Mr. Parker wasn’t there. Claudia, the head housekeeper, reported that he had gone to town for some sort of meeting and wouldn’t be back until late afternoon. That was disappointing, but even worse for the proposed boating excursion, rain had begun soon after Lorraine’s conversation with Mrs. Ferguson. Though she did not claim to be an expert on weather, Lorraine knew that the heavy, leaden sky meant the soaking rain would not subside anytime soon. The other guests appeared to share her gloomy forecast. As they assembled for the midday meal, they were grumpier than her cat had been the day Mike decided Muffin needed a bath.
Three other couples had arrived at the inn the day before, along with the Fergusons, bringing the total number of guests to fifteen. Right now, the majority of those guests appeared disgruntled. Though Lorraine greeted each of them as they entered the dining room, the replies were perfunctory at best.
Only Mrs. Ferguson wore a smile as she and her husband passed through the arched doorway. “I told Harold about the pond, and he said he’d take me boating.” She gave her husband a look that proclaimed him her knight in shining armor. “All we need is a boat. Did you find one?”
Lorraine had not. Despite the rain, she had ventured to the work shed, hoping to uncover at least one rowboat there. Unfortunately, the shed held nothing more than lawn chairs, croquet mallets and balls, and assorted pieces of tennis gear. She had even searched the stables but had found no signs of a boat.
“We can’t go out in this weather, anyway.” Mrs. Ferguson tried to sound philosophical, though her expression mirrored disappointment. “It doesn’t matter.”
But it did matter. Guests traveled to a resort, expecting to have fun, not to sit around with nothing to do. “Rainy days are the worst,” Lorraine said.
Though she had been thinking about outdoor activities for the guests, their reaction to the dismal weather made Lorraine realize that she should not delay in finding something for them to do indoors. Her mind began to whirl with possibilities. While it might be best to wait until Mr. Parker returned and she had his permission, Lorraine hated the thought of the guests wasting the afternoon, especially since so many of them were new arrivals. If Mike were here, he could compensate for the inclement weather by serving a special meal, but Mike was not here. What could she do?
“I hated rainy days, especially when I was a child.” Mrs. Ferguson clutched her husband’s arm as she spoke. “There was nothing to do.”
“You must have been an only child. My brother and I used to drive our mother crazy, chasing each other around the house.” Lorraine chuckled at the memory. Mike had never been one for sitting still, and rain had brought out his most mischievous side. It was the recollection of some of his antics that had given her ideas of activities to entertain the guests.
“A chase sounds like fun, but I’m afraid Harold and I are a bit too old for that.”
Lorraine shook her head. “Maybe, maybe not. But you’re definitely not too old for what I have planned.”
“And what is that?” Mr. Ferguson spoke for the first time.
Lorraine smiled. “You’ll have to wait.”
She waited until the meal was served before she spoke. “Good afternoon,” she said, hoping her voice would not betray her nervousness. Though Lorraine had played hostess dozens of times, it had always been in her own home, not in a public place with virtual strangers. There was no way of predicting how they’d react to her plan.
“I’m sure you’ve all noticed that the clouds are weeping. Days like this make me want to weep too.” Lorraine felt a rush of pleasure when the guests laughed as she feigned wiping tears from her eyes. “I want to prove that rainy days don’t have to be boring, so I hope you’ll all join me in the parlor at two for an afternoon of fun and games.”
There was a second of silence. As she’d feared, her invitation had surprised them. Then one man spoke up. “What kind of games?”
Lorraine shook her head slowly. “Now, sir, you must know that a lady never reveals her secrets. You’ll simply have to come to the parlor to learn what’s in store for you.” The man grunted and murmured something to his wife.
Lorraine forced herself to eat the food Cheryl had prepared, though afterward, she could not recall what dishes had been placed in front of her. All through the meal and the hour between it and the designated rendezvous time she had wondered how many—if any—of the guests would come. To her delight, every one of them appeared in the parlor before the long clock chimed two. It seemed that curiosity was a powerful tool.
Unfortunately, that curiosity did not extend to each other. Lorraine was not surprised when each of the couples remained apart from the others. The lack of mingling was the first item she planned to address.
