“or Rosie?” Sally interjected.
“Or even Rosie.” Katherine chuckled. “Whatever there is going on in my life, underneath it all, there is a sense of rest, of having Someone I can always go to, a refuge, a home, a family.” She turned to face the younger woman. “Sally, I’ve come to realize that my longings for home, for a place to belong, for people to belong to, those are just the surface of a deeper longing, a longing that home and family can never fill. You will never find true rest from those longings until you get close to God.”
Sally was quiet for a long while, and Katherine began to wonder whether she had said too much, or too little. But she sensed that God had helped her with her words, and while the two worked in silence, Katherine prayed that whatever was going on in Sally’s heart and mind would bring her to the old paths.
8 Adventuring
When Katherine came down the stairs the next morning, she was surprised to see Mr. James sitting at his usual table, with the flowers moved to one side and a fresh pot of tea sending up a fragrant trail of steam.
“Good morning, Katherine! And how are you today?”
“I’m well, thank you.” Katherine smiled as she neared his table. “We haven’t seen you around here much lately.”
Mr. James gave a sheepish grin. “Well, I’ve been doing a bit more writing from home lately. Harriet made a wonderful little office for me out of a gable room that looking out over her garden and the evergreen trees, with the ocean beyond. She has an instinctive understanding of what makes a good writing space. “
“Good thing you married her, then,” Katherine said with a wink.
He chuckled. “Yes, indeed. It certainly is.”
Growing suddenly serious, he motioned for her to sit in the chair across from him. As she settled into her chair, Mr. James leaned forward and lowered his voice. “I wanted to ask you, and I trust you to be completely honest: do you think you will be able to manage this place for a few weeks during our trip this winter?”
Katherine thought for a moment. “Yes,” she said slowly. “I think so. There will be less tourists then, and I have Sally, although…” she let her voice trail off as she glanced at the curtained doorway, where a low murmur punctuated by the sounds of the mixer and the oven door opening and closing told her both ladies were engrossed in the morning baking.
Mr. James nodded. “I understand.” Leaning back in his chair, he looked at Katherine for a moment, eyebrows drawn together in a frown, as if trying to decide how to proceed.
Katherine felt her stomach tighten. What is it now?
Finally, Mr. James spoke. “Can I tell you something in confidence?”
Katherine nodded, then swallowed and tried not to hold her breath, her stomach suddenly uneasy.
“I’ve inherited a house near my sister in New York.”
Katherine felt her muscles tense with apprehension.
“Now, don’t worry. We’re not moving there. I do intend to keep the place, though. Harriet and I looked it over while we were there on our honeymoon, and she thinks it will be good to have someplace to stay when we visit my sister.”
Katherine took a breath. “Well, I suppose congratulations are in order.” She watched Mr. James straighten in his chair, and sensed this wasn’t all.
“That brings me to why I wanted to talk to you.” Leaning forward again, he folded his hands on the table. “I know this place is a lot to handle, and I know Sally is still getting settled, which probably adds to the load somewhat. I’d like to take Harriet to spend a week in New York just before our trip to England, since we fly from there anyway. It’s not for sure yet, but we plan to fly Sally out towards the end of that week, in time for New Year’s Eve, which may mean a day or two of going it on your own here.”
“Just a day or two shouldn’t be too much.” She managed a smile, though her mind was whirling.
The reporter leaned forward and gave her a scrutinizing look. “I don’t doubt your capability—Harriet says you did a stellar job while we were away. But I want you to promise to tell Harriet or me if this place becomes too much of a burden. It is Harriet’s tea shop, after all, and we both view it as her responsibility, not yours. “
Katherine nodded.
“Do you promise to tell us if it becomes overwhelming?”
“Yes. I promise.”
“Good.” Straightening up in his chair, he smiled suddenly. “Now, would you like a cup of tea?”
* * * *
Later that morning, Sally and Katherine were working to clear and set several tables in preparation for the lunch rush. Looking over at Mrs. James, who was sitting with her husband at his usual table by the window, Sally suddenly nudged Katherine and asked in a low voice,
“D’you suppose she dresses to match the tearoom, or did she decorate the tearoom the way she dresses?”
Katherine chuckled, noticing how her employer’s floral skirt coordinated with the flowers on the tables. “Maybe some of both. I suppose it’s partly just her personality coming through.” They finished laying out the silverware and pushed the cart to the next table.
As they cleared the dishes, Katherine asked, “Did you know her mother?”
“Yes, we called her Gran, though she wasn’t our gran any more than Auntie H. was our aunt. We used to stay with her sometimes in the summer.”
“Then you saw her flower garden?”
“Oh, yes. It was just a little space, but she had it jam-packed with plants. She sure loved her flowers, Gran did.”
“I’ve always wondered if that’s why your aunt surrounds herself with flowers. Perhaps they remind her of her mother.”
