Edwina (23 page)

“A ham cooking. We’re having a birthday
dinner for my son. He’s thirty-two today.”

“Well, he is in for a treat, that’s for
sure.” She smiled and took the paper.

“Here, sit at the table while I peel the
potatoes.”

Edwina drew a little
picture. Her drawing techniques were not the best, but she drew a
little girl’s face and made it very happy, then printed April’s
name with big letters and made an arrow pointing to the picture.
She signed it,
Edwina, April’s
friend
, and dated it.

Within minutes she’d said good-bye to the
grandmother, realizing she hadn’t even asked her name, then walked
home. Some things did matter. A lot. She sensed what she was about
to do would matter. A lot.

Chapter 38

“O
kay, enough. Leave.” She forced herself to stop driving
around Niles, her hometown. The sun was high in the sky already.
She’d driven past the elementary school, the high school, the old
house where she grew up, and the park. It was time to go. Swinging
the steering wheel, she headed for the highway.

Once on the road, she allowed herself to cry.
Hot tears rolled down her cheeks, not from sadness as much as
gratefulness that she had been given such a good life when so many
had not. She thought of April. By now April would have read her
note. That made her happy.

Cecelia met her at the door, and Edwina
walked into her arms. That was totally unexpected.

“What? Are you having second thoughts, Ed?
Because if you are, you don’t have to go.”

Well that was totally out of her sister’s
character.

“I’m going, Cecelia,” Edwina stated firmly.
“Right now I could use some of your chicken salad. Do you have
any?”

“Do birds fly?” Cecelia shot back. Edwina
headed for the kitchen.

“
Well, look what the cat
dragged in.” Spencer smiled. He was chopping vegetables at the
island.

“What have we here?” She snatched a carrot
stick.

“The best chef in Chicago. Hey, now there’s a
name. Think it would work for my cooking show?”

“You and Cecelia. Between the two of you,
you’re going to own half this side of Chicago!”

“That’s the plan,” he said. “Now wash your
hands and put that apron on, we’re going to make soup.”

“Soup? Yum. What kind?”

“My steak and vegetable, of course. Plain and
simple, but with two secret ingredients. It’ll make you want
more.”

“That won’t be a problem.” She laughed and
tied the apron around her waist.

Exactly an hour later, the three were eating
the best soup she’d ever tasted and chicken salad sandwiches.
Cecelia had even taken two hours off for lunch so she could be
here.

“So what’s this I hear about your knight
stowing you off to his castle?” Spencer winked.

“It’s not like that. And besides, I won’t be
staying at his castle, I’ll be out on his farm.”

“Farm! Are you sure you can
leave all
this
for
that
?”
He waved his arm in a half circle.

“We’ll see.”

“Ah, the fear factor is about to settle on
you.”

“No... no it isn’t. I won’t let it.”

“Good, because I want that Volkswagen.”
Cecelia and Edwina laughed together. “See, I told you he’s
unmanageable,” Cecelia said. After lunch Spencer cleaned the
kitchen, demanded the keys to her car, kissed her good-bye, and
swinging the keys in his hands, went out the door to work. He had
smacked her right on the mouth. She had been taken aback at his
soft lips. Right before he shut the door, he gave her a look. She
detected a slight sadness.

Oh boy, now her knees were shaking again.
She’d been kissed exactly three times in her entire life. Once
Billy Bartlett had kissed her at recess when she was nine, and then
at her high school prom, her date Jason... couldn’t remember his
last name. She hated that kiss. And then today. That last one had
been the best one.

Shaking her head, she dug into work. Cecelia
had asked if she minded changing the bed sheets in the Yellow Room
and the Rose Room. “I had guests last night and Spencer has to go
to work. . . .”

“Of course, I’ll do it.”

She hustled to the linen closet, which was as
large as her bathroom at her apartment—her old bathroom at her old
apartment—and pulled the expensive bed linens into her arms. She
made quick work of it and then wandered to the kitchen. The least
she could do was fix supper for Cecelia.

