Chapter Eighteen

Jane was in a happy mood Tuesday morning. The breakfast guests had raved over her homemade corned beef hash and eggs, made from a recipe in the book she’d bought while antiquing with Ann. They’d all been lovely people, a nice contrast to certain other guests who had recently visited the inn.

Her sisters had also been especially cheerful at the family breakfast that followed the guests’ meal. Alice’s mind was greatly relieved after her visit to the animal sanctuary, and they’d tossed around ideas for contributing to the worthwhile work done there. Louise’s last driving lesson with Diana had gone better than any that had preceded it. She wasn’t sure whether her pupil would pass the road test, but at least she had the satisfaction of knowing she’d done all she could.

Since this was Ann’s last evening at the inn, Jane had put together a small dinner party to say good-bye and thank her for the lovely excursions they’d shared. Ethel was coming, and Viola had agreed to join them too. She’d asked Jack and Alison O’Hara, but they regretfully declined because they were involved in activities with their sons. Jane was sorry that Mark was too busy with his work and too far away to invite. It would have been nice to thank all the people who’d helped them in the past couple of weeks.

It was a treat for Jane to prepare a special dinner. She had it all planned, including Rock Cornish hens served individually to each guest. The meal would be elegant but not overly time-consuming to prepare.

With her plans made and her kitchen chores under control, Jane was ready to treat herself to some time in the garden. She donned her big straw hat and went out to see what needed doing most urgently. To her delight, the spring flowers were in full bloom, including tulips in an assortment of bright colors lining the garden path. The nicest thing about Grace Chapel Inn’s garden was that it was delightfully different every season.

Jane went to the gardening shed, now cleared of all traces of the fawn’s stay, and got her gloves and the tools she needed. She was walking to a bed that needed spading when something on the ground caught her eye. Her first thought was that Wendell had dragged home something unpleasant and dead, but she saw a flicker of movement. The tiny, pinkish blob was a baby bird and, against all odds, it seemed to be alive.

Jane looked around for the nest, but apparently it was too high or too well hidden to be visible. Returning the baby bird to its nest didn’t seem to be an option, but neither did leaving it on the ground. Much as she adored Wendell, she had to recognize that even the casual curiosity of a cat would be fatal to the helpless bird.

Bending beside it, she very carefully scooped it up in her gloved hand, a little nervous because the creature was so frail. It barely weighed anything in her palm, and she didn’t have a clue what to do with it. At least it didn’t seem to be injured, if the little flickering movements were an indication. She needed a place to put it. Moving with care, she carried it into the house and found one of the plastic containers that she used to put leftovers in the freezer. The poor little thing looked so helpless and forlorn that she wondered whether she was doing a kindness by bringing it inside.

What on earth should she do next?

Alice would know. “Alice, where are you?” Jane yelled, amused at herself because it had been a long time since she’d cried out so loudly for her big sister.

“What’s wrong?” Alice hurried toward her from the parlor, where she’d been dusting.

“Look what I found.”

“Oh my.” Alice peered into the plastic container. “Were you planning to freeze it?” Jane smiled at her sister’s humor. “I don’t have a clue what to do with it. Orphans are your specialty.”

“You didn’t see the nest, did you?”

“No. It could be up in the eaves, I suppose, but the mother has it well hidden.”

“Well, we’ll just have to see what we can do about it.”

“I think that’s going to be you, not we.”

Alice smiled. Jane knew that this was a foundling that her sister could feel confident about helping. She fully expected it to be able to fly away some day.

“It will need water and food soon, I imagine,” Alice said, already making plans. “Digging worms isn’t my favorite activity, but this is an emergency.”

“I can help you there,” Jane offered.

“No, you have too much else to do. I’ll take care of it. I wonder what kind of bird it is. We’ll just have to see when it gets feathers. I wonder if I can find that book Father consulted to identify species. First, I have to find a better place to keep it. And it has to have a name. Let me think.”

She stared hard at the tiny creature, and Jane didn’t interrupt her thoughts.

“In the Book of Luke, Jesus said that God knew every sparrow even though five were sold for two pennies. I think I’ll call him Luke. It’s a grand name for such a tiny bird. Tiny or not, he’s one of God’s creatures. Yes, I’ll call him Luke.”

Jane grinned. “Or her.”

Alice didn’t hear. She was already carrying her new charge to the pantry in search of a temporary resting place for it.

