John considered for a moment. “Well, I suspect at least a couple hundred will attend. People are really curious about your house. You’ll get some who will come just to peek in the windows. You could have as many as five hundred.”
“I’m hoping that we can raise at least ten thousand dollars,” she admitted. “Do you think that’s crazy?”
John paused and regarded her steadily, “No. No, I don’t. I’ll bet that you usually accomplish what you set out to.”
Maggie blushed at the compliment. “We’d better get back,” she said. “I know you start your day early, and I want to be home when Marc and Alex return. And I need to get ready for my daughter’s visit. Susan has broken up with her boyfriend—I’m very glad of that—and is coming the Wednesday before Easter to spend ten days with me. She’ll be here to help with the carnival and will go home the following Saturday. I’m so excited she’s coming.”
“That’s wonderful news. I can’t wait to meet her. I’d like to take the two of you to dinner when she’s here. After the carnival. Would you have time?” he asked.
Maggie hesitated. “I’m sure we will,” she said, wondering what she would tell Susan about their relationship. What was their relationship, anyway? “Thank you. And I’m planning to have a small group over for Easter brunch. If you don’t have other plans, I’d love to have you join us.”
“The day after the carnival?” he asked. “Are you crazy? If you do that, it should be a potluck. I’ll come, and I’m bringing a ham. Is that okay?”
Maggie smiled. “That’s thoughtful but not necessary. This won’t be a fancy brunch. More like a late breakfast with desserts. I’ve got it covered.”
They pulled up in front of Rosemont, and he walked her to her front door. “Thank you for dinner tonight and for helping with the carnival. And thank you, again, for the other night. What an adventure. I loved it. I had so much fun skating and the meal was fabulous. But best of all was getting to know you better,” she said.
They were alone and the serene night enfolded them. This is the right time, John thought as he took her in his arms and slowly, increasingly, insistently kissed her. Hesitant at first, she leaned into his embrace and explored the wonder of sensations that only a kiss can produce. When their lips parted, she rocked back on unsteady legs, surprised and delighted that first kisses still held a special magic, even at the advanced age of fifty-five. She stayed put, hoping he would kiss her again. Instead, he gently remarked that he had better let her get some sleep. Disappointed, she bid him goodnight.
Chapter 19
Tuesday flew by in a frenzy of activity. Maggie was busy at work. She also received dozens of emails about the carnival. Judy was as good as her word and organized contributions from the town square merchants. Ellen produced an engaging flyer, and by the end of the day it had been posted in dozens of shops and businesses.
Maggie looked up from her computer at two o’clock and realized she was famished. She retrieved a carton of yogurt from the refrigerator and stood at the breakfast room window while she ate, surveying the sloping back lawn and visualizing the carnival in full swing. “We’re going to pull this off,” she told Eve. “And Susan is coming.” Susan was really coming. Maggie lobbed the empty carton into the trash and turned to Eve. “Come on. Let’s go upstairs and pick out a bedroom for Susan.”
Maggie had two of the rooms in mind. She wandered through both of them, and settled on the one overlooking the back lawn and library garden. It had a small balcony off of the attached sitting room and the bathroom was charming, with a bay window next to a claw-foot tub. The bed linens and towels had seen better days, however, and it could use some colorful pillows and accessories.
Maggie loved anything connected with fixing up a house and devoted herself to making the bedroom beautiful and inviting for Susan. She spent every free moment during the next week running back and forth to the mall, antique dealers, thrift shops, and consignment stores. Her principle color scheme was restful aqua and cream—elegant and sophisticated. They looked beautiful against the heavy dark mahogany bedroom furniture and the taupe walls.
She found the perfect Aubusson rug in a floral pattern at a local rug dealer. It was gently used and pricey, but much cheaper than a new rug, and would be a stunning focal point in the room. Maggie splurged and bought it. Determined to now stay within her budget, she found an eight-piece duvet set (complete with bed skirt, pillow shams, and decorative pillows) at a consignment store and got candlesticks and other decorative accessories at the hospital thrift shop. She secured a donation from each store manager and posted a notice of the carnival everywhere she went. Maggie also found lots of beautiful and useful objects for the rest of Rosemont. With uncharacteristic abandon, she bought everything that struck her fancy.
