Julia's Last Hope Part 7

Jennifer placed a restraining hand on Felicity's arm and tried to hush her once more.

Felicity shook it off, tears forming in her eyes.

"It's not fair," she cried. "It's just not fair."

Jennifer took charge. "Do you think Mama and Papa like it?" she challenged. "Do you think they wanted the mill to close? The people to move away? Do you think they like having to make do? To open our home toa"to strangers? Do you think they are never scareda"or lonely? They lost friends too."

Felicity's noisy sniffling abated. She shrugged her shoulders and wiped her nose, then settled back on the swing and continued to mope. Jennifer said no more. She reached out her foot and started the swing in motion. They sat together in silence for some time before Felicity spoke again. This time her voice was low, her tone confidential.

"Jen, I'm going to hate living in a ghost town."

"That's why Mama is working so hard," Jennifer reminded her. "So that it won't be a ghost town. So that it willa"will come alive again. With tourists anda"and interesting people anda""

"Jen," said Felicity, halting Jennifer's flow of words, "do you think it will work?"

Jennifer stopped short, thought for a minute, then answered honestly, "All we can do is try."

"But what ifa"what if we don't like the people who are our guests?" asked Felicity.

"Wea"we need to make them feela"

"At home?" prompted Felicity.

"No. No, better than that. Like they're special, Mama told the ladies. We need to make them feel likea"kings and queens, Mama said. Then they will go home and tell their friendsa"and the town will be okay."

Silence again.

"What ifa"what if they area"grouchya"anda"and stupid?" asked Felicity.

"What if they are nicea"and exciting?" Jennifer countered.

"Do you think they might be?"

Jennifer shrugged. "Why not?"

Then she continued with a statement she knew would intrigue her sister. "Maybe they will even have handsome sons."

Felicity could not keep the laughter from her blue eyes, and it spilled over to her pouting mouth and curved it into an enchanting smile. Then the giggle came. Jennifer had hoped that it would. In spite of Jennifer's usual propriety she joined her sister in a moment of mirth.

"Do you s'pose our first guests will have a son?" giggled Felicity.

"We'll just have to wait and see," teased Jennifer, and they leaned against each other and laughed some more.

John was torn. He wanted Julia to keep their lovely house. He wanted her hard-fought battle to be victoriousa"the venture to succeed, the town to be revived, but he had to admit that things looked grim.

Funds were very low. If it weren't for Julia's big gardena"if Tom and Hettie hadn't agreed to work for room and boarda"if Rose hadn't moved away with her family, if they didn't get free firewood from the old mill sitea"ifa"

But John tried to be positive. The first guests were soon to arrive. Julia was sure that many more would follow. She was even concerned about where they would house them all once they started coming. She had already sent letters to former shop owners, asking for the use of their buildings in exchange for proper upkeep. With the shop doors opened, their simple s.p.a.ce filled with baked goods, canned wild jams and jellies, handcrafted doilies, quilts and ap.r.o.ns, perhapsa"just perhaps, folks would enjoy a stroll down Main Street once again.

In the meantime, he would keep it looking as neat as he could. Snip, snip, went his clippers. From vacated yard to vacated yard, he snipped his way. The Martins, Browns, Carltons, and Schnells. All neighbors just a short time ago. Now gone. He didn't even know where many of them had relocated. He hoped they had found work. He knew the pain of being unable to provide properly for a family.

Snip. Snip. What if the venture didn't work? How long could he let Jule pursue her dream before he stepped in? Would it crush her? Snip. He could never build her another house like the one they had now. Should he suggest sending her and the girls back east to her father while he tried to get established again? The thought made John cringe.

"If only I knew what to do," he sighed for the hundredth time. "If only I could be sure."

And then, through the sharp, clear afternoon air, reverberating from mountain peak to mountain peak, came the distinct, distant cry of the coming train.

Chapter Ten.

Guests Julia met her guests at the front door. Hettie stood a few steps behind her, her starched white ap.r.o.n glistening in the afternoon brightness, her nervous smile well in place.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Hammond, Mrs. Hammond," Julia said, her tone and smile indicating more confidence than she felt. She held the door open for them and allowed them to enter the s.p.a.cious entrance hall.

