CHAPTER 11

C HAPTE R 11

The next afternoon, Ava sat on the chair Orson pulled out for her. The little girl across the table giggled and shifted excitedly on her chair. It made her feel like family just sitting down to Sunday dinner with a man and a child. Her heart warmed at the thought, and she was almost at the place of believing it could happen.

"Sheena, stop your wiggling," Orson said, "and wipe that silly grin off your face. Do you want to scare the lady away?"

"No, sir," she said quickly. She turned to Ava. "You're not scared, are you? Papa says I fidget too much and my chatter leaves the birds wondering if there's anything left to chirp about."

Ava smiled. "I am not scared. In fact, I enjoy wiggly little girls who aren't afraid to speak their minds. You never have to guess what they're thinking."

"See, Papa, she likes me."

Orson rolled his eyes, as he unfolded his linen napkin and placed it on his lap. "This is your first full day in Blazer, and you just came from Sunday service," Sheena's father chastised gently. "You do realize your grandmother would be appalled at your lack of discipline?"

The child made a motion with her hand of buttoning her mouth closed, placed her napkin precisely across her lap, and cast a playful grin at her father. The adults burst out laughing at the girl's antics.

"It's easy to see you are your father's pride and joy, Sheena." The child puffed out her chest proudly, and Ava smothered a laugh.

"You're right there, Miss Gardner," he said, his eyes misting over as he rested a fist on his heart. "And the lassie knows it."

"Do you like school, Sheena?" Ava asked.

"It's all right, but mostly I like recess in the schoolyard."

"A splendid reward for all the hard work done inside. I liked it as well," Ava said.

"She gets good grades in most subjects, but I think she's the teacher's pet, so I am not sure how accurate her grades are."

"I am not, Papa. That Jimmy Jake gets away with everything." Sheena looked at Ava. "Did you ever know someone with two first names? Can't imagine hooking up with a fellow like that. Mrs. Jake sounds downright ridiculous."

"Sheena!" her father scolded. Orson received a lopsided wink for his effort, and his face suddenly relaxed. He did shoot his daughter a warning glance, suggesting to Ava that the child was not considering matrimony for herself but perhaps her father.

The child confirmed that assumption by turning her attention to Ava. "I like my last name. Shilling…it makes one think of money, and what woman isn't interested in being associated with wealth? I shall hate to give it up someday, but some lucky lady will inherit it when they marry my father. A right good catch, if you ask me."

"No one asked you, Sheena," her father said. "Before the waitress arrives, why don't you tell me what you crave in the food department?"

"I was hankering for some ham. The preacher got my tummy rumbling when he talked about that sheet full of food that came down from heaven in a vision."

"Does that mean you are feeling a bit rebellious? Determined to show that Jewish man in the Bible story who never ate the forbidden food that you can?"

"Why, Papa, you must think me terribly spiteful. The thought never entered my mind." She laughed and reached for her water glass. "Here the pretty lady comes now. Ham, with lots of vegetables is my choice. This northern air is making me extra hungry."

"Good afternoon," the server said. "What can I get you from the kitchen?"

Orson looked at Ava, who was scanning the dinner selections. "I think I will go with the ham steak plus all the vegetables of the day and a side of applesauce." She glanced at Sheena, who grinned from ear to ear.

"Oh, Papa, I like Miss Gardner a whole lot," Sheena blurted out unreservedly. The girl passed her menu sheet to the lady, who stood at the ready with a pen and a pad to continue documenting their order. "Make that two ham plates, please."

Orson sighed, and Ava wondered if he thought the two females at the table were ganging up on him.

"I think I will try the beef steak—grilled with just a touch of pink in the middle—with today's vegetables, please." He took Ava's sheet from her and handed their menus to the waitress. "Bring milk for my daughter and two coffees, as well."

The meal progressed well. Sheena was delightful entertainment. That girl reminded her of Blanche. The two would get along famously. They made arrangements for Sheena to come to the Yagger house at nine the following morning.

As they were finishing up their berry pie, the chef appeared. "I hope you enjoyed your meal."

"Excellent, as usual, Chef Platie. This is my daughter, Sheena, who will be staying with me here at the hotel, and you remember Miss Gardner," Orson said by way of introduction.

"Welcome, little one. If you have any favorites you'd like me to whip up, please do not hesitate to suggest it." He turned his attention to Ava. "I do recall your companion, Mr. Shilling. I also recall that I offered her a job some time ago. Did you find employment elsewhere?"

"I did not. I've been brushing up on my culinary skills and planned to come and see you."

"Ah, so you are serious, then?"

"I will need funds to get my life started here in Blazer, sir, and an opportunity to learn from such a skilled chef is a dream come true."

"Really?" Orson said. "I never heard you mention that particular dream."

"I don't share everything with you." She bit her bottom lip at her slip of the tongue and hastened on. "When I was Sheena's age, eating whatever my unskilled mother could scrounge up from her weedy garden or the woods, I imagined sitting at an elegant table, enjoying all the tastes of fresh food cooked properly. A girl has many hidden dreams waiting to be awakened, Mr. Shilling, as you shall find out as your daughter grows."

