Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
The next afternoon, Tiffanie walked slowly up the stairs to the main house at Ferguson’s Folly. She glanced over her shoulder to smile and wave at Phineas. She missed him already.
Phineas had rearranged his schedule when she’d slept in that morning.
She had more strength than she had in weeks.
After she’d eaten a stack of blueberry pancakes with him, Phineas had driven her home.
He’d sweet-talked Tiffanie into taking her medicine before helping her change into fresh clothes.
Then, he’d delivered her to the manor for a planning session with Essie.
He had a community meeting at the library this evening, so she wouldn’t see him until tomorrow.
“Now, that’s a sad thought that just went through your mind,” Sara, Essie’s housekeeper, commented from the doorway. “You’ve got color in your cheeks, Tiffanie. If Phineas is responsible for that, you should keep him around.”
“I do need to hold onto him, Sara. He’s incredible.”
“Maybe I need to hang out in the library,” Sara said with a twinkle in her eye. “Essie’s in her office. She’s laser-focused on the library event.”
“Perfect. Sara, could I have some iced tea or lemonade?”
“How about both mingled together? That’s a perfect combination.”
“I’d love it.”
“I’ll bring some snacks as well, so the two of you don’t work too hard,” Sara said.
“Thank you.”
Tiffanie headed toward the office. She could hear Essie talking and figured she was on the phone.
Taking a short tour around the foyer to give her privacy, Tiffanie examined a gorgeous silver tea set.
She ran her fingertip over the scrollwork on the edges.
She couldn’t imagine using cups that pretty every day.
And the upkeep polishing the surface discoloration away would take lots of muscle power and time.
Suddenly her dishwasher-safe cups seemed more manageable. Still, the service was stunning.
Hearing Essie’s voice fall silent, she turned to walk into the room. Her eyes locked on the couple in the painting, and Tiffanie froze. Was that Marmalade in the picture? Or Marmalade’s great-grandparent maybe? How had she not seen him before?
“Hey, did you get lost?” Essie asked from her doorway.
“Hi, Essie. No, I wanted to give you privacy to talk. I just noticed the orange cat in the portrait. I wonder if he’s related to Marmalade?”
“What cat? I’ve never seen it.” Essie walked out of her office to stand next to Tiffanie.
“He’s right there.” Tiffanie pointed to the place where she’d spotted Marmalade’s twin. The creature had vanished. “What? I swear a cat rubbed against Edmund’s leg in the painting.”
“That’s the weirdest picture. When I was a kid, I’d study it for a long time.
Something always changed on the canvas between my visits.
Now, I’ve noticed that Edmund’s watch chain switches from gold to silver.
And my aunt’s necklace changes stones—diamond one time and ruby or sapphire the next. No one believed me.”
“They’re green today. Emerald maybe?” Tiffanie asked.
“Probably. Esther loved jewelry. She left me her collection. Maybe I should match whatever she is wearing in the picture.”
“Or maybe she already is,” Tiffanie whispered.
Soft fur brushed against her calves. “Eek!” Tiffanie danced back and laughed at herself when she spotted the cat. “Marmalade! Were you in that painting?”
“Meow!” Marmalade’s answer was vigorous and loud.
“I think he said, yes,” Essie whispered.
“He’s trying to convince you to let him out,” Sara said from behind them, startling Essie and Tiffanie. She held a big tray with beverages and several bowls and plates of food. “Could you get that for him? My hands are full.”
“Oh!” Essie darted to the front door and opened it for the orange cat. Marmalade paused before leaving to meow at a lower volume.
“You’re welcome,” Essie told him and closed the door behind the fluffy creature. She glanced at Tiffanie, and the two women laughed.
“What am I missing?” Sara asked.
“Oh, nothing. Marmalade seems to be everywhere today,” Tiffanie said with a smile.
“He’s gotten hair all over everything today for sure,” Sara said with a grimace.
“And knocked over my seating cards for the second time,” Essie said, shaking her head.