“I’m so glad you’re here.” That was an understatement, but she’d never admit how she’d worried that her latest idea would fail, just as her attempts at cooking and laundry had. “I have a number of things planned for us this afternoon, but first we need to get to know each other.” Lorraine let her eyes move slowly around the room, acknowledging each of the guests. “Even though we’ve all been introduced, I doubt we know much more than everyone’s names. Let’s change that. I’m going to ask each of you to present someone else to the group and tell us three things about that person. You’ll tell us the person’s name, what he or she is most proud of, and the funniest thing that ever happened to him or her.”
“How will we find out those things?” one of the women asked.
“You’ll ask your partner.”
As the couples started to turn to each other, Lorraine shook her head. “That would be much too easy. I want each of you ladies to choose a man who’s not her husband to be her partner for this activity.”
The woman who’d spoken before let out a small gasp, and for a second, Lorraine feared she would simply leave the room. It was, after all, a highly unusual request. Perhaps she should have let the women interview other women and paired men with men, but Lorraine wanted this to be a true adventure. She kept a smile firmly fixed on her face as the women looked at their husbands, their expressions reflecting both shock and curiosity.
Finally, Mrs. Ferguson rose and approached the youngest man in the room. “Mr. Talbot, I would be honored if you would be my partner.” The ice was broken.
When the pairing was complete, Mrs. Ferguson spoke again. “It doesn’t seem fair that you don’t have a partner, Miss Caldwell. How will we learn about you?”
“I’ll be her partner.” The voice boomed from the doorway.
Lorraine spun around, startled by the sight of Jonah. Gone were the paint-spattered clothes. Though a few years out of date, his dark suit fit well enough to have been hand-tailored for him. His parents’ farm must be a prosperous one if he could afford such fine clothing.
“Why are you here?” Lorraine asked, uncertain whether she was more startled by Jonah’s suit or the fact that he was not working.
“I came in for lunch, and when I heard what you were doing, I had to satisfy my curiosity.”
She nodded shortly. “All right, ladies and gentlemen. You have your instructions. I’d suggest you move your chairs so you’re not disturbed by the other groups.” When the men had rearranged the furniture, she continued. “Let’s take fifteen minutes to learn what we can about our partners—at least enough to answer those three questions.”
Since all the chairs were occupied, Lorraine led Jonah to the piano bench. Though her view of the rest of the parlor was partially blocked, she could hear the low murmur as the other guests began to talk.
Jonah tipped his head to one side, as if he were seeing her for the first time. “I already know your name, so tell me what you’re most proud of.”
She hadn’t expected to have to answer that question. Lorraine thought for a moment. “That Mike is my brother,” she said at last. “He has the courage I’ve always lacked, and he knows what God wants him to do. I’m still finding my way.”
Jonah nodded. “You’re fortunate to have a brother.”
“Have you no siblings?”
“No. My parents were married almost twenty years before I was born. I think they’d just about given up hope of having children. At any rate, I’m their one and only.” He wrinkled his nose, making Lorraine wonder about his relationship with his family. Perhaps one of the reasons Jonah needed to return to England was to care for them as they aged. “I always wished I had a brother or sister. It would have been nice to have someone to share my parents’ attention.”
“Mike did more than share attention. He demanded it. I suspect it was deliberate, the way he used to test our parents’ patience.”
“In what way?” Jonah sounded genuinely interested.
Lorraine clasped her hands together, smiling at the thought of her brother. “Mother tried her best to instill perfect manners in both of us. She was a real stickler on saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ for even the simplest of things. Mike thought that was absurd and refused, but a few nights without supper convinced him of the error of his ways. Sort of. He still refused to say ‘please.’ Instead, he’d say ‘s’il vous plaît’ or ‘bitte’ or ‘por favor.’ He told me that he was reserving ‘please’ for really important things. That’s why, when I received his letter asking me to please come here, I knew I had to.”
Jonah’s smile was wide enough to brighten even the gloomiest of afternoons, and his words warmed Lorraine’s heart. “I’m glad you did.”
“So am I.” For so many reasons: her reunion with Mike, the opportunity to meet Jonah, and the chance to make a difference here. Lorraine rose to peer over the potted palm at the guests. “Look at them. Listen to them. They’re laughing.” The sound level had risen substantially, with occasional bursts of laughter punctuating what appeared to be intense conversations. Lilac Hall’s guests were strangers no more.
“I’d say your experiment was a success.” Jonah flashed Lorraine another smile, this one even warmer than the previous. “Congratulations.” And then, before she knew what he was doing, he raised her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss on it.