Chapter 2
Chapter Two
“Essie texted us both. Did you see the message?” Ivan asked the next morning at Tiffanie’s door.
“What?” Tiffanie called back, trying to wake up. Why was he at her door so early? She glanced over at the clock and shot straight up in bed.
“Are you okay in there?” her brother called.
She might as well confess. He was going to find out anyway. “Just come in already.”
“Whoa! You’re still in bed?” Ivan said, grinning at her.
Suspecting from his expression that she looked atrocious, Tiffanie smoothed her hand over her hair and discovered she had forgotten to remove her reading glasses last night.
She took them off and chucked them onto the nightstand as she rolled her eyes at herself.
That made Ivan cover his mouth to muffle his laughter.
“You are going to be in so much trouble if you’re making fun of me. I still remember how to get revenge,” Tiffanie threatened, debating what move from their childhood to recreate.
Instantly, he straightened. “Sorry, sis.”
“I stayed up reading one of these books I got from Phineas. I forced myself to turn off the light at midnight.” Tiffanie yawned before asking, “What did Essie want?”
“She’s got the schedule for the next few weeks and wanted to talk to us about setup and décor. Want me to tell her that tomorrow is better for you?”
Essie would think she didn’t feel well. Tiffanie hadn’t helped much for the last couple of weeks. She took a moment to self-assess. “What time are you leaving?”
“Can you be ready in an hour? She suggested meeting at nine.”
After another look at the clock, Tiffanie nodded. “Let me jump in the shower. Make me some coffee, please?”
“You got it. Want some breakfast?” Ivan asked.
“No. Essie can’t have a gathering without Sara feeding us. I’ll have something there. I’ll meet you at the truck at a quarter till.”
“You got it. I’ll put your coffee on the nightstand.”
When the door shut, Tiffanie stood and made her bed, tucking her beloved teddy bear into his daytime resting spot on the covers.
With that chore done, she headed for the bathroom.
A few minutes under a hot shower and the knots in her shoulders from sleeping propped up on her pillows unraveled.
She pulled on her robe and returned to grab her coffee and dress.
Ivan had doctored the steamy, caffeinated beverage up exactly as she loved it—hot, sweet, and with a load of Italian coffee creamer dumped in for good measure.
Thank goodness her chemo had only made her hate coffee for a short period.
Now, with some of the bitterness blunted by all those tasty additions, Tiffanie could benefit from the caffeine boost without her stomach rebelling.
Refusing to take time to dry her hair, Tiffanie dressed and braided her blonde hair in a loose plait. She covered the dark circles under her eyes and dusted powder over her shiny nose. With ten minutes left, she stuck out her tongue at her reflection and announced, “That will have to do.”
She stepped into her sneakers and grabbed her purse before heading for the door. Ivan pushed himself away from the driver’s side as she quickly called, “I’m here.”
“Perfect timing.”
In a flash, he had her tucked into the passenger seat and off they went.
The truck reached the main house in less than three minutes.
Since they’d moved into the carriage house, Tiffanie usually walked over to see Essie when she had the energy.
Today the laden truck from Ivan’s supply run had required them to drive.
She let herself out and walked to the front door. Sara met her there and welcomed her into the foyer. Tiffanie smiled at the kind housekeeper. “Hi, Sara!”
Sara looked closely at her. “You didn’t sleep well, did you?”
“It’s the library director’s fault. He recommended a book that had me all hot and bothered last night. I was up way too late.”
Ivan put his fingers in his ears and said, “La, la, la! I can’t hear you,” with an expression that made the two women chuckle.
“Oh, you,” Tiffanie said with a laugh. “Sorry. I’m sure you don’t want to hear your sister devours spicy romance with passion.”
“No torturing your brother before he has something to eat,” Sara said with twinkling eyes.
“Exactly!” Ivan said.
“Essie is waiting for you in her office. She has a visitor,” Sara said. “That handsome library director is here.”
