Memories from Acorn Hill

by Melody Carlson

  Mark just rolled his eyes and sighed deeply, then said, “My most sincere apologies, ladies.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Poor Mark,” said Jane as she and Alice finished up in the kitchen. “I think this thing with Adam is making him old before his time.”

  “I know how he feels,” admitted Alice. “Adam does that to me too.”

  “He’s not very subtle, is he?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean he is so obviously ignoring you, Alice. It’s almost humorous.”

  Alice hung up the dishtowel. “I guess I missed the funny part.”

  “Mark didn’t want dessert?” asked Louise as she joined them.

  “No,” said Alice. “He said he just wanted to turn in early. Sounds like he and Adam are planning another full day tomorrow.”

  “Maybe it will help,” said Louise as she put on the kettle. “At least it will keep him away from Laura.” She lowered her voice. “I’m certain the Winstons will appreciate that.”

  “Are they back?” asked Alice.

  “They just came in.”

  “I wonder if they’d like some dessert?” suggested Jane. “There’s plenty of cherry cheesecake. I already offered some to the Langleys. I told them I’d set it up in the dining room, and it would be self-serve.”

  “I’ll go and ask them,” offered Alice.

  “Yes, and perhaps I will play for a bit,” said Louise as she stretched her fingers. “I could use a little practice.”

  Alice found the Winstons still in the foyer, discussing whether they would turn in for the night. “Jane has made a lovely dessert,” she told them. “Cherry cheesecake. We’re setting it up in the dining room. If you’d care for any, just help yourselves. And Louise is going to play the piano tonight.”

  “Oh, that sounds wonderful,” said Mrs. Winston.

  Mr. Winston looked at his watch. “Not for me, thanks. I’ve got a good book I’d like to finish.”

  Laura just yawned and looked bored.

  “Well, as always,” said Alice, “just make yourselves at home.” Then she returned to the kitchen.

  Before long, the Langleys, Mrs. Winston, Laura and the three sisters were all settled into the parlor with dessert and tea. Louise began playing. Laura was seated by herself near the door, and Alice was not surprised when the teen, unnoticed by her mother, made a getaway. Alice had to give Laura credit; she was doing much better at finding her way around than when she had first arrived. Alice waited a couple of minutes, then carefully picked up a few of the empty dishes and made a quiet exit too. She was curious about where Laura had gone, but did not see her in the foyer or on the stairs. After depositing the dishes in the dishwasher, Alice went out to the reception desk and paused to tidy up the paperwork and brochures there. It was then she heard quiet voices coming from behind the closed door to the library. She did not intend to eavesdrop, but Louise had stopped playing and the conversation in the library carried quite clearly to where Alice was working.

  “He’s so soft,” cooed Laura.

  “His name is Boots, because he’s black with four white feet,” said Adam. “Do you think that’s lame? I mean like Puss in Boots.”

  “Oh, that sounds so cute. No, seriously, I think Boots is a cool name.”

  “Can you feel how skinny he is?”

  “Yeah, he seems really bony.”

  “I think he was starving. He’s not very old. Mark said he was probably too young to be weaned. I think maybe the mother cat died, and he was left on his own.”

  “Kind of like you?”

  “Yeah, I guess, sort of.”

  Then Louise began playing again, and the rest of their conversation was lost in the music. Still, what little she heard made her heart soften toward Adam. She suspected that Adam’s hard veneer was just a protective coating that kept him from getting hurt. Alice couldn’t understand why he was so wary of her. She had no intention of hurting the boy. Of course, he could not know that. Goodness, he barely knew her. She would just have to be very patient.

  She returned to the parlor and stood by the door. Jane was comfortably seated in an easy chair, flipping through a magazine as she listened to Louise. Mrs. Winston was sitting next to Mrs. Langley, and both women were leaning back into the sofa with closed eyes, as if the calming music was transporting them to another time and place. Alice felt sure that Mrs. Winston had yet to notice her daughter’s absence, and Alice did not feel the need to inform her. Mrs. Winston looked so peaceful and relaxed, and Laura was perfectly fine and just a few feet away down the hallway.