The cupboards revealed nothing of substance.
Perhaps they could get a pizza. The phone rang.

“Ed, we’re going for dinner tonight at Rex’s.
Did you pack the black dress?”

“Of course I did. I’d never leave it behind,”
she said quietly.

“Good. I’ve invited several people from work.
We have a very short meeting, and then I want you to join us.”

“You sure? I don’t mind sticking around
here,” she tried.

“Not this time, Ed. This is our last night
together for a while.”

“All right. What time? I’ll dress and meet
you there.”

“You’re going to walk?”

“Why not?”

“Well, it’s not fashionable to walk around
town in dress clothes. Why don’t you have the doorman—”

“Don’t worry, I’ll walk. It’s only five
blocks.”

“
Okay.” Cecelia gave in,
but Edwina could tell she didn’t exactly approve.

What had ever happened between the Scot and
her sister, she didn’t know and didn’t want to know. Cecelia,
unlike her in every way, had not mentioned the Scot. Perhaps they
had a secret rendezvous planned—to fly back and forth across the
Atlantic with a huge love affair in the making.

Time to make a list. Such foolishness was
none of her business, and the Scot had made it clear. She was the
employee, he the employer. She would do well to remember that.

Okay, I’ll need to buy my
own things. Shampoo, laundry soap, dryer sheets. Did the Scot have
laundry facilities at the farm?
She
certainly hoped so, for as sensible as she was, she loved her
washer and dryer. And a microwave. Those things she couldn’t live
without. At least she didn’t want to.

Then there would be a few groceries. How far
was the grocery store? Was she responsible for them, or did the
Gillespie’s take care of the pantry?

Not to mention she would need to find out
about health insurance and maybe even a small car. She would have
the cash from the sale of the Volkswagen. Her bank account was to
remain safely in Niles. She could live for quite some time on the
few thousand dollars she had in her possession. Not to worry.

There were so many things she hadn’t thought
about. And, feeling a bit proud and scared at the same time, at
least she had made a decision.

Dinner was elegant, as usual. Cecelia always
picked the nicest places. Although her sister had been right about
one thing. Walking in the black dress that tickled her ankles was
not exactly fun. She’d stuck her Birkenstocks on because they were
so soft and carried her good shoes. That had not looked exactly
proper, her waltzing down Michigan Street in Tan walking shoes and
a black dress, shoes dangling from her fingertips—even she knew
that.

Now she had the unfortunate problem of having
to carry a pair of shoes for the entire evening.

“What have we here?” Spencer had joined them
as a surprise. He was looking under the table.

“Stop,” she shushed him.

“You can’t wear a pair of shoes for ten
minutes without taking them off,” he whispered.

“Five minutes... and you’re right.”

“Of course I am,” he shot back. Several
people in their fine suits kept Cecelia’s attention for most of the
evening, which left her and Spencer to talk. “She sure gets around,
your sister.”

“I know. She does well for herself, don’t you
think?” He shrugged. “If this is what you want out of life.”

“What do you want?” Edwina wanted to
know.

“Kids, a wife, good family life.”

“In that order?” she teased.

“Of course not.” He shot her a side-glance.
“What do you want?”

“I don’t know.... I just want to mean
something to someone, I guess.”

“So that’s why you took the job with your
knight.”

“He’s not my knight. Stop saying that.”

“Looks like it to me.”

“Well, he’s not. It’s not anything like that
at all.”

“I’m not accusing you of anything, Winnie.
Just wanted you to go into this thing with your eyes wide
open.”

“I am.” She felt stubborn.

“I don’t think you are.”

“What makes you say that?” She was whispering
louder now.

“You care for this guy. I can see it in your
eyes.”

“
You cannot see anything in
my eyes. He likes Cecelia, not me.” Spencer gave her the look. The
one that says,
You don’t know what you’re
talking about.

“What?” She hated being cornered.

“Take a walk with me.” He stood and pulled
back her chair.

He leaned over and whispered something to
Cecelia. Her sister, stimulated by the conversation, barely noticed
they’d left. Spencer had her elbow and was leading her toward the
front door.

