night, Clothilda.”
Jane had called Ethel on Saturday evening to let her know Clothilda had arrived. So early on Sunday morning, Jane was not surprised to see her aunt picking her way along the path from the carriage house where she made her home.
“Good morning,” Jane sang out as Ethel came in the back door.
“Good morning, Jane.”
“Would you like some breakfast, Aunt Ethel?”
“Why, thank you, dear. That would be lovely.” She patted her hair as if a strand had slipped out of place. “I thought your Mrs. Moeller might enjoy company during breakfast this morning.”
“I’m sure she would.” Jane indicated the swinging door to the dining room. “She’s already seated. Let me introduce you.” She led the way, tossing over her shoulder, “I know you like salmon. This morning I am serving an egg dish with hollandaise sauce, along with baked apple and blackberries crepes drizzled with sweet cream, and a Black Russian breakfast cake.”
“My goodness,” murmured Ethel. “You outdo yourself every time I come over here, Jane.”
When Jane and Ethel stepped into the dining room, Maxwell and Miss Havishim appeared to be having an animated conversation. As Jane waited to introduce Ethel, she heard mention of Freud, Bruno Bethelheim and operant conditioning.
When Miss Havishim and Maxwell sensed her presence and looked up from their discussion, Jane said, “Clothilda, Miss Havishim, this is my aunt, Ethel Buckley. Clothilda, you spoke with Aunt Ethel the day you made your reservation.”
Clothilda and Miss Havishim both greeted Ethel warmly.
“Good morning, Mrs. Buckley,” Maxwell said, rising courteously. “It’s nice to see you again.”
“And you,” Ethel returned. “What kind of pie are you planning to have today?”
She and Maxwell both laughed as Ethel took a seat next to Clothilda. “Ah! Ethel,” Clothilda said, her round face flushing with emotion. “You were very kind to help me when I had trouble speaking English.”
“It was nothing,” Ethel demurred. “I have not spoken German in many years, and it was exciting to realize how much of it I still know.”
“You spoke it very well.”
“Thank you. Would you like to talk in German?”
Jane slipped back to the kitchen, smiling, as the sound of the two women conversing in German flowed behind her, interspersed with two other voices murmuring about intermittent reinforcement and something about teaching sign language to monkeys.
The next forty minutes were busy ones as Jane completed her meal preparations and she and her sisters served the guests.
Alice, Louise and Jane ate their own breakfast in the kitchen and then cleared the guests’ dishes. Amid all the activity, Clothilda and Ethel chatted in German. After the meal, Jane noticed that Clothilda had produced a number of papers over which she and Ethel were poring. Jane was dying to know what the two were talking about, but she was pressed for time after the dishes were done and had to hurry to her room to get ready for church.
When she came down, Alice, Louise, Maxwell, Clothilda and Ethel all were gathered in the front hallway.
“Hi-ho, hi-ho, it’s off to church we go,” called Jane as she got to the bottom step.
Amid a general chorus of laughter and comments, the group left the inn and walked toward Grace Chapel.
The service was uplifting for Alice. Since Wendell’s disappearance, she had felt as if she’d been walking under a cloud that moved in whatever direction she did. It was nice to feel that cloud dissipating, even if her concern for Wendell had not eased.
Rev. Thompson’s message was about seeking divine aid to discern heavenly bidding. Last night, Louise had spoken to Alice and Jane about Maxwell’s interest in learning about faith. This morning, Alice occasionally sneaked glances at him, wondering what he would take away from the experience, whether he would feel blessed by the Holy Spirit and empowered to continue to seek Christ in his
Jane had called Ethel on Saturday evening to let her know Clothilda had arrived. So early on Sunday morning, Jane was not surprised to see her aunt picking her way along the path from the carriage house where she made her home.
“Good morning,” Jane sang out as Ethel came in the back door.
“Good morning, Jane.”
“Would you like some breakfast, Aunt Ethel?”
“Why, thank you, dear. That would be lovely.” She patted her hair as if a strand had slipped out of place. “I thought your Mrs. Moeller might enjoy company during breakfast this morning.”
“I’m sure she would.” Jane indicated the swinging door to the dining room. “She’s already seated. Let me introduce you.” She led the way, tossing over her shoulder, “I know you like salmon. This morning I am serving an egg dish with hollandaise sauce, along with baked apple and blackberries crepes drizzled with sweet cream, and a Black Russian breakfast cake.”
“My goodness,” murmured Ethel. “You outdo yourself every time I come over here, Jane.”
When Jane and Ethel stepped into the dining room, Maxwell and Miss Havishim appeared to be having an animated conversation. As Jane waited to introduce Ethel, she heard mention of Freud, Bruno Bethelheim and operant conditioning.
When Miss Havishim and Maxwell sensed her presence and looked up from their discussion, Jane said, “Clothilda, Miss Havishim, this is my aunt, Ethel Buckley. Clothilda, you spoke with Aunt Ethel the day you made your reservation.”
Clothilda and Miss Havishim both greeted Ethel warmly.
“Good morning, Mrs. Buckley,” Maxwell said, rising courteously. “It’s nice to see you again.”
“And you,” Ethel returned. “What kind of pie are you planning to have today?”
She and Maxwell both laughed as Ethel took a seat next to Clothilda. “Ah! Ethel,” Clothilda said, her round face flushing with emotion. “You were very kind to help me when I had trouble speaking English.”
“It was nothing,” Ethel demurred. “I have not spoken German in many years, and it was exciting to realize how much of it I still know.”
“You spoke it very well.”
“Thank you. Would you like to talk in German?”
Jane slipped back to the kitchen, smiling, as the sound of the two women conversing in German flowed behind her, interspersed with two other voices murmuring about intermittent reinforcement and something about teaching sign language to monkeys.
The next forty minutes were busy ones as Jane completed her meal preparations and she and her sisters served the guests.
Alice, Louise and Jane ate their own breakfast in the kitchen and then cleared the guests’ dishes. Amid all the activity, Clothilda and Ethel chatted in German. After the meal, Jane noticed that Clothilda had produced a number of papers over which she and Ethel were poring. Jane was dying to know what the two were talking about, but she was pressed for time after the dishes were done and had to hurry to her room to get ready for church.
When she came down, Alice, Louise, Maxwell, Clothilda and Ethel all were gathered in the front hallway.
“Hi-ho, hi-ho, it’s off to church we go,” called Jane as she got to the bottom step.
Amid a general chorus of laughter and comments, the group left the inn and walked toward Grace Chapel.
The service was uplifting for Alice. Since Wendell’s disappearance, she had felt as if she’d been walking under a cloud that moved in whatever direction she did. It was nice to feel that cloud dissipating, even if her concern for Wendell had not eased.
Rev. Thompson’s message was about seeking divine aid to discern heavenly bidding. Last night, Louise had spoken to Alice and Jane about Maxwell’s interest in learning about faith. This morning, Alice occasionally sneaked glances at him, wondering what he would take away from the experience, whether he would feel blessed by the Holy Spirit and empowered to continue to seek Christ in his
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