Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
“Tiffanie! I’m so glad to see you,” Essie said, greeting her warmly as Phineas walked her up the stairs.
“I’m so sorry for everything, Essie,” Tiffanie said, returning Essie’s hug when her boss wrapped her in a fond embrace. “Someone made me stay home yesterday.” She pointedly glanced at Phineas, who stood behind her.
“Be good, or I’ll take you there today too,” Phineas said, without a hint of remorse in his voice.
“Of course he did!” Essie said as she stepped away. “I think collapsing and spending hours in the hospital unconscious requires at least one full day at home. Are you sure you’re okay to be here?”
“I am perfectly fine. Please let me work. Phineas is hovering like a mother hen.”
“I heard that, Princess,” Phineas said with a stern look.
“Maybe a Daddy hen,” Essie whispered under her breath. Immediately the two Little girls giggled. Tiffanie loved having someone to share the fun parts of her new lifestyle.
“Phineas, clue me in if I need to adjust anyone’s attitude,” Zander said from the doorway into the mansion.
Tiffanie and Essie whirled to see Essie’s handsome Daddy watching them with knowing eyes. “Oh, no, Daddy. I’m being a complete angel.”
“Right,” Zander said, drawing out that word to signal his doubt.
“Come on, Tiffanie. We should review those arrangements for the Blue Ribbon Knowledge Fair.” Essie grabbed her hand and led Tiffanie inside.
“Whew! I thought I was going to get a second spanking this morning,” Essie said before her cheeks turned pink as she realized what she was admitting.
The two women stopped before reaching Essie’s office. From the portrait, Edmund and Esther Ferguson seemed to watch them with a knowing gaze. A cold draft floated over her. Tiffanie straightened, staring up at them as she realized she experienced that chilled breeze often here.
“Edmund alerted me to help you right before you collapsed. He knew something was wrong,” Essie said to her friend.
“Really?” She expected to be spooked by that idea but didn’t. Instead, she felt warm for the first time in that spot. Like the two founders of Ferguson’s Folly had just embraced her.
Tiffanie peered up at Edmund’s portrait and said, “Thank you for warning everyone.”
Essie cocked her head as if she were listening to someone. After a few seconds, she reported, “He says you’re welcome. And that you’re not to scare him to death again.”
“Scare him to death?” Tiffanie repeated, turning to meet Essie’s gaze. The two women laughed. How could a ghost be afraid of dying—twice!
“And Marmalade!” Essie said as the big tomcat strolled out of her office.
“Do you remember him running over to rub along your shins? He stopped you from walking closer to my desk. If you’d advanced a few more steps, you would have crashed down on the corner of this wooden atrocity. I bet you would have hit your head.”
“The minutes right before I passed out are pretty foggy. Thank you, Marmalade, for protecting me,” Tiffanie said to the cat and received another round of cat caresses on her legs. She leaned over to return the cat’s affection with some face scratches.
“Come sit down now. Are you sure you’re ready to dive in?” Essie asked, searching her face.
“So ready. Put me to work.”
The women worked on the final placement of the vendors who had applied to participate in the event.
When they leaned back in their chairs an hour later, both breathed a sigh of relief.
Some changes would happen closer to the event, but for now, Tiffanie could focus on enhancing the ballroom to showcase the talents on display.
“That was a chore!” Essie said. “Thank goodness you grew up here and have an insider’s view of the local feuds to make sure the wrong people aren’t wrestling in the aisles.”
“Most of the residents get along great. But that row of pie bakers is cutthroat. Especially Millie and Pete. They’ve both competed so frequently against each other for the top pie award at the state fair that they have to hire baking experts from outside our town to judge that event.
The last time, a riot broke out on Main Street in front of The Pie Hole restaurant when the owner judged Millie’s caramel apple pie superior to Pete’s Dutch apple pie.
Pete’s fans held a grudge for two months at least before forgiving the owner of the Pie Hole.
They’ll never agree to judge pies in the future. ”
“Oh, my God. An actual riot?”
“They arrested Millie’s supporters and threw them in the neighboring town’s jail for their safety. The police held everyone for eight hours to cool down and then all of them had to pay for the damage,” Tiffanie said.
“And I got a spanking,” Essie muttered.
“What did you do?”
“I promised I wouldn’t add more events to next month’s calendar.”
“And you did,” Tiffanie guessed.
“Simply a small bridge competition. The ballroom will be a great place for them to gather and play cards. Bridge is a snooty game, right? They’ll all attend in their Sunday best with great manners.”
“Oh, they’ll come dressed to be seen,” Tiffanie said.
Should she clue Essie in that there’d been an even bigger riot when the group heard allegations of cheating at the last tournament?
Essie was going to flip when she shared that they wanted to come to Ferguson’s Folly because the community center banned them for life.
Essie looked toward the door of her office and seemed to listen to someone in the foyer. She turned slowly to meet Tiffanie’s gaze. “My ass is toast, isn’t it?”
Tiffanie nodded. “Esther knew?”
“She used to be a regular. The fanciest hotel downtown kicked the bridge crew out of the ballroom after a skirmish there. Then they moved after that to the community center. I’m going to need security.”
“Probably,” Tiffanie said, feeling bad for her friend.
“That’s it. I’m not accepting anything before I run the event past everyone.”
“You’ll learn all the wackiness of this town soon enough,” Tiffanie said. “But I’ll always tell you the truth.”
“Thanks. I’m going to order another cushion for this office chair now.”
