been squeezed in for the
Grubbs.
The big kitchen was snugly warm and smelled
delicious. A half-hour earlier, Auntie had put the big Christmas
goose, stuffed with a mouth-watering mixture of bread crumbs,
finely chopped goose giblets and drippings, herbs, and diced Granny
Smith apples into the wood stove, where it roasted slowly.
When she heard Elizabeth-Anne's footsteps,
Elender looked up from the pastry she was rolling and smiled.
Quickly she wiped her hands on her apron, rushed across the room,
and scooped her high into the air. 'Good morning, Elizabeth-Anne!'
Elender kissed her warmly. 'Merry Christmas!'
In reply, Elizabeth-Anne coiled her arms
around her neck and returned her kiss.
Elender set Elizabeth-Anne down, placed her
hands on her shoulders, and propelled her toward the kitchen table.
'As soon as you finish your breakfasts, you and Jenny can open your
presents,' she said.
Elizabeth-Anne nodded, and Elender busied
herself at the stove. There was a sizzling sound as pancake batter
hit the greased hot skillet.
With all the heat from the cooking,
Elizabeth-Anne didn't need her sweater. She pulled it off and
draped it over the back of her chair. Then she scraped the chair
out from under the table and sat down. A moment later Elender
placed a mug of steaming hot milk and slid a plate with a big
golden pancake in a puddle of rich syrup in front of
Elizabeth-Anne. Then she went back to her pastry.
Jenny, who'd already finished eating, shot
Elizabeth-Anne a piercing look from across the table. 'Hurry up and
finish eating, 'Lizbeth-Anne,' she hissed impatiently.
'Leave her be,' Elender called over her
shoulder. 'Eating fast makes for bad digestion. The presents are
not going to run away.' Then she turned around slowly, placed her
hands on her hips, and looked questioningly at Jenny. 'Well? I
didn't hear you wishing Elizabeth-Anne a Merry Christmas.'
'I didn't hear her wishing me one either,'
Jenny retorted tartly.
'Jenny . . .' Elender's voice held a warning
note.
'Merry Christmas, 'Lizbeth-Anne,' Jenny sang
in a loud, sweet voice.
Elizabeth-Anne looked at her and smiled
hesitantly.
'Even if I don't see why I should wish you
anything,' Jenny added under her breath.
'What's that?' Elender asked sharply.
'I was just telling 'Lizbeth-Anne that I
wondered what our presents are, Auntie,' Jenny replied
innocently.
Elender fixed her with a long look before she
turned around again.
Elizabeth-Anne picked up her teaspoon and
carefully skimmed the thick, wrinkled layer of cream from the top
of her milk. She blew on it so it would cool and then ate it with
relish. She licked the white mustache off her upper lip with her
tongue. She loved the sweet richness of the cream; it was her
favorite part of breakfast. She took two cubes of sugar from the
china bowl and plopped them into her milk. With the spoon, she
tapped the cubes gently to break them up, and stirred.
Jenny glanced at Elender. She was busy
pinching the pastry around a shallow round pie tin, her back
turned. Taking advantage of the situation, Jenny gave
Elizabeth-Anne a swift sharp kick under the table. 'Hurry up!' she
mouthed silently.
When Elizabeth-Anne ignored her, Jenny's
patience snapped. She reached out, grabbed the pancake off
Elizabeth-Anne's plate with her fingers, and began gobbling it
down, all the while glancing at Elender from the corners of her
eyes.
Elender's back was still turned.
The pancake finished, Jenny slid
Elizabeth-Anne's mug over to her side of the table and exchanged it
with her own empty mug. She blew on the hot, sweet milk and sipped
it, blew on it some more, and took big gulps. Elizabeth-Anne could
only stare curiously, astonished at her speed.
A moment later Jenny scraped back her chair
and jumped to her feet. ' 'Lizbeth-Anne's finished, Auntieeeeee . .
.' Her words trailed off into silence. Elender had turned around,
arms akimbo, and was glaring at her through narrowed eyes.
Jenny suddenly turned pale.
