Chapter 2
KAITLYN
THE MEN RETURN FROM COLONIAL VIRGINIA
The next day was beautiful outside so since we were waiting for James, Quentin, and Zach to return we planned to go out on the beach for a picnic lunch.
Isla had been seated at the counter with her head on her arm directing me as I made our sandwiches, but ultimately she was disappointed that I was making them wrong, “Uncle Zach would cut the crust off, Mammy.”
I gave her a look and cut the crust off.
She sighed. “He would also cut it in wee squares instead of triangles.”
“Does it really matter?”
“It’s so they taste better.”
I said, “Well I screwed that part up already, that’s why we’re going to be glad when he returns in a few hours.” I put the sandwiches in a cooler with some juice boxes, and we all went out to the beach.
There were so many of us for lunch we needed three blankets. Hayley sat down crosslegged. “This is the life.”
Fraoch opened the cooler and looked inside. “Och nae, they are not cut right.”
Isla shook her head sadly. “I know, Uncle Frookie, I tried to tell her.”
He sighed comically. “I dinna get tae go tae the founding of America—”
Hayley pulled a plate from the stack. “You didn’t want to go.”
He said, “I also dinna get tae go fishing today—”
“You have to be here to meet them when they arrive.” She put two triangles of sandwich on his plate.
He continued on, “Och, we hae been suffering while Chef Zach was gone, haena we been sufferin’ Isla?”
She said, “So suffery.”
Hayley thrust the plate in his lap. “Eat your food and wheesht.”
He said, “I suppose we must be grateful for the spread of food before us, whether tis triangles or squares.”
Magnus had four triangles on his plate. “I will eat them all if ye daena want them, Fraoch.”
Archie said, “I like triangles better anyway.”
I said, “Thank you, Archie, I didn’t know there was an opinion on the angle of the cut but now I know.”
Emma said, “You learned a valuable lesson just minutes before Zach comes home.”
I said, “As of this day I will never make sandwiches again.”
Down the beach storm clouds billowed into the sky. Magnus popped a triangle sandwich in his mouth and brushed his fingers off, chewing. “Looks like they hae returned.”
He and Fraoch left to go pick them up.
The storm clouds dissipated and the kids, done with lunch, began trudging back to the house, leaving me, Emma, and Hayley to carry the stuff. I said, “Great, that was a lot of work for a fifteen minute picnic.”
Hayley said, “The little monsters complained through most of it.”
I chuckled. “One little monster and your hubby.”
She said, “He’s the biggest little monster of them all.”
Emma carried the blankets, I carried the empty cooler, Hayley picked up the shoes, frisbee and the hat left behind by kids. We hustled because we wanted to get there first, so we wouldn’t miss any stories about their trip.
James, Quentin and Zach entered, still wearing their Colonial gear, smelling to high heaven.
Hayley plugged her nose. “Phew, y’all are ripe.”
Emma said, “How long were you there? Smells like a year.”
Zach grinned, “Ten days, hot, no bath, didn’t have time — hot dog that was fun.”
James kissed Sophie and took Junior into his arms. “Hello, wee guy, I missed you, have you been crying?”
Junior looked up at him with big eyes. James turned to the rest of us. “And guess what? We met Ben in Francis Tavern!”
I said, “Ben Franklin?”
“Yep, He’s so old he had to be carried in on a litter, but then he just partied.”
Quentin put his hands on his lapels, much like you would imagine a founding father doing, and said, “We bought multiple rounds for everyone in the tavern.”
James said, “But we don’t care, it was worth it; he was hilarious.”
Quentin said, “Damn, he told some wild stories.”
Zach said, “My favorite was a long story about how he would open all the windows and sit naked in front of them taking in the morning air.”
James said, “He called himself a portly fellow. He wasn’t wrong.”
Zach mimicked Ben Franklin’s voice, “The human frame, my dear friends, is a machine best tuned by nature’s own breath — clothing be damned!”
