The Second Sister (34 page)

“Well, I think this calls for a celebration!” Daphne said.

“You're right!” Rinda slapped her hands against her thighs, stood up, and started issuing instructions. “Celia, baby, come on into the kitchen and help me slice that chocolate cake I made. There's a bottle of sparkling cider in the refrigerator too. I've been saving it for a special occasion. Daphne and Lucy, you two go set up the sewing machines. I know Lucy forgot to bring hers, but we can manage with three. I've got a binding I need to stitch.”

Daphne touched four fingers to her forehead in a mock salute and said, “Aye-aye, Captain.” Celia jumped to her feet and started to follow our hostess. I got up, too, and grabbed my leather jacket from where I'd left it on the back of the sofa.

“Listen, I hate to miss the party, but I can't stay. I promised Peter I'd meet him for dinner at The Library.”

Rinda, who was already halfway to the kitchen, spun around to look at me. “You're having dinner with Peter? Why? Did you forget that it's quilt night?”

“Well, no . . . I mean, yes . . . It's just that . . .”

Rinda scowled and put a hand on her hip. “It's just that what? Spit it out!”

I opened my mouth to explain and, inexplicably, started to laugh. Hard. And for a long time. It was crazy! I couldn't stop myself. I tried, but I couldn't. I just stood there laughing, giggling like a thirteen-year-old girl and feeling twice as giddy.

Celia giggled, too, but nervously, as if she didn't quite know how to respond. Rinda just kept scowling at me, irritated and completely confused. Daphne's face lit up like a Christmas tree, and she ran over and threw her arms around me.

“No way! Really?” she cried.

Still giggling and now to the point of tears, I bobbed my head in mute confirmation.

“Oh, Lucy! That's fantastic!” she exclaimed and squeezed me even tighter.

Celia, who by this time had figured out what was going on, squealed and threw her arms around us both. “I'm so happy for you!”

“What?” Rinda barked and threw out her hands.

“Don't you get it?” Daphne said. “Lucy's in love!”

“I am,” I said, suspending my laughter just long enough to confirm it.

Rinda rolled her eyes and groaned, “Oh, no. Not you too! It was bad enough when it was just Daphne. Now we have to put up with two grown women getting all giddy and going on and on about their—”

“Rinda,” Celia said sweetly, “why don't you shut up and get that bottle of cider? I think it's time for a toast, don't you?”

Rinda narrowed her eyes, giving Celia a momentary glare. Then she smiled. “You're probably right,” she said, and went off to the kitchen.

By the time she returned carrying a tray with four orange juice glasses and a bottle of chilled sparkling cider, explaining that they didn't have wine goblets, I had regained my composure. Celia took over from there, pouring the cider and passing out the glasses. When everyone had one, we got to our feet and stood in a circle.

“So does this mean I'm an official member of the FOA?” I asked.

“The Friends of Alice?” Rinda cocked her head and gave me a curious look. “Honey, you always were.”

“And now you're our friend too,” Celia said, her face beaming.

“I know. I'm glad,” I said. “So who's making the toast? Daphne? Does Mr. Shakespeare have anything appropriate for the occasion?”

“Mr. Shakespeare has something appropriate for
every
occasion. Tonight it's from
Richard the Second
.”

Daphne lifted her glass and the rest of us followed. “ ‘I count myself in nothing else so happy as in a soul remembering my good friends.' ”

“Amen,” Rinda said.

Chapter 45

T
hree days until Christmas and I'd run out of wrapping paper. Again.

But my miscalculation was understandable. After all, I'd never had so many presents to wrap before. In years past, my gift list had been limited to Alice, Joe Feeney, Jenna, and Mr. and Mrs. Ryland. I'd always sent a present to Barney, too, but that I'd had shipped directly from the catalog company, a box of apples and cheese. To a guy who grew apples for a living. What had I been thinking?

The answer was: I wasn't. I'd seen Christmas as just another task to check off my to-do list.

This year it was different. I had a lot more people in my life than ever before, which meant I had a lot more gifts to buy for them. I wanted every single one of them to be special.

Peter helped me pick out presents for his dad, his sister, her husband, and their two kids, as well as Uncle Hugh and Aunt Eileen. But I'd picked out Mrs. Swenson's gift, a bottle of perfume, on my own. I got a set of studio-grade drawing pencils for Celia, a bust of Shakespeare for Daphne, beautiful soft knitted berets and matching gloves for her girls, in each of their favorite colors, and a new Bible with a pink leather cover for Rinda. Father Damon and Mrs. Lieshout would be getting gift certificates to Dinah's Pie Shop.

For Barney, I'd chosen a new barn coat and matching hat, both with sheepskin lining, to replace the old ones he'd just about worn threadbare. A little pricey, but I figured I ought to make it up to him after all those years of fruit boxes.

Peter would be getting a new ice-fishing rod and a pair of beautiful, hand-stitched, leather gloves, very soft and warm. They'd come in handy when we went to Washington for the inauguration.

That was my present from the president-elect. The tickets had just arrived in the mail, along with tickets to one of the balls. I wouldn't want to live there, but Washington was a nice place to visit, and that's what I intended to do: see every single monument and museum, just like the rest of the tourists, marveling at our history and taking pride in the miracle of our democracy, just like the rest of my countrymen. I couldn't wait.

