by Debby Mayne
Since William was already in town, he decided to stop off at the Pickard home and see how Lillian’s parents were doing. Mrs. Pickard answered the door and let him in.
“My husband told me what you and your father want to do. I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.”
William looked her squarely in the eyes. “I’m in love with your daughter, Mrs. Pickard, and I have a tremendous amount of respect for you and your husband for raising such a smart woman. He seems to have a good business mind, and Pop and I would like to give him a break.”
She reared back and blinked a couple of times. “Well…yes, my husband is a very smart man, but do you really think—?”
“Helen, I’ll talk to him.” Mr. Pickard came out from one of the back rooms of the house, limping but moving forward with purpose. “Good afternoon, Mr. Tronnier. I’ve been thinking about this opportunity with your family business.”
* * * * *
The entire way home from work, Lillian tried to think of a good way to tell her parents that William was coming over on Thursday. She’d look for a break in conversation, but if it didn’t come, she’d wait until tomorrow.
Mama had dinner ready, and Daddy was already sitting at the table waiting for her to get home. “Take off your coat and sit down, Lillian. I’m starving.”
She was shocked at his firm but assured tone, so she did as she was told without saying a word. It had been a long time since Daddy had spoken to her like this. She glanced over at Mama, who wouldn’t look her in the eye. Something was going on.
Throughout dinner, Daddy chatted about the weather, business, and other topics he used to enjoy. Lillian listened as she wondered about the change.
As she stood up to help clear the table, Daddy cleared his throat and pointed to the chair. “Sit back down, Lillian.”
She quickly sat.
“William Tronnier is coming over tomorrow, and I’d like you to be nice to him while he’s here.”
“Tomorrow? I thought he was coming on Thursday.”
Daddy nodded. “He asked if he could come on Thursday, and I said why wait.”
“Oh.”
Lillian glanced back and forth at her parents and caught them exchanging their own private look. Finally, Mama told her to help clean the house so she wouldn’t have so much to do the next day to get ready for company.
Mama didn’t talk much as they swept and dusted. After Lillian went to her room, she sat on the edge of her bed and stared at the wall. As she got older, life seemed to get stranger.
Chapter Fourteen
William picked Lillian and Anne up from work the next day. Without anyone saying a word, he drove straight to the school and dropped Anne off then turned the car toward the Pickard house. Before William got out, he turned to face her, took her hand, and said, “I love you, Lillian Pickard, and that will never change.”
Her heart hammered, but she didn’t say a word until they were halfway to the door. Finally she blurted, “I feel the same way, but we both need to get over it because it simply won’t do either of us any good not to.”
He grinned. “I’m not easily dissuaded. You should know that by now.”
The house was filled with the fragrant aroma of baked chicken and apple pie. By now, it wasn’t a surprise to have such a lavish meal waiting for them.
After Daddy said grace, everyone started eating right away. Having William at the table had taken away Lillian’s appetite, but she didn’t mind. She’d have a snack later.
Conversation seemed a little more jovial than usual and appeared to have some underlying current that Lillian couldn’t quite put her finger on. Mama’s smiles were extra wide for William, and Daddy was much more relaxed than she would have expected. After dinner, instead of asking if he could be alone with Lillian, William sat in the living room with all three of the Pickards.
They chatted about trivial things for about an hour until William yawned and said he needed to get home. Lillian walked him to the door. He touched her cheek, said he’d see her soon, and left. She turned around and saw that her parents were already engrossed in conversation, so she went to her room.
The next couple of weeks were similar. William stopped by, had dinner, chatted with the family, and went home. She thought it was odd, but the familiarity was growing on her, and she liked it.
“Have you gotten anything for your parents for Christmas yet?” Mr. Joachim said. “It’s less than two days away.”
“I know. I’d thought about getting Mama some powder, but she doesn’t have much use for it.”
“How about one of those vanity sets?” he asked. “I know it’s probably more than you wanted to spend, but with your employee discount and…” He dug into his pocket and pulled out a thick envelope. “Here, with this you can afford it. Go ahead and open it.”
She took the envelope and opened it in front of him. “Mr. Joachim, this is much more than I ever expected. You don’t have to—”
“I know I don’t have to, but you’ve worked here a very long time, and it’s time to show my appreciation.”
“Thank you.”
“So if you get the vanity set for your mama, how about the shaving kit for your daddy? I think he’ll like the one with the pecan wood handle.”
Lillian took his advice and purchased the lavish gifts for her parents. And just in case she might see William, she picked up a new winter scarf for him. Mr. Joachim nodded and said that color was perfect for William.
Christmas Eve was extremely busy at the store, which suited Lillian just fine. She hadn’t seen William in several days, and she needed to take her mind off worrying that he’d lost interest. Mama teased her and said she was upset when he gave her too much attention and worried when he didn’t give her enough. Lillian was confused by Mama’s apparent change of heart.
The store closed early on Christmas Eve. Lillian looked both ways, hoping William would come puttering up in his automobile to take her home, but she was disappointed. He was nowhere in sight.
