She looked about for anything that might help her and noticed the mud along the edge of the stream. She remembered that Native Americans had used mud poultices for healing. She scooped up some mud and applied it to the welts. The cool sticky substance, she found, was somewhat soothing. Now, she wondered, what could she do about the missing shoe? First, she knew that she should get back to the trail in case Mark and Adam had already turned back. She suspected that was unlikely since Adam had been so miraculously transformed into a mountain goat, but she did not want to miss them on the trail.
As she walked in her soggy socks toward the trail, she chided herself for being critical of Adam. What was wrong with her that she would feel like this toward an unfortunate young man who had lost both parents and was probably suffering from genuine depression? Just what kind of person was she anyway? Once she reached the trail, she found a rock and carefully examined it for wildlife. Finding it clear of danger, she sat down, looked at her remaining shoe and just sighed. One shoe is not good for anything. She thought that she probably should have thrown it into the stream too, then perhaps it would meet its mate and someone might find a pair of shoes. But that seemed like littering. She wished she had thought to make fresh poultices before she came back to the trail. The old ones were getting warm and dry now, but she left them on with the hope that the drying mud would absorb some of the yellow jacket venom. Fortunately, she was not allergic to stings. She would have been in trouble if that were the case; she had treated a boy in the hospital who almost died of anaphylactic shock from being stung just once. Alice was grateful that the yellow jackets had not gone into a full-scale rampage and swarmed her. She knew that even people who were not allergic could die from multiple stings. She paused to say a prayer of thanks. She knew that, despite her somewhat regrettable straits, He was still watching out for her.
She wondered why things had gone the way they had today. Was it Adam’s fault? No, she knew it was not fair to blame the boy for her own carelessness. One should look before one sits—especially in the woods. Nevertheless, it did annoy her that Adam had been pushing them too hard. Even Mark had appeared exhausted when he paused to catch his breath. Still, Alice knew he would do what he could to keep up, especially if he felt that this was helping Adam—perhaps just the sort of connection Adam needed right now.
All that was fine and good, but why, she wondered, had she come along today? So far, it only seemed to be a lesson in pain and misery for her. And, of course, a blow to her pride. Tomboy indeed! She would much rather be at home, putting her feet up and having a nice cool lemonade on the front porch and visiting with guests. “Alice!” called Mark from up the trail.
She waved her one walking shoe from where she was seated. She felt pitiful and embarrassed for her sorry condition. Mark was actually jogging toward her now. Adam merely walked. “What’s happened? Are you okay? What’s on your face?”
She attempted a smile and then related her encounter with the yellow jackets, the loss of the shoe, and finally why she was slathered in mud. She could tell that Mark was caught between feeling concern and wanting to laugh.
“Go ahead and laugh,” she told him. “I’m sure that I must be a sight.”
By now, Adam had joined them, and he just stared at Alice as if she had two heads. But when Mark started laughing, Alice could not help herself and she began laughing too. Then she described how it had felt to see her walking shoe floating down the stream, and the two of them were laughing so hard that she had tears streaming down her cheeks.
“Old people,” said Adam. Then, rolling his eyes, he turned and continued going down the trail.
First, Alice felt somewhat stunned by Adam’s complete lack of compassion. Then she saw Mark’s perplexed face, and she just threw back her head and laughed even harder.
“Young people,” she said, but not loud enough for Adam, who had already walked quite a way down the trail, to hear.
Mark nodded. “You said it.” Then he helped her to her feet. “Do you think you can walk in your socks?” he asked with concern.
“Fortunately, I wore a thick pair,” she said. “At least it’s mostly downhill.”
“I could go back to the car and drive ahead to see if I could find you some shoes,” he said.
She smiled. “Now where do you think you would find a pair of size eight shoes out here? I’ll be fine.”
So they took the hike back slowly, pausing to allow Alice to rest her feet, which truly were feeling worse for wear. It was nearly three o’clock when they reached the Range Rover. Alice slid thankfully into the backseat and removed her ruined socks.
“How are your feet?” asked Mark as he started the engine.
“They’ve been better.”
“That took you guys forever,” complained Adam. “I thought I was going to have to call out the search and rescue.”
“Well, that would have added another dimension to the adventure,” said Alice with a tired smile.
“Man, I can’t believe you actually threw your shoe in the creek,” said Adam in a disgusted tone that sounded as if he were addressing a three-year-old. “That’s like so totally lame.”
“Yes,” said Alice, “and that’s how I feel too—lame.”
“Are you hungry?” asked Mark.
“I’m starving,” said Adam.
“How about you, Alice?”
“I’m hungry, but I don’t think any respectable restaurant will let me in. Not in this condition.”
“That’s right,” said Adam. “No shirts, no shoes, no service.”
Alice sighed.
“Well, the place I’m taking you is at a lodge,” said Mark. “They have a little gift shop. Maybe you can clean up and find some sort of footwear there.”
