"All right. Next week it is."

Chapter 23.

Susan swept the living room while Julie and the girls pulled out all their quilting supplies. They were chatting and laughing, and with every single word, Susan's blood pressure crept a little higher. The stack of mattresses against the wall looked haphazard at best-far from the Amish standarad of neatness. Just because it was Sat.u.r.day and the kids didn't have school didn't mean they could just goof off. There were always things to be done-certainly more pressing things than quilting.

"Aunt Susan, I don't know why you're sweeping the floor now. It's just going to have strings and thread all over it by the time we're done."

Susan wondered if her face and neck were bright red, the way her mother's used to get when she was about to have an explosion. Susan stopped sweeping so she could look Whitney directly in the eye. "Why make the bed if you're just going to sleep in it again tonight? Why wash the dishes if they're just going to get dirty again? For that matter, why even cook the dinner, if you're just going to have to do it again the next night?" Her voice gained volume with each repeated question.

"Susan." Julie set down a pile of fabric and walked across the room. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. But I'm sick and tired of being the only one who does anything around here. If it weren't for me, nothing would ever get accomplished. Why can't all of you take a little more initiative instead of just counting on me?"

"I . . . uh . . ." There were tears in Julie's eyes as she looked from the girls back to Susan. "Girls, why don't you put that fabric up on the chairs. Angie and Whitney, go get the supplies and sc.r.a.pe another sill. I'll just go get another broom and help Susan."

A silence so heavy had descended on the group that the sound of each footstep across the wood floors sounded painfully loud. The swooshing of the broom against the floor, the sc.r.a.pe of metal against wood, grew louder with each pa.s.sing second. n.o.body was speaking or even glancing up, and certainly none of them were looking anywhere near Susan. She looked at the group silently involved in their ch.o.r.es, faces set, and knew that she had been too abrupt. But everything she'd said had been the truth, too. She was tired of having to push and prod to get anything done around here.

Julie stepped out of the room for a second, returned with a rag, and began dusting around the firelplace. Susan finished sweeping and went to get her own rag. At least she could help Julie, perhaps build a little bridge between them. She walked over to the mantel. "Have you done this side yet?"

"No." Julie's voice was soft and low.

From the corner of her eye, Susan saw Julie's hand go up to her face, and she glimpsed tears on her cheeks.

Susan ran her rag across the mantel, and just as she'd expected, it came away dusty. It had been two days since they'd done this, and since they were leaving the windows open all the time this week, a fine covering of dust and pollen had spread throughout the room. She hoped that Julie and the kids were noticing this and realizing that this had indeed been necessary.

"My, my. Aren't you all a bunch of worker bees today?" Rosemary stood outside the screen door of the living room, since the wooden one was propped open. "You're about as quiet as I've ever heard ya, too. We'll have to see if we can't do something about that, now won't we?" She came inside, then stopped and fanned herself. "It's a tad stuffy in here. What would you ladies think of taking our work outside on the porch?"

"I'll . . . just go clean off the table and chairs real quick." Whitney disappeared into the kitchen, reappeared with a rag and bottle of cleaning solution in her hands, and headed to the porch.

"I'll help." Angie went out the door, never looking back.

"What's the matter with everyone around here? You'd think your last cow had just died or something."

Julie walked toward the older woman. "Oh, sorry, we're not being very hospitable, are we? Rosemary, would you like a nice cold water?"

"Sounds wonderful." She picked up her large bag and started for the door. "I'll just go see if the kids need my help." As the door swung closed behind her, Susan heard her say something that included the words "p.r.i.c.kly" and "uptight."

Well, someone around here had to be. Nothing had changed from their life in Santa Barbara, only the setting. Once again, she carried the full burden of making certain that things were done correctly.

Julie breezed past her, three gla.s.ses full of water in her hands. She used her hip to push open the storm door. "Here you go, ladies. A round of water on the house."