Like a bird collecting twigs for its nest, she returned every afternoon with a car full of purchases and spent her evening settling each newly acquired treasure into just the right spot. Rosemont now bore her personal stamp—was more comfortable, more hers. For the first time in her adult life, she had everything the way she wanted it, without sacrificing to keep peace with the opinionated and uncompromising man she had married. It was about time.
***
Susan looked tired and a bit thinner as she came through the security checkpoint at the airport. Maggie waved and opened her arms. “How are you?” she asked softly as they hugged.
“I’m okay. Glad to be here. I needed to get away from everything and everybody. Actually, I’m pooped.”
“I’ll bet. You started your day really early to get here. Do you have more luggage?” Susan nodded.
“Let’s collect it and get you home.”
The afternoon was sunny and mild as they made the drive to Westbury. The trees were bursting forth in the vibrant green that only appears in spring. Farmers were working their fields. Daffodils and tulips were in evidence around every home. “Gosh, Mom, this is a bucolic paradise,” Susan observed.
Wait until you see Rosemont, Maggie thought.
She decided to postpone giving Susan a tour of Westbury. Susan was tired and it could wait. She would get her home and give her a chance to nap before dinner. They turned onto the long, winding driveway to Rosemont, and Maggie felt the anxious excitement of someone bringing their sweetheart home to meet their family for the first time. As they rounded the final bend and the house came fully into view, Susan gasped.
“Oh my God!” Susan exclaimed. “This is incredible, Mom. The photos don’t do it justice.”
Maggie pulled to a stop in front. The proper way to see Rosemont for the first time was through that front door, just as she had done only weeks ago, though it seemed a lifetime.
Susan leapt out of the car as soon as it stopped and grabbed her bags. Maggie unlocked the door and Eve bounded out to say hello. “So you’re Eve? I’ve heard a lot about you. You’re a friendly girl, aren’t you?” Susan dropped to one knee and indulged Eve’s effusive greeting. “Okay, okay, I need to get in there and see this place,” she said as she gently pushed Eve away.
Maggie held her breath as she closed the door behind them and watched Susan, waiting for her initial reaction. Would it be anything like her own?
Susan stood stock-still, clutching her luggage, surveying the scene before her. She cautiously lowered her suitcase to the floor and stepped slowly into the living room. “Holy cow,” she breathed over her shoulder, “I’m in love with this place already. It’s gorgeous. Solid. Comforting. I get it now, Mom. Why you wanted to stay here.”
Gratified and encouraged, Maggie commenced the tour. “Feel free to open doors and cupboards and explore it all later,” she said. “I know you’re tired. I thought you could lie down and rest before dinner. I was planning to take us to a little place in town. Nothing fancy. Or I can scramble some eggs—breakfast for supper kind of thing. You choose.”
“Going out will be fine, Mom,” Susan said distractedly. “I want to see every inch of this place right now.” Maggie smiled. Susan
had always been naturally curious. After a thorough inspection of the first floor, they headed upstairs. She saved Susan’s room for last.
“I’ve got Alex and Marc staying here, as you know. I picked this bedroom for you,” she said as she opened the door to the room she had so lovingly prepared. “If you would rather have one of the other bedrooms, just say so. My feelings won’t be hurt.” Which, of course, was a lie. Maggie would be disappointed if she had misjudged her daughter’s taste.
Susan whistled softly as she rolled her suitcase into her room. “OMG, Mom. This is perfect! I feel like I’m on a movie set. Upstairs, Downstairs. And I’m Upstairs. Look at these gorgeous fresh flowers. Awwww. Thanks, Mom.”
Maggie gave her a hug and kiss and announced, “This now concludes your official tour of Rosemont.” Susan smiled. “Why don’t you settle in and come downstairs when you’re ready to go to dinner? I have some work to finish up. You don’t need to change, we’re going casual,” she said as she attempted to collect Eve.
