Secrets and Revelations (Bellingwood #4) Read online

  "It's great, isn't it?" Sylvie smiled.

  "What are you doing with your boys this morning?"

  "Jason has my cell phone. I told him I'd call and wake him up and then the two of them can come over on their own." Sylvie looked up from the dough she was mixing. "Polly, I can't tell you how much it means to all of us that you are willing to keep an eye on them during the day. I couldn't do any of this without you."

  "Those boys take care of themselves and I love having them around. I don't know how you have managed to raise them into well-behaved boys, but it makes it easy for everyone here to enjoy them. I think Eliseo also enjoys having Jason help at the barn."

  "Can you believe my boy is riding a horse?" Sylvie asked. "I didn't think he was ever going to sleep last night."

  "It was pretty awesome. Have you seen him on Nat yet?"

  "No, I told him that I'd take a few minutes this morning when they got here."

  "Mom! We're here!" Jason and Andrew came running into the kitchen. Andrew pulled up short when he saw Obiwan. He sat down beside the dog and began petting him.

  "What are you two doing here so early?" Sylvie asked. "I thought I'd have to call several times to wake you."

  "I couldn't wait to help Eliseo and Polly with the horses and Andrew wasn't mad at me or anything when I asked him if it was okay."

  Andrew dramatically rolled his neck and his eyes. "He got down on his knees beside my bed and begged me to be nice about it. Now he owes me one."

  Sylvie and Polly laughed at the boys.

  "I don't have breakfast made yet," Sylvie said. "Andrew, why don't you go snuggle into your nook under the stairs. Jason, are you going out to the barn with Polly?"

  "Yes! I can't wait to see Nat. Will I be able to ride him again today, Polly?"

  "I'm sure Eliseo will think that is a great idea. Let's get going. Obiwan is probably ready to be outside." She turned back to Sylvie. "We'll see you later."

  "Come back and I'll have breakfast ready," Sylvie replied.

  Jason and Polly walked toward the side door and he said, "Oh! I forgot," and ran back to the kitchen. Before she'd gotten to the door, he was back. "I had mom's cell phone in my pocket and didn't want to forget to give it to her. I hope I get one for my birthday. I'm going to be thirteen, you know."

  He pushed the door open and started through it, then stopped and held it as Polly and Obiwan walked through. He caught up to them and said, "Do you think my mom will give me a cell phone? It would be a good idea this year since she'll be in Des Moines so much going to school, don't you think?"

  Polly smiled, "I don't have a clue what she's doing for your birthday. But, that’s three months away, isn't it?"

  He looked up at her in shock. "I thought you knew it was next week. Don't you know that?"

  She laughed. "Yes. I knew that. I wanted to make sure you remembered."

  He huffed at her and said, "Come on Obiwan, let's run!" The dog followed him as they ran toward the pen. Polly followed and caught the gate as he swung it open. The main doors to the barn were open and the boy and dog ran inside. Polly made sure the gates were closed as she walked through and into the barn.

  Eliseo was carrying feed into Nan's stall, "Good morning everyone! It looks like we have a full team this morning!"

  "Jason is up early this morning hoping for another opportunity to ride Nat," Polly replied.

  "That’s a great idea, Jason. But first, we're going to take care of the animals so Polly doesn't have to do all the cleanup. Here, you take this and get feed for Daisy. She's making a lot of noise this morning and I think she's ready to be outside."

  Jason took the bucket and ran toward the feed room. Polly and Eliseo followed him and grabbed a bale of hay each. Polly was finally purchasing large round bales of hay for the horses to eat outside and had gotten Eliseo a skid loader to move them from the back of the property. That meant they weren't breaking up the small bales quite as quickly and Polly appreciated having to make fewer trips up the ladder to the hay mow.

  Once the horses were in the pasture, they cleaned out the stalls and made sure there was plenty of water available inside and out. The days weren't as hot as the previous summer, but those big Percherons seemed to drink a small lake every week.

  Eliseo was sweeping out the main alley of the barn and Polly watched as poor Jason darted back and forth between him and the tack room.

