embroidery samplers to review their alphabet and verses while learning to make various stitches,” I said.
“Well,” Eleanor said, “do whatever you’d like with it.”
“If you’re sure you don’t want it, I’d love to frame it and display it in the shop with a history of samplers and a bit of information about Mrs. Ralston and her great-grandmother.”
“That’d be nice.” She looked up at her uncle. “Will you take care of getting whatever information Ms. Singer needs?”
“Of course,” Cary said.
“If you’ll excuse me,” Eleanor said, “I need to speak with Adam.” She headed off in the direction of Mr. Gray and my mother.
I turned to Cary. “Thank you for your assistance, but I’m afraid my mother and I must be going.”
“I enjoyed meeting you, Ms. Singer. I’ll be around within the next day or so with that information you wanted.”
I smiled. “Thank you.” I caught Mom’s eye just as Eleanor Ralston reached her and Mr. Gray. I gave a slight nod in the direction of the door. Mom said something to Mr. Gray and then made her way to the door.
We both wished we’d asked our cabbie to stay as soon as we stepped out into the cold. Being from San Francisco, we were used to taxis always being at the ready. That wasn’t the case in this little section of the country.
Fortunately, there was a coffee shop across the street. We decided to call a cab from there so we could stay warm and drink hot cocoa while we awaited the cab’s arrival.
Mom went to the counter to order our drinks, and I sat at a table near the window and dialed a local cab company. By the time Mom brought our drinks to the table, I was just finishing up the call.
I dropped my phone into my black clutch. “The dispatcher said he’ll have someone here in about fifteen minutes,” I said.
“All right. At least that should give us time to get started on our drinks.”
“I don’t want to take them with us,” I said. “I shudder at the thought of hot cocoa all over that pretty gray suit.”
She waved away my concern with a bejeweled hand. “That’s what dry cleaners are for, love.”
I took a sip of my cocoa. “Hot” was an understatement. It should’ve been called molten lava cocoa.
“I got a strange vibe at that place,” I said, glancing over at the funeral home. “You know, stranger than just being at a funeral home, I mean.”
“I do know what you mean. It was as if the only true mourner was Mr. Gray.”
“I know. When I mentioned the sampler, all the granddaughter seemed to care about was its monetary value. When I told her there probably wasn’t any, she told me to keep it.”
Mom frowned. “It could still be worth a couple thousand. I wouldn’t be surprised if she decides she wants it back to have it appraised, so don’t frame it just yet.”
“I won’t. But isn’t it a shame the family is interested only in divvying up the assets? Mrs. Ralston seemed like a really nice person.”
“Nice people don’t necessarily turn out nice children,” Mom said. “And when money is involved, people do crazy things. I agree it’s sad, though.”
I saw our cab pull up outside. “Our ride is here. What do you say we go home, get into our pajamas, make a big bowl of popcorn, and watch a movie?”
“An old movie?” Mom asked, standing and picking up her purse and her drink.
“We’ll even watch a silent movie, if that’s what you want.”
We smiled at each other.
“Chaplin,” we said in unison.
Chapter Six
M om accompanied me to work the next morning. On her previous visits to Tallulah Falls, she had divided her time between the Seven-Year Stitch, my house, and other shops up and down the coast. But today she informed me that she intended to stay with me all day. I wasn’t sure how long that would last without her going stir-crazy. Mom preferred sewing to embroidery, and I was afraid she’d get bored just keeping me company. I guess her guilt over my being caught with the type of
“Well,” Eleanor said, “do whatever you’d like with it.”
“If you’re sure you don’t want it, I’d love to frame it and display it in the shop with a history of samplers and a bit of information about Mrs. Ralston and her great-grandmother.”
“That’d be nice.” She looked up at her uncle. “Will you take care of getting whatever information Ms. Singer needs?”
“Of course,” Cary said.
“If you’ll excuse me,” Eleanor said, “I need to speak with Adam.” She headed off in the direction of Mr. Gray and my mother.
I turned to Cary. “Thank you for your assistance, but I’m afraid my mother and I must be going.”
“I enjoyed meeting you, Ms. Singer. I’ll be around within the next day or so with that information you wanted.”
I smiled. “Thank you.” I caught Mom’s eye just as Eleanor Ralston reached her and Mr. Gray. I gave a slight nod in the direction of the door. Mom said something to Mr. Gray and then made her way to the door.
We both wished we’d asked our cabbie to stay as soon as we stepped out into the cold. Being from San Francisco, we were used to taxis always being at the ready. That wasn’t the case in this little section of the country.
Fortunately, there was a coffee shop across the street. We decided to call a cab from there so we could stay warm and drink hot cocoa while we awaited the cab’s arrival.
Mom went to the counter to order our drinks, and I sat at a table near the window and dialed a local cab company. By the time Mom brought our drinks to the table, I was just finishing up the call.
I dropped my phone into my black clutch. “The dispatcher said he’ll have someone here in about fifteen minutes,” I said.
“All right. At least that should give us time to get started on our drinks.”
“I don’t want to take them with us,” I said. “I shudder at the thought of hot cocoa all over that pretty gray suit.”
She waved away my concern with a bejeweled hand. “That’s what dry cleaners are for, love.”
I took a sip of my cocoa. “Hot” was an understatement. It should’ve been called molten lava cocoa.
“I got a strange vibe at that place,” I said, glancing over at the funeral home. “You know, stranger than just being at a funeral home, I mean.”
“I do know what you mean. It was as if the only true mourner was Mr. Gray.”
“I know. When I mentioned the sampler, all the granddaughter seemed to care about was its monetary value. When I told her there probably wasn’t any, she told me to keep it.”
Mom frowned. “It could still be worth a couple thousand. I wouldn’t be surprised if she decides she wants it back to have it appraised, so don’t frame it just yet.”
“I won’t. But isn’t it a shame the family is interested only in divvying up the assets? Mrs. Ralston seemed like a really nice person.”
“Nice people don’t necessarily turn out nice children,” Mom said. “And when money is involved, people do crazy things. I agree it’s sad, though.”
I saw our cab pull up outside. “Our ride is here. What do you say we go home, get into our pajamas, make a big bowl of popcorn, and watch a movie?”
“An old movie?” Mom asked, standing and picking up her purse and her drink.
“We’ll even watch a silent movie, if that’s what you want.”
We smiled at each other.
“Chaplin,” we said in unison.
Chapter Six
M om accompanied me to work the next morning. On her previous visits to Tallulah Falls, she had divided her time between the Seven-Year Stitch, my house, and other shops up and down the coast. But today she informed me that she intended to stay with me all day. I wasn’t sure how long that would last without her going stir-crazy. Mom preferred sewing to embroidery, and I was afraid she’d get bored just keeping me company. I guess her guilt over my being caught with the type of
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