“Nor you.”
“Do you know Shakespeare’s works well?”
“I’m familiar with a few.”
“As am I.”
Sarah came out onto the balcony then, a small girl’s dress in her hands.
“Miss Henderson?” said she as she walked toward Ellie, “Miss Leah would like to know what you think of this.”
Before Ellie could answer, Sarah spotted Jamie standing below her.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Rhodes,” she said in a breathless voice, her eyes suddenly paralyzed.
He scratched his head uncomfortably, “Good afternoon, Miss Walsh.”
“Umm . . .,” Sarah stammered, “Mi... Might you like to...”
But Jamie cut her off in a rather polite voice, “I’m sorry, but I really must be going. Goodbye Miss Walsh.”
“Goodbye,” Sarah answered. She blushed and turned her eyes away from Ellie as Jamie walked inside the house.
It took a moment before Sarah could repeat, “What do you think of this dress?” and Ellie knew there was something she didn’t know about the relationship between Jamie Rhodes and Sarah Walsh.
Chapter 9 - The Pie Festival
One Friday afternoon, without any warning at all, Ellie came home to find Marcelle sitting on her front porch with two pieces of distinctive luggage on either side. She announced that she would be able to stay for the weekend and Ellie, though happy by her friend’s arrival, told her of some bad news:
“I’m sorry Marcelle, for I didn’t know you were coming, and I’ve already signed to help work at Donners Bend’s Annual Pie Festival tomorrow. You can come too if you want, I suppose, though I don’t know what you shall do.”
“’Tis alright,” Marcelle assured her, “I’ll find something. Maybe I can help work too.”
She did. The next morning when they arrived a stressed Mrs. Thompson, who was coordinating the event, rushed up to them and asked if Marcelle would be willing to help out and work as a waitress. Marcelle quickly accepted.
The little festival was set up on a large field, and everyone in town came. It was a big event and one that everyone looked forward to. There it sat, under little white canvas booths; there were millions of games the children could play and in a field nearby, three-legged races as well as potato sack races would be held. Ellie worked at the pie booth. She and Jon had signed up to sell off pies of all kinds baked by the ladies of Donners Bend; there were blackberry, cherry, strawberry, peach, lemon meringue, blueberry, and most importantly, made from the Rhodes’ orchard, apple pies. Ellie had a wonderful time. She and Jon couldn’t stop laughing all day, and they loved to sneak in a few bites of pie for themselves every so often.
In the afternoon though, it was time for lunch, but Ellie and Jon couldn’t leave their booth. They were both sitting quietly, their heads in their hands, when the Rhodes children ran up, Jamie included.
“Johnny!” Demi exclaimed; she’d gotten to know Jon a little for he came by their house so often to either drop Ellie off or pick her up.
Jon smiled, “Hey Demi.”
He then stood up and reached out a hand to Jamie, “Nice to see you again, Jamie.”
Jamie shook it, “You too, Jon. How are you?”
“Great, great, and you?”
Jamie shrugged, “I’m doing alright.”
“Ellie! Ellie!” Leah shouted, “We’re going to lunch. Won’t you come with us? Please Ellie?”
All the other children joined in too, “Please Ellie?”
She smiled, “I’m sorry, but I can’t. Johnny and I have to stay here at the booth.”
“Can’t Jon watch it for you while you’re gone?” Gracie suggested.
“Of course he can, but that’s okay. I’ll just stay and...”
Jon cut her off, “Of course I’ll stay. You go and have lunch, Mae. It’s no problem.”
“No, no, I’ll stay. Thanks for the offer though, Leah.”
The children frowned and pouted.
Jon smiled and whispered into Ellie’s ear, “Just go, Mae. I’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”
“Are you sure?” she replied.
“Positive.”
Ellie sighed, “Alright then.”
The children cheered and Jamie set Wesley up on his shoulders so that Wesley’s little legs straddled Jamie’s neck. Leah grabbed Ellie’s hand and they were off to the picnic tables where lunch was being served.
They’d only sat a moment when Marcelle walked up. She wore a white apron over her striped powder blue dress and her hair, formerly curled beautifully down her back just hours before, was pulled back untidily with a white ribbon. Limp curls hung out around her face and she didn’t appear to be in a good mood.
As Marcelle set out the napkins and silverware, Ellie asked her how her day had been going.
“Horrible,” Marcelle replied bluntly.
“Why so?”
Marcelle rolled her eyes, “You’ll see.”
She then put on her best smile and said graciously, “Now what would you all like to eat this afternoon?”
Once the children had taken their orders, Ellie soon saw what had been making Marcelle so distressed. As Marcelle was walking away, she accidentally knocked into Benjamin Fanning, who was dressed far more casually than he had been at the ball. His entire tray, full of drinks, sandwiches, and salad for a nearby table, fell partly onto the grass and partly onto both Marcelle and Benjamin.
