absolutely necessary was weighing on Johnny's mind. He told his father he would work hard and do well in the local high school, but Malcolm was determined to increase Johnny's chances for success by enrolling him in a prep school near New Brunswick.
They stopped in front of Hannah's house and Johnny waited while she walked to her front porch. She turned and waved, and watched him as he walked to his house, then waved to him one more time before going into her house.
Becky was setting the table when she came in. She could see their sturdy housekeeper counting out the utensils for dinner and smiled when Becky looked up. She was not old, claiming to be in her thirties, with straight brown hair that she wore in a tight bun at the nape of her neck. She wore a plain blouse and skirt under her apron and she had a kind face. She always smiled when she saw Hannah.
"Dinner's within the hour," Becky said.
"Where's mama?" Hannah asked.
"She's upstairs. I haven't seen her for a while."
Hannah looked up the stairs. It was dark, and she knew that meant the door to her mother's "room" was closed; otherwise the upstairs hall would be bright with the late afternoon sunlight. Her mother's room was the spare room Marian had fixed up for her own use. She would close the door and wouldn't answer unless there was an emergency.
Hannah sighed.
"What's wrong?" Becky said. "Tell me."
Hannah walked over to the table and sat next to where Becky was sorting spoons.
"I wasn't very nice to Johnny today. I think I hurt his feelings."
"Well, he'll get over it. Men usually do."
"But he's a boy, Becky. Do they get over things too?"
"How old is Johnny now?"
"He's fourteen."
"Then he's old enough. Now, go wash your hands. I won't let you eat until you do."
"I washed them off in the ocean."
"Exactly why you have to wash them now. Do you know what goes on in the ocean?"
Hannah rolled her eyes and went to the kitchen where she washed her hands in the big, double porcelain sink. The large kitchen also had the latest gas stove and ice box. Three times a week, the iceman would come from Red Bank, drive by, and Becky would put a sign in the front window indicating how much ice they needed. He would then deliver it to the back door and put it in the icebox for her. Sometimes he would flirt with Becky, and she would call him fresh.
Hannah sat in her seat at the table and watched as Becky put the finishing touches on the table. She began playing with her fork, and Becky narrowed her eyes.
"You're too old to be playing with your fork," she said.
Hannah put it down and frowned.
"Wipe that frown off your face, young lady."
Then Hannah grinned.
"Very funny," Becky said with a smile.
They heard Marian's footsteps coming down the stairs and looked toward the hallway. She appeared at the dining room entrance and smiled when she saw Hannah.
"You look so red!" she said when she saw Hannah's sunburned face.
"I can't feel it," Hannah replied.
"You will," Becky said as she put the silverware chest into the credenza.
"We'll put some vinegar on it before you go to bed," Marian said. "Now, tell me about your day."
"Johnny and I made a sand castle. The sun kept drying out the sand, so he had to go to the ocean a lot."
"Was it a good castle?"
"It was all right."
"I'm sure it was wonderful," Marian said. "I'd love to see one sometime. Maybe I'll come with you to the beach next Saturday."
"You'd really come?"
"Yes, I would. I want to see one of your castles."
Hannah bit her lower lip. She thought about the modeling clay Johnny had mentioned.
"Mama," she said. "Johnny said there is something called modeling clay that I could make castles out of."
"I've heard of that," Becky said. "It gets your hands all gummy."
"Did he say where you can buy it?" Marian asked.
"No, but we could ask at the dry goods."
"I'll take you there Monday morning," Becky said, glancing at Marian. "I need a few things
They stopped in front of Hannah's house and Johnny waited while she walked to her front porch. She turned and waved, and watched him as he walked to his house, then waved to him one more time before going into her house.
Becky was setting the table when she came in. She could see their sturdy housekeeper counting out the utensils for dinner and smiled when Becky looked up. She was not old, claiming to be in her thirties, with straight brown hair that she wore in a tight bun at the nape of her neck. She wore a plain blouse and skirt under her apron and she had a kind face. She always smiled when she saw Hannah.
"Dinner's within the hour," Becky said.
"Where's mama?" Hannah asked.
"She's upstairs. I haven't seen her for a while."
Hannah looked up the stairs. It was dark, and she knew that meant the door to her mother's "room" was closed; otherwise the upstairs hall would be bright with the late afternoon sunlight. Her mother's room was the spare room Marian had fixed up for her own use. She would close the door and wouldn't answer unless there was an emergency.
Hannah sighed.
"What's wrong?" Becky said. "Tell me."
Hannah walked over to the table and sat next to where Becky was sorting spoons.
"I wasn't very nice to Johnny today. I think I hurt his feelings."
"Well, he'll get over it. Men usually do."
"But he's a boy, Becky. Do they get over things too?"
"How old is Johnny now?"
"He's fourteen."
"Then he's old enough. Now, go wash your hands. I won't let you eat until you do."
"I washed them off in the ocean."
"Exactly why you have to wash them now. Do you know what goes on in the ocean?"
Hannah rolled her eyes and went to the kitchen where she washed her hands in the big, double porcelain sink. The large kitchen also had the latest gas stove and ice box. Three times a week, the iceman would come from Red Bank, drive by, and Becky would put a sign in the front window indicating how much ice they needed. He would then deliver it to the back door and put it in the icebox for her. Sometimes he would flirt with Becky, and she would call him fresh.
Hannah sat in her seat at the table and watched as Becky put the finishing touches on the table. She began playing with her fork, and Becky narrowed her eyes.
"You're too old to be playing with your fork," she said.
Hannah put it down and frowned.
"Wipe that frown off your face, young lady."
Then Hannah grinned.
"Very funny," Becky said with a smile.
They heard Marian's footsteps coming down the stairs and looked toward the hallway. She appeared at the dining room entrance and smiled when she saw Hannah.
"You look so red!" she said when she saw Hannah's sunburned face.
"I can't feel it," Hannah replied.
"You will," Becky said as she put the silverware chest into the credenza.
"We'll put some vinegar on it before you go to bed," Marian said. "Now, tell me about your day."
"Johnny and I made a sand castle. The sun kept drying out the sand, so he had to go to the ocean a lot."
"Was it a good castle?"
"It was all right."
"I'm sure it was wonderful," Marian said. "I'd love to see one sometime. Maybe I'll come with you to the beach next Saturday."
"You'd really come?"
"Yes, I would. I want to see one of your castles."
Hannah bit her lower lip. She thought about the modeling clay Johnny had mentioned.
"Mama," she said. "Johnny said there is something called modeling clay that I could make castles out of."
"I've heard of that," Becky said. "It gets your hands all gummy."
"Did he say where you can buy it?" Marian asked.
"No, but we could ask at the dry goods."
"I'll take you there Monday morning," Becky said, glancing at Marian. "I need a few things
Similar Books
At the Villa of Reduced Circumstances
Alexander McCall Smith
Mended Hearts
Ruth Logan Herne
The Book
M. Clifford
Whispers of Heaven
Candice Proctor
The Wish List
Eoin Colfer
Alexander Mccall Smith - Isabel Dalhousie 05
The Comforts of a Muddy Saturday
Episode One: Look Back in Anger
S.N. Graves
A Long Way From You
Gwendolyn Heasley
False Pretences
Veronica Heley