Mrs. Hammond smiled, almost, and nodded. Mr. Hammond did not even acknowledge Julia. He was busy studying the curved stairway, the oriental rugs, the art on the walls.

Mrs. Hammond soon joined him, her eyes traveling carelessly over her surroundings. Julia shifted uneasily from foot to foot and cast a nervous glance Hettie's way. Julia's home had never before been so openly and critically appraised.

Mrs. Hammond moved forward just enough to peer into the main parlor and give it a quick a.s.sessment. Her children followed her. Julia was certain they acted out of nosiness, not interest. Their rudeness annoyed Julia. After all, this was still her home. But instead of being rude in return, Julia turned her attention to Hettie.

"Hettie, will you show the Hammonds to their rooms, please?" Then, trying another smile, Julia turned to the Hammonds. "I'm sure it has been a long train ride. You will wish to freshen up before tea. It will be served in the main parlor in fifteen minutes. Thomas will bring up your luggage."

Tom was not used to being called Thomas. His stern face showed that he did not like it now. But he said nothing, only nodded and picked up two of the many suitcases and turned to follow Hettie and the guests.

Julia paused long enough to breathe a quick prayer. This was going to be much more difficult than she had imagined. The Hammonds dressed and bore themselves as though they were accustomed to elegance, to opulence. "Used to being pampered and served too, I imagine," Julia said under her breath. "They will take my lovely home for granted and expect it to be at their disposal."

She shook her head and lifted her chin. "In which casea"we shall pamper them and serve them, and they shalla"shall be made to feel at home. No, not at home. I will never let them feel that my home is theirs. They are only guests here."

With renewed determination Julia went to the kitchen to prepare tea while Hettie finished helping the Hammonds get settled.

The guests were not in the parlor in fifteen minutes. Julia flitted about impatiently. The tea was getting cold. She sent Hettie to the kitchen to boil water for a fresh pot. "But don't make it until they actually show," Julia suggested.

After thirty-five minutes Mr. Hammond appeared. He had changed his traveling suit to something unlike anything Julia had ever seen. It looked very casuala"very ruggeda"and very expensive. "Does he think he's on a wilderness safari, or what?" she muttered to herself.

"Mrs. Hammond will be right down," he growled. "I should like a cup of tea while I am waiting. Hot tea," he emphasized. "We detest tepid refreshments."

Julia went to tell Hettie to make another pot and to be sure it was as hot as she could make it. Then she returned to the parlor.

Mr. Hammond fidgeted while they waited for the pot to steep. "You should have had ample time to prepare," he complained, pulling out an ornate pocket watch and studying the time. "We allowed you more time than you asked for."

Julia bit her tongue to keep from expressing the impatient retort forming in her mind. "Yes, of course," she replied softly. "We did want to be sure that the tea was fresha"and hot, so we held back from making it."

Hettie relieved the uncomfortable situation by appearing with the fresh pot of tea. Julia poured her guest a cupful and placed it on the table near his elbow.

And he left it there until it cooled to lukewarm before taking a swallow.

When Mrs. Hammond appeared they went through the process all over again.

At last the children joined their parents. There were two girls about the same age as the twins and a boy of about five. Julia studied them. They looked sn.o.bbish, whiny, and undisciplined.

"Mama," began the oldest. "You said I wouldn't have to share a room with Miranda."

"We have already been through that," the woman argued. "I had no idea this would be such a tiny place."

Julia's indignation rose. She was about to remind the woman that the information she sent stated that the house had three bedrooms available for guests, but just then Julia's attention was averted to the boy. He had lifted the whole plateful of sandwiches and was racing across the room with them.

Julia caught her breath, sure that the child was going to dump the whole plate on her fine blue carpet, but Hettie intervened. Before the boy knew what had happened, she deftly removed the plate from his hand. He seemed about to howl in protest, when Hettie asked, "Would you like a cream puff?"

His disapproval quickly changed to delight.

"I'll serve you on the back swing," Hettie continued. "Come. I'll show you the way."

Julia breathed a relieved sigh and watched the boy and Hettie disappear.

The Hammond girls caught her attention again.

"Fredrika used all the closet and all the drawers for her things."

Julia could well imagine it. Tom had carried up more suitcases than she had been able to count.

