“More food for us!” Debbie cheered. “Chili is my favorite.” The hum of her machine sounded like an agreement.
Aury poured a cup of coffee and wandered out to the deck. The sky was overcast but it was still bright. It was hard to envision how a hurricane could affect them out here.
“Good morning.” Scott approached from the direction of the dining hall. “Did you quilt much last night?”
“A fair bit. Looks like you started early.” In the daylight, Aury was able to see a few streaks of gray in Scott’s hair and the faded blue of his eyes. He was wearing an old t-shirt and a pair of cargo shorts that showed off his tan features.
“Couldn’t sleep. I came by earlier and met some of the ladies. They were kind enough to show me the quilts they’re working on. Talented bunch you got there.”
“Amazing, aren’t they? Why couldn’t you sleep?”
“My mind is constantly racing with what might go wrong in this weather.”
“Do you think it’ll flood this high?” Aury remembered the steep drop off the cliff she had seen on her walks.
“No danger of flooding. I’m more worried about trees falling, to be honest. With all the rain, the ground becomes saturated, and heavy winds can knock them over easier.”
“Is there anything you can do about it?” she asked.
“Not really. I was hoping to cut some of those big ones away from this building, but time got away from me. There’s always something.” He shook his head.
“I haven’t checked the news this morning. What’s the status of the hurricane?”
“It’s supposed to swing up the coast of North Carolina, slowing down when it’s over land. That should be another day or so.”
“Good to know. We’re down to only six of us, so please tell Alan he doesn’t need to worry about any fancy food for us tomorrow. We’re happy with soup and salad if that’s easy for you.”
“That would help us out. There’s nothing left in the dining hall now except some canned food. Alan is going to do some shopping tomorrow on his way in.”
They fell into a comfortable silence, watching the wind blow the treetops.
“Did you grow up here?”
Scott looked across the pond lovingly. “In a way. We didn’t live here, but we spent every summer and most weekends here. Halloween was especially entertaining because of the haunted woods.” His lips quirked into a grin.
“Haunted?”
“That’s what my grandparents told us. Ethereal mists guarded part of the property, and we would dare each other to walk into it when it was especially thick.” This time he laughed aloud.
“Once, my cousin Julie went in and ran out without her shoes. She was sure a ghost had latched onto her and her only escape was to ditch her runners. In the light of the day, we found her shoes stuck in the mud. After that, our grandparents weren’t allowed to tell us scary stories anymore.”
Aury watched the laugh lines crinkle around his eyes while he thought about happier times.
He shook himself as if coming out of a trance. “When my grandparents were alive, they lived in the manor house. We ran around like we owned the place.”
“Do you have brothers and sisters?” Aury asked. She could picture a gaggle of kids playing hide and seek in the trees.
“Cousins, actually. On my mom’s side. Dad didn’t have any brothers or sisters. It would have been easier if he did.”
She gave him a puzzled look. “What do you mean?”
“Oh, I don’t mean to go on about myself.”
“I’m interested. Really,” she assured him.
Scott ran his hand across his face. “Well, when my grandparents died, they left this property to my dad. Mom wanted to turn it into a Christian retreat center and have youth groups out here. They sunk a bunch of their retirement money into the renovations, then Mom got sick.” His voice hitched, and Aury looked away to give him a sense of privacy.
“The medical bills added up quickly with cancer. Mom passed, and then Dad lost all interest in this place. They say that happens a lot when two people are close. He died a year later.”
“Sorry to hear about your family.” Her stomach twisted with the shared pain of losing parents, but she wasn’t ready to talk about the accident that claimed her parents.
“Thank you. I hope to keep going with the plans my parents had for this place, but I’m not sure I can swing it. It takes more money and energy than I have right now.”
“I understand.” Aury thought about the energy she had expended on keeping her marriage afloat, only to see it fall apart in the end.
“My mom was especially excited to see Eastover full of kids and families. And quilters, of course,” he added with a grin.
“I’d love to see the plans someday. This is a awesome piece of property.”
“Hopefully I’ll have a chance to show you. For now, I better hustle back to my chores. And you need to get some sewing done. Those quilts won’t make themselves.”
Aury gave a little wave and headed indoors. The room was almost eerily quiet with only the few ladies that were left.
“Can we at least put on some music now?” Debbie asked. “We should be able to agree on something with six people.”
“Seven,” Carla corrected her.
“Ah, she don’t count.” Debbie indicated the lady who was packing her things. “She’s deserting us.”
Chapter 8
As Aury took her usual walk before dinner, she wandered toward the manor house again. This time, she admired it from a distance, preferring to think of it as it must have been in its heyday.
Aury pictured kids of various ages running through the halls and almost heard the cry of the house matron as the kids let the screen door slam shut as they ran out to play. She smiled at her musings as she took the left fork in the path through the woods that led toward the beach.
At one time, this path was obviously tended but not in the recent past. Oyster shells littered the walkway and crunched under her feet. The leaves still hanging on to the trees overhead muffled most of the sounds except in Aury’s immediate area.
