Throughout the day, Theodora reigned from just inside the front door, guiding each piece of furniture to the correct room, where another member of the committee waited, drawing in hand, to oversee that room’s arrangement. Boxes of kitchenwares were stacked on the back porch to be attended to another day. Once the long, narrow tables were brought in and positioned in the dining room, bed linens and towels were stacked atop the tables to be taken up to the appropriate rooms later.
By the time Cass’s mother arrived with her newly outfitted wagon, the library where Juliana was stationed boasted two game tables with four chairs each set before the tall windows and two reading circles atop plush rugs in opposite corners of the room. The bookshelves that encircled the room would likely remain free of books until there was time to conduct a book drive. Juliana and the aunts would look into that after the first of the year.
They’d begun to jot down names of books they hoped to acquire. Even Aunt Theodora approved of Jane Austen and Charles Dickens, Martha Finley’s ongoing Elsie Dinsmore series, and Sir Walter Scott. She was not quite so sure about Mr. Stevenson’s new release, Robinson Crusoe.
“But,” she sighed when they discussed it over dinner one evening, “I don’t suppose it’s fair for my tastes to dictate.” And she’d pointed at Aunt Lydia. “Don’t say it. I hear you. Just don’t.”
When it came time for lunch, Helen Duncan asked Cass Gregory to offer a blessing. Juliana had never heard him pray aloud. She stood on the back porch between Aunt Lydia and Aunt Theodora, her head bowed, her eyes closed. When Cass thanked God for what He’d done through the Suttons, she felt heat rise to her cheeks. When he asked God’s guidance in all the details of the Friendship Home, she heard Aunt Lydia murmur an amen. He closed by asking God to bless the staff and Mrs. Harrison as they took on their responsibilities and to enable everyone involved in Friendship Home to bring the hope of Christ to future residents “by showing them the love of God.”
When he said “Amen,” a hearty chorus of amens answered.
Juliana and the aunts joined the long line of workers filing by the ingenious wagon Margaret had apparently just had built to enable her to cater to more such events. Cass chatted with Mrs. Harrison and ended up eating with her and his mother. Juliana could not seem to rid herself of the awareness of where he was—especially when he and Mrs. Harrison gathered up a plate of food and headed into the stone cottage together.
When they came back outside with the child she’d seen that morning in Mrs. Harrison’s arms, Juliana finally admitted it to herself. She was jealous. She finished her own lunch quickly and then busied herself helping Margaret clean up while everyone else admired the child. Everyone, Juliana noted with amazement, including Aunt Theodora, who ended up sitting down on the back steps and asking Mrs. Harrison to let her hold the “little nubbin’.”
“I never imagined Miss Theodora to be fond of babies.”
Juliana started at the sound of Cass’s voice just behind her. He’d apparently been gathering up people’s tin mugs and was beginning to pile them into the cracker box that Margaret used to store them.
Juliana glanced at Aunt Theodora smiling down at the little boy like a woman who’d just discovered buried treasure. “Neither did I.”
Martha approached with a piece of blackberry pie on a plate. “Promised I’d save you a piece.”
“That’s not fair,” Cass teased. “You said it was all gone when I came to get a piece.”
“It was all gone,” Martha explained. “Just because it hadn’t been swallowed yet didn’t mean it wasn’t all gone.”
When Juliana passed the pie to Cass, Martha just shook her head. “You better appreciate that,” she said to Cass. “She’s been lookin’ forward to that since before the sun rose this morning. It’s her favorite.”
Cass reached for a knife and cut the pie in half on the plate, then handed Juliana a fork and took one up himself. “Share?”
“You two go on over there in the shade and enjoy that,” Margaret said. “I can finish up here.”
Cass offered his arm, and together he and Juliana walked around the wagon and into a spot of shade. “The morning’s gone well,” he said as he took the first bite of pie.
Juliana nodded. “I don’t think it’s really going to take all week.”