"You must learn to share," admonished the mother. Julia guessed that the concept was totally foreign to the two girls.

"Buta"" began Fredrika.

"Nowa"no buts. We are not in a hotel, you know. We will be making do for a few days. Your papa wanted to get off to some quiet place. Away from civilization."

The look the woman gave her husband told Julia that the two were not in agreement about their destination. The man ignored his complaining wife and fussing children as he stirred cream and sugar into a second cup of hot tea.

Making do, thought Julia. Making doa"away from civilization. Though seething, Julia maintained her composure.

"More tea, Mrs. Hammond?" she asked politely.

"The last cup was a tad cold," the woman snipped. "I do hope that shan't be the norm."

Julia went to the kitchen to make a new pot. She detested fussiness, and they were being impossible.

"I do hope that young ruffian is behaving himself in my backyard," she mumbled to herself. Just then the kitchen door burst open and Felicity entered, her eyes wide.

"Mama," she exploded, "that boy is trying to tip over the swing!"

"He's what?"

"He's trying to tip it over. He's swinging hard, and he said he's going to go so high that it flips right over."

"Oh my!" exclaimed Julia on her way to the back porch.

Tom was there by the time Julia arrived. He couldn't reason with the young boy, and he couldn't discipline the guests' child, but he could thwart his action. Tom's big, broad hand held the swing firmly so the boy, push as he might, went nowhere.

Julia thanked Tom and returned to the kitchen. Felicity and Jennifer followed her.

"How long will he be here, Mama?"

"He kicked a flower pot all across the yard."

"He ate four cream puffs all by himself."

"He says he's our boss and we are his servants."

"How long will he be here, Mama?"

Julia sighed, and her eyes pleaded for the girls to be patient.

Jennifer caught the message and nudged Felicity. Both girls fell silent.

Julia drew her two daughters close. "I didn't know that it would be this hard," she admitted. "But we must do it. We must help Papa. Do you understand?"

Both girls nodded.

"It won't be long. In fact, they are so unhappy with our accommodations that they might not even stay. It wouldn't surprise me in the least."

Seeing hope in the girls' eyes, Julia hurried on. "But we must try to keep thema"to convince them. We must. Your papaa"thea"the other committee membersa"they are counting on us. Do you see? We must do the best we cana"the very besta"to endure."

Julia spoke the last word softly but with such determination that the girls knew how difficult the ordeal was for her. They nodded their consent.

"Can we go to our room?" asked Jennifer.

They had been told to wait on the porch in case the children needed entertaining. Julia could not ask that of them in the present circ.u.mstances. She nodded, and the girls left for the sanctuary of their room.

Oh, if only I could run and hide in my room, thought Julia, but she couldn't, so she picked up the pot of hot tea and the plate of sandwiches and returned to the parlor.

"My, it takes a long time to make a pot of tea in the wild," complained Mrs. Hammond. She refused the sandwiches, saying, "My waistline. One must not overindulge."

In spite of the difficult start, things did settle down over the next few daysa"or perhaps the residents of the big white house just adjusted.

Mr. Hammond was determined to make his visit a wilderness adventure. He spent most of his hours walking mountain paths pretending, Julia surmised, to be the first man who had set foot on them. To the family, he talked incessantly of his "discoveries," much to the annoyance of his wife and the boredom of his children.

The young boy, Hadley, was directed to the vacated mill site, where he spent hours running over sawdust piles and investigating the small empty buildings the mill had left behind. He roared and ran and hooted and climbed, returning home for mealtimes in a dirty, dishevelled state. But at least he was out of everyone's hair, and all those with whom he shared the house, including the Hammonds, seemed thankful for that.

Felicity and Jennifer offered friendship to Miranda and Fredrika, but the city girls turned up their noses and continued to bicker and whine. No amount of coaxing or enticing could persuade them to do otherwise, and soon the Harrigan girls gave up and left them in their own misery.

Mrs. Hammond took possession of the porch swing, demanding pillows to soften the wooden seats. Her back was bad. She had to put her feet up as well, and needed more cushions for them. Snuggled in the softness, she read penny novels and devoured so many imported chocolates that Julia figured they must have completely filled one of the mysterious suitcases. My waistline, indeed! thought Julia.