  Finally Eliseo chuckled and said, "We're going to give them just a little time for breakfast to settle. Why don't you and I stack some more hay and then I'm going to show you how to clean the tack. We want to make sure that the leather is always supple and soft. Henry built a couple of saddle racks which will be just your size."

  He looked at Polly, "You can certainly hang out with us, but if you have other things to do, we're just working in here this morning."

  "Sure," she said. "I feel like I didn't do much this morning, though. Thank you, Jason, for helping out. Things went faster with you here."

  She watched his shoulders straighten up as he walked to the back of the barn. Eliseo approached her. "His birthday is next week. I think he'd like a pair of cowboy boots and a hat. Are you heading down to Boone any time soon?"

  "I can," she said. "There's always something I need to do down there. Maybe I'll take his brother down with me early in the week and we'll see what we can find for him. I’ll talk to his mom and get his boot size. Do you want to get the hat?"

  "I’d like that," Eliseo said. "Tell me what it costs and I'll cover it."

  "That sounds great," she acknowledged.

  Polly started to walk out and then turned back. "By the way, when is Mark coming to hitch Demi and Daisy to the cart?"

  Eliseo nodded. "He said he would stop by this afternoon. I don't have any big responsibilities today, so we'll see how it goes. I've worked with them and the sled. They remember what they learned a long time ago. Those are beautiful horses, Polly. They look good together and they work well in teams."

  "Thank you, Eliseo. I can't wait."

  "Oh, and Polly? Mark said he had another surprise for you. You won't believe it."

  "And you aren't going to tell me what it is?"

  "Nope, he swore me to secrecy. But, come back this afternoon when he's here."

  "Fine," she said, grimacing. "I don't trust either of you."

  Eliseo turned away and headed to the tack room. Polly called Obiwan to her and went up to the house.

  They were passing the office when Polly heard Jeff call her name.

  "Yes?" she asked, walking through the outer office toward his door.

  "I didn't get a chance to talk to you again yesterday since things got so busy, but I'm really sorry about that woman who was in my office."

  "You don't have to apologize," she said, "but what in the heck?"

  "I'm pretty sure she believes she is doing us some big favor by holding the quilt show here. Never mind that no one else in town wants to deal with her or that the show is too big to hold anywhere else."

  "Well, what was up with her not wanting Eliseo around?"

  "You really don't want to know."

  "I don't?"

  "It will just make you mad."

  "Why aren't you mad, then?"

  "I'm furious, but I have to work with her."

  "How in the world does this quilt show continue to happen with someone like her running things?"

  "Because there's a $2500 prize package, Polly. Her husband sponsors it for her. Some of these quilts will go to the state fair, but many will be sold. There's some good money in this show."

  "Wow. I had no idea."

  "Mrs. Rothenfuss has managed to bring national attention to this show over the last several years. She informed me that she had quilt buyers coming in from as far away as Florida so I needed to ensure we had excellent security."

  "That's what I don't want to know, isn't it." Polly said.

  "That was part of it."

  "What did you say to her?"

  "I told her t
hat all of our employees were trustworthy and while I was confident things would be perfectly safe here, if she wanted to contact either Aaron Merritt or Ken Wallers for additional security, we'd be glad to work with them."

  "Do you think she will?"

  "I think both men will laugh at her. But, she can do whatever she needs to do."

  "Okay. Don't mind me if I run away when I see her coming."

  Jeff laughed. "She's going to be here again this afternoon. They want to measure the auditorium, the classrooms and the hallways so she can finish her map of where the quilts will hang."

  "I'll find somewhere else to be. I have no idea why she felt it necessary to ignore me, but I don't have to take that."

  "She's a sad, mean woman, Polly. I think this is the only thing she has left in her life. It's not about you, it's just that she has a false sense of self-importance and a miserable attitude."

  "I know, I know. It's not about me. It's not about me." Polly left the office, muttering "It's not about me," and went up to her apartment. She fed the animals and ran down the back stairs to do more laundry. She took a load of towels back up the steps and dropped them on her bed, grabbing one to take into the bathroom.