“You might be surprised. All the big furniture is likely the easy part. Now there’s beds to make and that kitchen—that’s going to take some time. You really are going to wash all those new dishes before they go in the cupboards?”
Juliana nodded. “And you’re right. It’s going to take a long time. Martha is friends with Mrs. Kennedy, the woman who’s been hired to be the head cook. Mrs. Kennedy’s coming out this afternoon so that she and Martha can look things over and try to plan what goes where. Apparently there’s almost a science to setting up an efficient kitchen.”
“You haven’t eaten one bit of that pie. I thought you said it was your favorite.”
Juliana looked down at the plate. Cass was finished. When she reached up to hold the plate and cut a bite with the side of her fork, their hands touched. He didn’t let go. She felt herself blushing like a schoolgirl. Quickly, she took a second bite.
“Here you are.” Aunt Lydia stepped up. Cass let go of the plate. “Dear boy,” she said, “after hearing that prayer, I am more convinced than ever that your name should be submitted to Pastor Taylor as a candidate for deacon.”
Cass seemed embarrassed. “That’s one of the nicest things anyone has ever said about me, Aunt Lydia, and it would be a great honor—someday. But not yet.”
“All right. But I have my eye on you.”
Cass grinned. “I’ll keep that in mind, ma’am.”
Just then the child who’d been laughing on Theodora’s knee let out a squeal and began to cry. Everyone looked over. Mrs. Harrison had the boy in her arms and was heading back to the house. He was reaching with both arms for Theodora.
Cass glanced at Aunt Lydia. “I was just telling Mrs. Sutton that I wouldn’t have thought Miss Theodora one to be fond of babies.”
Lydia shrugged. “First bloomers and now this. My sister is just full of surprises.”
Cass looked at Juliana. “Do I dare ask about the bloomers?”
Juliana laughed. “You can ask, but when I did, they both just looked at each with a secretive smile.”
“It was part of a conversation about widows’ weeds and how tradition and custom don’t always fit every situation,” Aunt Lydia explained. She put her hand on Juliana’s shoulder. “And you see the lovely evidence of that discussion before you, sans veil, sans crepe—although the younger generation doesn’t always pay attention to such things. You probably haven’t even noticed the difference.”
“I’ve noticed,” Cass said. After a brief silence, he pointed to the pie plate. “If you don’t eat that soon, I won’t be responsible for what happens. And future deacons should not be guilty of pie thievery.”
The week sailed by. Finally, on Thursday evening, with all the heavy moving finished, Cass dismissed the building crew and told them to take Friday off and then report early Monday ready to tackle the next project. Sutton Builders had won the bid to erect a new church at Twelfth and M Streets in town. After poring over the plans the church had approved by a Mr. Wilcox in Minneapolis, Cass was already more than a little concerned that the $25,000 bid the boss had prepared might prove to be on the low side. He’d already met with Reverend McKaig about it. The reverend assured Cass that his people would be more than willing to solicit subscriptions to cover any increase in costs.
He was thinking of the Friendship Home with more than a little nostalgia. It was hard to imagine any other project would provide the kind of satisfaction this one had. Unless I get to build something for my bride one day. He put that thought away and headed back inside to see if he could help the kitchen crew by hauling boxes out of the back hall.
“Mr. Gregory, could I bother you for just a moment?” Mrs. Harrison stood in the doorway
to her office. “I think I underestimated the amount of space there would be in here.” She stepped back from the doorway to let him in. “I have a bookcase—a small one—in the house that I brought from Wisconsin. Do you remember it?” When Cass nodded, she chuckled. “Indeed, how could you forget it. I hovered like a mother over a newborn when you hauled it into the cottage.” She paused. “The thing is, now that I’m moved in here, I think there’s room for it.” She pointed at an open space beneath one of the windows. “If I put it there, it would form a wing off the desk.” Cass nodded. “Very functional.”