“Leave her with me, Mom. She’s so sweet,” Susan said as she scratched Eve’s ears. “I’ll be down in a bit. I don’t feel tired anymore.”
***
Alex and Marc met at Pete’s for dinner. For the first time since the fire, both men were relaxed. They were lingering over coffee and dessert when Maggie and Susan arrived.
Pete ushered them to a table by the window. As they were situating their purses and coats on the back of their chairs, Alex and Marc came over. “These are the friends who are staying with me,” Maggie explained as she introduced them to Susan. “The ones who suffered those horrible fires.”
“I remember, Mom,” Susan said as they shook hands. “What a terrible thing to go through. I’m so sorry for you.”
“We’re recovering,” Marc said and filled them in on their home’s progress. “And we’re excited about the Easter carnival. I’m so glad that you could come out for it. Laura tells me that Alex and I are in charge of hiding the Easter eggs?” Maggie nodded. “Terrific. I thought we would go buy supplies tomorrow.”
“I’ll get all of that,” Maggie said. “You don’t have to spend any money on this.”
“You’re kidding, right?” Alex asked. “We’re living with you for free. I think it’s the least we can do.”
“We need something fun to focus on,” Marc assured her. “We’ll buy the candy and get the eggs all set up. We were talking about hiding four or five hundred.”
“Seriously?” Maggie gasped. “Do you think we’ll get that many kids?”
“If we get one hundred kids, that’s only five eggs each,” Alex replied. “I think we’ll get at least that many. Everyone in my office is going. Our court reporter is bringing her nephew. And the town clerk will be there with her daughters. This thing has sparked a lot of interest. Maybe we’ll do six hundred,” he said. “We’re going to head home. I’m exhausted.” Alex shrugged into his coat, and they said goodnight.
“For someone who has only lived here a few weeks, you sure know a lot of people. I always thought Dad was the outgoing one. I was worried that you’d be here and have no friends. That you would stay in that huge house all by yourself like you were retreating into a cave. I’d come to visit and find you living with eighty cats and the blinds drawn. The place would look like an episode of Hoarders,” she concluded.
Maggie laughed. “You certainly have a high opinion of your mother’s coping skills. This move has been really good for me. I’ve got lots of friends. Including the vet that takes care of Eve.” This seemed the perfect opportunity to introduce the idea of John to Susan. “We’ve been to dinner a couple of times. We even went ice-skating. To my surprise, I’m still pretty good.”
Susan’s head snapped back to Maggie. “Whoa, Mom,” she said as she held up her palm. She leaned forward and cradled her head in her hands. They sat in silence as Susan assimilated this information. “So you’re dating someone?”
“I don’t know if we’re actually dating. It’s no big deal. He’s a nice man and a friend.”
Susan forced a smile. “You’re blushing, Mom,” she observed. “I think you like this guy.” She sat back in her chair and let out a slow breath. “You know, I never thought you’d date again. My assistant told me she hoped you’d remarry, but I dismissed the idea. She adores you, you know,” Susan added as an aside. “She said that you’re young and beautiful and so full of life that it would be a shame if you didn’t find someone else. I guess I thought that someone might be Eve,” Susan said sheepishly.
“I’m not marrying anyone, for heaven’s sake. I’ve just gone out with him a couple of times. He’s working on the committee, too. He’s very nice and good company. In fact, he wants to take us both to dinner next week. Would you like to do that?”
“I most certainly would,” Susan declared. “Wait until I tell Mike. He’d kill me if I didn’t check out this new man, friend or not.”
“Now don’t you go exaggerating things or getting Mike all stirred up,” Maggie warned in her best Mom voice. “There’s nothing to be concerned about.”
They ordered their entrees and spent the rest of the meal chatting about Susan’s latest case and the upcoming carnival. Maggie finally broached the subject of her breakup with Rob. Susan turned her focus to a car awkwardly attempting to parallel park outside the window. She cleared her throat and faced her mother. “I’m too tired to get into all of that now. I want to talk to you more about it later. I’m okay. I’ve wanted to call him but stopped myself,” Susan said. “I’ve got questions, but it basically doesn’t matter what the answers are. I’m so tired of waiting for him that I’m just done.”