As it turned out, the lodge had everything Alice needed. She purchased a pair of flip-flops, the kind that teens wear, with little palm trees on the sole, a periwinkle T-shirt with the logo of the lodge and a small packet of Advil, which she hoped would reduce the swelling of her bites and ease the pain in her feet. She even found some peach-scented lotion to soothe her irritated skin. And after about ten minutes in the ladies room, she emerged looking somewhat civilized, except for the big red welt on her cheek. A battle scar, she told herself.
“There you are,” said Mark as he met her in the lobby. “I just talked the manager of the restaurant into staying open long enough for us to get something to eat. They normally close at three until the dinner hour, but I explained your circumstances and he took pity on us.”
“Yeah,” said Adam. “And I told him that I was starving.”
Alice nodded without speaking. Maybe that is how she would get through the rest of their “outdoor adventure” trip. Just smile and nod, like those silly little bobble-head car ornaments that she had just seen in the gift shop.
Chapter Twelve
What on earth happened to you?” cried Jane when Alice walked into the inn later that afternoon. “You look absolutely awful.”
Alice forced a smile. “Thanks a lot.”
Jane peered at the stings on Alice’s swollen cheek and arm and then frowned. “Seriously, Alice, you’re a mess.”
“Yes, well, it’s been an interesting day.”
“She’s a trooper,” said Mark as he came in behind her. Adam pushed his way past the two of them, then headed straight up the stairs without saying a word of greeting to anyone.
Jane put her arm around Alice’s shoulders. “Looks like you’re in need of ‘the remedy.’”
“The what?” Mark looked confused.
“Never mind,” said Jane as she began ushering Alice upstairs.
“I’m sorry about everything,” called Mark from behind her.
“That’s okay,” said Alice. “As I said, it was my own silly fault.”
Alice gave Jane the shortened version of her disastrous hike, and by the time they reached the third floor, Jane was in stitches. “You really threw a shoe?”
“They were my favorite walking shoes to
o,” Alice sighed as she reached for her doorknob.
“Hey, that’s pretty cool footwear you’re sporting right now,” said Jane as she noticed Alice’s colorful flip-flops.
Alice chuckled. “Actually, they’re starting to grow on me. Honestly, with the shape my feet are in, I probably couldn’t fit into regular shoes anyway. I think I should soak my feet in ice water.”
“I’ll bring some up for you,” said Jane. “And some cortisone cream while I’m at it. We have some in the first aid kit downstairs.”
“Thanks.”
Alice felt like an eight-year-old again, as if she were incapable of caring for herself and was in need of special attention. Maybe she was. Anyway, she was not about to argue with Jane. Just going up the two flights of stairs had made her tender feet throb even more than the last leg of that ill-fated hike.
By the time she emerged from her shower, Jane had already set out a pan of ice water right in front of Alice’s easy chair. The cortisone cream was on the little side table, along with a note instructing Alice to remain in her room and have dinner up there. Unless you insist on coming down, stated the final sentence.
Alice laughed. Not on your life.
She applied the cream to her stings and was instantly reminded of the year that she and Louise had gone to summer camp. She had been ten at the time and not happy about being away from home for two weeks. Once there, Alice had almost immediately broken out in a rash from contact with poison ivy. At first, she thought it the perfect excuse to return to Acorn Hill since she was desperately homesick already, but the camp nurse assured her that they had treated many a case of poison ivy and had not lost a camper yet. The nurse was very nice. Funny, Alice hadn’t thought about that incident for years.
Just as Alice leaned back into her easy chair, Wendell pushed open the door, which had been ajar, and with tail held high, strutted into her room. She smiled at him as she patted her lap, and he jumped up and quickly made himself comfortable.There she sat, soaking her feet in the cold water for nearly an hour, dozing off and on, as the cat purred happily in her lap.
“Ready for some supper?” asked Louise, coming in with a tray.
Alice opened her eyes and smiled. “Yes, thank you.That’s very thoughtful of you and Jane. I honestly don’t know if I could have made it back down the stairs and then up again. I think I’ve done enough climbing for one day.”
Louise chuckled. “Yes, Jane filled me in. Aren’t you a bit old for that sort of nonsense?” She cleared the side table next to Alice, then set the tray on it.
“Actually, I had been thinking I was in pretty good shape,” admitted Alice. “That is, until today. Now I feel as if I’m a hundred years old.”
“I heard that Adam gave you and Mark a run for your money.” Louise sat down on the bed, folding her arms across her front as she waited for Alice to taste the soup.
“Mmm, Jane’s tomato bisque is the best.”
Louise cleared her throat. “Adam is downstairs right now. He is telling Laura about how you slowed them down on their hike this afternoon and how they almost missed lunch because of you.”
Alice sighed. “That figures.”
“He is the rudest young man.”
“I shouldn’t have gone with them today,” said Alice. “It should’ve just been a special time for Mark and Adam, a guys’ trip, you know. Adam is right. I did ruin the day for them.”
“Humph. It sounds more like Adam ruined the day for you.”
“I’m just not sure how I fit in,” said Alice as she set her spoon down.
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, with Mark, I guess.”
“But how could you possibly know? It seems that all this trouble with Adam is quite a distraction for you and Mark. That is, if your plan was to spend time with him. By the way, did you know that Mark has an appointment with Richard Watson this week?”