  Without being observed, Alice went back out of the room and then upstairs. It was not that she was physically tired, but she was weary of all the comings and goings. On top of that, there was Adam and his strong dislike of her. Alice thought that was enough to make anyone weary.

  She picked up the quilt but set it aside almost immediately. She had made good progress on it earlier today, and to work on it at night, when she was not her clearest, might be inviting trouble. Alice detested picking apart seams. She took off her shoes and put on slippers, then picked up her mystery book. She was about halfway through it. Although it was not her favorite type of mystery, it had finally gotten her hooked. She wondered what had become of the missing curator of the museum, kind old Mr. Beacon with the wooden leg. She hoped that he was all right. He didn’t deserve to come to harm.

  It was after ten o’clock when Alice paused in her reading. Her eyes were getting blurry, and she knew she should go to bed. Oddly enough, she did not feel the least bit sleepy. It must be a cocoa night, she told herself, as she slipped out of her room and quietly began down the stairs. All was silent in the house now. She was careful on the fifth stair down since she knew it had a squeak in it. She hurried past the second floor and on down into the darkened kitchen, and before long, her cocoa was nice and hot. She turned off the lights in the kitchen, then moved toward the stairs. A sliver of light coming from under the door to the library stopped her. Had Adam and Laura forgotten to turn off the light? she wondered. Of course, it wasn’t a big deal, but living all those years with her father had taught her to be conservative when it came to electricity—especially about turning off lights. So she walked over to the library. She was just reaching for the knob when she heard voices again. Adam and Laura. Now this surprised Alice.

  “Pssst,” came a quiet whisper from the parlor.

  Alice tiptoed down the hallway to the darkened parlor.

  “It’s Steph Winston, Alice,” whispered a woman’s voice.

  “Mrs. Winston?” Alice whispered back. She paused in the doorway, her eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness until she saw a figure sitting in the easy chair.

  “Yes. I’m being something of a chaperone,” she explained. “Or perhaps an overprotective and snoopy mother.”

  Alice smiled. “I understand completely.”

  “I hadn’t really meant to listen,” she admitted, “but when I did, it was oddly reassuring.”

  “I know what you mean.” Alice partially closed the door. Just in case. “I overheard a bit of their conversation earlier this evening.”

  “As crazy as it sounds, I’m beginning to think that boy is good medicine for my daughter.”

  “I had the same thought. In fact, I think maybe your daughter is good medicine for Adam too.”

  “They are both rather needy.”

  “I know,” said Alice, “and they seem to understand each other.”

  “Perhaps it’s one of those blessings in disguise,” said Mrs. Winston.

  “I think you are right.”

  “But even so … well, I just feel a little uneasy about leaving them down here all alone.”

  “I don’t blame you.”

  “I certainly don’t want him taking her off in the middle of the night,” said Mrs. Winston. “But I’m getting very sleepy.”

  Alice sat down in the chair by the door, careful not to spill her cocoa. “How about if I take over for you?”
r />   “Oh, I couldn’t—”

  “No, it’s all right,” said Alice. “I came down because I couldn’t sleep anyway. If they carry on for too long, I’ll simply play housemother and tell them it’s time to call it a night.”

  “Oh, that would be so much better coming from you,” said Mrs. Winston gratefully.

  “I think so too.”

  Mrs. Winston stood. “Well, thank you then. I really do appreciate it.”

  “I’ll make sure they wrap it up by eleven,” said Alice.

  After Mrs. Winston left, Alice leaned back into the chair and sipped cocoa. Although she wasn’t trying to, she could hear the voices of the two young people next door.

  “You can’t give up,” Adam was saying. “I mean, look at you, Laura. You’ve got everything going for you.”