A loud bang sounded from the office. Essie and Tiffanie rushed in with Sara following on their heels. Marmalade sat on the outside sill of the large plate-glass window. He whacked the transparent barrier with a paw before turning his bottom to them and jumping to the ground.
“Sorry, Marmalade,” Essie called after him. The cat flicked his tail aggressively, expressing his aggravation with them.
“He’s going to leave a mouse in my slipper tonight,” Essie whispered.
“Probably,” Sara agreed.
Tiffanie couldn’t help but laugh. “You know he’s in total control of the household, right?”
“Be careful. The carriage house is within his territory,” Sara warned.
“I don’t like mice,” Tiffanie said, appalled.
“Better keep an eye out. Come sit. That’s enough excitement for the day,” Sara declared.
Nodding, Tiffanie selected her usual seat on the small drawing-room couch. She accepted the lemonade tea that Sara handed her, admiring the layered look in the glass. After taking a long drink, she relaxed against the cushions. “That’s amazing, Sara. Thank you.”
“Of course. Don’t forget to eat,” Sara said, wagging her finger at Tiffanie before turning her attention to Essie. “You too. I know you’re thinking about wedding gowns, but you need to fuel your body.”
“Have you picked anything out, Essie?” Tiffanie asked as Sara left.
“Not yet. I haven’t started shopping yet. Soon.”
“That’s so fun.”
“Maybe someday you’ll be searching for your own wedding gown,” Essie said.
“Maybe.” Tiffanie pictured Phineas in her mind. If only she could get healthy. “When,” she corrected herself mentally, vowing to make it happen with determination. Waking up with a hot naked man wrapped around her every morning would be a definite treat worth fighting for.
“That’s a sexy smile,” Essie commented. “I guess things are going well with Phineas?”
“He’s the best.” Her cheeks heated as the memory of him making her come twice last night popped into her mind.
“Hmm. I won’t ask questions. I’ll even change the subject for you. Tell me what you’ve got planned for the exhibition at the library.”
Tiffanie thanked Essie with a smile and flipped open the notebook she’d brought with her. “Are we holding this in the ballroom or at the public library? I keep forgetting to ask?”
“My suggestion is Ferguson’s Folly. Should we double-check with Phineas?” Essie asked.
“I’ll send him a text.” After dispatching her message, Tiffanie helped herself to some of the delicacies Sara had prepared for them. Essie came to sit next to Tiffanie and fixed herself a plate as well. A few minutes later, a message dinged in response.
“Oh, he answered. Phineas says in the ballroom. He’s afraid there won’t be enough room with the stacks of books.”
“Perfect. Does that impact your plans?”
“No, not really. I sketched layouts for both rooms. Let me show you my ideas for the ballroom.”
The two women put their heads together to tweak Tiffanie’s beginning thoughts.
As they discussed options, Tiffanie treasured Essie’s collaborative attitude and her requests for Tiffanie’s opinion as an expert.
She sent a brief mental thank you to Ivan for bringing her in to assist the phenomenal new business owner.
Tiffanie had needed something to distract and keep her busy through the treatments she’d endured.
Working at Ferguson’s Folly had provided all that as well as a new friend in Essie.
“We’re onto something special,” Essie said as they wrapped up the initial details.
“I’m going to put together an application for people to apply to take part in the event.
Then, we can run my questionnaire by Phineas first before making copies to distribute at the library.
What do you think about putting an ad in the local paper? ”
“That’s an amazing idea. I’d also contact the librarians in the local school district. My bet is they’d love to invite teens and even younger kids to participate. That is, if you want an all-age crowd,” Tiffanie said.
“Oh, my God. That’s perfect. I’m sure Phineas would love that as well. Get kids roped into the public library while they’re young. Or have you already discussed this with him?”
“No, we haven’t talked about this,” Tiffanie said, struggling to keep her expression from revealing her attraction to the handsome library director.
“Oh, come on. You have to give me some information. What’s happening between the two of you?”
“Okay. We’re seeing each other. I like him. I like him a lot.”
“Yes!” Essie did a happy dance wiggle in her chair, making Tiffanie laugh. “The heat coming off the two of you is incredible.”