Alice’s eyes grew wide—Richard Watson was a local real estate agent. “Seriously?”
Louise nodded. “Richard told me as much himself at church this morning.”
“Mark is planning to do some real estate shopping?”
“So it seems. Richard said that Mark set it up with him soon after he got into town. Apparently, he saw a for sale sign in front of the old Olsen house as he was driving by and thought it looked like a worthwhile investment.”
“That is a darling house,” said Alice as she pictured the small white cottage in her mind’s eye. “Of course, it’s a bit run down, but it could be very sweet if fixed up properly. And the rose garden was always lovely. I suspect that there might still be some bushes surviving amongst the weeds.”
Louise nodded as she stood. “Well, I should get back down to help Jane with dinner. Mark and Adam are going to join us again tonight.”
Alice frowned as she looked down at her puffy red feet. “I feel like a naughty child who’s been banished to her room for the evening.”
Louise laughed as she paused in the doorway. “That’s not too far from the truth. But that’s only because you failed to remember your age today, my dear.”
“I don’t think I’ll do that again.”
“I certainly hope not.”
“Please make my apologies to Mark, and uh, Adam too.”
“Humph. I will tell Mark, but I don’t think I will be making any apologies to Adam.”
Louise went back downstairs, and Alice was left to her quiet dinner and continued foot-soaking. She actually welcomed this bit of solitude. Too much had been going on these past few days, and now, more than ever, she felt the need for some quiet time. Lounging in pajamas, reading her mystery and going to bed early sounded like the perfect prescription for her. Maybe Louise was right. Maybe she was getting old.
Fortunately, Alice felt more like herself the following morning. She awoke earlier than usual and was surprised that she was actually able to get her feet into her loafers. They were still a bit sore, but much better than yesterday. Even so, she was not sure that she wanted to walk with Vera today. She decided to give her good friend a call. Alice slowly made her way downstairs to the phone at the reception desk, feeling each step in her sore muscles and feet.
“I hope you’re not seriously injured,” said Vera after Alice had briefly explained her condition.
Alice laughed. “My only serious injury was to my pride, Vera. It is painfully clear that I’m no spring chicken.”
“Who wants to be?”
“Well, I’d just be glad not to feel like I’m a hundred and three today.”
“So when will we be walking again?”
“I’ll let you know. Maybe tomorrow if we take it easy. But first I’ll have to get some new walking shoes.”
Vera laughed. “And no more using them as projectiles.”
After hanging up the phone, Alice went into the kitchen where she discovered Jane already puttering about.
“Smells good,” said Alice as she eyed the nicely browned loaf that was cooling on the butcher-block countertop. “Banana nut loaf?”
“I thought it would be nice to have it warm for breakfast.” Jane regarded Alice closely. “How’re you feeling?”
“Better, I think.”
“I stopped by your room last night, but you were sound asleep.”
“I was pretty worn out.”
Jane rolled her eyes. “Imagine that.”
“Yes, I know,” said Alice. “Louise already gave me the lecture.”
“You mean to start acting your age instead of your shoe size?”
Alice nodded as she poured herself a cup of tea. “Funny thing is that I’ve been feeling about the same age as my shoe size lately.”
“Oh well,” said Jane, “no harm in being young at heart.”
“Yoo-hoo,” sang out Ethel as she opened the back door.
“Hello, Auntie,” called Jane.
“I had to pop in and see how Alice’s date with Mark went yesterday.”
“Date?” Alice frowned. “It wasn’t exactly a date.”
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“Well, whatever you young people call it.”
Alice had to laugh. “Young people!”
Ethel went for a cup of coffee. “Well, younger than some of us.” She sat down across from Alice. “Go ahead,” she said. “Tell Auntie everything.”
So for the third time, Alice told about the unfortunate hiking trip, trying to do a condensed version, but when she failed to embellish it properly, Jane took over and very dramatically reenacted the whole thing, until all three of them were laughing so hard, they had tears running down their faces.
“Is that what really happened?” asked Ethel as she wiped her eyes.
“Well, Jane is given to exaggeration,” said Alice.
“Creative license,” said Jane.
“Oh my.” Ethel just shook her head. “I don’t think I’d call that a date either, dear.”
“No, I’d call it a catastrophe.” Alice reconsidered this. “Although, our late lunch was actually rather nice. And I have to say that Mark was entirely gracious and kind throughout everything.”
“How about the boy?” Ethel peered at Alice with undisguised curiosity.
“Well …”
“He was a complete brat,” said Jane, “and he wasn’t much better last night either.”
“Oh dear,” said Alice. “What did he do?”
“Well, for starters, he took Laura off without even talking to her parents—just whisked her away after dinner without telling anyone. Needless to say, they were quite upset.”
“Oh my.”
“And then he and Mark got into an argument about it.”
“Poor Mark.”
“Yes,” agreed Jane. “I have to give it to Mark. He was surprisingly patient with that surly young man, but I could tell that he wanted to throttle him.”
“Someone should throttle him,” said Ethel.
Memories from Acorn Hill Page 9