Jane stood for a moment, lost in thought. How wonderful that God had provided her with two amazing sisters. Alice’s pleasure in the bird was one more reminder of what a caring and loving person she was.

Thank you, Lord, for having so richly blessed my life, especially in the love my sisters share with me.

Louise finished her last piano lesson of the day and wandered into the kitchen in case Jane needed help, but her mind was on Diana. This was her student’s big day, and she couldn’t help thinking about the road test. If Diana did as well as she had in her last lesson, there was a good chance she would pass. Unfortunately, she was her own worst enemy. If she allowed the testing procedure to interfere with her concentration, all the lessons in the world wouldn’t help.

“What can I do for you?” she asked her sister.

“Would you mind setting the table in the dining room? There will be six of us. Use the good china. I’ve already put on the tablecloth. It was a job getting the stains out after the Brown girl smeared egg and who knows what else on it. I’m torn between feeling sorry for her and wanting to teach her some manners.”

“We won’t be seeing them again,” Louise said mildly. “Something smells wonderful.”

“Ann’s farewell dinner. I’ll be sad to see her leave. She’s been a marvelous guest.”

“Maybe she’ll come back another time.”

“I hope so. The inn seems so much more lively when it brings us such special people.”

“Is anyone here?” someone called from the main entrance.

Louise recognized her aunt’s voice and went to greet her in the front hall. Ethel was carrying a brown paper grocery bag, which she slipped behind the reception desk in a furtive way. Louise was curious, but she wouldn’t spoil her aunt’s little game by asking what it was.

“Jane is finishing dinner. You can help me set the table if you like, Aunt Ethel.”

“Oh, please go on without me. I want to have a word with Jane,” she said mysteriously.

Louise smiled as she went about setting the places for dinner. The dining room had an old-world charm with its elegant mahogany table and buffet, and it was a treat to entertain friends there.

She was just putting on the final touches when there was a rather frenzied knocking at the front door. Since guests came and went as they wished, the door was never locked during the day. Viola would probably just walk in when she arrived for dinner. Louise hurried to see who was making such a commotion.

When Louise opened the door, Diana was about to knock again. Her hair was spilling wildly around her flushed face, and she seemed too out of breath to talk. Louise’s heart went out to her, sure that her agitation meant she’d failed her test. She was trying to think of a way to comfort her when Diana flew into her arms and gave her a big hug.

“I passed, Mrs. Smith! I passed! I owe it all to you.” She stepped back with a huge grin on her face.

“Wonderful! I’m so pleased, Diana, but it’s your doing, not mine.”

“I drove here by myself, my first real solo. I couldn’t wait to tell you. The only problem I had with the test was parallel parking. It took me three tries to do it right, but the inspector said that wasn’t bad. A lot of people have trouble with it.”

“Congratulations, Diana. I couldn’t be more pleased.”

“I can’t stay. Dad is out of town, so I’m driving Mom and the boys to a restaurant for dinner to celebrate. I just wanted to thank the person who made it possible.”

“That’s you,” Louise said with a broad smile.

As she watched Diana leave, Louise was thankful that she hadn’t given up on the girl. Diana’s happiness at passing the road test was worth all the strain of the lessons.

Jane listened to her aunt’s idea and was putting the finishing touches on her dinner when Ann came downstairs in another of her elegant costumes, this time crimson taffeta overlaid with chiffon in shades of gold, orange and red. She seemed to use the same pattern for all her outfits, but the effect was always rather spectacular. Jane felt plain indeed in beige slacks and a simple mocha-brown knit top, but then, few women could present themselves with Ann’s flair. She turned her height and statuesque build into an asset by dressing dramatically.

“I’m going to miss this lovely place,” Ann said to Jane in the kitchen. “My vacation has been wonderful. I’ve already talked to my friend who couldn’t come, and we’re going to try again next summer. I can’t think of a better place for a vacation than Grace Chapel Inn, or better hosts than the Howard sisters.”

“I hate to see you leave,” Jane admitted. “I had a wonderful time on our excursions.”

“You made them a lot more fun for me.”

“Where is everyone?” Viola called out.

“In here.” Jane took one last peek at the golden-brown hens in the oven and stood to greet her. “Aunt Ethel and Louise are finishing up in the dining room. Alice is out checking on her baby bird one more time before dinner. This is our guest, Ann Baldwin. Ann, this is Viola Reed. She owns Nine Lives Bookstore. It was our good luck that she was driving on the highway when Alice and Louise found the fawn.”