'I saw what you did,
Grubbs.
The big kitchen was snugly warm and smelled
delicious. A half-hour earlier, Auntie had put the big Christmas
goose, stuffed with a mouth-watering mixture of bread crumbs,
finely chopped goose giblets and drippings, herbs, and diced Granny
Smith apples into the wood stove, where it roasted slowly.
When she heard Elizabeth-Anne's footsteps,
Elender looked up from the pastry she was rolling and smiled.
Quickly she wiped her hands on her apron, rushed across the room,
and scooped her high into the air. 'Good morning, Elizabeth-Anne!'
Elender kissed her warmly. 'Merry Christmas!'
In reply, Elizabeth-Anne coiled her arms
around her neck and returned her kiss.
Elender set Elizabeth-Anne down, placed her
hands on her shoulders, and propelled her toward the kitchen table.
'As soon as you finish your breakfasts, you and Jenny can open your
presents,' she said.
Elizabeth-Anne nodded, and Elender busied
herself at the stove. There was a sizzling sound as pancake batter
hit the greased hot skillet.
With all the heat from the cooking,
Elizabeth-Anne didn't need her sweater. She pulled it off and
draped it over the back of her chair. Then she scraped the chair
out from under the table and sat down. A moment later Elender
placed a mug of steaming hot milk and slid a plate with a big
golden pancake in a puddle of rich syrup in front of
Elizabeth-Anne. Then she went back to her pastry.
Jenny, who'd already finished eating, shot
Elizabeth-Anne a piercing look from across the table. 'Hurry up and
finish eating, 'Lizbeth-Anne,' she hissed impatiently.
'Leave her be,' Elender called over her
shoulder. 'Eating fast makes for bad digestion. The presents are
not going to run away.' Then she turned around slowly, placed her
hands on her hips, and looked questioningly at Jenny. 'Well? I
didn't hear you wishing Elizabeth-Anne a Merry Christmas.'
'I didn't hear her wishing me one either,'
Jenny retorted tartly.
'Jenny . . .' Elender's voice held a warning
note.
'Merry Christmas, 'Lizbeth-Anne,' Jenny sang
in a loud, sweet voice.
Elizabeth-Anne looked at her and smiled
hesitantly.
'Even if I don't see why I should wish you
anything,' Jenny added under her breath.
'What's that?' Elender asked sharply.
'I was just telling 'Lizbeth-Anne that I
wondered what our presents are, Auntie,' Jenny replied
innocently.
Elender fixed her with a long look before she
turned around again.
Elizabeth-Anne picked up her teaspoon and
carefully skimmed the thick, wrinkled layer of cream from the top
of her milk. She blew on it so it would cool and then ate it with
relish. She licked the white mustache off her upper lip with her
tongue. She loved the sweet richness of the cream; it was her
favorite part of breakfast. She took two cubes of sugar from the
china bowl and plopped them into her milk. With the spoon, she
tapped the cubes gently to break them up, and stirred.
Jenny glanced at Elender. She was busy
pinching the pastry around a shallow round pie tin, her back
turned. Taking advantage of the situation, Jenny gave
Elizabeth-Anne a swift sharp kick under the table. 'Hurry up!' she
mouthed silently.
When Elizabeth-Anne ignored her, Jenny's
patience snapped. She reached out, grabbed the pancake off
Elizabeth-Anne's plate with her fingers, and began gobbling it
down, all the while glancing at Elender from the corners of her
eyes.
Elender's back was still turned.
The pancake finished, Jenny slid
Elizabeth-Anne's mug over to her side of the table and exchanged it
with her own empty mug. She blew on the hot, sweet milk and sipped
it, blew on it some more, and took big gulps. Elizabeth-Anne could
only stare curiously, astonished at her speed.
A moment later Jenny scraped back her chair
and jumped to her feet. ' 'Lizbeth-Anne's finished, Auntieeeeee . .
.' Her words trailed off into silence. Elender had turned around,
arms akimbo, and was glaring at her through narrowed eyes.
Jenny suddenly turned pale.
'I saw what you did,
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