Maggie reached over and took her hand. “That’s an excellent tack to take. I’m really proud of you. We can talk whenever you’re ready.” Susan yawned and brushed the hair off her forehead, and Maggie recalled the exhausted little girl that would nestle in her arms and resist sleep to beg for just one more story. Her determined daughter would be just fine. Maggie signaled for the check and was delighted to find that Alex had taken care of it on his way out.
Chapter 20
Alex, Marc and Maggie were all dressed and in the kitchen at Rosemont before dawn on Thursday. The TV morning show nattered away in the background as they quietly and companionably ate their breakfasts. Alex was scanning the paper and Maggie was checking her email. She had postponed all of her conference calls until next week. With only two days remaining until the carnival, she needed to focus on that. The volunteers were all following through on their commitments. Maggie only needed to quarterback everything. She decided to let Susan sleep in. Set-up wouldn’t start in earnest until the afternoon.
Eve began barking as Joe Appleby and his landscaping crew pulled up. Maggie shrugged into her jacket and went out to greet him.
“Good morning, Mrs. Martin.” His usual energetic manner and wide smile seemed a bit more so this morning. “We came early. We’re going to spend the day helping you get ready.”
“It’s Maggie, please,” she said as she shook his hand. “You heard about the carnival?”
“Of course. Everyone’s talking about it. We’ll stay after and help clean up, too. No charge,” he added. “It’ll be our contribution. We all want to do this.”
“That’s terrific. Very much appreciated. Are you bringing your families?”
“Oh my gosh, yes. Between the three of us we have ten kids under the age of nine. They’re all really excited. And we’re bringing some of their friends. And cousins. You’ll have a crowd here.”
“Good. This has come together at the last minute, and I’ve been worried that no one will show up,” Maggie confessed.
Joe laughed. “No worries on that score. Just the opposite, Rosemont will be packed,” he predicted. “You’ll see.”
***
Deliveries began to arrive in the early afternoon. Sam made several trips to deposit folding tables for the bake sale and silent auction. When Maggie asked where he got all of the tables, his reply was vague. “
Here and there. They’re all marked on the bottom. Don’t worry about it. I know where to return them,” he assured her.
Tonya’s husband pulled up with a popcorn machine in the back of his truck. He introduced himself to Maggie, and he and Joe maneuvered it to its spot by the back patio.
It was after lunch when Susan appeared, dressed in one of Maggie’s old sweat suits. “I see you’ve made yourself at home in my closet, just like old times,” Maggie remarked. “How’d you sleep? Did you get something to eat?”
“Best night’s sleep in months. And I had a muffin and a glass of milk. Don’t worry; I’m a big girl. If I’m hungry I can get myself something.” She smiled over her mother’s shoulder at the busy scene on the lawn. “What a glorious day this is,” she said and turned to look back at Rosemont. “And what a magnificent setting. Mom, this Easter carnival idea is perfect. Everyone is so excited. I’ll bet you raise a ton of money. And it’s going to be a blast.” She regarded her mother intently. “I’m seeing a whole new side of you.”
Maggie abruptly turned to the house, shielding her eyes with her hand. Now wasn’t the time to get into this with Susan—if there ever would be a time to get into it—but she was stung by the familiar implication that Paul was the “fun one.” She always did the heavy lifting to make Paul’s “spontaneous” fun happen. The fact that he accepted all the credit and they thought of her as a dull tool was evidence of the plagiarism that marked their marriage. She blinked back sudden, unbidden tears and rooted through her purse for a tissue.
“Mom. What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
Maggie made an exaggerated show of blowing her nose. “Nothing—just got something in my eye. It’s breezy out here.” I’m reading too much into this, Maggie told herself. She couldn’t do anything about it, anyway. Her kids loved her, and if they didn’t see her accurately before, they would discover that side of her now. That was the way it always was with children. They developed a whole new appreciation of their parents when they became adults themselves. It would have to be good enough.
Coming to Rosemont Page 13