When Lillian arrived home, she noticed a different mood between her parents. Mama appeared nervous, and Daddy wouldn’t look her in the eye. And when she went into the kitchen, she spotted a massive batch of shortbread cookies cooling on the counter.
“Do you mind if we just have sandwiches tonight for supper?” Mama asked. “One of the ladies from church brought over some ham, so I thought we could eat that and potato salad, if you don’t mind making it.”
“Of course I don’t mind,” Lillian said as she put on her apron.
Mama left her alone in the kitchen, something she rarely did. When the potato salad was finished, Lillian went to get her parents, who sat very close together on the sofa. They jumped at the sound of her entering the room.
“What is going on around here?” Lillian asked.
Mama stifled a giggle as she shook her head. “Why would you ask such a silly question? Your father and I were just discussing something….” She cast a glance over at Daddy. “Something very private.”
Lillian felt the tension in her face as she glared at her parents. Who were these people? “Let’s eat. I don’t want to miss church.”
The remainder of the evening was just as strange. Mama and Daddy insisted she go caroling with some of the families from church while they went on home. It was obvious they wanted to be alone. Daddy appeared more confident lately, and her parents seemed to be happier overall.
She hovered toward the back of the group as they strolled up and down the streets of Cary, singing Christmas carols. When they got close to her house, she let a couple people know she was finished for the night. By the time she got home, all the lights were out and her parents were in bed, so she tiptoed through the house and went to her own room.
For a long time, she lay in bed thinking about how strange her parents were acting and pondered what was going on. She finally fell asleep, only to be awakened by the sound of Mama pounding on her door.
“Don’t sleep all day, Lillian. It’s Christmas.
”
Lillian sat up in bed, rubbed her eyes, and got up. “Okay, I’ll be right out. Why don’t you go back to bed, Mama, and I’ll fix breakfast?”
Mama giggled. Lillian tilted her head, scrunched her face, and wondered again what was happening to her parents. Until recently, Lillian had never heard her mama giggle.
She got dressed and went out to see about Mama and Daddy, but they were already ready for the day. They sure did seem awfully nervous and fidgety, though.
“Lillian, why don’t you go outside and see how cold it is?” Daddy said.
She stood by the window. “I can tell you right now, it’s mighty cold. I can feel it from here.”
Mama looked at Daddy then at her. “Would you mind checking to see if that ribbon I tied on the post outside is still there?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
“Well, you know how windy it’s been this winter….” Mama looked at Daddy, who shrugged. They were obviously trying everything they could to get her to go outside. The last time they had acted so strangely on a Christmas morning, they had something special for her.
Lillian held up her hands. “Okay, let me get my coat, and I’ll go check on the ribbon.”
“Good girl,” Daddy said. Did he just cover up a chuckle? Very strange.
After she had her coat on, Lillian opened the door, took a step outside, and glanced up in time to see William coming down the street in his automobile. That was odd.
Lillian found the post with the ribbon and saw that it hadn’t moved. Then she waited for William to pull up in front of the house.
He cranked down the window, and before she had a chance to say a word, he hollered, “Hey, gorgeous! Merry Christmas! Need a ride?”
“What is going on, William?”
“Hop in and I’ll tell you.” He patted the seat next to him. “Okay, but let me go tell my parents.”
“Oh, you don’t have to.” He nodded toward the house behind her. “Here they come now.”
“Get in, Lillian. It’s freezing out here, and we don’t have all day.” Mama helped Daddy into the backseat of William’s car and fussed at her. “Hurry up. You’re such a slowpoke.”
Lillian got in and gave William a curious stare. He didn’t look directly at her, but a grin played on his lips. He drove without talking, and Mama and Daddy didn’t say a word from the backseat.
The suspense was driving her nuts. “Where are we going?” she asked as they neared the edge of town.
“Oh, didn’t I tell you?” Mama said from the backseat. “Margaret Tronnier invited us to Christmas brunch. Isn’t that sweet?”
Lillian’s eyes widened. “Yes, that’s very sweet.” She folded her arms and thought for a moment. “So when did we get the invitation, and why am I just now finding out about it?”
William patted her hand. “Shh. Don’t worry about the details. Just sit back and enjoy the Lord’s birthday.”
The drive was mostly silent, with a few comments from Mama about how pretty the countryside was this time of year. A combination of excitement and trepidation welled in Lillian’s chest.
After they arrived at the farm, William helped all of them out of the automobile. That was when Lillian noticed the tin in Mama’s hands. She nodded toward it and gave Mama a questioning look.
“You don’t think I’d come here empty-handed, do you? I’m bringing shortbread.”
Mrs. Tronnier greeted them at the door, took Mama by the arm, and led her through the house. Everyone else followed.
“Where’s that sewing room I’ve heard about?” Mama asked.
“Would you like to see it?” Mrs. Tronnier said. “Nelda said it will be a few minutes before it’s time to eat.”
Lillian started to follow them, but William gently guided her to the parlor. She glanced over her shoulder and saw that Mr. Tronnier and William’s brothers were chatting with Daddy. This whole situation seemed very cozy and…well, odd.
“I don’t understand all this,” Lillian said when they were alone.
William laughed. “You will soon.” His expression softened to one of tenderness. “I just want you to know how much you mean to me, Lillian.”