  “Like what?”

  “You’re smart and pretty, you’ve got both your parents, and they really seem to care about you.”

  “They suffocate me.”

  “They love you, Laura.”

  “Yeah, I guess.”

  “You know what I would give to have my parents back?”

  Now there was a long silence.

  “No, what?”

  “Everything.”

  “I’m sorry, Adam.”

  “I wasn’t trying to hold a pity party,” he said quickly. “I just wanted to remind you that you’re lucky. In fact, I would gladly give up my eyesight if it would bring my parents back.”

  “Yeah, I know …”

  “And I’m not trying to make it seem like it’s no big deal, Laura. I mean I can’t imagine what it feels like to be blind, but I think you can make things work for you. You can take those classes your parents keep pushing and—”

  “Just give in to it, you mean?”

  “It’s not like you have a choice, you know.”

  There was a long pause, and Alice wondered what she should do. Were they finished talking now? Was it time for her to go in, play the chaperone and help them to call it a night?

  “What about you, Adam?” said Laura finally. “Are you ever going to just give in to it?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, look at you. I mean everyone can see it, even me and I’m blind.”

  Adam gave a little laugh. “What do you mean? What can you see?”

  “That you’re pushing everyone away from you. I mean the ones who probably care the most anyway. Like Dr. Graves and, well, Alice too. My mom says it’s because they’re a couple and that it probably bugs you or something.”

  “That’s not it. I don’t care if they’re a couple or not. What difference does it make to me anyway?”

  “So then why are you so mean to her?”

  “I don’t know …”

  “She’s really nice, Adam. You should get to know her.”

  “Why?” he said in a louder voice. “Why should I bother? I mean what if I do get to know her? And even Mark too?

  What difference does it make if they’re just going to leave me anyway?”

  “You don’t know that.”

  “Everybody leaves,” he said in a bitter voice. “Even my grandma is talking about going into a home now. I know she’s old and everything, and she can’t stick around forever. Everyone just leaves eventually—” his voice broke.

  “You don’t know that, Adam.”

  “It’s how life is,” he said. “Even if it’s all wrong. It’s the way things are, you know.”

  “Things can change,” she told him.

  “Yeah, they can get worse. It’s just not fair.”

  Alice could hear Adam crying now. She could also hear Laura trying to say things to comfort him—quiet, soothing things. It was sweet, but Alice suspected by his response that he was feeling embarrassed. It sounded as if he was trying to push Laura away.

  “It’s no big deal,” he said in a gruff voice. “I don’t know why I even said all that stuff. Just forget about it, okay.”

  “But it’s—”

  “Look, it’s really late, Laura. I’m sure your parents will be down here with a shotgun before long.”

  “No, that’s okay—”

  “It’s late,” he insisted. “Come on, let’s get you upstairs before someone’s down here reading me the riot act.”

  Just like that, without Alice having to play housemother or even say a word, the two young people took themselves upstairs, and soon the inn was completely quiet.

  Alice wiped away a tear as she stood. More than ever, she felt sorry for Adam. So that was what he was doing—pushing people away to avoid being hurt. It was a wonder he was allowing Mark into his life. Even then it seemed like two steps forward and one step back, but at least it made some sense now.

  She longed to tell Mark about what she had heard. She knew how discouraged he had been when he went to his room earlier this evening. She returned her empty cocoa cup to the kitchen sink, then tiptoed up the stairs, pausing at Mark’s door. Dare she knock? If she did, how would it look? At least she was still in her daytime clothes. But still …

  As much as she wanted to let Mark know what she had heard, she knew it would have to wait until morning. Besides, there was not any light coming from under his door. He was probably fast asleep. On the other hand, she could see light beneath Adam’s door. She did not dare chance his overhearing her tell Mark that she had been eavesdropping on him and Laura. No, that would not do at all.