“We met when Ann came to the store,” Viola said. “I was thrilled to meet someone who loves Anna Karenina as much as I do.”

“Hope I haven’t held up dinner,” Alice said, coming in from the side door. “I just wanted to check on Luke. He’s in the shed.”

“Her bird,” Jane explained. “He fell from his nest.” They all found their seats at the dining-room table, and Alice asked a special blessing on the friends who were sharing their meal.

“Loving Father,” she began, “we ask Your blessing on those assembled here. Our words will never be adequate to express our boundless gratitude for the friendship and love in our lives and for Your manifold blessings.”

When she finished, she asked the others if they would like to add any thanks of their own.

“Thanks be to God for the opportunity to serve others, and especially for the new confidence Diana has found,” Louise said.

“And thank You, Lord, for the bounty all around us and for friends new and old,” Jane added.

“I am so thankful for loving nieces who welcome me into their home and lives,” Ethel said.

“I’m thankful for the opportunity to know the Howard sisters and to share briefly in the love they bring to everyone’s life,” Ann said.

“And for all God’s creatures. Amen,” Viola concluded.

Alice offered to help Jane serve, but she insisted that everyone stay seated.

They began with baby-spinach salads and homemade poppy seed rolls. She dished up the main course in the kitchen, delivering each golden-brown Rock Cornish hen on a bed of wild rice and almonds. Steaming carrots and string beans waited in separate dishes.

“I’m speechless,” Ann said after she cut through the crackly brown skin and tasted the succulent poultry. “There simply are no words for how delicious this is.”

“Before I forget,” Viola said, “I have good news. I’m awaiting my first-ever litter of Siamese kittens. I already have people on a waiting list to take one of them.” “That’s wonderful,” Alice said. “Of course, you know we are not in a position—”

“Oh, I’m not here to recommend another Howard adoption,” Viola said chuckling.

Conversation flowed with the ease found only with people who genuinely like each other, but Jane couldn’t help noticing that their aunt was unusually quiet.

“Aunt Ethel has been very helpful to us,” she said, wanting to draw her into the conversation. “She was the one who suggested we feed the fawn with a rubber glove.”

“Yes,” Louise said, “and she reminded me that musicians make good drivers just when I was ready to give up on Diana. I’m so happy that she passed her road test today. Thank you for your input, Aunt Ethel.”

“I try to help out.” It was a subdued response that wasn’t characteristic of their aunt.

“Are you all right?” Jane asked, worried that the older woman was concealing some problem.

“Oh my, yes. I’m fine. I just have something on my mind. You know those postcards I showed you?”

“Of course,” Ann said, “and it’s perfectly all right if you want to preserve them as part of your family heritage.”

“That’s just it. I want them to go to your hunger project, but I don’t want my nieces to think I’m giving away Bob’s family history. Jane told me before dinner that she doesn’t want any of the cards, but I want to be sure I’m not making a mistake.”

“If your children don’t want them, you couldn’t possibly put them to a better use,” Jane assured her. “I’m sure you’ll always remember your husband in your heart. The postcards are only objects.” Louise and Alice nodded in agreement.

“Most aren’t even connected to people I knew,” Ethel admitted.

She got up abruptly and left the table. Jane used the opportunity to clear away the dinner plates and bring out dessert, pineapple upside-down cake. It was made using an old family recipe and had been one of their father’s favorite desserts. By the time she topped it with whipped cream and gave everyone a serving, Ethel had returned to the table with her brown paper bag.

“I put them all in plastic bags. That box was too old and battered to use for such lovely cards. I sorted them by types,” she said, taking some out to show the group. “Here are all the Christmas and Easter greetings. And look at these cards. It’s hard to realize how much things have changed. Some still have horses and buggies in the pictures.”

“This is so sweet of you, Ethel,” Ann said. “They’ll be in the next sale, and I’m sure they’ll add up to a very nice donation to fight hunger.”

Ethel glowed as everyone at the table praised her generosity. After they finished dessert, she was the one who suggested they go to the parlor where, perhaps, Louise could be persuaded to play for them.

They gathered around the piano, and Jane was surprised to find her eyes moist. It was joy, not sadness, that made tears well up. With faith, love and friendship in her life, she counted herself among the most blessed of women.