Despite Aunt Irene's fears, the trip back to Toronto was almost ridiculously easy. Lyssa slept through the ferry, wrapped securely in so many blankets Jane was more concerned with her overheating than getting chilled, and the trains were not stopped by any massive blizzards, ice storms, or anything of the sort.
Mr. Ford very kindly met them at the station in Toronto, so they didn't have to take a cab home, and he handed Mother a sheaf of yellow roses.
"Congratulations," he said, smiling. "Rilla wants to have you all over for supper some night soon, when you've had a chance to settle in, and she's also threatening to drop by some day just to meet the new baby."
"She's welcome any time," Mother said warmly. "Thank you so much for the beautiful roses. In December, too!"
"Toronto can't hold a candle to good old PEI in most ways, but the florists here are fairly decent," Mr. Ford said. "Not even in Charlottetown can you get roses in December!"
"Ah, but in summer, the poorest garden on the Island is superior to the fanciest florist here," Dad said.
"Very true," Mr. Ford conceded, and they went on their way.
They had wired the date and time of their expected arrival to Mrs. Kane, and she had come over earlier to put blankets and sheets on the beds, light the lamps, and leave them a home-cooked meal on the table.
Jane's heart glowed as Mr. Ford dropped them off before their Lakeside Gardens home; it bore a slightly reproachful look, as though asking why they had left it for so long, but Mrs. Kane had taken good care of it.
"Mummy," she said pleadingly, "May I take Lyssa in? I want to be the one to introduce her to the house … as long as you don't mind."
"This is more your house than ours anyway, my Jane," Mother said, passing the wide-awake and curious baby over. "You picked it out, remember. It's only fitting that you should be the one to acquaint them with each other."
Jane smiled brilliantly in gratitude, thanked Mr. Ford for the ride, and carried Lyssa to the front door in solitary solemnity.
"This is our other house," she explained to her attentive sister. "We love just as much as Lantern Hill, only in a different way. We have lovely times here … sledding in the gorge, skating on the lake, walking everywhere in the autumn and spring … you'll go to school here when you're older." She pushed the door open and stepped inside, breathing deeply.
She went, naturally, to the kitchen first.
"This is where we make cookies, and bread, and all sorts of delicious goodies. Mrs. Kane and I like to sit in here with tea, and talk. I'll make tea for you, too, when you're a bit bigger, and we can have tea parties. You can even invite your friends over, and I'll make whatever you want me to … except doughnuts." She sighed; that still rankled.
"Jane!" Dad called. He and Mother were inside with the bags now. "Where are you?"
"The kitchen!" Jane called back. "I was just about to give Lyssa the tour of the rest of the house."
Dad appeared in the doorway. "We'll join you," he said. "I don't trust you to adequately explain to your sister the importance of leaving my study just so."
"Oh Dad! Lyssa's too little to mess with your papers and things."
"Ah, but it won't be long before she'll be following you around, puttering about just like you, always having to organize everything." Dad was smiling. "I know you women."
"Not half as well as you think," Mother teased, joining them. She held a note. "Mrs. Kane has invited us to a small Christmas party at Elysium at the end of this week. She knows that we'll still be getting settled in, but she says that Abby Westin has already offered to come watch Lyssa for us if we want to come, and she would love to see us. What do you think?"
"Confounded parties," Dad growled.
"Oh, let's," Jane said at the same moment. She and Dad looked at each other and laughed.
"I haven't seen Mrs. Kane for ages," she explained. "And a party might be a nice way to end our first week back."
"Very well," Dad said, giving in so easily that Jane suspected he didn't really mind at all. "In the meantime, though, let's just enjoy our first evening back, just the four of us."
Lyssa cooed contentedly in Jane's arms, and Jane herself felt a shiver of delight. The four of them … what a nice ring it had.
"Tomorrow," she said aloud in satisfaction, "I'm going to start cleaning."