“I may have forgotten to mention,” Maybelle said slyly, “but I invited a friend to come up to interview you.”
“Interview me?”
“Really, he’s more the son of a friend,” she clarified. “But same difference.”
Sarah grimaced. “You’re not matchmaking, are you? Because I don’t need that today.”
Or any other day. She planned to spend the foreseeable future focusing on Hamilton House and
her work with the church. It was a good life.
“Matchmaking wouldn’t do a bit of good right now with you hung up on Bodie. So, no, I’m not matchmaking. Just doing my part to get the word out about Hamilton House.”
“Where does he work?”
Maybelle named a travel magazine Sarah had contacted months ago. She’d been disappointed but unsurprised that she hadn’t heard back from them. That they’d respond had been a long shot.
“You’re kidding,” she gasped, staring at Maybelle in disbelief.
“I don’t kid,” Maybelle reminded drily and with an expression so regal she must have royalty somewhere in her bloodline.
“There is that. Wow, Maybelle. Thank you. Thank you.” She hugged the woman, then took a deep breath as she heard the front door open.
“We’re here!” Rosie called as several people entered the house.
The Butterflies must have ridden over together.
Sarah went into the foyer, then stopped short. Ruby, Charlie, Claudia, Claudia’s husband, Rosie, and Sarah’s father were just inside the door. As was a trunk with a big red bow stuck on it, two lamps with green ribbon tied around them, some brocaded pillows, and several more items that looked wonderfully familiar.
“Surprise!” Ruby said.
“Merry Christmas, Sarah!” Rosie and Claudia said at the same time.
“We would have wrapped everything but didn’t want you to have paper and packages everywhere for your Open House,” Maybelle said from beside her.
“You want us to carry all of this upstairs?” Charlie asked.
“I…” Sarah looked at the items again. “These were Aunt Jean’s.” She stared at her friends, wide-eyed. “In Aunt Jean’s ledger, you’re ‘B’!”
“B is for butterfly,” Rosie reminded her.
“You bought these things from Aunt Jean.”
“Stubborn woman had too much pride to accept our help, started selling off her things to an antique shop in Louisville. Rosie commented how much she’d like to buy one of the wardrobes upstairs. Jean offered to give it to her, but finally agreed to sell it.” Maybelle’s blue eyes sparkled. “Next thing you know, we were all in the antique buying business.”
They’d bought some of the antiques from the upstairs rooms.
“That is so wonderful. I know she had to feel relieved that they were going to people she loved.” Meanwhile, Sarah was relieved to know the Butterflies had at least some of her aunt’s treasures. Treasures she’d thought she’d never see again. And now, they were trying to give them to her. She shook her head. “I can’t take these.”
Maybelle’s brows veed. “You’re rejecting our Christmas gifts to you?”
She hadn’t meant to offend Maybelle, but she couldn’t accept such extravagant gifts. “They’re too much.”
“Nonsense, girl.” Ruby came over and gave her a hug. “Each of us brought you a gift today, something of Jean’s that we want you to have. Call it a Christmas present or a housewarming gift or whatever, but these are for you. It’s what we always intended.”
“I…” Sarah’s eyes watered as she looked at the wonderful women who’d had such an impact on her life. “I don’t know what to say.”
“You say thank you,” Maybelle reminded with her usual sass. “Then, you tell Charlie and your father to get this stuff carried upstairs and out of the way before your guests arrive.”