“It was my husband’s. I like the idea of having part of him here where I’ll be spending so much time. I know you’ve sent the crew home, and I don’t want you to make a special trip back out here. Do you think the two of us could manage it? I’m stronger than I look.”
Cass hesitated.
“Can we at least try?”
Reluctantly, he agreed. There was no way this birdlike little woman was going to be able to haul an oak bookcase this far.
“Excellent!” She smiled. “If Johnny’s still napping, I’ll ask Jenny to hold the door open for us.”
Much to Cass’s amazement, the little birdlike woman was, as she said, stronger than she looked. They carried the bookcase out of the house and over to the steps, and then into Friendship Home and her office without a hitch.
When they had it settled into place, Mrs. Harrison clasped her hands together and stood, beaming down at it. “It’s perfect.” She stood on tiptoe and gave Cass a hug. “Thank you so much.” She swept her hand across the smooth top. “I’m going to get one of my antimacassars and set Reggie’s Bible atop it. Right here.” Her voice wavered. “I like to think he’d be proud of my striking out this way.”
“I’m sure he is,” Cass said. He turned about at the sound of someone clearing her throat. Aunt Theodora stood in the doorway.
“I believe we have concluded for the day,” she said. “I wanted to leave Mrs. Harrison with my notes. For her files.”
“Thank you.” Mrs. Harrison stepped forward and took the stack of papers in Miss Theodora’s hand. She opened the top drawer of the oak filing cabinet that stood between the two windows just behind her desk and said something about “my first official filing.” She turned about. “I’ve been meaning to speak with you about something, Miss Theodora.”
“Indeed.” She looked at Cass.
He reached up to wipe his mouth, thinking maybe he still had food on his chin from lunch. Ma had served the most amazing berry pie for dessert today. He was already looking forward to a second piece after supper tonight.
Mrs. Harrison seemed oblivious. She went on to ask Miss Theodora if she’d consider helping her organize the files that would be coming in when the residents began to arrive. “I’ve seen how gifted you are at organization. I don’t want to impose on your good graces, but I wondered if you would be able to spare a little time that first week.”
Miss Theodora didn’t hesitate. “I’d be delighted.”
“That’s wonderful! Thank you!” Mrs. Harrison beamed.
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll excuse myself,” Cass said. He retreated, very nearly shivering under Miss Theodora’s icy stare. What had he done?
Juliana pulled the last pillowcase onto the last pillow in the upstairs room that would have been Aunt Theodora’s and settled the pillow on the bed. She and Lutie Gleason had had a pleasant afternoon together as they made up beds and chatted about toy drives and book drives and whether or not they should have green plants in every room in the house or only in the rooms downstairs and what kind of framed art they should put on the walls. Lutie thought they should have something inspirational in each room, and Juliana agreed.
“Although I suppose there will be varying opinions as to what is and is not inspirational.” Juliana smiled. “We do have several members on the committee who have somewhat strong opinions.”
“Really?” Lutie forced surprise into her voice. “I hadn’t noticed.”
The two women shared a laugh, and then Lutie said, “Are you familiar with the hymn ‘What a Friend We Have in Jesus’?”
Juliana nodded. “Enough to know it’s perfect, and I wish I’d thought of it.”
“I thought I would stop at the stationer’s next week and see how much it would cost to have the lyrics printed up. Something attractive that we could frame and hang in each room.”
Juliana took a deep breath. “It doesn’t seem that we’ll ever be truly finished.”
“I think,” Lutie said, “that for those of us who care to do it, Friendship Home can be a lifelong project. But for today, I think we say we’re finished.”
Juliana was on her way out the front door with the aunts when Mrs. Harrison called to her from the doorway to her office. “If I might have a word alone, Mrs. Sutton?”
Juliana stepped into the office. “It looks like you’re ready to go to work today,” she said. “We were concerned this room wouldn’t be large enough.”