Climbing over fallen tree trunks that must have been there for years, she was glad she was wearing jeans and not shorts for this adventure.
She stopped to examine how the roots of a fallen tree had dislodged what appeared to be a marker stone. Now covered with moss, the two-foot cube rested askew with one corner pointed up as if it had stopped in mid-spin. The rough-hewn edges must have been chiseled, not cut with any modern equipment.
Aury brushed at it with her hand, but the moss and dirt didn’t loosen their hold easily. Wiping her hands on her pants, she continued along the trail. The downward slope made for an easy enough walk, although the roots pushing up through the groundcover were a tripping hazard.
At the edge of the woods, she stopped to take in the broad expanse of the James River. Even on this overcast day, the sight was impressive. Off on the distant shore, lights shimmered from houses tucked into the woods. With another deep breath to fill her full of happy thoughts, Aury turned to her right to continue along the riverside.
As she prepared to turn back, Aury spotted what appeared to be an opening in the foliage. A tapestry of vines hung like a curtain across what used to be a path. Finding a long piece of driftwood, Aury swung at the vines, trying to loosen them from their sticky grip. They were thick and tangled, and Aury soon gave up on her adventure.
She glanced at her watch, deciding it was time to head back the way she came. The wind picked up, and the promise of spicy chili and cornbread made her stomach rumble.
The chatter of the women and the hum of machines was a welcome home as she stepped into the room, but the rhythmic pulse coming from Debbie’s phone made Aury laugh. Debbie sang along with Taylor Swift, and her head bopped with the beat.
“I see you found music you all agree on.”
“Agree? Who said anything about agreeing? Debbie turned on this crap, and we’re stuck with it,” Pat said.<
br />
“Bite me,” Debbie replied without missing a beat.
Aury laughed as she stepped to the sink to wash the dirt from her hands.
Carla followed her into the kitchen, filling up a plate of snacks from the leftover assortment. “Have a nice walk?”
“It’s beautiful out here. I wish we could stay longer.”
“Be careful what you wish for. I hear the storm is moving faster than they thought.”
“Glad I brought a lot of projects.”
* * * * *
Most of the ladies retired early that night, leaving Aury and Carla alone at opposite ends of the hall working. Aury had her earplugs in, half-listening to the movie she had downloaded to her tablet. Carla was absorbed in her ironing.
The lights flickered, causing both women to glance up in surprise. They had just turned back to their work when the lights flickered again, then went out.
The darkness fell on them. Aury pulled at the wires in her ears. “Carla?”
“I’m still here.”
“I wonder if they have a generator.”
“I doubt they would for this building,” Carla said.
Aury waited for her eyes to adjust to the dark but nothing happened.
“Watch out for the hot iron,” Aury cautioned Carla as she got up from behind her machine. Without the sound of the sewing machine, the howling of the wind instantly became more evident.
“I guess we may as well go to sleep,” Carla suggested. “Doubt we’ll get anything else done tonight.”
“Do you need help finding your way?” Aury held up her tablet, which was still playing on battery. The faint glow lit a few feet in front of her.
Carla moved cautiously around the table, avoiding the tripping hazards. She reached down and unplugged the iron. “Let’s not take any chances.” She grabbed her keys and cell phone. Her phone flashlight illuminated in her hand. “I can make it from here. Hopefully they’ll have things under control in the morning.”
She went out the back door as Aury moved to the front of the hall. Her room was on the side of the building closest to the parking spots. Stopping at her table, she picked up her cell phone and turned off the tablet. Her phone was at fifty-three percent. She cursed herself for not charging it earlier in the night.
Using her phone as a flashlight, she stepped into the night. The rain came down in sheets. Large puddles had formed around the cars, indicating it had been raining for a while.
After changing into her pajamas, she slipped into bed and pulled the blankets over her shoulders, listening as the rain attacked the roof.
Chapter 9
Aury was deep in sleep when a pounding at her door brought her upright.
“Aury! Wake up! We need to get out of here!” The pounding continued.
She stumbled from her bed, flinging open the door.
Debbie was about to pound again when Aury caught her arm. “What’s going on?”
“Look!” Debbie pointed toward the center of the building. In the early morning light, Aury could see a bramble of branches blocking the sidewalk.
The rain was still falling, with gusts of heavy wind pushing it under the protective covering of the sidewalk. The whoosh of the storm through the standing trees was loud. Aury was surprised she’d slept through the turmoil.
“Is anyone hurt?” she asked.
“I don’t know. Pat is waking up the other half of the building. I told her we’d meet in your room.”
As Aury stepped aside, allowing Debbie to enter, Carla appeared.
“Suzanne’s on her way,” Carla said. “She needed to grab a few things.”
The woman was soaked from her run around the fallen tree. Aury went into her bathroom, returning with towels. Next, she searched the closet for extra blankets.
When Pat came in leading a very shaken Linda, Aury wrapped a blanket around her. “What happened?”
Pat guided Linda to the bed. “Quite a few trees are down on the other side of the building. One went through Linda’s window. Luckily her bed was at the opposite end. No harm done.”