  After a shower, she pulled clothes on and stood in front of her bed folding the rest of the towels. She put them away and sat down on the edge of her bed. The early morning had really messed with her. She lay down and began thinking about the things she wanted to do over the next few weeks. She picked her phone up from beside her and texted Henry.

  "Hey. What do you think about driving over to Story City on Saturday with me? I should look at the storage unit and remind myself of how much stuff I have to move."

  "I don't know if I can. Roy Dunston and his kids will be here."

  "Oh. I forgot all about that. Forget it."

  She set the phone back down on the bed beside her and shut her eyes. Waking up to that stupid nightmare must have completely wrecked her emotions. She began to feel sorry for herself and felt tears welling in her eyes again.

  "Stop it," she said out loud. "No crying. He told you that he might be busy and just because he can't always be there when you want to do something, doesn't mean he won't take care of you."

  It didn't help. She was gone. Her phone buzzed with an incoming text message and she ignored it, curling in on herself and letting the tears leak out.

  Polly knew that if she didn't deal with the email that was haunting her, her emotions would continue to be all over the place, so she left her phone on the bed and went out to the living room and picked up her laptop. She read the email one more time and then replied,

  "I know nothing about you, but if you would like to come to Bellingwood, I'd be happy to meet with you."

  She hesitated with her hand on the mouse, then sent the email and stood up.

  There was a knock on her bedroom door and she looked up to see Andrew standing there.

  "What's up, bud?" she asked.

  "Mom said she has breakfast if you want to come down. She also made a special pot of coffee for you."

  Polly followed him back through the bedroom, scooping up her phone and slipping it into her pocket.

  At the bottom of the steps, Andrew opened the door to the storage room and Polly smelled sausage.

  "Thanks for coming up to get me, Andrew. This smells great."

  "You're going to love it!" he said.

  Polly had purchased a rustic trestle table for the kitchen, placed so that anyone sitting there could look out into the back yard. She tried not to feel guilty that she hadn't followed through on the vegetable garden this year and hoped that next spring would be a different story. Benches fit under the table and there was easily room for eight people. Sylvie had set out plates and silverware and was pulling a casserole out of the oven.

  "What did you make?" Polly asked.

  "I found a recipe for a sausage and gravy casserole. It calls for canned biscuits on top, but I make my own."

  "Wow. It looks awesome."

  "Taste the coffee in the little pot over there. Dan, the sales guy, asked if I wanted to try something new."

  Polly poured a cup and sniffed it, inhaling the spicy scent. "It smells wonderful!"

  "He thought I might want to have it available this fall. This is a Chai-spiced coffee. They have pumpkin and ginger as well. I think these might be perfect for some of the fall and winter wedding receptions."

  "Mmmm," Polly said as she sipped it. "I like it."

  "I knew you would." Sylvie dished up some casserole on a plate and set it in front of Andrew. "Do you suppose Eliseo and Jason are coming up?"

  "Call them," Polly said, taking another sip.

  Jeff wandered in and sat down beside her. "That smells good.”

  "Try it," she responded and handed him the mug.

  He sniffed it and handed it back, "Oh, that's good. I'll get my own. Over here?" He pointed at the coffee pot. Polly nodded.

  "They'll be up in a minute. Andrew keep an eye out, they're coming in the back door." Sylvie said.

  She stayed busy while everyone ate, even though they all protested. Jason and Eliseo came in the back door and joined them. Polly looked around the table at her family. It felt like it was always expanding and she couldn't wait to see who would be next to join them.

  Sylvie pulled three coffee cakes out of the oven and began slicing them into pieces. Jeff arranged things on carts, much as he had the day before and left the kitchen.

  "Can we ride now?" Jason asked Eliseo.

  "Whenever you're finished," he responded.

  "Let's go! I want Mom to see," Jason said, jumping up.

  Eliseo quietly began picking up their dishes, moving slowly enough that Jason was bouncing at the door. "Don't you think we ought to help your mom clean up after she made breakfast for us?" he asked.

  "She can do it," Jason said. "She knows where everything goes." He had his hand on the door handle.