“Really?” Tiffanie swallowed hard as she struggled with what to share with Essie. “I can’t believe he’s come into my life now. I don’t have much to offer him.”
“What? Are you crazy? You’re amazing. Beautiful, talented, so fun to be around.”
“For about five minutes. Then I run out of steam. I’m afraid Phineas will lose interest in dating someone with a serious illness. The doctor has paused my treatments. He said my latest test results show conflicting counts. He’s guessing that I need a break from the medicine.”
“Oh, no, Tiffanie. I’m sorry to hear that. He’s stopping them for a short time, right?” Essie asked, her face drawn with concern.
“I’m going in next week for another round of blood tests.
They’ll see if the numbers are better. Meanwhile, the doctor is conferring with other specialists to see if they have any suggestions for alternative treatments that have worked well for them or if they’ve ever run into this weird result during therapy. ”
“That’s positive, right? I love that he’s not stuck in one possible path. If the chemo isn’t working, he’ll have to change the plan. I bet he comes back with something that’s going to kick cancer’s ass.”
Tiffanie lifted her hands and crossed her fingers. Please let that happen.
“In the meantime, you’re having fun with Phineas. He looks to me like an amazing Daddy,” Essie said, studying Tiffanie’s face carefully.
“Daddy? Did Phineas tell you?” Adrenaline spiked through Tiffanie. Phineas hadn’t gossiped about her being Little, had he?
“Whoa, Tiffanie. Sorry. I shouldn’t have mentioned anything. Phineas hasn’t talked to me about you. I just figured that you had a Little side.”
“Why? Because I’m weak and needy?”
“No,” Essie said, shaking her head to deny that claim. “Because I’m totally selfish. I am, and I guess I invented signs you were Little, hoping I could have a friend.”
Staring at the carpet, Essie appeared completely defeated, as if she wanted the floor to open up and swallow her. Tiffanie could only guess at the turmoil that had to be happening inside Essie’s mind. Gathering her courage, Tiffanie admitted, “I’ve never been Little before.”
“Really?” Essie’s shoulders straightened slightly as she met Tiffanie’s gaze.
“Phineas wants me to call him Daddy. I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“I didn’t either when Zander asked me the same thing. I’d read some books, but I didn’t really believe this could be real life.”
“Me neither,” Tiffanie said and hesitated before adding, “I don’t know anything about being a Little friend, but I think I might like that.”
“I guess we can figure how this Little lifestyle works together,” Essie suggested.
“We can.” Tiffanie smiled at Essie, sure their relationship had changed forever. She’d always viewed Essie as more than just a boss, but now, exploring such a personal part of themselves would deepen the bond between them.
“No more work for today.” Ivan’s voice interrupted them. “It looks like you had a productive meeting. Now it’s time for Tiffanie to rest.”
Tiffanie rolled her eyes at Essie, but inside she was glad to have him give her an excuse to knock off for the day. Suddenly, she was exhausted. “I’ll chat with you later, Essie.”
“Definitely,” Essie said. When Ivan turned to leave, Essie met Tiffanie’s gaze and mouthed, “Daddy?” bobbing her head toward Ivan as he disappeared into the foyer.
“You might be right about that, Essie,” Tiffanie answered, confident Ivan was too far away to hear her.
“Right about what?” Ivan asked, reappearing in the doorway.
“About putting red tablecloths on the tables for the Knowledge Fair,” Tiffanie answered quickly.
“You can handle all those details later. But my carvings would show up best on dark blue or black,” Ivan said.
“Dark blue is a great suggestion, Ivan,” Tiffanie said, agreeing with him as she walked across the room. “I wish I’d thought of that.” She met Essie’s gaze and winked.
After grabbing her bag containing Biff and her notes, she wrapped her hand around Ivan’s upper arm and let him bolster her balance as they walked out to the truck.
Yawning, she collapsed into the passenger seat and squeezed her stuffie to her chest. Who would believe she made her first Little friend and spent the night with her Daddy in less than twenty-four hours?