"Mr. Lodge and Mrs. Bartlett "
EPISODE 1 - Families
ACT 2
The sun shined on the hotel front step. Preston was sitting beside his brother Nicolas. The men waited for Sophia, which she was having an appointment with Dr. Mike in the resort clinic.
"Everything will be fine Nicolas. Michaela is the finest doctor you will find here."
Nicolas squint his eyes. "You can't understand Preston. Sophia health is fragile, she lost a baby more than once in the past, so please, spare your beautiful speech."
Preston sighed - like always, Nicolas wanted the last word. Why he came here - not for only doubt? "Listen, Michaela Quinn knows her work and contrary to his male colleague, she has also the asset to have herself be pregnant and having a baby. I can guarantee that Sophia is in good hand. I'm sure you'll be in Boston for the New Year with your newborn."
Nicolas stood up-and-down in front the clinic door. At the same time, the door opened and Sophia, who noticed her husband worries, smiled to her husband.
"Everything is fine Nicolas. Dr. Quinn requested to be easy with my activities, well, stay quiet to tell the true." Sophia bit her lips, she wasn't really persuasive, despite she believe it more than anything else.
"Good news!" Preston exclaimed while taped his brother shoulder.
"Oh, Preston!" Sophia said with a far-fetched smile. "Speaking of activities, which will be Thanksgiving soon, you probably envisaged having a diner with family while we are here?"
Preston smile faded-out - he didn't actually planned it to tell the true. "Thanksgiving dinner?" he repeated. "Sure, yes, that is why family are!" he smirk to the couple.
It was lunch time at Grace Café and everyone was busy.
"And for you Malvin, what will it be?" Margaret Bartlett asked to the young man.
"Malvin?" she repeated his name, but he didn't react.
Margaret looked in the same direction that he spotted few seconds ago.
"Isn't she pretty the new chambermaid at the Chateau Springs?"
"What?" Malvin finally said.
"Miss O'Neill if I remember well, that's right?" the waitress asked while winking to the young man.
Taken by surprise, Malvin wasn't able to articulate anything. He was speechless.
"Don't be shy." Margaret continued. "You should invite her to show her around, why not for the Thanksgiving?"
"Me? No, no. I don't think that I could... she is so... I-I..." he replied. "Meatloaf for the lunch please."
"Alright, I'll come back with you plate, but between you and me Malvin, you should take a chance."
Margaret left Mr. Gormley and walked toward Grace and put the last orders list on the counter before returning cleaning some tables.
"Grace!" Preston voice asked while entering the Café. "Grace, the person I wanted to talk to."
Grace glanced to the banker, while continued to prepare the food. "I'm sorry, but I'm busy, like you can see."
"Yes, I know. But I need a favor." Preston said.
"Preston, be quick please. Customers will wait after me. That will not be good for my business, but you should already know how a business function." she grinned.
"So, Thanksgiving, next week-end. For dinner at my house, I need your cooking skill."
"What? That is in three days, sorry, but I'm already scheduled Preston."
Preston tried to hide that he was unhappy - he knew that everybody had already planned the day and he really needed someone or this Thanksgiving day will spread across the years to come in the Lodge family - Sophia will certainly take pleasure to take care of that!
"I understood, but your price will be mine, I really need your service. So, Grace?"
The black woman looked at Margaret - she knew that the woman wouldn't reject few additional incomes.
"I can't help you, really. But you could ask Mrs. Bartlett, I vouch for her."
"Mrs. Bartlett?" Preston asked, while Grace returns to her work.
"I count on you to put your sister in bed not to late James."
Margaret said while finishing washing the plates in the kitchen.
"Yes 'Ma." promise the boy.
"For supper, you'll remember what I said this morning?"
"Yes 'Ma." the boy repeated. "Don't worry. Ok?"
Margaret smiled to her son - she knew she can trust him. "And you," she pointed at Isabelle. "You don't make trouble to your brother. Can I count on both of you?"
The children nodded with their most wonderful smiles. Margaret put her coat and made a last wave before she left the small house. Outside, the sun beamed in her eyes. The Lodge house was half way between here and the hotel, so she calculated around twelve minutes of walk. Quickly, she stepped on the road - she didn't wanted make wait Mr. Lodge.
