Christmas at Grey Sage by Phyllis Clark Nichols

Author:Phyllis Clark Nichols
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Gilead Publishing
Published: 2017-12-21T05:00:00+00:00

Most of the guests, Maude noted, were seated in the same seats they’d claimed upon their arrival Tuesday evening. Beatrice stood in front of the fireplace as though she were in her tutu at center stage in St. Petersburg. Her rendition of the day’s events was dramatic.

“I’m so glad I wasn’t dead. I was asleep, but then, it started—the spinning and the spinning—like a pirouette without enough rosin on my pointe shoes to keep me from sliding and no time or place for spotting to keep from getting dizzy. Oh, it was all so horrendous. I really thought I was dead, but Henry saved me. Then there was a loud thud, and we stopped.”

When Beatrice breathed, Lily jumped in. “Oh, but you were safe, and now you’ll have such an incredible story to tell your daughter. If the weather lifts, you’ll be joining her tomorrow evening at the Broadmoor.”

Beatrice perked her head. “Yes, and when we get to the Broadmoor, Dorothy will listen until I have finished my whole story. She will listen without interruption, Lily. She has more polite manners than you. What made you think that was the end of my story? It wasn’t.”

A soft murmur of laughter went around the room. No one else dared to speak to Lily like that.

Lily rolled her whistle between her fingers. “Oh, pardon me, Beatrice. You were nearly breathless, and when you finally inhaled, I thought you were done.”

Beatrice looked at Lily. “Well, I wasn’t.” She tottered on her little bird legs and turned to the others. “When the van stopped spinning, Kevin there . . .” She pointed to Kent.

To avoid any rebuke resembling the one Lily had gotten, no one bothered to correct her. At least she’d remembered the first two letters of his name.

“Kevin stood straight up and took charge. No one questioned him except Lily one time. But he told her and shut her up. He was just like a hero in a movie, like a general leading his troops. Why he was just the pluckiest young man I’ve ever seen! We should give Kevin a huge round of applause.”

The guests obliged and cheered for Kent. Lily sat down on the sofa next to Reba.

Lita was seated next to Maude. At the sound of the word pluckiest, she squeezed Maude’s hand and muffled her laugh, then leaned over and whispered, “Plucky, again? Never heard the word, and now twice in the same day. Suppose it means something?”

“Yes, it means you learned a new word, and that Silas and Bea have been working the same crossword puzzles.”

Lily stood up. “Are you finished, Beatrice?”

“For now.”

“With your permission, then . . . We’ll have breakfast at eight in the morning, people. We’ll leave as soon as Gordy gets us another vehicle and we get some sense of clearance on the weather. Please have your bags packed. Could be on a moment’s notice. I will stay in touch with Gordy about our departure.” She turned to where Maude was seated. “Thank you again for opening

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