Tiffanie could only laugh at the resignation in her friend’s voice. One part of her was regretful that Phineas hadn’t spanked her yet. She knew why. She hadn’t been healthy enough.
Right then, she decided she was going to do whatever she could to regain her strength. She deserved to experience everything. Tiffanie mentally rolled her eyes at herself. Who gets fired up to get ready for spankings?
She wanted to try everything with her Daddy. Resolved, she picked up her water bottle that Phineas had insisted she drink two of during the day while he was at work. After taking a long drink, she ran over her calendar to see what else she and Essie needed to discuss.
“I think we’re in good shape for the events this month. Anything you want to concentrate on?” Tiffanie asked Essie.
“I need the two of you to focus on some taste-testing. You got that lady’s retirement party.
The hostess said she loves cookies. Chocolate, especially,” Sara said, appearing in the doorway with a large tray of cookies and a couple of ice-cold glasses of milk.
She set the goodies down on Essie’s desk.
Tiffanie scanned the beautiful array of cookies that Sara had prepared and leaned forward to inhale deeply. “That aroma is enough for me to gain five pounds, Sara.”
“Good. Take another sniff. I promised Phineas that I’d work on fattening you up,” Sara said.
When Tiffanie and Essie looked at her with shocked expressions, Sara continued, “You didn’t figure out that he’d come talk to me?”
“I thought you’d be sneakier,” Tiffanie confessed.
“No need. I’ll always tell you the truth, unless the unvarnished facts would hurt you. Then I’ll lie until my nose grows four feet.” Sara touched the tip of her nose and extended her hand out as far as her arm could reach.
“Um, Sara?” Essie asked.
“Yes?”
“Only this one is pure chocolate,” Essie said. “If the retiree loves that flavor, shouldn’t we have at least half with chocolate?”
“Try that one for me,” Sara said, pointing to a treat that resembled a snickerdoodle with a cinnamon-sugar topping.
Curious, Tiffanie picked up that treat and almost dropped it, revealing the chocolate-dipped bottom. “Oh, chocolate and spice. I bet this is amazing. Here.” She bent the cookie, dividing the large treat in half and handing a side to Essie.
“Mmm,” Tiffanie said, groaning with delight. “That’s sinful. I’d quit working to get those cookies.”
“You’re not allowed to retire,” Essie said before taking a bite. “I’d eat those all day long. Yes, to this selection. Tiffanie, let’s try the filled cookie.”
When Essie tore that one apart, chocolate oozed out of the middle. “Ohhh! That’s going to be popular.” She handed a section to Tiffanie, and they tapped the two together like crystal wine glasses. Essie wiggled happily in her chair as she devoured it.
“I will never doubt you again, Sara,” she promised.
“Oh, you will. I’ll beat your expectations the next time as well,” Sara answered cheerfully.
By the end, the regular double chocolate chip cookie was the least spectacular delicacy on the tray—good, yummy, but not way over the top like the others. Tiffanie and Essie slumped in their chairs with empty glasses and full tummies.
“I take it back. I’m never retiring if I get to come taste test,” Tiffanie said.
“Deal! I’m holding you to it.” Essie’s eyes gleamed with happiness.
“Okay, I’m stealing the rest of these for dessert later. I bet your Daddies would enjoy them too.”
Sara was gone before the women dared to look at each other. “She said Daddies, Essie. Does she know everything?”
“Sara’s aware of things that haven’t happened yet. Don’t worry. She’ll never tell a soul,” Essie assured her. “What should we work on now?”
“I’m so full. I’m not sure I can think clearly.”
“Want to see my nursery? We can play there if you like. For a break.”
“Really? I’d love to visit your special room.” Tiffanie jumped to her feet before steadying herself with a hand on the chairback.
“Only if you promise to take it easy. We can ride the elevator upstairs.”
A few minutes later, Tiffanie covered her eyes in Zander and Essie’s bedroom while Essie fit the key into the hidden slot. She didn’t peek. Essie deserved to have her secrets.
“This was Esther’s nursery first?” Tiffanie asked, stepping through the now-open panel into the gorgeous room.
“Yes. She didn’t get to use the area much because Edmund died young. I like spending time here. The room gets happier every time I’m inside. I’m sure that’s my imagination, but this space seems lighter.”
The glow through the window brightened a scant bit, and the two Littles glanced at each other. “I don’t think that’s your imagination, Essie.”
“Me neither,” Essie whispered. “Would you like to play dress-up? Esther left some amazing dresses, hats, and costume jewelry in the wardrobe.”
“Would Esther mind if we mess with her things?” Tiffanie asked.
“She’s here and wishes she could join us.”
“Is it weird talking to ghosts?”
“Communicating with my uncle scared me so much that the first time he appeared I knocked a silver tea set onto the floor. We had to find a restorer to fix the dent in the teapot,” Essie said.
“But you didn’t run screaming from the room. That’s bold.”
“I might have if I hadn’t tripped and fallen,” Essie confessed and laughed at herself. “What’s your favorite color?”
“Blue.”
“Want to try this one on?” Essie pulled a gorgeous dress from the large armoire.
“I love it. Yes, please.”
The next thirty minutes flew by as they created amazing looks with all the accessories in the wardrobe.
Tiffanie tuckered out quickly and sat on the mattress in the crib as Essie slipped on another dress.
The purple fabric fit Essie like a dream, and her friend twirled to show the garment off.
As Essie decided which purse matched the most, Tiffanie rested her eyes, enjoying the running commentary as her friend chose the best accent pieces.