CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

"Nellie I am having a little tea party at the Edelweiss Room this Saturday. Won't you come?" Samantha asked Nellie one dreary, drippy, afternoon in March.

"I don't know Samantha," Nellie replied. "I teach on Saturdays."

"Only until noon," replied Samantha. "We would have tea at three. You love the Edelweiss Room."

"I wash my hair on Saturdays," replied Nellie and she went back to her history textbook that she was reading.

"Wash your hair at one o'clock," grumbled Samantha. "You would be finished in plenty of time to make tea."

"I'll have to think about it," Nellie said distantly as she popped a lemon cookie into her mouth.

Samantha marched over to Nellie and ripped the book away from her.

"Alexander the Great can wait," she demanded. "This is not a life or death question. You are coming to tea, are you not?"

"I don't know," Nellie stammered.

"Nellie you have turned into an old slug. You act like you're an old spinster maid sitting all alone reading. You haven't been to one party or gathering in months!" Samantha cried.

"I have had to study for entrance exams," Nellie said.

"They are over now," said Samantha. "You can have a little fun you know."

Nellie had thought that since she had went to live with Samantha, Gard, and Cornelia that she would never be upset or depressed again. However she had sunk into a rather dark and foul mood. She felt guilty because years ago when she was living with her alcoholic uncle she would have never have thought that her trivial problems that she had now would ever bring her down. Perhaps she was getting too used to the gilded, cushy, life. Once upon a time she would have been upset over going to bed ravishingly hungry, or having Uncle Mike beat the socks out of her for humming too loudly as she made his supper. Now she was depressed over loosing Eddie Ryland, loosing the writing contest prize (that she never even entered herself in) and none of the schools she had applied to had written her back with her results. Of course the schools had until the end of April to give her a letter of acceptance or rejection, but a few of her friends had already gotten letters, some good, some bad. Nellie had gotten nothing. Ladies Life Journal also hadn't replied to her, and it was past the March 1st deadline. They probably thought she was a silly fraud.

She had lost the man she loved, but if she had university to look forward too, perhaps it wouldn't be so bad. But she as of now had nothing. No Eddie, no school, no freelance writing career. She would be living with Gard and Cornelia and teaching free classes at the settlement house until the day she died. That or Samantha would take her in, and she could be crazy, spinster, Aunt Nellie to Samantha's future children.

For now Nellie was content to wallow in self pity, read her books, go to school, and eat anything sweet.

"You used to be so fun and full of life," Samantha sighed. "I guess I can borrow your pearl drop earrings again. Since you no longer go out I can have them. I think Grandmary has more fun than you do." And Samantha flounced out of the room.

Samantha wasn't the only one who noticed that Nellie was reclusive lately.

"Nellie would you like to go see As You Like It down at the playhouse?" Aunt Cornelia asked. "It would be great for your Shakespeare class."

"I think I will pass," replied Nellie.

"But you love going to plays," Cornelia argued. "It's Shakespeare, you are teaching a class on Shakespeare."

"We aren't covering that play," Nellie moped back. "Besides I don't have anything to wear."

"Don't be ridiculous," Cornelia spat. "You have plenty of gowns to wear."

"Nellie doesn't like to have fun anymore," said Samantha. "Eugene and I will go with you."

Easy for her to say, Nellie thought. She has Eugene. She eventually got the man that loved her.

"Come on Nellie," prodded Cornelia. "You'll have a great time."

"No," Nellie shook her head. "I have homework to do, and I should pray. I am behind in praying."

"I pray that Nellie finds some sense," Samantha announced and gave Nellie a disgusted look.

Nellie decided that she was outnumbered. She was even unhappier that Samantha and Cornelia were annoyed with her. She gave in to Samantha's tea party idea.

"Hey Eddie my man," Eugene greeted his roommate. "How's the internship going?"

"It's crazy," Eddie replied. "I just can't wait until I'm a powerful lawyer. Then I can work my intern like a slave and have him bring me my coffee."

"Does Mr. Edwards make you bring him his coffee?" Asked Eugene.

"You bet," replied Eddie looking up from the papers he was studying. "If you can even call it coffee. He has me put so much cream and sugar in it, it's more like sugar cream sludge, then he always requests that I bring him a Danish in the morning as well."

"I guess that's why Mr. Edwards is always in a good mood," Eugene said. "He's always slapping jokes, and all. Too much sugar."

"Must be," Eddie agreed. "I sure wouldn't be in a good mood living in the same house as Samantha. I'd have to gorge out on lard and sugar too."

Eddie had found out that Mr. Edwards the lawyer he was interning for was Samantha's Uncle Gard when he was reading over his contract and saw the name Gardner Edwards. It sounded familiar. He told Eugene that it drove him crazy that he knew the name was familiar, but couldn't quite pin it down just who the name belonged to. Eugene told him, much to Eddie's chagrin.

"He's amazing though," Eddie went on. "Mr. Edwards I mean. He thinks of scenarios and plot holes that I would never catch. Nothing slips past him. He can think of anything to get his clients off. You should here some of the plea bargains he comes up with. He's brilliant."

"That must be where Samantha gets her cunningness," said Eugene. "From her Uncle, always thinking of ways out of things."

"Look I think you are dumb and crazy for going with that woman, but that is your choice, not mine that you have an odd taste in women. But please quit bringing her up," said Eddie.

"You shouldn't hold what she did against Nellie," said Eugene. "I see Nellie when I go over to call on Samantha. She's really a bright and sensational girl."

"Sensational girls don't lie men that they supposedly love," Eddie quipped bitterly. "I didn't even know who she was! Her and Samantha are both sick, just like me mother. The three of them need the asylum."

"Yes Mr. Grouch," said Eugene. "Let's lock away all beautiful women."

"Yes lets!" Eddie ranted.

"You need some cheering up," Eugene remarked ready to take his chance on the plan Samantha had crafted. "Eddie how about this Saturday you take a study break and grab some coffee with me. There is this place called The Edelweiss Room."

"I've been there," Eddie replied. "That place is a madhouse. It's always busy with kids all the time."

"Well I like their apple strudels," Eugene pressed. "You need some brightening."

"No thanks Mr. Sunshine," Eddie said sarcastically.

"But I want to go," Eugene whined. "But I do not want to go alone."

"Ask your psychotic girlfriend to go with you," replied Eddie.

"Samantha is busy," said Eugene. "She is going shopping."

"Heaven forbid we disturb Queen Samantha's shopping," Eddie spat.

"I'll buy," pressed Eugene. "You have been so morose lately. I think you need to take a page from Gard Edwards's book and have some coffee and sugar."

Eddie sighed. Having a cup of coffee and a strudel with Eugene wouldn't harm anything even if he thought the Edelweiss Room had a tendency to be noisy, and if he wanted a noisy atmosphere he would rather go to a bar. He wasn't that busy this weekend, and the Edelweiss Room did have delicious apple strudel.

"Oh all right," Eddie agreed. "Perhaps gorging on lard and sugar is just what I need!"