Irene Brand_Yuletide_01 by Yuletide Peril

wouldn’t let me.”
    Janice’s eyes met Lance’s blue ones and she murmured, “Thanks.” To Brooke, she said, “You can start walking alone later on, when you know the town and its people a little better.” Turning to Lance, she said, “I’m sorry if I delayed you.”
    “I never leave until all the students are gone, except for the ones involved in sports. It’s the coaches’ responsibility to see that they’re protected.”
    She took Brooke’s hand. “Let’s go.” To Lance, she said, “I’m meeting Cecil Smith at six o’clock. I couldn’t find any other contractor to even give me an estimate on the work at Mountjoy.” She rolled her eyes. “For reasons that you might guess.”
    He nodded understandingly. “If you don’t mind, I’ll go with you. Smith is reliable enough, but he might be held up and be late in keeping his appointment.”
    She looked directly at him, pleased, surprised and aggravated at the same time. “I don’t need a nursemaid,” she said.
    “Look at it this way—I wouldn’t want Linda to be alone on your property.”
    “I’ve imposed on you enough.”
    “You’re not imposing. You haven’t asked me to do anything for you. I’ll pick you up at Henrietta’s around quarter to six.”
    With a smile, Janice said, “Henrietta will be pleased. She’s fusses over Brooke and me like a mother hen with a dozenchicks. She insisted that I must get the driveway cleared and stoned right away so she can drive to the house.”
    “I’m glad she’s looking after you.”
    “Truth to tell—I rather like it. I’ve never had any coddling in my life.”
    In spite of Henrietta’s insistence that they eat with her, Janice prepared supper in the apartment. She’d bought a frozen lasagna at the grocery store, and while it baked, she made a salad. Deli cookies and ice cream would have to do for dessert. She wasn’t used to cooking for two yet. When she was ready to go to Mountjoy, she opened the door to the upstairs so Henrietta could monitor Brooke’s activities.
    Cecil Smith was already waiting for them when they arrived. Lance parked behind the contractor’s truck, which was as ramshackle as his house. The truck was piled high with lumber, tools, gadgets, buckets, chains, several ladders and a lot of other stuff that Janice couldn’t identify.
    “Cecil carries his office and workshop with him,” Lance said humorously. “Strange to say, he can find what he wants without any trouble.”
    Lance shook hands with Smith. “Glad to see you, Cecil. It’s good you can help Janice.”
    “I don’t know that I can help her, but I’ll take a look.”
    “Let’s take your ladder,” Lance said. “The ceilings are ten feet high, and you may need a long ladder to see everything.”
    Lance and Cecil carried the ladder and maneuvered their way through the brush and heavy tree foliage along the narrow path that Lance had cut on their previous visit. Janice carried two flashlights and a small case holding a conglomeration of tools.
    “Shame this property has gone to rack and ruin,” Smith said. “It used to be a showplace.”
    “I’d like to have it look like that again.”
    “Big job for a young woman like you.”
    “Maybe too big a job for me. Your assessment of the work that has to be done will determine my decision.”
    “We crawled in the window when we were here Saturday,” Lance said.
    “Did you look around for a key?” Cecil said. “It’s my experience that everybody leaves a key somewhere handy.”
    A tall, lanky man, Cecil was able to run his hand across the top of the door frame. With a self-satisfied look, he picked up a key and waved it at them. He pulled open the decrepit screen door and turned the key in the lock. The door was stuck, but when Lance put his shoulder against the door, it squeaked open.
    Cecil whistled while he sauntered around the first floor rooms. Janice recognized it as an off-key version of “She’ll be Coming Around the Mountain.” Lance and