”
“Same here,” I said before we hung up.
I held the cell phone in my hand, smiling. I had a date. Nothing too earth-shattering in the scheme of things, but since my divorce, I’d only dated Cameron and then Gabe.
I could hear Marta running the vacuum upstairs as I prepared my salad. My mind wandered back to my dream. I suppose if your life got snuffed out at twenty-eight that would be something to cry about. Maybe that’s why Emmalyn was sad—if the dream woman was Emmalyn. And of course she’d probably be sad about leaving behind a ten-year-old daughter.
“It was a dream, Chloe,” I said out loud. “And dreams are not part of everyday life.”
I gave Basil a treat before settling myself to eat at the lemon yellow table in the breakfast area. I had a feeling that even on a dreary, rainy day this spot would be cheery.
Marta walked into the kitchen just as I finished eating.
“I’m going to have my lunch and then I’ll be doing the downstairs. Will that be all right?”
“Absolutely. Oh, I was going to ask you, do you think you could make some cookies or cupcakes for the knitting group? They’ll be here a week from Friday.”
“Sure. That would be fine. Do you have any particular kind in mind?”
I shook my head. “Nah, I’ll leave that up to you. Mavis said there’ll probably be about twelve of us.”
Marta nodded. “Okay, I’ll take care of it. I’ll bake them on Friday morning. I’ll come around eight, if that’s okay. Before I start cleaning.”
“That’ll be fine. I’ll pay you for the cookies and your prep time.”
I got up to prepare myself a cup of tea and Marta sat at the table to eat her sandwich.