There was faint laughter from the girls before Julie said, "I'll just go get some for Susan and me, and then I'll be back and ready to st.i.tch."

"I'll get it." Susan set the dust rag aside and went about preparing a couple of gla.s.ses of ice water. She carried them outside, put one gla.s.s beside Julie's chair, and brought the other with her to the last chair on the porch. She picked up a couple rows of fabric and began lining them up, just like Rosemary had taught her. She hated this. It was tedious, and boring, and a complete waste of her time. There were so many other things that needed doing.

"I've been thinking," Julie said, looking up from her work. "I know that everyone in this town is well aware that we are out here filming, and they are all more than a little intrigued by that. So, I'm thinking, maybe if we actually finish a quilt that is good enough, we could auction it off to the local residents. The money could go to help with that Kids' Club Whitney worked with the other night, or maybe the hospital here, or some other local charity that needs help."

Rosemary nodded. "That's what I call a terrific idea. I have a friend who's an auctioneer. I bet he'd help us with it." She rocked back and forth. "You've got a true gift, Julie, a true gift."

"I may be good for a beginner, but even I know enough to know I'm not great."

"I wasn't speaking of sewing. You think that one over for a while." Rosemary turned her attention to Susan. "So . . . you're looking a little stressed over there. Needin' some help with your st.i.tching?"

"No, thanks. I'm fine."

"I see." Rosemary leaned forward, her elbows on the arms of the rocking chair, her watery blue eyes fixed on Susan. "Don't look so fine to me. You carry a lot of burdens that you really don't need to carry."

Susan did not have the time or the patience for another Rosemary-the-shrink session. "I carry the burdens I have to carry in order to make certain my daughter and I survive in this world."

"You think?" Rosemary stared at her, completely still, just waiting. Julie and the girls all sensed it too and looked up, as if waiting for this grand revelation. "I think you have a lot in common with Martha in the Bible. You can choose to either drive yourself crazy, striving for that unattainable perfection, or you can remember what you're doing it all for."

"That all sounds very wonderful, but I don't think my goals are unattainable. They just require discipline and hard work. That's my job . . . and I know what I'm doing it for-my daughter-who needs my example so she can learn to apply herself fully to have the kind of future she wants to have."

"What kind of future do you want to have, young lady?" Rosemary turned her attention to Angie.

Angie's face turned bright red, and she suddenly became very interested in her st.i.tching. She shrugged. "I don't know. A good college and good job, I guess."

Rosemary nodded. "I see. Well, it seems to me like the two of you have it all figured out, then." She went back to rocking.

Susan waited for her to say more, but she just rocked and stared. Somehow, she knew there was an indictment in that silence. But it didn't matter what some small-town woman whose life was sewing quilts thought. She knew nothing of the real world.

The day did not get any cooler, and even as the sun began to dip, the heat remained unbroken. Worse, the stove still radiated warmth from dinner, and now steam rose from the sink as Julie and Susan finished washing the last of the dishes. Neither had talked about the morning's spat, and Julie hoped it was behind them.

Handing over the evening's final plate, Julie wiped sweat off her brow and said, "Well, on the bright side, think of how much money people pay for a steam room. We're getting the spa treatment for free here."

"Somehow I'm not feeling the rejuvenating effects one would expect from such treatments." Susan chuckled and put the plate in the cupboard.

From outside came a shuffle of footsteps. "Evening, ladies," said Gary, appearing at the screen door. Susan waved him in, but he said, "As I can feel the heat coming off the stove from here, I think I prefer to stay outside. That should start cooling down soon, but I thought I might offer an evening ride. Feel the wind on your faces. It's the least I could do after this morning's wonderful breakfast."

"That does sound nice." Susan closed the cupboard door and leaned against the countertop. "But I'd feel guilty going out for a ride, with the kids all down at the observatory working on their school project."

