The next day at school Charlie told Rebecca at recess, about Harlan Garrett coming to Lancer to visit. Rebecca asked curious questions, and
Charlie had to admit that she didn't, in actuality, know that much about the mysterious grandfather of Scott's herself.
"I don't know what he'll be like, for sure," Charlie said.
"My grandpa is wonderful," Rebecca shared. "He's my mother's father and he always buys us treats when he visits. I wish he could come
more often. We only see him two times a year-sometimes only once a year."
"But he's fun?" Charlie said.
"Oh, yes," Rebecca said, her face lighting up. "He's not harsh, like my father, and he never scolds or anything. Sometimes he thinks our
father is too strict with us. I've overheard him say so to my mother-"
Before Charlie could reply to that, Rebecca's face turned pale and she gave a look around the school yard, probably to see if Jason
was about. "Please don't say anything, Charlie! I'd be in such trouble for eavesdropping-"
Charlie squeezed her friend's hand. "I'd never say a word," she promised.
Rebecca nodded gratefully, and squeezed Charlie's hand in return.
"Maybe your new grandpa will be like mine," Rebecca said. "Spoil you, and take up for you when you get punished."
Charlie considered that. "I don't think so," she said, slowly, thinking it out. "It sounds more as though he'll be the one to tell
Scott he should be stricter with me-"
"Maybe he'll be real nice now that he's old," Rebecca said. "Sometimes grown folks get to be easier to get along with when they've
aged."
"Maybe. That's what Scott said. He said that Harlan's likely mellowed with age," Charlie said.
"I'll bet so," Rebecca said. "He'll take you places, and buy you candy, and give you pin money, and-
Charlie laughed, and then Rebecca laughed, and the two of them collapsed into giggles that rang across the school yard.
7
In the afternoons and evening times, Charlie helped Maria, as she baked up bread and cakes in preparation for the visit. She helped
Teresa to put fresh linens on the guest room bed, and rehang the curtains after they'd been washed and dried. When they were alone in
the guest room, Charlie peppered Teresa with questions about Harlan.
"Was he nice when he visited here before?" she asked.
Teresa paused, standing on the chair as she was, holding the curtains as she rehung one of the curtain edges.
"Hold that for me for a minute, Charlie," Teresa told her.
Charlie stepped over and held the bottom half of the curtain while Teresa rearranged the top.
"Was he?" she persisted.
"Well, he was intent while he was here to get Scott to go back to Boston with him. I've already told you that," Teresa said. "So-it's not
as though he was here for a leisurely, pleasant sort of a visit."
Charlie looked up at the dark-haired girl, her forehead wrinkled in thought.
It sounded as though Teresa was answering without really answering.
"So he wasn't nice, then?" Charlie asked.
Teresa stepped down from the chair, looking up at the fresh hung curtains, and then looking at Charlie.
"You're like a dog with a bone sometimes," Teresa said. "That means-"
"I know what it means," Charlie interrupted, with a laugh. "Johnny's said it to me before."
"Well-" Teresa said. "No, he wasn't all that nice, Charlie." Teresa looked serious as she said it. "But-he loves Scott, and he
was trying to get him-" she paused in her talking.
"Did Murdoch like him?" Charlie asked.
"You'll have to ask Murdoch that for yourself," Teresa said, firmly.
"Did you?" Charlie persisted.
"I didn't have much one on one interaction with him. I think this time he's coming for a different sort of a visit, so it will be nice to
get to know him better," Teresa said.
"You're being diplomatic," Charlie said.
Teresa looked surprised. "I'm what?"
"It means-" Charlie began to explain.
"Charlotte," Teresa said, effectively stopping Charlie's words. "I know what it means."
Charlie subsided, and Teresa said, "It's nice that we both understand what each other are saying."
Charlie grinned. "Yep."
"I'm trying to be diplomatic, yes. Harlan is not the easiest person, but he raised Scott, and Scott is one of the best men that I've
ever known. So-Harlan has to have many redeeming qualities," Teresa said.
Charlie nodded. "Yes. He must have."
"We need to make the best effort to make things nice while he's here," Teresa said.
"I know. I want to," Charlie said.
Once the room was clean and ready, the two of them stood back to survey their work.
"It looks nice enough, I think," Teresa said, smoothing the quilt on the bed.
"It's sort of bare, though," Charlie said. "Could I pick some flowers to put in a vase for the room? To brighten it up?"
"I think that's a fine idea," Teresa said, smiling at her.
L
Harlan was to come in on the noon train on Thursday. The room was ready, and there were two cakes and two pies ready
by Thursday morning. Charlie got up earlier than usual that morning, and slipped downstairs before breakfast, and outside. She went
and found wildflowers to pick, choosing the most colorful ones that she could. Once back in the yard, she added some of the flowers
growing around the large house to her mix.
Charlie took the flowers and the vase she'd found, with some water in it, and went upstairs. She put the flowers in the vase, and
tried to arrange them so that all the colors were seen, and not tucked under another flower. She stood back to look.
"That looks better," she said to herself.
Her name was being called downstairs for breakfast, and she hurried down the stairs, bumping into Scott at the bottom.
"Here you are," he said. "I looked in your room and you weren't there."
"I went out early," Charlie said, breathless in her explanation. "I wanted to pick some flowers for your grandpa's room."
"That was kind, kiddo," Scott said, with a smile at her.
"I think they brighten up the room a lot."
"I'll take a look after breakfast. I bet they look real nice," Scott said.
Charlie held up her dirty hands. "I need to wash."
"You do that," he said, smiling again.
Partly, Charlie wished that she could stay home from school, and go with Scott to meet Harlan at the train station when he arrived. She
thought of asking to go along, but then decided not to. Scott would probably want to be alone when he first saw his grandfather after
so much time had passed. So she didn't ask. Scott probably wouldn't want her to miss school, anyway.
She wondered if Scott was nervous about seeing his grandfather again. She was thinking that over when Johnny gave her
a nudge in the ribs. "Better eat, or you're gonna be late for school."
L