like a sob. “We didn’t even get to say good-bye,” he said.
Neely thought she knew what he meant. It would have been so much better if they’d only had a little warning—and time to say good-bye—to the nursery and the library and the whole fantastically beautiful old house. And to Monica? Was that what Grub meant? To say good-bye to Monica?
To change the subject she said quickly, “Can you imagine, we went right in the house without knowing they were there, and you went down to get the key, and then we both went down to look at the guns, and nobody saw us and we didn’t see any of them. And we probably walked right by the rooms they were in.” The very thought made her shiver.
Grub nodded. “They were sleeping,” he said.
“You’d think we would have seen something. Like a car in the driveway or—”
“He said they came in a taxi,” Grub said.
“Oh, yeah. He did. But they must have a car. How can they live up there without a car? I guess Reuben could take them shopping, but how would they get to work and things like that?”
Grub only shrugged, so after a moment, Neely said, “They must have a car somewhere. Don’t you think?”
“I guess so.” Grub’s face was still blank and stiff, but at least he was talking. “You can ask him next time we see him.”
“I don’t know,” Neely said. “I doubt if we’ll see him again.”
“I think so,” Grub said.
“What do you mean, you think so?”
Grub nodded slowly. “I think we’ll see him again.”
That night at dinner Neely told her parents about meeting Curtis—without saying exactly where. Without actually saying so, she made it sound as if they had met first in the grove. “This kid was there, and we got started talking and we met his father—and everything. They’re Hutchinsons and they’re going to live at Halcyon for a while,” she said.
Mom and Dad were very amazed and interested and there were lots of questions about what the house looked like inside and what the furnishings were like. Mom loved to hear about things like that, so Neely went room by room telling about the most interesting things like the gorgeous pool table and the inlaid hardwood card tables in the game room.
While she was still telling about the game room, Grub said, “And the gun cupboard. Don’t forget about the gun cupboard.”
Neely gave him a warning frown because of the way Mom felt about having guns around the house, but then she made it all right by quickly explaining that the gun cabinet had unbreakable glass doors and a big padlock. Fortunately Mom was busy wondering if there would be any chance that she might get to see the inside of Halcyon House, now that it was occupied again. Mom had always been interested in all kinds of houses.
It turned out Grub was right about seeing Curtis again. A few days later, around five o’clock in the afternoon, there was a knock on the back door of the Bradfords’ house—and there he was, Curtis Hutchinson in person.
“Hi,” he said, holding out two wrinkled paper bags. He was smiling, but instead of his usual cocky grin, this one was squinty-eyed and nervous, like a dog that doesn’t know whether to expect a pat or a kick. “Hi. I brought you these. You left them up at the house.”
Neely laughed. “Well, thanks, but no thanks. They’re probably pretty rotten by now.”
“Well, actually, I ate the cookies,” Curtis said. “But not the sandwiches. I don’t like tuna. The sandwiches are still in there.”
Neely took the bags to the garbage pail and just a minute later her mother came out to see who had knocked. “Well, who’s this, Neely?” she asked.
“This is Curtis Hutchinson, Mom,” Neely said. “This is my mother, Connie Bradford. I told you about meeting Curtis last Saturday.”
“Well, well. Welcome to Halcyon Hill, Curtis,” Mom said. “It’s nice to know someone will be living in that beautiful old home again.”
“Yeah, for a while at least. The old dump is pretty
Neely thought she knew what he meant. It would have been so much better if they’d only had a little warning—and time to say good-bye—to the nursery and the library and the whole fantastically beautiful old house. And to Monica? Was that what Grub meant? To say good-bye to Monica?
To change the subject she said quickly, “Can you imagine, we went right in the house without knowing they were there, and you went down to get the key, and then we both went down to look at the guns, and nobody saw us and we didn’t see any of them. And we probably walked right by the rooms they were in.” The very thought made her shiver.
Grub nodded. “They were sleeping,” he said.
“You’d think we would have seen something. Like a car in the driveway or—”
“He said they came in a taxi,” Grub said.
“Oh, yeah. He did. But they must have a car. How can they live up there without a car? I guess Reuben could take them shopping, but how would they get to work and things like that?”
Grub only shrugged, so after a moment, Neely said, “They must have a car somewhere. Don’t you think?”
“I guess so.” Grub’s face was still blank and stiff, but at least he was talking. “You can ask him next time we see him.”
“I don’t know,” Neely said. “I doubt if we’ll see him again.”
“I think so,” Grub said.
“What do you mean, you think so?”
Grub nodded slowly. “I think we’ll see him again.”
That night at dinner Neely told her parents about meeting Curtis—without saying exactly where. Without actually saying so, she made it sound as if they had met first in the grove. “This kid was there, and we got started talking and we met his father—and everything. They’re Hutchinsons and they’re going to live at Halcyon for a while,” she said.
Mom and Dad were very amazed and interested and there were lots of questions about what the house looked like inside and what the furnishings were like. Mom loved to hear about things like that, so Neely went room by room telling about the most interesting things like the gorgeous pool table and the inlaid hardwood card tables in the game room.
While she was still telling about the game room, Grub said, “And the gun cupboard. Don’t forget about the gun cupboard.”
Neely gave him a warning frown because of the way Mom felt about having guns around the house, but then she made it all right by quickly explaining that the gun cabinet had unbreakable glass doors and a big padlock. Fortunately Mom was busy wondering if there would be any chance that she might get to see the inside of Halcyon House, now that it was occupied again. Mom had always been interested in all kinds of houses.
It turned out Grub was right about seeing Curtis again. A few days later, around five o’clock in the afternoon, there was a knock on the back door of the Bradfords’ house—and there he was, Curtis Hutchinson in person.
“Hi,” he said, holding out two wrinkled paper bags. He was smiling, but instead of his usual cocky grin, this one was squinty-eyed and nervous, like a dog that doesn’t know whether to expect a pat or a kick. “Hi. I brought you these. You left them up at the house.”
Neely laughed. “Well, thanks, but no thanks. They’re probably pretty rotten by now.”
“Well, actually, I ate the cookies,” Curtis said. “But not the sandwiches. I don’t like tuna. The sandwiches are still in there.”
Neely took the bags to the garbage pail and just a minute later her mother came out to see who had knocked. “Well, who’s this, Neely?” she asked.
“This is Curtis Hutchinson, Mom,” Neely said. “This is my mother, Connie Bradford. I told you about meeting Curtis last Saturday.”
“Well, well. Welcome to Halcyon Hill, Curtis,” Mom said. “It’s nice to know someone will be living in that beautiful old home again.”
“Yeah, for a while at least. The old dump is pretty
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