“It’s perfect. I love it. I love the view, and all this light? It’s spectacular.” She glanced pointedly into the entryway. The house was silent. She took a deep breath. “I can’t help but sense, Mrs. Sutton, that I’ve done something to offend you. If so, I apologize. But I need to know what it is, so that I don’t repeat the offense.”
“I don’t know why you’d think that.”
“You’ve always seemed in rather a hurry to get away from me. At church. This past Monday morning. And most of this week, to be quite honest.”
Juliana glanced out the window. Aunt Theodora was talking to Cass. What was that about? “Monday was …” She shook her head.
“It was probably very difficult for you.” Mrs. Harrison’s voice was gentle. “You’ve only been a widow for a few months. It’s been two years for me. It may be hard to believe, but it will get easier.” She rested her hand atop a Bible sitting on the bookshelf beside her desk. “Not a day goes by that I don’t miss Reggie terribly. Of course nothing can ever fill the space in our lives they leave. But you learn to live around it. The raw edges heal with time.”
Juliana could only nod. After all, the woman meant well. “I didn’t mean to be rude on Monday,” she said. “I’d ridden out here to be alone in the house for a few minutes before everything changed for good. And you clearly had plans with Mr. Gregory.” She swallowed. “As for Sundays, every time I’ve intended to say good morning, you’ve been deep in conversation with Mr. Gregory. I didn’t want to interrupt.”
Mrs. Harrison stood transfixed, and then she smiled. Nodded. “I see.” She glanced out the windows. “I am hoping that, in time, you and I will be friends.” She smiled. “I suppose I am at an advantage, since I’ve heard so much about you. I feel like I know you, thanks to the time I’ve spent with Theodora and Lydia. They speak so highly of you. And then of course there’s Cass. We’ve been rather ‘thrown together’ these past few weeks, what with all the plans for this place.”
Juliana knew. Yes. She knew how that was, being thrown together with Cass because of the project.
Mrs. Harrison seemed to be studying her. Finally she smiled.
“You really don’t know, do you?”
“Know what?”
“About Cass.”
Juliana’s heart thumped. She didn’t want to hear this. Not today.
“He’s in love with you.”
She gasped. “What? But he hasn’t … I thought you …”
Mrs. Harrison laughed. “Just as I thought. You didn’t know.”
“How could I? He hasn’t said anything.”
She crossed the office and looked out the window. “I think they’re waiting for you.” She nodded toward the Bible atop her bookcase. “Everyone is different, Mrs. Sutton. I don’t think I’ll ever remarry, but if I’m not mistaken, you will.” She smiled. “He’s a very good man. I hope you’ll give him a chance when the time comes.” She paused. “And I hope you’ll reconsider my bid for friendship.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Say yes,” Mrs. Harrison said. “And call me Caroline.”
CHAPTER 25
There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:
The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid.
PROVERBS 30:18–19
On Saturday, Lutie Gleason came to the front door in a dither to show Juliana and her aunts what she’d found at the printer’s. “Just look!” she said and opened the folder in her hand. “You won’t believe where the printer sent me.” She chattered as she followed Juliana into the library where she and the aunts had been taking their morning tea.
“To Lindermann’s!” She nodded at the aunts. “He has all kinds of connections to various types of cards and greetings—for comfort, you know. And—” She held up a beautifully engraved sheet of paper, a poem in the center, a garland of forget-me-nots around it. “Or we can have dogwood, or even poppies. It’s up to us. I suppose we could get some of each, depending on the room it’s going in. But Mr. Lindermann said that he would be happy to provide them. As many as we want!” She broke off, breathless, and waved at Juliana. “You tell the rest of our idea.”
“Lutie came up with the idea of framing the words to ‘What a Friend We Have in Jesus’ in each room.” She glanced at Aunt Theodora. “Do you remember the words? I don’t know that we ever sang it at First Church. Lutie recited the words for me.”
Aunt Theodora shook her head. “I don’t recall. Read them.”
Juliana read:
“What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.”
Stephanie Grace Whitson - [Quilt Chronicles] Page 26