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"THANK YOU, CONNIE," Jane said after Connie set the tray with cookies and lemonade on the porch table where the girls were lounging. Sue Lee smiled and thanked her as she sat down next to Jane holding an opened letter Jonathan had brought to her.
"Good news, I hope,” Jane said, reaching for a cookie. Connie was the head of the household staff at their Bahama home and saw to it the cook always had cookies to go with the afternoon lemonade. Today's treat was Bahama Cookie Bars. A mixture of pineapple, peanut butter, white chocolate, topped with coconut flakes. “Yum, try one they are delish!”
"If I keep eating like this, I'll need to swim home to San Francisco, but what the heck, what's one more cookie after a week of them? Naomi says hello, and it's not official yet, but Carl and his fiancé are starting to plan the wedding."
"I bet Mary has Finn running all over Bodega! Did Naomi mention anything about Danny and Joni?"
"No new gossip, I suppose they have fallen off the radar until the kids get married. Maybe when we're in London next week, we can shop for a gift at Harrods?"Sue Lee said reaching for another cookie.
"Good idea, we can share the cost. I read somewhere Harrods is having a sale on Elephants... Hey, don't look at me like that, in India, the are very handy around the hospital. Just think what one could do helping out in a winery?"
"Well, okay, but only if Harrods does the gift wrapping."
"I wonder what end they start on, Trunk or the tail?” Jane asked just as Jonathan walked in.
"What are you two on about, trunk or tail?" He asked heading toward the lemonade pitcher.
Connie poured a glass for him before retreating to her Pantry shaking her head and murmured "Elephants, I wonder what Sir Jonathan answer we'll be.” Connie was told he was retired from the British government, and now in charge of their family business, “Island Art Inquiries.”
"How does one gift wrap an elephant? Start at the trunk or tail?" Jane repeated.
Sue Lee smiled listening to her friend and too was eager to hear Sir Jonathan's answer.
"Where, might I ask, are we purchasing this plant-eating mammal, and for whom?"
"Harrods! And it's a wedding present for Finn and Marie's boy Carl and his new bride to be, Betty.”
“Ah, Harrods, of course, I certainly can see why wrapping from the wrong end could be a problem, how perplexing!"
"What's so baffling Jonathan?" Lucie asked coming into the porch and helping herself to a cookie bar.
"How to gift wrap an elephant? Would Harrods start at the tail or trunk?"
"Good question, we can go shopping there next week before the auction and ask. I say these bars are scrumptious!"
"Yes, the auction, has Helen finalized the list of items we are bidding on?"
"It's on your desk Jonathan. We received it this morning while you were diving. Tell Elizabeth there's a letter for her, she's in the garden. Who are we buying the elephant for? Lucie said looking at Jane. Oh, and Sebastian, picked up your empty tank to have it filled,” she told Jonathan as he was walking towards the den. “Now about the gift, it sounds fascinating!"
“Come on, we will walk on the beach and tell you all about it. I want to check on my turtle friends.” Jane said rising and kicking her sandals off.
Connie smiled watching the three colorful beach goers walk away as she straightened up. “Those two girls are lovely, so trim and tan. I don't know how Miss Lucie keeps up with them. Sue Lee’s green California Catalina style swimsuit, and matching halter top is lovely. It goes well with her shoulder-length black hair and those lovely green eyes. Such a brilliant person, Miss Lucie told me she was a Major in the American army,” Connie thought as she gathered the sandals and placed them on the mat by the beach door. “Dr. Jane too had a distinguished war record. My so full of energy for a small woman but stunning with her blue eyes and a bob blonde hair. It was interesting to learn Jane adopted that style in India. She said it was far too hot in the operating tents. I like her new white swimsuit with the black trim. What did Miss Jane call it? A one-piece Jantzen Curvallure that it put all the curves in the right places,”Connie chuckled. “Miss Lucie is closer to my age, but always so fashionably dressed. Her outfit with colorful red shorts with a matching beach shirt and a white halter top underneath is cute. It goes well with her Bahama straw hat. I guess she wanted to protect her sunburned face and shoulders after using the lotion I suggested.”
"Where is everyone?” Jane's mother asked interrupting Connie’s thoughts when she stepped onto the porch.
"They is heading for the beach to buy an elephant, Miss Elizabeth."
"Oh, how fun! Yoo-hoo wait for me!" She said, kicking off her sandals and grabbing a Bahamas Cookie Bar before going out the door.
“My what a family I work for, can you imagine gift wrapping an elephant. I wonder, what end you would start with?” Connie thought walking back to the kitchen to discuss it with the cook.