Suzanne rushed through the door, slamming it behind her. “Damn this hurricane!” She flung her overnight bag into the corner.
Carla tossed her a damp towel. “Now what do we do?”
“I suppose we should sit tight. I think it’s a good idea to all stay together,” Aury said.
“I don’t like the looks of the trees. They’re too close. Who’s to say when another one is going to fall?”
“I say it’s time to give up on this retreat. Let’s head home,” Pat said.
“Fat chance the ferry is operating,” Carla pointed out.
“Hell, I don’t think most of our cars are accessible. At least three are buried in that mess out there,” Suzanne said.
The women instinctively turned toward Aury. Taking a deep breath, then letting it out as slowly as she could manage, a plan began to take form.
“Has anyone tried to call for help yet?”
The women looked sheepishly at each other. Suzanne picked up her phone. “No bars.”
Linda shivered. “Mine’s still in my room somewhere.”
“Mine too,” Carla admitted.
Pat and Debbie both checked their phones, swearing in frustration at the lack of a signal.
“Mine was running low when the power went out. I shut it down to conserve the battery. It most likely doesn’t have a signal either,” Aury said.
A thunderous crash made the women jump and someone screamed as the ground shook.
“Now what?” Debbie cried.
Aury went to the door, opening it a crack. “Good news and bad news.” She closed it again. “The rain is letting up, but I think we just lost access to the other cars.”
The six women huddled in the cramped room.
“I don’t want to stay here,” Linda said.
“I don’t blame you,” Pat said. “But where can we go?”
“What about the dining hall?” Debbie suggested.
“Walking around that lake isn’t the best idea. It gets muddy at the slightest hint of rain. It’s been pouring for hours,” Carla said. “Who knows what shape it’s in.”
“But we’re going to need food,” Debbie said.
“Leave it to you to be thinking about your stomach at a time like this.” Pat gave her an incredulous look.
“It’s survival,” Debbie shot back.
“Alan said the cupboards were bare,” Carla reminded them. “He was going shopping on Monday.”
“I’ll go to our stash in the sewing room and see what I can salvage,” Aury said. She emptied her suitcase on the bed.
“I’m not sure you can get to the door,” Suzanne said. “The branches are awfully thick.”
Aury shoved her arms into a jacket. “I’ll do what I can.” She pulled her boots on over bare feet and grabbed the empty suitcase.
“I’ll go with you,” Debbie said. “You’ll need help carrying things.”
“Geez, Deb, how much food do you think we need?” Pat said.
“We don’t know how long we’re going to be here. Better to be prepared.”
Aury and Debbie stayed under the overhang as long as they could. The wind had slowed so the rain wasn’t coming at them broadside anymore. Still ten feet from the front door, the heavy limbs and soggy leaves blocked their path. Aury attempted to pull the branches apart to make an opening, but there was no forgiveness in the fallen tree.
“Let’s try the back door,” Debbie suggested. She dashed out into the drizzling rain, making a wide arc around the mound of twisted roots that stood almost as tall as she was.
Aury studied the second tree that had fallen across the hood of her car and protruded into the room of the woman who had vacated only the day before. She shuddered.
Following Debbie, Aury splashed through the murky morning.
As they rounded the corner, their hopes fell upon seeing the number of trees down. Even the steps to the deck were buried under foliage.
“Be careful of the glass,” she warned as Debbie drew closer. Aury threw the suitcase into the room, then gingerly climbed over the sill. Reaching around, she helped Debbie through.
“Maybe we should forget this,” Debbie said. “The roof could fall in.”
“Wait here. I’ll see if I can reach anything.” Aury disappeared among the leaves and branches. When she returned, she looked like she was covered with leaf-shaped stickers. Her arms were laden with soggy boxes of snacks, and she held plastic bags in both hands. She dumped them unceremoniously into the suitcase.
“See if you can make them fit. I think I can reach the bottled water under the counter.” Aury went once more into the gloom.
She appeared again, triumphant with a partial case of bottled water. “I think this is it. Everything else is soaked and not edible.”
Debbie finished zipping up the suitcase. “Can you carry that? There’s no room.”
Debbie went through the window first, and Aury handed out the loot. Soon they were reporting to the waiting ladies.
“I grabbed dry clothes and some extra shoes from my room while you were gone,” Pat said.
“I’ve got my bag of stuff,” Suzanne offered.
“I tried to get into my room, but the door is blocked now,” Carla said.
“Now what?” Linda asked.
“What about the manor house?” Aury asked.
“Manor house?” Carla asked.
“Haven’t you seen it? It’s past the fork in the road, farther down the trail.”
“I haven’t gone that far,” Carla admitted. “I’ve been too busy sewing.”
“Our machines!” Suzanne cried out. “They’re going to be ruined!”
“And our projects,” Linda added. “All that work for nothing.”
“Fabric can be washed,” Aury said. “Let’s get safe first. Do you want to wait here while I check out the house?”
Eastover Treasures Page 3