urge to wake Martin to tell him. It would be
better to make it a surprise, and it would give him time to decide whether he
would allow Martin both or only one, and if so, then which one it would be.
“Rise and shine.”
Henry stretched and yawned and pulled Martin down into the bed,
nuzzling his neck and wrapping him up in arms and legs. He considered whether
he might try to get Martin out of his clothes, but his stomach rumbled, and he
wanted his breakfast.
Henry quickly showered and let Martin shave and dress him,
then went down to the breakfast room. Father and Mother were both there, and
Henry assumed this meant they’d hold off on any talk of parties until another
day, but Mother obviously didn’t care if Father was bothered by their chatter.
Mother waited until Henry was situated, with a full plate in
front of him, before saying, “So tell me about Jesse’s party, darling. Did he
have a lot of guests?”
“He knows a lot of people,” Henry told her. “A lot more than
I do. His class at school is three times the size of mine, plus he knows people
from his ball last year.”
“You’ll meet people at your ball, Henry. That’s what it’s
for, after all, darling.”
“I liked some of his friends very much, and I think I’d want
to invite them to my party.”
“We can invite whoever you’d like, of course. Tell me about
the band, darling.”
Henry told her about the band, at least as much as he knew
to tell. “Martin’s a musician, you know, and he thought they were all right,
but he also thinks we could do better.”
“We have the money for the very best,” Mother pointed out.
“Gilbert and Virginia might have settled for what they could afford.” She drank
her tea and ate a small piece of a currant scone. “Did they have good food?”
“It was very good, and there was plenty of it.” He finished
his first helping of pancakes and gestured for Martin to bring him some more.
“He had a huge cake, but it actually wasn’t big enough for the crowd. They only
lit candles on the one, but they had two more waiting in the wings, and those
got eaten up, as well.”
“We can certainly do that, too,” Mother remarked, nodding.
She turned and looked around the back of her chair. “Pearl, darling, are you
taking notes?”
“Yes, Ma’am.” Pearl was indeed taking notes in a notebook
rather like the ones Timothy used, and Henry supposed she might have gotten it
from him.
“Was their house all done up? What sort of flowers did they
have?”
All Henry could remember was some colored crepe paper. He
turned around in his chair. “Martin? Were there flowers?”
“I don’t recall any, Sir.”
Henry shrugged. “There was some stuff hanging on the walls,
what do you call it…bunting? It wasn’t really decorated, I guess.”
“We’ll do better than that for you,” Mother decided. “What
colors do you think you’d like?”
Henry had certainly not considered this at all. “Oh! Um…I
don’t really know.”
“Well, what’s your favorite color, darling?”
Henry thought of his bottle-green suit, of Martin’s
remarkable eyes. “Green, I guess.”
“Green is nice for late spring,” Mother said approvingly.
“It goes with every kind of flower, of course, which makes decorating easier.
What would you say to green and white with lots of colorful flowers?”
Henry had never thought to be concerned with flowers or
party decorations before. “It sounds nice?”
“We’ll worry about a menu later,” Mother decided. “I like the
idea of a sit-down meal, but I suspect you young people would prefer a buffet.”
Henry thought she was right. “Jesse had a buffet.”
“Hiram,” Mother said. “Hiram, are you paying attention?”
Henry had thought Father was not , but he cleared his
throat and in a very grumpy voice said, “I’m listening, Louisa.”
“I’ve walked through the rooms here on the first floor with
Pearl, and I’ve consulted with Randolph and Dora, as well, and at
better to make it a surprise, and it would give him time to decide whether he
would allow Martin both or only one, and if so, then which one it would be.
“Rise and shine.”
Henry stretched and yawned and pulled Martin down into the bed,
nuzzling his neck and wrapping him up in arms and legs. He considered whether
he might try to get Martin out of his clothes, but his stomach rumbled, and he
wanted his breakfast.
Henry quickly showered and let Martin shave and dress him,
then went down to the breakfast room. Father and Mother were both there, and
Henry assumed this meant they’d hold off on any talk of parties until another
day, but Mother obviously didn’t care if Father was bothered by their chatter.
Mother waited until Henry was situated, with a full plate in
front of him, before saying, “So tell me about Jesse’s party, darling. Did he
have a lot of guests?”
“He knows a lot of people,” Henry told her. “A lot more than
I do. His class at school is three times the size of mine, plus he knows people
from his ball last year.”
“You’ll meet people at your ball, Henry. That’s what it’s
for, after all, darling.”
“I liked some of his friends very much, and I think I’d want
to invite them to my party.”
“We can invite whoever you’d like, of course. Tell me about
the band, darling.”
Henry told her about the band, at least as much as he knew
to tell. “Martin’s a musician, you know, and he thought they were all right,
but he also thinks we could do better.”
“We have the money for the very best,” Mother pointed out.
“Gilbert and Virginia might have settled for what they could afford.” She drank
her tea and ate a small piece of a currant scone. “Did they have good food?”
“It was very good, and there was plenty of it.” He finished
his first helping of pancakes and gestured for Martin to bring him some more.
“He had a huge cake, but it actually wasn’t big enough for the crowd. They only
lit candles on the one, but they had two more waiting in the wings, and those
got eaten up, as well.”
“We can certainly do that, too,” Mother remarked, nodding.
She turned and looked around the back of her chair. “Pearl, darling, are you
taking notes?”
“Yes, Ma’am.” Pearl was indeed taking notes in a notebook
rather like the ones Timothy used, and Henry supposed she might have gotten it
from him.
“Was their house all done up? What sort of flowers did they
have?”
All Henry could remember was some colored crepe paper. He
turned around in his chair. “Martin? Were there flowers?”
“I don’t recall any, Sir.”
Henry shrugged. “There was some stuff hanging on the walls,
what do you call it…bunting? It wasn’t really decorated, I guess.”
“We’ll do better than that for you,” Mother decided. “What
colors do you think you’d like?”
Henry had certainly not considered this at all. “Oh! Um…I
don’t really know.”
“Well, what’s your favorite color, darling?”
Henry thought of his bottle-green suit, of Martin’s
remarkable eyes. “Green, I guess.”
“Green is nice for late spring,” Mother said approvingly.
“It goes with every kind of flower, of course, which makes decorating easier.
What would you say to green and white with lots of colorful flowers?”
Henry had never thought to be concerned with flowers or
party decorations before. “It sounds nice?”
“We’ll worry about a menu later,” Mother decided. “I like the
idea of a sit-down meal, but I suspect you young people would prefer a buffet.”
Henry thought she was right. “Jesse had a buffet.”
“Hiram,” Mother said. “Hiram, are you paying attention?”
Henry had thought Father was not , but he cleared his
throat and in a very grumpy voice said, “I’m listening, Louisa.”
“I’ve walked through the rooms here on the first floor with
Pearl, and I’ve consulted with Randolph and Dora, as well, and at
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