While walking, she was thinking of her lost of last Thanksgiving. Her mind had a thought for the little Frank, now dead. The house was empty without him- sure James and Isabelle was there, but Frank was the storm kid in the family, opposite of James which was so mature and responsible.
Margaret was in front her impressive wooden door. She often noticed the beautiful house from the road, but she never came to close. She knocked and waited, while looking across the windows.
"Mrs. Bartlett, enter please." Preston said.
Lost in her thought, she stepped, didn't heard open the door.
"Mr. Lodge." she greeted.
"The kitchen is here." he pointed the door. "You have everything form the list available. Just make a last check, for be sure nothing is missing before is too late. For the wine, don't open the bottle before the dinner. Nicolas will probably bring one for the occasion."
Margaret listened with an ear what was Preston saying - she was just bewitched by what she was seeing inside the house. How could a house like that be for a single person? They lived five people in a house who are equal to two rooms here.
"Mrs. Bartlett?" Preston asked. "Are you with us?"
"Yes! Everything will be fine Mr. Lodge." she replied, trying to focus on her task.
"I hope, I really count on this dinner, it must be perfect."
It was the dessert at the table. The conversation turned many time on the market stock and other business matters, but for the dessert, the conversation change on the baby to come.
"For a boy, James Alexander." Nicolas said proudly.
"And if a daughter?" Preston asked.
"I love Cecily or Eleanor." Sophia answered before her husband.
Nicolas face turned white. "Eleanor is not a good idea."
"Why not? A daughter called Eleanor and Edward could be the godfather, would have a good logical!" Preston said, proud of his idea. He also knew that Nicolas would not appreciate it - their sister was only 8 years-old she died and she made proof of more courage than her older boys.
"Let the ghost with the past Preston." Nicolas blood froze. The gentlemen try to hide his guilty feeling about the tragically event. "If we had a daughter, it would be Victoria, like her grandmother..."
"Nicolas." Sophia said with some panic in her voice. "I..." she paused and stood up. She grinned of pain and put her hand on her belly. "The baby..."
"But that is too soon!" Nicolas replied before looking at Preston, not knowing what to do.
"Why are you looking at me that way? I never had a baby before!" Preston said to his brother.
"Please, stop talking and do something Nicolas!" Sophia exclaimed, while squeezing the tablecloth, she broke of water.
"Mrs. Bartlett?" Preston called.
Margaret hurried to the dining room when she heard the anxiety in the man voice. "Something wrong Mr. Lodge?"
"We need your experience in birth labor." Preston answered while put his hands on her shoulder for shown her to move toward Sophia.
"Birth labor?" Margaret examined the woman for few seconds.
"Nicolas will bring her to the bedroom and I will bring back the doctor.
You-" he pat Margaret shoulder, "take care of her until I'm back. I'm not sure if Nicolas would be able to assure in the situation."
The half-moon was in the night sky, Preston buggy arrived finally at the Sully's homestead. He quickly ran to the door and knocked quickly. "Michaela?
Michaela?" he yelled, while knocking again.
"Preston?" Dr. Mike asked while open the door.
"Sorry for interrupting your dinner, but Sophia is in labor."
"Sully, my bag!" she asked, Mike said with some worried in her voice - it was too soon. I'll take my horse, it will be faster.
It was now around 3 o'clock, and only a candle burned in the living room. Nicolas didn't say any words since Sophia were in the bedroom, Preston could see how anxious his brother was for the first time in all this years.
Another hour later, they finally heard some steps on the stairs. Both men stood up to see who came down, Nicolas hold his breath. Dr. Mike had in her arms a little baby wrapped in a cloth. "Mr. Lodge. Let me present you your daughter."
Suddenly, all the worries escaped Nicolas.
"You want to take her?" Mike said while give the baby to the father.
"Sophia take a rest, she did a pretty job."
"Look Preston." Nicolas said hypnotized by the baby glance.
But Preston didn't had the time to reply, from the first floor, Margaret interrupted them.
"Dr. Mike! You should come!" she yelled anxious.
End of ACT 2