fashionably sloppy. She simply looked lost.
“So, I hear you’re helping Jack pull together some of his journals and notes into a book. Is he going to write an autobiography?”
Jenny shook her head, brushing’a stringy, dark brown lock of hair away from her face. “Not exactly. Some publishing house in New York said that if he won the election, they might be interested in having something written about it. It’s still up in the air. The television ads he’s running right now are getting attention in Washington. They’re so fresh and innovative. Even funny. Have you seen any of them?”
Among other things, Sophie hated the political season because she couldn’t stand all the character assassination that masqueraded as political advertisement. She had to admit that Jack’s ads were different. They got specific points across without tossing acid in the face of his opponent. In political terms, it was a unique idea. “Yes, I’ve seen most of them. They’re quite good.”
Jenny nodded. “I offered my time in the evenings because I like to feel useful. During the day I run a day-care center out of the cottage. It’s for people who live up the shore and commute into Duluth. I need to support myself somehow and I really like children.”
“Was it your idea to start the center?”
“No, Amanda suggested it. After her father let me go —”
“I didn’t know you worked for Herman.”
“I was his housekeeper for about a year. I answered an ad in the Duluth paper. Amanda’s daughter, Chelsea, was the one who actually hired me. She fired me, too. We never got along.”
That was interesting, thought Sophie. “Any hard feelings?”
Jenny gave an indifferent shrug. “I don’t know. Maybe. If it hadn’t been for Amanda, I don’t know what I’d have done. Jobs are hard to come by up here.”
“Do you like living so far from town?”
“Oh, absolutely! Especially now that I’ve found Ryan.” Her voice turned wistful. “He’s the finest man I’ve ever known. He has such a passion for his work. I think that’s rare.”
As they strolled along, they came to a small clearing. Directly in the center stood a low, dilapidated log structure surrounded by clumped birch. “Ah,” said Sophie, “the old sauna. I’m going to have to take one while I’m here.”
Jenny shivered. “That cabin is creepy. Any place that doesn’t have a window makes me feel like I’m trapped. I suppose you’ve grown up taking saunas.”
Sophie grinned. “Since I was a kid. Both my mother and father are full-blooded Finns. There’s nothing like a sauna to relax you, make you feel like a new person.”
“Really?” said Jenny. Her enthusiasm wasn’t overwhelming.
Presently, they found themselves at the edge of a vast, red-rock beach. Instead of taking the path near the shore, Jenny pointed to a freshly mowed trail through the tall grass. About twenty yards before the lighthouse, they emerged into another clearing. The cottage appeared on their right, nestled snugly into the side of a hill. It was a charming building. Whitewashed walls and a red slate roof. It looked as if someone had recently built a greenhouse onto the south side. A swing set and an old-fashioned wooden teeter-totter sat empty next to a separate metal building Sophie assumed was the garage.
“How did you meet Amanda and Luther? Last time I was here, a young man was living in that cottage. A grad student at UMd.”
“Claire Van Dorn introduced us at a meeting of the North Shore Feminist Association. Amanda never came to the house while I was working for her father. Kind of funny, isn’t it? Of course, I’m not very close to my parents either. Anyway, Claire knew Ryan and I were looking for a place to live and that the cottage was empty. Amanda’s been so kind to us. Both Ryan and I are terribly grateful.”
“And that’s how you got to know Jack?”
“Ryan’s
“So, I hear you’re helping Jack pull together some of his journals and notes into a book. Is he going to write an autobiography?”
Jenny shook her head, brushing’a stringy, dark brown lock of hair away from her face. “Not exactly. Some publishing house in New York said that if he won the election, they might be interested in having something written about it. It’s still up in the air. The television ads he’s running right now are getting attention in Washington. They’re so fresh and innovative. Even funny. Have you seen any of them?”
Among other things, Sophie hated the political season because she couldn’t stand all the character assassination that masqueraded as political advertisement. She had to admit that Jack’s ads were different. They got specific points across without tossing acid in the face of his opponent. In political terms, it was a unique idea. “Yes, I’ve seen most of them. They’re quite good.”
Jenny nodded. “I offered my time in the evenings because I like to feel useful. During the day I run a day-care center out of the cottage. It’s for people who live up the shore and commute into Duluth. I need to support myself somehow and I really like children.”
“Was it your idea to start the center?”
“No, Amanda suggested it. After her father let me go —”
“I didn’t know you worked for Herman.”
“I was his housekeeper for about a year. I answered an ad in the Duluth paper. Amanda’s daughter, Chelsea, was the one who actually hired me. She fired me, too. We never got along.”
That was interesting, thought Sophie. “Any hard feelings?”
Jenny gave an indifferent shrug. “I don’t know. Maybe. If it hadn’t been for Amanda, I don’t know what I’d have done. Jobs are hard to come by up here.”
“Do you like living so far from town?”
“Oh, absolutely! Especially now that I’ve found Ryan.” Her voice turned wistful. “He’s the finest man I’ve ever known. He has such a passion for his work. I think that’s rare.”
As they strolled along, they came to a small clearing. Directly in the center stood a low, dilapidated log structure surrounded by clumped birch. “Ah,” said Sophie, “the old sauna. I’m going to have to take one while I’m here.”
Jenny shivered. “That cabin is creepy. Any place that doesn’t have a window makes me feel like I’m trapped. I suppose you’ve grown up taking saunas.”
Sophie grinned. “Since I was a kid. Both my mother and father are full-blooded Finns. There’s nothing like a sauna to relax you, make you feel like a new person.”
“Really?” said Jenny. Her enthusiasm wasn’t overwhelming.
Presently, they found themselves at the edge of a vast, red-rock beach. Instead of taking the path near the shore, Jenny pointed to a freshly mowed trail through the tall grass. About twenty yards before the lighthouse, they emerged into another clearing. The cottage appeared on their right, nestled snugly into the side of a hill. It was a charming building. Whitewashed walls and a red slate roof. It looked as if someone had recently built a greenhouse onto the south side. A swing set and an old-fashioned wooden teeter-totter sat empty next to a separate metal building Sophie assumed was the garage.
“How did you meet Amanda and Luther? Last time I was here, a young man was living in that cottage. A grad student at UMd.”
“Claire Van Dorn introduced us at a meeting of the North Shore Feminist Association. Amanda never came to the house while I was working for her father. Kind of funny, isn’t it? Of course, I’m not very close to my parents either. Anyway, Claire knew Ryan and I were looking for a place to live and that the cottage was empty. Amanda’s been so kind to us. Both Ryan and I are terribly grateful.”
“And that’s how you got to know Jack?”
“Ryan’s
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