“Zander? Are you joining us today? I’m feeling distinctly outnumbered by females,” Ivan called as he walked inside.
Tiffanie smiled at the portrait of Edmund and Esther Ferguson that dominated the entryway. Why did these two always catch her attention? They seemed to greet everyone who entered the mansion.
As she walked into Essie’s office, her gaze met deep green eyes that danced with laughter. “Phineas?”
“I kept you awake last night, hmm? Should I apologize?” Phineas asked.
Not sure whether she should be embarrassed or amused, Tiffanie stared at him. Even though her mind whirled a million miles an hour, she absorbed how handsome he was in shorts and a snug T-shirt. Before she could stop herself, she blurted, “Wow. You look different.”
“Phineas came to join us on his day off. How dedicated is that?” Essie said. A quick glance her way told Tiffanie that the event planner had noticed the tension in the air.
“Hey, Phineas. Glad to see you. I bet you’d help me unload the truck after our meeting,” Ivan said, stepping around Tiffanie to shake the library director’s hand.
Tiffanie rolled her eyes. Her brother never could read a room.
“Of course. I’d be glad to tote and carry,” Phineas said immediately.
“Grab some coffee and something to eat and come join us, you two. We’ve got plans to make,” Essie said.
Needing more caffeine, Tiffanie poured herself to a cup. One peek into the warming tray revealed breakfast sandwiches and pastries. She shuddered at the idea of eggs. Her stomach had rebelled at the thought of them on chemo.
A second sniff made her stomach growl. Perhaps without the medicine in her system, her body would react differently.
Tiffanie selected one with bacon and carried her choice to an armchair next to Essie, where she would need to turn sideways to see Phineas.
Maybe that would keep her focused on someone other than their visitor.
The moment she settled on the cushioned seat, Marmalade appeared and rubbed back and forth on her legs. “Hey, kitty. Ready to cause some havoc today?” Tiffanie asked.
As if that were an invitation, the large orange tabby jumped into her lap. He sniffed Tiffanie’s shirt before stretching out next to her. He set his head on her thigh and promptly closed his eyes as Tiffanie lifted her plate and cup into the air to avoid him bumping into them.
“Push him off if he bothers you, Tiffanie,” Essie told her.
“Oh, he’s okay.” Tiffanie set her cup on a coaster on the small table next to her. As Ivan helped himself to the food, Tiffanie took a small bite of the sandwich as a test. Could she eat eggs now?
Yum! Flavor burst over her tongue as she enjoyed the meal. Taking a break from the chemo definitely had its positives. She crossed her fingers that pausing the medication wouldn’t also come with serious negative consequences as well.
“Phineas would like to plan a library event and would like our assistance,” Essie explained.
“What do you have in mind, Phineas?” Ivan asked.
“A local artists’ expo paired with instructional resources from the library.
I’d like to remind the town that the library isn’t only for fiction books.
I’m envisioning displays of crafts like paintings, sculptures, quilts, as well as fun activities like an origami table, a bake-off, maybe some demos. ”
Possible ideas exploded in Tiffanie’s head. Before she could say anything, Ivan spoke up. “I found a great book on wood carvings that taught me a lot. I bet most people aren’t aware of all the resources hidden in the nonfiction stacks.”
“Wood carvings?” Essie echoed. “What do you make?”
Sheepishly, Ivan thrust a hand into his pocket and pulled out a small project.
“This isn’t done, of course. I always carry something around to do instead of doomscrolling on my phone as I’m waiting for a part or seal to set so I can get to the next step of a project.
” He handed the small bear cub to Essie as Tiffanie grinned with pride in her brother’s artistry.
She turned his creation around in her hands, examining the creature from all angles. “You learned to do this from a book in the library? This is so cute.”
“Well, my granddad actually taught me about whittling. The idea of adding a bit of whimsy into carvings and techniques on how to accomplish that came from the library’s reference,” Ivan explained.
“Let me see that,” Phineas said.
