The Letter(3)

Madeline stepped further into the room. An antique mirror hung over the dresser. A milk glass lamp rested on a writing table against one wall. A comfortable looking chair and reading lamp beckoned from the corner.

“The room is really pretty.” Madeline turned to Rebecca.

“Thanks. I love finding the perfect piece of furniture for the rooms and little items to decorate with. I’m always changing something. Larry, that’s my husband, is always making a fuss about my redecorating, but he doesn’t really mind. He’s out doing a run to the corner market for me right now. I needed a few things for breakfast. He’s good about running errands for me. He likes to keep me happy. That’s a great quality in a man, don’t you think so?”

Madeline just nodded against this flow of words. Not that she’d know if that was a great quality in a man. She’d never had a man who treated her particularly great, that’s for sure. Especially the last man who had been too busy to come to her mother’s funeral. The man she’d been dating for over a year and a half. Then he’d broken up with her a week later, just when she’d needed him most. A sad commentary on the quality of that relationship.

Once again, Rebecca interrupted Madeline’s thoughts. “I’ll let you get all settled in. I’ll be down in the kitchen if you need anything.”

“Do you have a suggestion on where I could get a quick dinner?”

“Sure do. Right down the street. One block. Magnolia Cafe. Wonderful food.”

“Thanks, I’ll try that.”

Rebecca slipped out the door, closing it softly behind her. Madeline stood looking at the warmly lit room. She placed her bag on the wooden luggage rack, took off her jacket, and sank into the chair in the corner. She ached with a loneliness that even the cheerful room couldn’t help chase away. The homeyness of the room taunted her, reminding her of what she was missing since putting her mother’s house on the market—the home she’d grown up in. Tears teased the corners of her eyes. Again. She had to get over the tears. Somehow.

What had seemed like such a great idea, this hunt for Josephine and her mystery man, now seemed like a bit of a foolish quest. Why did they even matter to her?

But, in some way, they did. Not that she could explain it.

~ * ~

Thirty minutes later Madeline was walking through the front door of the Magnolia Cafe. A young woman came up to her immediately, with a friendly smile and a stack of menus.

“Table for one?”

“Yes, please.” Madeline followed the woman to a booth by the front window.

“I’m Keely, glad you stopped in. Just traveling through?”

“I’m here for a few days. Staying at Sweet Tea B&B. Rebecca recommended this place.”

“Good for Rebecca, my one-woman public relations manager. Isn’t her B&B darling? She is so talented at decorating. The Sweet Tea looks like it should be in some glossy magazine with the best decorating ideas for your home.”

“It’s very pretty.” Madeline had to admit the B&B was lovely. Rebecca seemed to have an innate sense of what went together, without a feeling of over-decorated.

“Well, I’ll send Becky Lee to take your order. Can I get you something to drink?”

“Tea would be nice.” Madeline slipped into the booth

“Sweet tea?”

“Yes, sweet tea would be fine.”

Madeline opened the menu and looked through the plain home-cooked meals offered. She was craving comfort food, and luckily her number one comfort food, meatloaf, was on the menu.

A waitress came over and set her tea on the table. “Hi there. I hear you’re in town for a few days. Staying at the Sweet Tea. Great place to stay. I’m Becky Lee, I’ll be your server.”

“Hi, Becky Lee. I’ve already decided to try the meatloaf.”

“Good choice. Best meatloaf in the county. Heck, probably in the state. I’ll get that right out for you.” Becky Lee bustled away towards the kitchen, and Madeline sat back and looked out the window at Main Street. The street gave the impression of something out of an old- fashioned greeting card. Lampposts that looked like old gaslight lamps lined the street. The store fronts, most with great big windows, showed off their wares. Such a quaint little town. She imagined it still looked similar to when her grandmother lived here.

She wished she could remember how long her grandmother had lived here. She didn’t really have anyone to ask anymore. The last of her family was gone with her mother’s death. Madeline was an only child. Both her mom and her father had been only children as well. Her dad had been gone for years, ever since her senior year in high school. But maybe she could find out something about her grandmother’s life in Comfort Crossing.