A Touch of Autumn(2)
“Why, that’s scandalous! A married woman’s place is in the home.”
Olivia shrugged. “I guess she doesn’t think so. And Patrick’s allowing it, so he must not care.”
Her mother frowned. “At least Molly will be in school all day. I’m sure Helen won’t teach once she’s...” Her face turned pink and she turned away, bustling around the supplies. “We should have plenty of sugar and flour for the baking now. I promised chocolate cakes and custard and apple pies. So we’ll be busy this week.”
Olivia hid a grin that Mama would think it improper to mention someone in the family way to her unmarried daughter. “And cookies. Don’t forget that you promised oatmeal-raisin cookies.”
“Yes.” Mama sighed. “And that doesn’t count the fried chicken and potato salad. I’m not sure combining the Labor Day picnic with the back-to-school celebration is such a good idea. It’s an awful lot of work.”
“I can’t see that it matters, Mama. If we held them separately, everyone would come to both anyway. So we’d still have the same amount of work, only twice.”
“You’re right of course. Oh, Olivia. I forgot. Charles dropped by while you were in town. He seemed quite disappointed to find you gone.”
* * *
Charles Waverly loved everything about Quincy School. The smell of the polished wood floors, the joy on a student’s face when a difficult assignment was completed well, the satisfying camaraderie with the other teachers. But what he loved the most was the first week of September.
Luggage, students and parents overflowed the large foyer and spilled onto the grand staircase. Laughter reverberated to the high ceilings and reached into the farthest rooms, with an occasional reprimand from an anxious father wanting his son or daughter to make a good impression.
A scream rent the air and Helen’s stepdaughter, Molly, and her friend Trudy ran to greet a new arrival. Here and there a group of two or three friends stood together, their hands moving rapidly in sign language as they greeted each other after the long vacation.
Tantalizing aromas drifted from the kitchen, where Selma the cook and her assistants worked their magic. He was almost certain he smelled gumbo as well as Cook’s famous fried chicken.
A bundle of energy and laughter in the form of an eight-year-old boy barreled into him, grabbing him around the waist. “Mr. Charles. Did you miss me? I sure missed you.”
The high tones of the boy’s voice sent joy running through Charles. When Sonny had first come to Quincy, he knew no speech at all.
Charles laughed and returned the boy’s hug. “Of course I missed you, Sonny. There was no one around to plant frogs in my chair.”
Sonny giggled. “Do you think Cook is making peach cobbler for dessert? I ain’t tasted any since school was out.” He glanced around and waved to a boy across the foyer.
Charles grinned and with one finger gently turned Sonny’s face back toward him. “Haven’t tasted any, not ain’t.” Amazing how even deaf children still managed to pick up poor English habits. He ruffled the boy’s hair. “And I’m almost certain she wouldn’t have left out everyone’s favorite dessert.”
Sonny spotted Helen coming down the hall from the director’s office and, with a quick goodbye, he ran off to greet her.
It had taken Charles a while to get over his embarrassment around Helen after he’d made a fool of himself proposing last year, but she went out of her way to put him at ease. Now, they were friends again. He must have gone a little crazy for a while to think what he’d felt for her was love. He still wasn’t quite sure what it had been. Maybe Trent and Abigail Quincy’s wedding and obvious joy the year before had something to do with it. Or maybe just seeing his dear friend Helen giving her attention to another man had made him jealous. But, oh, how he thanked God she’d turned him down and married Patrick Flannigan.
He was delighted at their obvious happiness. But Charles was quite sure wedded bliss wasn’t for him. He planned to stay single and focus his attention on his students. The only woman he had any tender feelings for was Livvy, who was like the little sister he never had.
The thought of Livvy made him grin. She could always make him laugh without even trying. He didn’t know what he’d have done without her those first few weeks after Helen had gently but firmly refused his proposal of courtship and marriage. Too bad Olivia hadn’t been at home yesterday when he’d stopped by. But he’d see her at church on Sunday.
“Ow!” A child’s cry of pain drew Charles’s attention. He glanced up. Jeremiah, one of the older students, grinned as Sonny limped away. Was that boy going to be a problem again? They’d just about cured him of bullying last year¸ but it looked as if he’d returned to his old tricks over the summer.