"Touche," he said looking up toward Chef Platie. "You heard the lady. I believe the new mother at the Yagger household has recovered enough to resume her tasks, leaving her guest some time on her hands."

"Not tomorrow though, Papa. I am going to spend the day with Miss Gardener, remember?"

"How could I forget?"

"Why don't you come in on Tuesday for a few hours over lunch? You can dirty up an apron and see if you like sweltering in my hot kitchen."

"That is a very kind offer." Ava's brain was working overtime, but it always came back to the reality that she needed employment, and a position in a restaurant would be considered a respectable hire. "I shall be here at ten so I can help you to prepare your lunch menu. Or you can leave the clean up from breakfast, and I will start there," she added quickly, hoping not to sound presumptuous that she expected to assist the chef when maybe all he needed was a dishwasher.

"Perfect. I look forward to working with you, but my wife will thank you abundantly. She says I will surely die in this kitchen from being overworked."

Ava stood and offered her hand for him to shake as all good business people solidified agreements. His grip was powerful, and she hoped some of his strength would wear off on her.

Seated, she brought a hand to her mouth. "Oh, dear. Look at me, Sheena—doing business on a Sunday. Your grandmother would think we both could use a trouncing."

Sheena laughed. "Granny wouldn't discipline you, Miss Gardner, you being a grown lady. A skinny youngster like me would sure appreciate some of that puff on my skirt when she leaned me over on her lap."

"Which rarely happens, apparently," her father said, dabbing his lips with the napkin before placing it on the table. "Are you ladies ready? We should get Miss Gardner home so she can rest up for tomorrow."

The Shilling's escorted her to the Yagger's door. They said their goodbyes, and Ava lingered on the porch to watch the two head back to town, the child holding her father's hand as she skipped merrily at his side.

Ava dared to dream the impossible dream.

When Blanche called out from inside the house, she turned and went inside, bursting at the seams to tell the family about her new job at the hotel's restaurant.

The next day was filled with the unexpected. What Blanche could not think of, Sheena filled in. The two hit it off wonderfully, just as Ava had anticipated.

Sheena gingerly ran a finger along infant Jacob's cheek while he rested in the cradle downstairs.

"Do you like babies?" Ava asked.

"Oh, yes," she said dramatically, "but Papa is so slow to get married again, I fear I will miss having a brother or sister altogether." Ah, ha! Ava recalled the girl's statement from the day before that had hinted she might be eager for her father to find a wife.

"Your father is still a young man. He has lots of time."

"But I don't," Sheena said. "Why, my grandmother says I'm growing so fast, she can hardly keep up with my wardrobe." The girl studied Ava, and she dreaded what might come next from the girl's affluent lips. Whatever had caused such a study expired when Sheena bit her tongue to suppress her mouth from vocalizing it.

"Do you like fine clothes?" Ava asked, interested to see if she thought the wardrobe made the person.

"I like dressing up for special events, but I tire of changing outfits designated for school, play, dinner, and even church clothes—dare I wear the same outfit two weeks in a row?"

"That is a lot for a young girl to consider every day," Ava said, placing the last of the necessary ingredients for chocolate cookies on the working counter. "Are you ready to bake?"

"Yes, Miss Gardner. I never get to mess around in the kitchen. This will be such fun."

"A girl should know how to bake her favorite cookies. Leastways, your father told me you loved all things chocolate."

"Oh, yes. He was right about that."

Ava passed her an apron just as Blanche came in the room. "Did I hear we were making cookies in here today?"

"You did, and we girls could use your expertise. I know chocolate is a particular favorite of yours as well."

"You must be Sheena. Miss Gardner told us all about you last night." Blanche grabbed a clean apron off the shelf and tied the straps as she studied the ingredients spread out on the counter. "This is Mama's recipe. It'll be the yummiest you've ever tasted, Sheena."

"Even better than Sammy can bake?"

"Does Sammy work in your kitchen at home?" Ava asked, beginning to feel out of her league; even imagining that Orson Shilling might be attracted to her for the long haul.

"He is our cook, and he does a fine job at baking, but my grandmother brings in a lady twice a week to do up the fancy stuff."

"All those people in your kitchen just to feed the three of you?" Ava could hardly fathom such a waste of money while the lady of the house sat idle and issued orders.

"Papa entertains a lot of boring business people when he is home. I can't talk when we have company unless spoken to. Granny is a bit of a stickler for that rule. She says one day, when I am the mistress of my home, I will appreciate knowing proper etiquette." Sheena rolled her eyes, suggesting she did not care one way or the other.

Maybe there was hope for Ava after all. She immediately chided herself for allowing her thoughts to even go there. She had no right, now or ever, to sit at a gentleman of that caliber's table. Tomorrow she would start a job, sharing her newly-acquired kitchen skills and learning to be content in that station. It certainly topped her previous employment, and it would provide the sense of worth she longed for.

Tears filled Ava's eyes when Sheena came over, wrapped her arms around her waist, and tightly squeezed. In a smothered voice hindered by her mouthful of Ava's apron, she mumbled, "This is the best day in my whole life, Miss Gardner."