“We can’t just leave and come back in. This
is a restaurant—an upscale restaurant,” she whispered, skidding to
a stop just short of the door.

“We can do whatever we want.” His warm hand
slid down her arm and took hold of her wrist.

“Come on, talk to me.”

“What do you want me to say, Spencer?”

“Tell me you
want
to go.”

“I do.” He’d won. Before they’d reached the
end of the block,

he stopped, pulled her to him, and kissed
her. Right there on Michigan Street.

“I thought so,” he said and began walking
backward, the wind blowing blond strands into his blue eyes.

She caught up with him. “What’s that supposed
to mean?”

“You kissed me back.” His smile widened
across that pretty face of his.

“I did not.... I’m not used to being kissed.
That’s all.”

“Oh, yeah right. Like you’ve never been
kissed.”

“Well, not very many times,” she had to
admit. Her artless chatter inspired him to go on.

“Nothing wrong with that. I have four
sisters, remember? I know what they think of girls who kiss every
guy they meet.”

They walked in silence for
a few minutes. It was true what Spencer said. She
had
kissed him back...
at least she had liked the kiss. Very much.

Why had he done that now? Just when she was
leaving. He was so... so like someone she could like, maybe even
love, but he was way above her station. Too handsome. She’d never
be able to keep a boyfriend like him for long.

“I can see your mind working, Winnie.” She
smiled and kept walking.

Chapter 39

T
hey had walked until nearly dark. He brought her to Cecelia’s
door. Edwina didn’t know what to say. Spencer had done nothing more
than kiss her, she reminded herself.

“I have to go to work,” he said, looking away
as he shoved his hands in his suit pockets.

“I’m really sorry, Spencer.”

“For what?” He turned and gazed into her
eyes.

“That you have to go to work without
sleeping. I know you should have used these last few hours for rest
before you went to your second job.”

Spencer shook his head. Was that all? She was
always thinking of someone else. Winnie didn’t know that he had the
beginnings of a wounded heart... he’d only just begun to know her.
Now she would be leaving and what could he say? He hadn’t had
enough time. Not nearly enough time.

“
Will you stay in touch?”
he asked.

“Sure, if you want me to.”

“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t want you
to.”

“Okay,” she said quietly and unlocked the
door.

“Bye, Edwina,” he said, and she saw the
sadness on his face before he turned toward the elevator. Such
goings on twirled her brain into braids. This and that. Twisted and
intertwined. Life was so... so detailed. Sunday morning came, and
Edwina was up and dressed. She asked Cecelia to go to church with
her. They’d never done that before. Cecelia had agreed last
evening, but shehad not liked it one bit.

“Cecelia, are you about ready?” Her sister
walked in.

“I’m ready. Let’s get going, I have things to
do today.”

“Okay. You look nice.” Cecelia had chosen a
black suit. Apropos for her mood perhaps?

“I’ve been to church before. Stop looking at
me like that.” Edwina smile.

“Like what?”

“You know, like we were going to a funeral or
something.”

“Are we?”

“How should I know? The only time I’ve been
in church is for funerals,” she groused.

“Ah, so that’s the reason for the black?”
Edwina tried to be playful.

Cecelia looked down at her outfit and then
back up at her sister.

Edwina could not hold it in. Her sister’s
comical look— caught for the very first time, no doubt, not sure if
she were properly dressed for the occasion.

“
What’s so funny? Look what
you’re wearing. Besides, who’s the one with fashion sense around
here?” Cecelia’s perfect brows went upward in unison.

“That would be you... most of the time... all
of the time... except now?” Edwina’s chuckle could not be
stopped.

Her sister’s look pegged her perfectly—like
the tail being pinned on the donkey.

Edwina forbade herself to lose control but
she couldn’t, to save her life, keep the smirk from creeping up on
her lips.

“See, you’re smirking.” Cecelia pointed.

“I am. I can’t help it. This is just so
funny, Cecelia. Our last day together, on our way to church, and
we’re fussing about clothes. Who cares how we look anyway?”