Quentin and James laughed.
I said, “Man, guys, that’s like all your dreams come true.”
James said, “We got there early, right at the beginning of the Continental Congress but there was no room for an audience. We stood outside the southwest window, leaning against the building, like this.”
All three of them crossed their arms and pretended to lean.
“Man, even covered in sand that is impressive, you guys look the part.”
Quentin said, “We eavesdropped for hours. And every now and then someone would come to the window and we could get them to tell us what was happening.”
Zach said, “I swear they thought we were important and needed to be informed. And if we stood there long enough someone famous was going to walk by.”
James said, “Zach loved to call out names to see if they would turn.”
Zach put his hands around his mouth and hollered, “Adams! Hey Tom! Hey, Georgie! Is that you, Sammy?”
Quentin said, “James and Zach would duck and I would be left waving. Hi, Sam Adams, sorry to bother you, sir.”
James said, “You had a blast.”
“I did, that was awesome, would do it again in a second.”
Emma said, “While I want to hear all the stories, you three need to hit the showers, it’s ripe.”
They all nodded their heads. James and Sophie carried Junior down the hall to their room.
Quentin asked, “Just so I know, Boss, what’s on the docket?”
Magnus said, “We are goin’ tae deliver chests tae Balloch so Sean and Lizbeth can pack all their necessaries.” He looked at his watch. “We leave on the morrow.”
Quentin raised his brow, “By ‘we’ you mean… I’m going with?”
Magnus said, “Nae, not yet, ye can rest here. Kaitlyn and I will go, we will visit, help them pack. I need tae speak tae Sean and Lizbeth, I fear last time we dinna speak on the move enough.”
Quentin said, “I don’t want to not go though, I’m going to really miss the old place.”
Magnus said, “We will all go to help them move later, when they are ready. I will pin them down on the date.”
Beaty said, “Good, I am glad ye are goin’ tae help them pack, I think Lizbeth must be verra worried about the move… Magnus, I want ye tae take some gifts from me tae remind her how good twill be.”
Magnus smiled, “Aye, I will be yer delivery service.”
Quentin said, “I’m glad you don’t need me, boss…” He looked down on his clothes. “It’s going to take a hundred showers to get that vacation off me. But you and Kaitlyn are going by yourselves, this is the kind of calm we have now, vacations and peace?”
“Aye, this is the kind of calm we hae.”
Quentin said, “Well, couldn’t have happened to nicer people. We deserve it.” He and Beaty left for their apartment.
Zach rubbed his hands. “So, what’s for dinner?”
We all shrugged.
I said, “It’s just past lunch and I cut the sandwiches the wrong way—”
He groaned. “But… but… Katie, that’s the most fundamental part of sandwich-making!”
“I see them cut diagonally all the time.”
Emma groaned.
Hayley said, “Oh no, girl, now he’s about to lecture on the cut of—”
Zach launched in, “I have told everyone this a million times: meat and cheese with mustard, that’s a diagonal cut; meat and cheese with mayo, rectangle; any of the smears, peanut butter, cream cheese, pimento, have to be cut in little squares with the crust off.”
I said, “Somehow I cannot remember this valuable lesson, so you’ll have to just cook.
You just flew in from Colonial times and we’re sorry, but we’re out of food, and everyone is going to want an amazing meal because of the privations I caused with a messed up angle on the lunch — welcome to the thunder dome. ”
“Fine, I will step in and make an amazing dinner, because none of you will learn.”
I grinned.
Magnus said, “Chef Zach, we hae missed ye, greatly. We are relieved ye hae returned. I look forward tae the brisket ye hae planned for the evening meal.”
Zach laughed, “Brisket, hmmm? Okay, pressure cooker, I can do that, fine.”
He and Emma left for their apartment.
Fraoch said, “While they all shower we ought tae go pick up Lochinvar, he is missing all the fun.”
I said, “Tell him to ask Ash if she wants to come to dinner.”