Chapter Three #2
She glanced back at Cal again. He was still staring at her in that moody way of his as he pushed back a dark lock of hair.
She wasn’t sure if it was annoyance she saw in his eyes or if it was maybe .
. . if it was maybe . . . She pulled her gaze away, her heart beating a little faster now.
It was the same look he had given her at the Christmas party.
But why, then, did he practically ignore her at the Merc?
And why not come over here right now instead of sulking in a corner? She was tempted to go over to him, but—
“Wouldn’t you say, Melody?” the mayor asked with a booming laugh.
Startled, Melody turned her attention back to the man in front of her. “What? Oh, yes!” She forced a smile.
“And then Lou pulled that bucket up out of the well, what do you think was in it?” Mr. Penrose asked merrily.
Melody hadn’t even noticed that a little group had gathered around them, nor did she have any idea how the story had gone from the mine shaft tale to one about a well.
“An old shoe!” He laughed, and the others joined in.
“Shoulda seen the look on your dad’s face! ”
Melody gave a false little chuckle and looked back to where Cal had been standing—but he had disappeared!
Her eyes darted quickly around the crowd until she eventually spotted him talking now with Harriet and John.
With them, she noticed irritably, he was all smiles.
For a brief moment, Melody was tempted to squeeze out from the group surrounding her and join her employees, but before she could, she saw Cal give Harriet a kiss on the cheek, shake John’s hand, and head toward the door.
And then, before she knew it, he was gone.
With a sigh of frustration, she turned her attention back to Mayor Hopkins, who had unfortunately started yet another story.
Melody tried her best to listen attentively this time, but she couldn’t help but feel like the bride who doesn’t get to enjoy her own wedding for fear of offending the guests.
Except, she thought wryly, she was without a groom.
And a maid of honor, for that matter, who might fetch her a drink.
“Here you are,” Frank Churchill said and miraculously handed her a cup of lemonade. “Thought you might be thirsty.” He smiled. “Big crowd tonight, isn’t there?”
“What a godsend you are!” Melody took a long drink and tried to force Cal from her mind. “How did you know I was thirsty?”
“Well, you haven’t moved from this spot for over an hour. And, as I’ve told you before, I’m your fairy godfather.” He waved his fingers. “Enjoying yourself?”
“Well, you know.” She gave him a faint smile. “We came thinking it would be good for Mums to get out.” She tilted her head toward where her mother was still sitting forlornly, a full plate of food in front of her. “But I think it might have been a mistake.”
“We spoke to her for a bit, didn’t we, Julius?” he said.
Julius, always a man of few words, nodded.
“She seems quite low, poor dear. Perhaps we shouldn’t have moved out so suddenly?” Frank suggested. They had been the Merriweathers’ lodgers while Pops was in the hospital.
“I don’t think it was that. It’s just Pops.”
“Perhaps I should bring my friends, the Crawfords, round to meet you all. I was hoping to introduce you this evening, but they left early.”
“Yes, I saw them. Who are they?”
“Acquaintances from Chicago. We’ve asked them to come aid us on the redesign of the cottages.
They’ll be perfect, you know. Henry had a terrific idea to perhaps have a little gift shop in one of them.
We could stock the cider, which would be another outlet for you.
Or maybe a small café. What do you think? ”
Melody considered. This might be a very good idea, indeed. “Why not? I think—”
“Melody, we should go now,” interrupted Fred. He gave Frank and Julius barely a glance and instead glared at his sister.
“Now? I haven’t even eaten anything yet!”
“Well, I can’t help that. Mums says she has a splitting headache. She sent Bunny over to tell me. So, come on. We need to go.”
“May I be of any assistance?” Frank asked with genuine concern.
“I think I can get my own mother and sisters home!” Fred snapped.
“Fred!” Melody exclaimed, shocked by her brother’s rudeness.
For reasons she had yet to unravel, Fred seemed to have an aversion to Frank and Julius.
Though Julius had given him his room back and Frank had been nothing but respectful graciousness—and despite Pops himself approving—Fred continued to hold a grudge against the half-brothers.
Even after they had moved out of the Willows and into the restored apartment above the Merc, Fred still did not seem to like them.
“Not to worry,” Frank said, giving Melody a quick wink. He leaned closer. “I’ll see you at the shop, and we can discuss things later.”
Melody gave him a grateful smile before following Fred to where Bunny was helping her mother on with her coat.
Except for the townspeople’s additional kind outpourings of sympathy, it had been a thoroughly disappointing evening.
She hadn’t gotten a scrap of food, but worse, she had not had a chance to talk to Harriet or John or Rosemary.
Nor Kate, whom she had seen standing next to them for a time.
She had specifically wanted to tell her that not only were they low on her baskets, but that she had money waiting in the register from the sale of her others.
And then there was Cal of course, who had slid out before she could speak to him.
But he was a different problem altogether and one she didn’t have time to think about right now.
One thing was for sure, however, she determined as she glanced over at Freddy again, his jaw set hard. She was going to get to the bottom of why he was so cranky. She knew he was grieving, but his grumpiness and his impatience seemed to be getting worse.
The sooner he went back to school, the better.