“What’s that, the third time you’ve bumped into me all day?” Benjamin asked madly.
“I didn’t bump into you! You bumped into me!” Marcelle screamed back, “And now look what you’ve done to my dress! It’s ruined!”
“Well, look what you’ve done to my pants! They’re ruined!”
“’Tis not my fault.”
“Everything’s your fault.”
“’Tis not.”
“Is too!”
Another voice interrupted their childish quarrel: the recipient of the food now splattered on Marcelle’s apron.
“Well it’s certainly somebody’s fault!” the man accused angrily.
“I’m so sorry, sir,” Marcelle apologized as she stood up, “I’m sorry that you had to endure putting up with this irritating, unpleasant man as your waiter all afternoon. I’m sorry he had to be so incredibly careless and drop your lunch onto his co-worker, and I promise you that I’ll bring you a new lunch free of charge.”
“Hey! Those are my customers and I will be the one to take care of them. Why don’t you get back to work and start thinking about your own customers instead of worrying about mine and making a complete fool of yourself, Miss Marquis!” Benjamin retorted, pushing his way past her.
“Well, I’m sorry,” she replied with an evil laugh, “But you obviously aren’t able to serve them well yourself, so I thought I’d step in and...”
The customer cut in again, “Stop yelling at each other and just bring my family some food! We’re starving over here!”
“You heard him! Get back to work Ben!” Marcelle said as she began walking back to the kitchen tent.
Benjamin ran his hand through his auburn and slightly grayish locks, reminding Ellie that he wasn’t a young man anymore; he was thirty-two in fact, and fifteen years Marcelle’s senior.
“You’re the most difficult woman I’ve ever met!” he called after her.
“And you’re the most difficult man I’ve ever met!” Marcelle screamed back, “I despise you, Mr. Fanning!”
“I despise you more, Miss Marquis!”
Marcelle stomped angrily into the kitchen and slowly the quieted tables of people began to speak again.
“Good comeback, Fanning,” Jamie said with a laugh.
Benjamin rubbed his head, “I know, but it was all I could come up with at the moment.”
After they’d eaten, Marcelle pulled Ellie aside and after she’d said a quick goodbye to the Rhodes.
Marcelle sighed and pushed some stray curls behind her ears; she looked even more miserable tha
n she had when Ellie arrived.
“I don’t think I can take this anymore, El,” she said as she shook her head back and forth, “He’s driving me mad!”
“It’s only one day,” Ellie replied, trying to bring her spirits up, “And after that you never have to see or speak to him again if you don’t want to.”
“I know, I know, but I swear that if he does one more thing: bumps into me, calls me Doltish Dela, blames me when he gets an order wrong, I swear I’ll scream,” Marcelle answered through clenched teeth.
Just then, at the most inopportune moment, Benjamin shouted, “Doltish Dela! You’ve got some more customers to take care of so I suggest you stop slacking off!”
Marcelle’s eyes widened madly and hands became fists, “I swear I ought to...”
But Ellie stopped her. She placed her hands on Marcelle’s shoulders, “It’s only one day. One day and you’ll be done. Don’t let him get to you, that’s what he wants! Hold on just a few more hours, alright, Marcelle?”
Marcelle took a deep breath and let it out again. She closed her eyes, nodded, and repeated, “Just a few more hours, and I’m done.”
“Why don’t we change the subject then? Get Benjamin off your mind.”
“Sounds good to me,” Marcelle said, a smile creeping across her face, “Why didn’t you tell me you knew such a handsome man?”
“Johnny?” Ellie asked confusedly.
“No, not Jon. The man you were lunching with.”
“Oh, Jamie.”
“Jamie, so that’s his name. Who is he?”
“He’s the older brother of the children I care for.”
“I never knew older brothers could be so dashing. Well, at least you know if you ever lose Jon you’ve got another worthy candidate to fill his place.”
Ellie rolled her eyes with a small smile, “What am I talking to you for? Get back to work!”
Marcelle laughed and called back as she walked away, “I’m just saying that he seems very charming and plus he’s quite easy on the eyes!”
The rain poured down on the rooftops as Ellie sat in the schoolroom with the children. They were working quietly on various projects while Ellie read. Their solitude was interrupted when Juliet knocked on the door.
“Come in,” Ellie said as she set down her book and stood up.
“A letter for you, miss,” said Juliet, handing the nanny a white envelope addressed in a very carefree, scribbled penmanship to Miss Eliana Mae Henderson.
Juliet added, “It’s from Mr. Jamie,” before running out again.
“Will you read it to us?” Leah begged Ellie.
“Please?” added Wesley.