The warmth in his eyes melted her heart. “Thank you for making my parents so happy. It’s such a sweet thing to do.”
“Are you happy?” he asked.
She looked into his eyes and nodded. He lowered his head and dropped a soft kiss on her lips. Her tummy fluttered.
“Let’s go check out the dining room. Mom pulled out all the stops for today’s brunch. You should have seen her running around this morning, making sure everything was just right.”
As they stood at the door of the dining room, Lillian stared in disbelief. The chairs had been covered in all white, with gold-colored bows tied at the backs. An immense green bowl filled with gold-and-red balls graced the center of the table that had been covered with layers of white-and-gold fabric. Gold-rimmed fine china was flanked by sparkling crystal and gold-dipped silverware.
“Your mother did all this for us?”
“Yes,” William said. “She wanted to make a good impression.”
Lillian had never seen anything so beautiful in real life. She glanced up at William. “Mama will love this.”
“I hope so.” William kissed the top of Lillian’s head and led her away from the dining room. “Let’s go see what’s taking everyone so long.”
Mama and Mrs. Tronnier were coming down the stairs, chattering as though they’d known each other for years. Daddy and Mr. Tronnier were deep in conversation in the foyer. Lillian had never seen either of her parents so engaged with others before.
“Amazing they get along so well, isn’t it?” William said.
Lillian was speechless. She could only nod.
Nelda came out of the kitchen and gestured to Mrs. Tronnier, who announced, “Brunch will be served soon. Let’s everyone have a seat in the dining room.”
Mama made all the right sounds when she saw the decorations. Mrs. Tronnier showed everyone where to sit.
As if on cue, Nelda and a couple of teenage children began serving the meal. Occasionally, Lillian stole a glance at her parents and was amazed by how comfortable they both seemed. As the conversation continued, she realized how familiar the two sets of parents were with each other—particularly Daddy and Mr. Tronnier. The discussion turned to business, and that was when she realized they’d been planning something for a while. They’d finished the last of the meal when Daddy commented on the farm’s balance sheet.
“What is going on here?” she whispered to William.
“Just a second.” William tapped his water glass to get everyone’s attention. “I think it’s time to make an announcement. Pop, would you do the honors?”
Mr. Tronnier looked around the table as he spoke then settled his gaze on Lillian. “We’ve recently decided to increase the size of our livestock holdings and variety of crops. The only thing that made it difficult was the lack of manpower—particularly on the business side. My sons and I are in agreement that we need someone to do the ordering and keep up with the accounting. When I learned about your father’s acute business mind, I decided to offer him a job handling the office affairs of the Tronnier farm.” He paused and winked at Lillian. “My son is happy about this because it means he has an excuse to see his sweetheart.”
Lillian’s instant joy for Daddy quickly faded when she considered how far the farm was from town. “Daddy, how are you planning to get here everyday?”
Daddy started to speak, but William held up his hands. “That was one of the first things we thought of. My brothers and I are working on a cottage for your parents.”
Lillian sat back in her chair. What did all this mean? She still had her job at Joachim’s. William had said the cottage was for her parents, so where did that leave her?
Before she had a chance to ask those questions, William blurted, “I might like to marry Lillian one of these days, and if she says yes, we’ll be nearby in our own
house.”
Mrs. Tronnier narrowed her gaze at her son. “William, that’s not the way—”
Her husband interrupted her. “Didn’t you pay any attention to what I told you, son?”
The room started to swirl with all the voices blaring. Daddy’s stare held her attention. “Lillian, are you going to follow your heart this time, or do you plan on remaining stubborn and be a nuisance to your mama and me for the rest of our lives?”
Everyone burst out in laughter. Lillian even thought the situation was funny, so she giggled.
“Well?” Daddy said. “We’re waiting.”
“Um…I don’t know…maybe…” She looked at William and smiled. Her face flamed.
Silence momentarily filled the room; then William’s brothers broke into nervous laughter—until their mother gave them a look. Mama’s grin was wider than Lillian ever remembered.
William stood and cleared his throat. “Since we’re finished, why don’t we take a tour of the property so we can show off the houses we’ve been working on?”
Everyone got up and went to get their coats. Mr. Tronnier led the way, with Daddy limping along behind him. Mama and Mrs. Tronnier followed, still chatting like old friends. William took Lillian by the hand and gestured for his brothers to go ahead of them.
They walked over toward a clearing of trees on the edge of the back lawn. William pointed to a shell of a cottage that appeared to be quite a bit larger than the house the Pickards rented in town. “We’ll finish the cottage first so you can move right in,” William explained. “Pop hired a few extra workers to complete the construction, so it shouldn’t be too much longer. Mom wants Mrs. Pickard to help decorate it since she’s the one who’ll be living there.”
Lillian saw that Mama had misty eyes and a broad smile. A lump formed in her throat.
Daddy nodded. “I think it’s a good idea to be close to my work.”
Mr. Tronnier explained that William would go into town to pick him up until the cottage was ready for them to move in to. “We need you to start right after the New Year begins.”
Everyone began talking again. William tugged at Lillian and whispered, “I want to show you something.”