But, before I got to do any of that, I had to buy some more paper and finish wrapping the rest of the gifts. And make a couple as well.

I was stitching up some catnip toys for Dave and Freckles. I thought about new cat beds, but realized they'd still insist on sleeping with me—and waking me up in the wee hours so I could feed them. Well, it was really just Freckles who did that. Dave sleeps right through the night. And right on my pillow.

I was making a little scrapbook with photos of Alice and the rest of the family for Jennifer. I wouldn't be able to finish it in time for Christmas, but I didn't think she'd mind.

I was making something else for her, too, another quilt. But that's for later, for her birthday, when she comes up to visit in July. She called me the day after she left and asked if that date would work. Of course I said yes.

And then, as soon as I hung up I went into the sewing room and started picking out fabrics for her quilt, purples and white, the school colors for Kenyon College. I picked out a pattern, too, called New Year's Star. It leaves a lot of white in the background that Celia says will be a good place to show off some fancier quilting and these skinny, V-block stars that remind me of exploding purple firecrackers.

I was worried that it would be too hard for me, but Rinda and Daphne have been helping talk me through it, and so far, so good. I think Jennifer will love it. It's turning out beautifully so far. Everything is.

Dear Reading Friend,

 

Early in our marriage, my husband and I were fortunate to spend a couple of years living in Wisconsin. In fact, our first son was born there and proudly roots for the Packers to this day. During those years, my family and I had many opportunities to make day and weekend trips to Door County, walking along the shore, picking apples, enjoying fish boils at the White Gull Inn, and taking pictures of the goats grazing on the roof of Al Johnson's restaurant.

When I was thinking about where I might want to set my novel about two sisters, one who can't wait to get away from home and one who can't bear to leave, the Door County peninsula came immediately to mind. Thirty years had passed since my last visit to “The Door,” but when I returned there to spend a few days researching the area, I found it just as beautiful and enchanting as I did when I was a new bride and young mom. If you've ever been there, I'm sure you know just what I mean.

And if you've never been to Door County, do take the opportunity if it ever comes your way. You'll have a wonderful time. But until then, I hope you enjoyed taking this little armchair visit to one of the most delightful spots on earth, home to some of the kindest and warmest people you could ever hope to meet.

Though Door County is a real place, the town of Nilson's Bay is a product of my imagination, an amalgam of so many charming little towns on the peninsula, with a few flights of my own fancy thrown in, just because I could. One of my greatest pleasures in writing comes when I am creating a new little town, deciding how the streets are laid out, where people like to gather most, what the shops sell, what the residents are like, and, of course, what unique stories they have to tell. When I'm writing about a place like Nilson's Bay, I can see every street corner and building, hear the call of the gulls flying overhead and the waves lapping against the pier, breathe in the scent of butter and baking apples coming from Dinah's Pie Shop. I can see the characters walking down the sidewalks, hear their conversations as well as if we were dear friends, which, of course, we are.

I hope that you experience that same sensation when reading
The Second Sister,
that you feel like you know the characters as friends and, for a few hours at least, consider yourself a temporary resident of Nilson's Bay, and that, after the story ends, you find yourself wanting to return. If that's the case, drop me an e-mail or note on my Facebook page and let me know.

As I write this, I cannot honestly say if I'll write more books about Lucy, Rinda, Daphne, Celia, and the other residents of Nilson's Bay—there are just so many, many stories in my head, more than I could write in three lifetimes—but I do take reader response into account when choosing future projects, so do feel free to weigh in. I always love hearing from my readers.

You can write to me at . . .

 

Marie Bostwick

P.O. Box 488

Thomaston, CT 06787

 

Or “like” my Facebook fan page at
www.facebook.com/mariebostwick
. (And if you also check the “Get Notifications” item from the pull-down menu, you'll get all my posts. I'm there every day.)

And remember, if you register on
www.mariebostwick.com
, you'll not only be subscribed to my monthly newsletter (which has information on all my doings, as well as book recommendations, recipes, fun links, contests, and other tidbits I know you'll enjoy), you'll also be able to download
free
companion quilt patterns and recipes from many of my books, including
The Second Sister
.

Usually when I finish a new book, my dear friend Deb Tucker, creative kingpin of Studio 180 Design, and I collaborate to create a new
free
downloadable quilt pattern as a gift to my lovely readers. However, Deb is extraordinarily busy right now, working on a pattern book to be released in the spring of 2015 with some of her gorgeous Hunter's Star designs (can't wait to see it!). So that means that this time I'll be doing the design for the companion project on my own. I've decided to create a pattern for Lucy's first project—a jazzed-up nine-patch in blue, orange, and white. It's going to be a fun quilt to make, something even a beginner can handle, so be sure to register on my website so you can download it as well as the other free patterns that are available there.

Even though Deb isn't available to create a companion quilt with me for this book, you can find full-sized patterns for quilts from my past books available for purchase on her website. Be sure to check them out at
www.studio180design.net
. (And while you're at it, take a look at Deb's fabulous tools and rulers, too—they've made me a much better quilter!)

I hope you enjoyed reading
The Second Sister
as much as I enjoyed writing it. This is my eleventh full-length novel. Every time I think about that, I am amazed, grateful, and mindful that it would never, ever have happened without the loyalty and support of readers like you. Thank you so much.

 

Blessings,

 

 

 

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

 

 

The following questions are intended to
enhance your group's reading of
The Second Sister
.