Julie had been pondering Brian, and the observatory, and all of the kids' reactions since breakfast this morning. Something was up. Brian should have jumped when Gary asked to see it, and Whitney had certainly never before been in a hurry to spend time with her brother. Yet all of them-including Angie-were all suddenly overwhelmed by a mysterious school project. Whitney had volunteered, "Since Brian has to work on the telescope for his project, Angie and I will go there and do our work, too. That way we're all together if anyone needs help."

The whole thing was extremely suspicious.

"Oh, I'm sure they won't mind if you get out for just a little. They all know how hot it is in here after you've cooked a meal. In fact, if it would make you feel better, we can swing down that way and see if any of them want to go for a quick ride with us."

"I don't know. It sounds wonderful, really, but there are things . . ." Susan's voice trailed off and she stared into the distance, as if thinking intently.

Something about the way Susan and Gary were looking at each other made Julie wonder whether it was the ride in the evening air or the company that sounded so wonderful to Susan. "I think a ride is a splendid idea. Let's get out of here and give this place a chance to cool down." She grabbed Susan by the arm. "Come along, now."

Susan was laughing more than protesting, so Gary went into the barn to get the wagon and horse. He emerged a few minutes later. "Ladies, shall we?" He offered a hand up, and Julie discreetly took a step backward so Susan would be the first in. It was probably a juvenile thing to do, but whatever it took to get Susan back into life, she would give it a try.

Gary clucked to the horse, and they took off down the road in the general direction of the creek and the observatory. No one spoke, but an overall feeling of well-being and peace surrounded Julie so closely, she wondered if they all felt it. When was the last time she'd felt this way in her old life?

Just before they reached the top of the hill, Susan said, "I bet the kids wanted to do homework in the observatory because it's probably a lot cooler down there-it being so close to the creek."

"That's likely true." Gary pulled the horses back to a walk that was so slow, they were barely moving forward. Step by step they finally crested the top of the hill. The lone window of the observatory had a dim light shining out of it, casting eerie shadows through the leaves of the swaying trees.

Gary clucked at the horses once again, and they sped up, becoming noisier in the process. "What are we doing?" Susan asked.

The light in the window of the observatory seemed to flicker and dim. "Just, uh . . . checking out the horses. That's all." Gary's smile was huge as the wagon drew closer to the observatory. "Why don't you ladies just wait here, and I'll go see if the kids want to join us?"

"No, let me do it. I'm on the end, and you need to control the horse." Julie climbed down before he could argue.

She crossed to Brian's hideaway, pulled the door open, and found all three kids sitting on the floor, a couple of oil lamps in the middle of their circle. The air inside felt cool-amazingly cool. "h.e.l.lo, everyone. I can see that you are all certainly working hard."

"Oh, hi, Mom. I didn't even hear you guys."

"I'm sure you didn't." Each and every kid was showing undivided attention to the notebooks and textbooks in front of them. Right. "Aunt Susan, Gary, and I are going for a little buggy ride, trying to cool off a bit. We stopped by to see if you wanted to come with us."

The kids all looked at each other, then quickly back down toward their books. "Well, we've really got a lot of homework this week." Whitney kept her eyes focused on her notebook.

"Yeah. Mom must have had one of her talks with Charlotte," offered Angie. "Or something."

"Well, good for you three. Way to keep at it."

"Sure."

"Sure."

"Yeah."

The words followed her out the door. She bit her lip, trying to keep a straight face as she walked back out to the buggy. "The kids all seem rather overwhelmed with schoolwork, so they've declined."

"Wow. Charlotte must finally be getting serious about their studies. I'm glad to see it." Susan fanned herself with her hand.

"Yes, they certainly do seem industrious," Gary said and, catching Julie's eye, gave a wink. "Looks like it's just us old folks for tonight's ride, then."