Ellie shrugged, “I suppose so.”
And so she read:
Dear Miss Henderson,
Terribly sorry am I to disturb you from your work, but if it is not too much trouble, I have a proposal to make.
As I’m sure you’re already aware, just recently I was dismissed from my studies at Lakeford University after I once again found myself competing with Professor Oscar Moss. I ask you, is it my fault the man doesn’t know his history? Is it not his responsibility as my instructor and mentor in the areas of history and geography to know what he is teaching me? Also, on that note, as my professor should Professor Moss not know more about the past than I, his student, does?
Enough of my story though, for that is not the matter of which I write. The fact of the matter is that I am now without school and without occupation and I need to determine what my next prospect in life shall be. To determine this, I thought it best to refer to four of the most knowledgeable people I know: Miss Gracie J, Miss LeLe, Miss Demi Annie, and the honorable Mr. Little Wes-Man. I shall come, as the clock strikes two, prepared with some background information so as to help my mentors with the decision of what I shall do next in this, so-very-interesting life that I live. I think it wise to ask of their assistance, as well as yours, miss.
If this plan is not reasonable in your day’s schedule Miss Henderson, please feel free to inform me of this.
With all due respect,
Mr. Jameson Ethan Rhodes
The children were very excited and as Jamie’s letter had mentioned, as the clock in the schoolroom struck two, there came a knock at the door. Ellie opened the door to find yet another character to add to Jamie’s repertoire, so far filled with Pirate Black-beardless James and Romeo.
His mustache was shaved off, but now he wore a pair of thick-framed black glasses. Despite what one might think though, they didn’t deter from his handsome appearance. Although they did look a bit silly, they also seemed to show off how intelligent he really was.
Along with the glasses, Jamie wore a black suit, fedora, extremely offbeat orange and yellow striped tie, and he carried a black leather briefcase.
“Good afternoon,” he said with a tip of his hat, “It’s a pleasure to be here, but I’m sorry to say I’m going to have to make this meeting a bit rushed, for you see I made this arrangement before becoming aware that a friend of mine was to visit.”
He spoke so fast the children couldn’t do much but nod.
Taking off his hat and jacket, he now wore only a white-collared shirt, vest, and that wild tie. He passed each of the children a blank piece of paper and pencil for “notes”, as he called them. Then, he took a piece of chalk and began writing on the blackboard Possibilities.
“Possibilities,” he read, “This is what I come to speak of. As I’m sure you’ve all heard from my letter, I am now without school and without job and I’ve come to you to see what you believe would be best for me to do next in life.”
He turned back to the blackboard and wrote:
-Return to a different University
-Go into the military
-Find a job
-Become an apprentice
-Become an ordinary street bum
“These are basically my only possibilities at the current time, so I’d like your input so that I’m able to eliminate a few. Anyone have an opinion?”
Demi raised her hand.
“Yes?”
“I think you should go fight in the military.”
Leah shook her head, “But then he could get killed.”
“Oh yeah,” Demi realized, “Well then, I think you should eliminate that choice.”
“Alright,” Jamie crossed it off.
Gracie raised her hand, “Well you should definitely cross off street bum.”
“If you say so,” Jamie made a line through it.
Gracie added, “And personally I agree with mummy. I think you should go back to school.”
“Okay, okay, an honest answer. Anyone else?”
No one raised their hand.
“Well then, let us focus on the subject of getting a job. Any ideas?”
Wesley shouted out, “I think you should be a pirate.”
Instead of laughing or even smiling, as Ellie thought he would, Jamie acted like it was a true option for him and pondered on the idea a moment before replying, “Very nice suggestion, Wes-man. Thanks for the input.”
Leah raised her hand, “I think you should run for Governor.”
Demi raised her hand, “I say you ought to be a cowboy. You could ride around on horsies all day!”
Jamie smiled, “Sounds good to me.”
A true horse then came running up the way outside and, after peering out the window, Jamie declared he really must be going. He apologized for leaving so quickly. The sad children sighed for they knew their break from school was over as Jamie packed up his things. Ellie talked to him a moment just outside the schoolroom door.
“So, have you made a decision? For your next “prospect in life”, I mean.”
Jamie smiled and his dark eyes glittered behind the thick frames of his glasses, “Well, as far as the children are concerned, my only choices in life are going back to school, becoming a pirate, governor, or cowboy.”
“Well, a pirate would be fun.”
He laughed, “Yes, a p
irate would be fun.”
“Why did it have to end so soon? The children were really enjoying the break.”
“Well, I’ve got some other business to take care of.”
He left then, walked down the stairs and greeted his drenched guest. Ellie returned to teach the children for a bit longer, but after some time had passed, she went downstairs to fetch herself a drink and left Gracie with the task of watching over her siblings.
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