  Alice continued on up to her room, knowing that this news had to keep until the morning. Before she went to sleep, she said a special prayer for Adam. She asked that God would somehow soften him, so that he might allow people back into his life. He was far too young to be trapped into a life of bitterness and seclusion. He needed to get rid of the bitterness before the bitterness took hold of him. Perhaps she would not be able to speak to him directly, but she could talk to Mark.

  Even better than that, she could pray. And pray, she decided, I will.

  Chapter Sixteen

  So how goes it at the inn?” asked Vera when Alice showed up at the Humberts’ house for their walk early the following morning.

  “I’m feeling hopeful,” said Alice. “As well as a little guilty.”

  “Guilty?”

  “Well, for eavesdropping … sort of.” Then she explained the bits of Adam and Laura’s conversation that she had overheard last night.

  “Oh, that’s not exactly eavesdropping,” said Vera. “That was more like chaperoning. You had promised Laura’s mother to watch out for her. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.”

  “And at least it was a positive conversation. Mark had been so down on Adam last night. He was so discouraged that he even went to bed early. I felt bad for him.”

  “Did you tell him about the conversation?”

  “Not yet. I was the only one up this morning. I’ll tell him when I get back. It should make him feel better.”

  “Well, it can’t be easy for Adam to feel as if he’s alone in the world at such a young age. I just saw a news show about twenty-something kids and how so many of them feel so lost.

  Even after they graduate from college, they don’t know where they fit into the world.”

  “That’s too bad, but at least they have finished college. Adam keeps telling everyone he has no interest in continuing his education.”

  “Oh,” said Vera with a frown. “As a teacher, I can’t understand that attitude. Well, if anyone can talk sense into that boy, it’ll be Mark.”

  “I hope so.”

  “Are we going too far?” asked Vera. “Are your feet okay?”

  “I’m okay,” said Alice.

  They walked and chatted and, before Alice knew it, they were back at the inn. “Wow, that seemed to go fast,” she said.

  Vera nodded. “I better run. I just remembered that it’s my turn to take treats to the teachers’ lounge today. I still have to stop by the bakery.”

  Alice waved to her friend and then walked toward the inn. “Hey there, Wendell
,” she said as the cat ambled up to her and rubbed himself against her legs. “Have you met the new kitten yet?” Wendell just purred in that self-satisfied way of his, and Alice obligingly bent down to pet him.

  “You’re a good old cat,” she finally told him after giving him a nice long scratch on his head and chin. “But I need to get inside and help Jane.”

  Alice took a quick peek around the inn, hoping maybe to spy Mark and take a few moments to tell him about what she had heard, but he didn’t seem to be around.

  “Hello, there,” said Mr. Langley as he looked up from where he was comfortably reading his newspaper in the parlor. “I felt so good this morning that I decided to get up early and take a little stroll. The wife’s still in bed.”

  “Well, good for you and for her,” said Alice. “Isn’t it nice to be able to do as you please while you’re on vacation?”

  “It sure is.”

  Alice hurried upstairs for a quick shower before she went back down to help Jane. Although it was not even seven o’clock yet, she suspected that Mr. Langley was getting hungry.

  “Hey, you,” said Jane as Alice came into the kitchen. “You’re early this morning.”

  “I’m not the only one,” said Alice as she put on an apron. “Mr. Langley’s out there reading the paper and I think he’s hungry.”

  Jane handed Alice a nicely arranged platter of pastries. “Why don’t you put this out there along with the coffee pot and invite him to get started.”

  “Here you go, Mr. Langley,” said Alice as she set the items on the dining room table. “There’s coffee and pastries, and I’ll be back in a minute with some juice.”

  When she returned with pitchers of orange and apple juice, Mr. Langley had already sat down at the table and was helping himself to a nice plump croissant. “You ladies are going to have me spoiled by the time I go home,” he said with a smile. “Not to mention fattened up.”

  “At least you’ve been getting some exercise,” she said as she set the pitchers down. “Did you have a nice walk?”