Gary clucked his tongue, and the horse began its leisurely stroll. Just the little momentum stirred a breeze, and when the buggy pulled into the shadow of some poplars, it almost felt cool to Julie. On they went, down past the schoolhouse, then to the far end of the property before heading down a back driveway and out onto the main road. A few cars rushed by, but the evening was quiet and the sound of tree frogs and cicadas began to fill the night air. Eventually the horse veered down the front drive, returning them all to a stop in front of the farmhouse.

"I'll let you ladies out here and then go put the horse away."

"Are you sure?" Susan asked. "We can help you."

"I know you could and you would, but it's been a big day for all of you, and I suspect it will be a long and sticky night. Besides, this is man's work."

Susan actually giggled as she climbed down from the buggy. "Far be it from me to interfere with man's work."

Light suddenly spilled into the area as the door to the shack opened and Kendra came walking out. "Oh, there you are. I've been looking for you, Susan. Why don't you come over, and we'll talk about what the plans are for next week."

"Okay." Susan made one last turn back toward Gary. "Good-bye. And thanks again."

"My pleasure." The smile on his face left Julie no doubt that he meant it.

Julie waited until Susan and Kendra had disappeared and closed the door before she walked closer to Gary. She leaned toward him and whispered, "How did you know?"

He snorted. "I was down at the creek trying my hand at gigging frogs last night. I heard the kids whispering and figured they were up to something. So I snuck up the hill and watched for a while. I've got to say, that boy of yours is something of a genius when it comes to electrical wiring. There's not a soul on the production crew that will ever realize that one of their lines has been bootlegged."

"I hope that someday he will use that genius for good and not for evil." She laughed.

"Got to admire their ingenuity in the face of the current situation. Fact is, if I were you and Susan, I'd be trying to figure out an excuse to get myself down there, too. Although,"-he rubbed his chin-"I'm guessing you didn't tell her for a reason."

"I don't want to put her in the position of having to lie to anyone, should it get discovered."

"That's what I thought, too, which is why I didn't say anything."

"Good night." Julie watched him disappear into the barn, then pivoted on her foot and turned back toward the house. By the time she reached the back steps, she was giggling. Those kids-she had to admire their resourcefulness.

"You're not going to believe this one." Susan jogged up behind her.

"What?"

"Next week, Lisa Lee is going to be here! She's going to tape the entire Friday segment here. On site."

"Oh. Is that good news, then?" Julie thought so, but given the stressed tone of Susan's voice, she didn't really think so.

"No. I mean, maybe, but the day we get electricity back, she'll be here. The queen of perfect domesticity, seeing us after sweating for seven days."

"Susan, I'm sure she understands that we-"

"First thing tomorrow morning, we've got to work on getting those windowsills painted, heat or no heat. We've got to make sure this place is perfect."

Julie looked at her sister-in-law and knew that nothing would ever be perfect enough for Susan. The bar would keep changing and there'd always be one more thing to do, and she would keep working at it until it consumed her.

Maybe tonight's buggy ride was a sign, though, that she could step back for at least a minute. Julie hoped so. If not, she couldn't imagine what the next days might bring.

Chapter 24.

Sunday morning dawned hot and sticky. Even having their mattresses downstairs hadn't helped that much. Now, after a cool shower, Julie couldn't help but wish for some sandals to wear to church and wondered how reticent the girls would be this morning. But she heard no complaints, and they all loaded up into the buggy, all wearing long dark skirts and black flats. At least Kendra had loosened the stipulation about wearing heavy work shoes and nylons; she supposed they could be grateful for that.

"Did you notice the cute sundresses that all the girls at church were wearing last week?" Whitney sighed and sat down. "I can't wait until we can wear cute clothes again."

"So are you telling me that you actually want to wear a dress? I never thought I'd hear those words come out of your mouth." Julie looked at her daughter and waited.

Whitney shrugged her left shoulder. "Maybe." She paused for a minute to think about it, and then said, "Probably not. I just don't like to stand out. I feel like everyone is looking at us in this."