.
She frowned to herself and cast those
thoughts away. She hadn't been strong enough or brave enough: it
was water under the bridge.
Her lips quivered into a smile. 'Come on,
Jenny. Let's go open the presents and forget this, all right?' She
placed a finger under Jenny's chin and lifted it.
Jenny nodded and smiled slowly. 'Yes,
Auntie,' she said softly.
Elender put her arm around Jenny's shoulder,
and together they left the room.
That wasn't so hard , Jenny thought. All I had to do was appeal to her emotions. I can always play on
Auntie 's soft spot.
Elender lowered two large brightly wrapped
packages each into Jenny's and Elizabeth-Anne's outstretched arms.
She smiled as the girls struggled under the weight of them. 'You
may open them in the kitchen,' she said, turning as she heard
footsteps behind her. The Grubbs were coming down the hall. 'Merry
Christmas,' Elender greeted them warmly.
' 'Mornin',' Bazzel said crisply.
Amanda smiled bleakly and pushed a limp lock
of stray hair out of her eyes. 'Good mornin', Miz Clowney.' She
looked shyly down at her feet. 'Merry Christmas.'
'And a very Merry Christmas to you, Mrs.
Grubb.'
Amanda Grubb looked even more unhappy than
she had the night before. Elender noticed that she kept pulling
nervously at the frayed white cuffs of her blouse with her fingers,
and she wondered whether this nervous reaction had something to do
with Bazzel Grubb. Had they had words between them? Or could
Elspeth be frightened of him? After all, there was something remote
and formidable . . . almost forbidding . . . about him. Not only
that, but somehow the Grubbs just didn't give the impression of
being a warm, loving couple. There was an odd coldness there, a
chilly distance between them that she couldn't figure out. And . .
. although she couldn't quite put her finger on the precise reason
why such a strange idea should suddenly pop into her head, Elender
was unable to prevent the perceptive thought from forming: call it
intuition or suspicion, for some reason, she just knew in
her heart of hearts that Elizabeth-Anne would be far better off
with her than with the Grubbs. But what could she do? Elspeth and
Bazzel Grubb were the child's flesh and blood, while she herself
was merely a stranger who had befriended her.
What rights did strangers, however loving and
well- meaning, have to an orphaned child?
Bazzel cleared his throat, his Adam's apple
bobbing up and down. 'We was wonderin' if we might talk to you in
private fer a few minutes, Miz Clowney.'
Elender glanced into the dining room. The
roomers were already gathering for Christmas breakfast. 'We can
talk in the kitchen as soon as I serve the food,' she said.
'Girls!'
Jenny and Elizabeth-Anne turned around
slowly, their faces barely visible above the tops of the
packages.
'Why don't you go into the parlor?' Elender
glanced at Mr. Grubb and lowered her voice. 'Did you build a fire
in there?'
'Seein' how cold it was, and since there was
wood stacked right next to the fireplace—'
'Did you move the piano?'
He looked at her queerly but slowly shook his
head.
'Good. The only reason I asked that is
Elizabeth-Anne is terrified of fires. After that terrible circus
fire she witnessed . . .'
Elender moved aside and smiled automatically
as she let the girls pass. Then she steered the Grubbs into the
kitchen. 'Have a seat, won't you? I'll serve you your breakfasts in
here instead of the dining room. That way we can talk in privacy
while you eat. I'll be right back.'
Elender smoothed the front of her apron and
busied herself. The Grubbs sat watching quietly as her footsteps
beat a brisk circular cadence from the kitchen to the dining room
and back again. Between her trips she set steaming mugs, filled
half with sweetened coffee, half with hot milk, down in front of
the Grubbs. She added plates of eggs, sausages, and homemade
cranberry muffins, finally closed the dining-room door, and poured
herself a mug of coffee. Then she brought it
She frowned to herself and cast those
thoughts away. She hadn't been strong enough or brave enough: it
was water under the bridge.
Her lips quivered into a smile. 'Come on,
Jenny. Let's go open the presents and forget this, all right?' She
placed a finger under Jenny's chin and lifted it.
Jenny nodded and smiled slowly. 'Yes,
Auntie,' she said softly.
Elender put her arm around Jenny's shoulder,
and together they left the room.
That wasn't so hard , Jenny thought. All I had to do was appeal to her emotions. I can always play on
Auntie 's soft spot.
Elender lowered two large brightly wrapped
packages each into Jenny's and Elizabeth-Anne's outstretched arms.
She smiled as the girls struggled under the weight of them. 'You
may open them in the kitchen,' she said, turning as she heard
footsteps behind her. The Grubbs were coming down the hall. 'Merry
Christmas,' Elender greeted them warmly.
' 'Mornin',' Bazzel said crisply.
Amanda smiled bleakly and pushed a limp lock
of stray hair out of her eyes. 'Good mornin', Miz Clowney.' She
looked shyly down at her feet. 'Merry Christmas.'
'And a very Merry Christmas to you, Mrs.
Grubb.'
Amanda Grubb looked even more unhappy than
she had the night before. Elender noticed that she kept pulling
nervously at the frayed white cuffs of her blouse with her fingers,
and she wondered whether this nervous reaction had something to do
with Bazzel Grubb. Had they had words between them? Or could
Elspeth be frightened of him? After all, there was something remote
and formidable . . . almost forbidding . . . about him. Not only
that, but somehow the Grubbs just didn't give the impression of
being a warm, loving couple. There was an odd coldness there, a
chilly distance between them that she couldn't figure out. And . .
. although she couldn't quite put her finger on the precise reason
why such a strange idea should suddenly pop into her head, Elender
was unable to prevent the perceptive thought from forming: call it
intuition or suspicion, for some reason, she just knew in
her heart of hearts that Elizabeth-Anne would be far better off
with her than with the Grubbs. But what could she do? Elspeth and
Bazzel Grubb were the child's flesh and blood, while she herself
was merely a stranger who had befriended her.
What rights did strangers, however loving and
well- meaning, have to an orphaned child?
Bazzel cleared his throat, his Adam's apple
bobbing up and down. 'We was wonderin' if we might talk to you in
private fer a few minutes, Miz Clowney.'
Elender glanced into the dining room. The
roomers were already gathering for Christmas breakfast. 'We can
talk in the kitchen as soon as I serve the food,' she said.
'Girls!'
Jenny and Elizabeth-Anne turned around
slowly, their faces barely visible above the tops of the
packages.
'Why don't you go into the parlor?' Elender
glanced at Mr. Grubb and lowered her voice. 'Did you build a fire
in there?'
'Seein' how cold it was, and since there was
wood stacked right next to the fireplace—'
'Did you move the piano?'
He looked at her queerly but slowly shook his
head.
'Good. The only reason I asked that is
Elizabeth-Anne is terrified of fires. After that terrible circus
fire she witnessed . . .'
Elender moved aside and smiled automatically
as she let the girls pass. Then she steered the Grubbs into the
kitchen. 'Have a seat, won't you? I'll serve you your breakfasts in
here instead of the dining room. That way we can talk in privacy
while you eat. I'll be right back.'
Elender smoothed the front of her apron and
busied herself. The Grubbs sat watching quietly as her footsteps
beat a brisk circular cadence from the kitchen to the dining room
and back again. Between her trips she set steaming mugs, filled
half with sweetened coffee, half with hot milk, down in front of
the Grubbs. She added plates of eggs, sausages, and homemade
cranberry muffins, finally closed the dining-room door, and poured
herself a mug of coffee. Then she brought it
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