Essie handed the bear cub to Tiffanie, who passed the carved wood piece to Phineas. She tried not to notice that her body reacted to the quick brush of his warm hand against hers. Quickly, she stroked her hand over Marmalade’s fur to replace the thrilling sensation with a soft one.
“This is amazing. I can’t wait to see it finished. Would you be interested in selling these at the event, Ivan? For your own pocket, of course, not as a fundraiser for the library,” Phineas added quickly.
“Oh, no one would be interested in my carvings.”
“Of course they would,” Tiffanie told him as she petted the purring creature who’d chosen to stay close to her.
“I agree,” Essie said. “I’m putting in my notes that we have our first vendor for the event.
” When Ivan opened his mouth to protest, she held her hand up to stop him.
“You’re exactly who Phineas is looking for.
Residents who use the library resources to help them create something.
Phineas, are you envisioning a display of the books that people cite as references? ”
“Perhaps Tiffanie could weigh in here. I understand she’s your design consultant,” Phineas said.
Essie immediately turned to Tiffanie. “What do you suggest?”
“How about an elevated bookstand at each table? I’d suggest we allot space based on the product.
An assortment of Ivan’s animals would be a three-foot table, whereas a welded sculpture would need a larger space.
Several cake decorators could submit an entry and all showcase similar items in the same area.
Asking patrons to submit suggestions of products they’ve researched at the library might be fun,” Tiffanie said.
“Are you thinking of holding this at the library?’
“That was my thought. If we choose a pleasant time of the year, we could hold the fair on the front lawn. Under tents, maybe, to protect from rain,” Phineas said.
“But if this event catches the interest of the community, people are going to swarm the location to attend. We might do better at Ferguson’s Folly.
Decorations wouldn’t get destroyed by the weather either. ”
“Blue is usually the color associated with knowledge. Purple and yellow to a lesser degree,” Tiffanie mused aloud.
“Blue Ribbon Knowledge Fair?” Ivan suggested.
“Of course!” Essie exclaimed. “Tiffanie, you could make some big blue ribbons for all the tent supports and the book displays.”
“I could definitely do that,” Tiffanie said.
Essie clapped her hands. “Phineas, I believe we have the bones for a proposal. Do you need something to take to the library board? Any thoughts on having community supporters? I bet you have some regular donors.”
“I’ll get the donation staff to put their thinking caps on,” Phineas said. “Could you give me an idea of costs based on a few different numbers of attendees and participants? We could always start small and add more in the future if this goes over well.”
“That’s an extremely smart idea. The event could become an annual thing,” Essie said.
Tiffanie nodded approvingly. Essie was born for this job. Already, she had established a number of repeatable events to bolster Ferguson’s Folly’s income in future years.
“Do you need any other information from me?” Phineas asked.
“Not at this point. I’m sure I’ll have you on speed dial soon,” Essie said, looking up from the notes she had jotted furiously in her notebook.
“Ivan, are you okay to unload now? I’ll be glad to help,” Phineas said, standing.
“I’ll owe you one,” Ivan answered and stood to lead him to the truck.
“Marmalade seems to have adopted you,” Essie said. “Fair warning. Whoever he pays attention to either has something good or bad coming their way.”
“I’ll take good,” Tiffanie said. “Do you want me to come up with some costs for decorations? I can search on my phone while I finish my coffee.”
“Thank you, Tiffanie. Then can we discuss the other events I’ve got scheduled that are coming up?”
“Of course.” This excitement would exhaust Tiffanie later, but for now her energy level was steady. She gave Marmalade another pet and grabbed her phone.
Tiffanie breathed a sigh of relief. No one had asked about her doctor’s appointment.
From the beginning, Essie had respected her privacy and had shown support when Tiffanie had shared information with her.
Tiffanie sent a silent thank you into the universe for having Sara, Essie, and Ivan in her life.
An image of Phineas blossomed in her mind.
Why did it feel like he was important too?