  "No, that's not how I work. If you want this to go faster, you'll help," Eliseo responded.

  Polly looked at Andrew who had a smirk on his face. Without a word, he picked his plate up and took it over to the sink, then came back and got Polly's. He waltzed past his brother and into the storage room to his hideaway. Jason couldn't stand it and picked up as many items from the table as he could carry in one trip. He made one more trip and then Polly stood, gathering the rest of the things.

  "I have it now," she said. "You guys go on. Thanks for helping."

  Eliseo and Jason went back out the kitchen door and she watched them walk to the pasture. The poor kid couldn't catch a break. There were too many adults in his life who appreciated his good behavior and intended to ensure he remained that way.

  When Sylvie returned to the kitchen, she glanced around. "Thanks for cleaning up, Polly."

  "It wasn't me," Polly replied. "Eliseo wasn't going to let Jason ride until he'd helped. It nearly killed him, but he got it done."

  They stacked dishes into the dish washer and Sylvie began pulling things out of the cupboards and onto the prep area. Polly was standing at the dryer, folding clothes into a basket when she heard Sylvie gasp and say, "Oh!"

  Sylvie rushed past the storage room door and opened the back door of the kitchen and Polly followed her. Eliseo and Jason were riding the two horses up to the back of the building. Jason was sitting proudly on Nat while Eliseo held Nan back and watched.

  Polly saw Sylvie's mouth twitch into a small smile. She turned around and went back into the storage room and tapped Andrew's shoulder. "Come with me a minute. Your mom is watching Jason ride Nat."

  Andrew put his book down and followed Polly back into the kitchen and out the back door.

  "Isn't he pretty, mom?" Jason asked as she approached the horse. Nat nickered at them and lowered his head. Sylvie put her hand on the white blaze that came down his forehead to his nose.

  "He's beautiful, Jason," she said. "I'm proud of you."

  "I'm not scared of him, even though he's so big," Jas
on said.

  "I know you're not." She turned to Eliseo. "Thank you for this."

  He shook his head, "He's done all the work. He's been doing it all spring, getting to know the horses and letting them learn to trust him. They like him, Mrs. Donovan. He's a good boy."

  "Can I ride in the parade with Eliseo?" Jason asked.

  She looked up at the man on the horse. "Really?"

  "If you agree."

  "Please, mom?"

  "If Polly and Eliseo say you can ride, then I'm okay with it."

  "Thanks!" Jason exclaimed. He bent over and put his head on Nat's neck, rubbing as far as his arms would let him.

  Sylvie backed up and watched as the two rode past the garage and onto the lane.

  "Thank you, Polly," she said. "Did you see how happy he was?"

  "I did. But, Eliseo was right. Jason earned this. He works hard with these horses."

  They went back inside and Sylvie washed her hands. She didn't say anything else. Polly shrugged, knowing her friend well enough to recognize she needed some space to be emotional. She followed Andrew back into the storage room. He went to his desk to read while she emptied the dryer and took the last of her laundry upstairs.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Eliseo was upstairs cleaning out the front guest room while Polly struggled to concentrate in her office. Lydia Merritt had artfully planned and purchased a beautiful set of furniture and announced that room would now be called the Cherry Room. The poet who had been staying there for the last six weeks had left earlier in the day after announcing, quite dramatically, that he was ready to return to civilization. In a quiet aside, Jeff told her that the man was from a small town near Louisville, Kentucky. She guessed people saw civilization where they wanted to see it.

  Jason and Andrew begged their mom for permission to spend the afternoon at the city pool across the street from Sycamore House. They were to be back at Polly's apartment by five thirty so Jason could help bring the horses in at the end of the day.

  Polly looked out her window. There were too many cars in the parking lot for her to see across to the pool. But that didn't stop the flood of memories. Every summer afternoon when she was young, she'd find a way to get into town and go swimming. She had terrible crushes on the older lifeguards and loved meeting her friends there. She played in the water until Mary called to her from outside the fence that it was time to go home. The very best days had been when she got to spend the night with a friend in town and they stayed at the pool until it closed.