“I’ve never met that young man,” Lucy said, “but from what I hear, all young Reede wants to do is get himself in the news.”
Jecca gave Lucy a look to let her know how unfair that was.
“You’re right,” Lucy said. “It’s just that I’ve come to love Tristan as though he were my own son. What other young man would spend movie night with two lonely ladies?”
“Are you kidding? He wants to come over and join the pole dancing.”
Lucy’s eyes widened. “You didn’t tell him about that, did you?”
“In detail,” Jecca said, and the women laughed together.
They left Colonial Williamsburg to go to a Chinese restaurant where they got carryout to take home to share with Mrs. Wingate.
On the drive back, Jecca asked Lucy what she’d found out about Bill Welsch.
“Nothing,” Lucy said, “but Livie must have known him for a long time to react as she did.”
“I agree. He hasn’t called me yet about the playhouse, but maybe Addy forgot to contact him. I’m looking forward to meeting him.”
“Me too,” Lucy said.
That night at dinner Lucy asked Jecca to show Mrs. Wingate tMrsome to lohe drawings she’d made, and they spread out the fabric samples from Hancock’s.
“Nell will like these,” Mrs. Wingate said as she picked out the ones that could be described as “Easter colors.” It looked like she knew Nell well.
Jecca and Lucy talked over one another as they told Mrs. Wingate of Nell’s request.
“What I’ve always thought is that the playhouse should be set in a garden that would enchant children,” Mrs. Wingate said. “It should have Chinese lanterns and funny-faced pansies, and gourds growing over a fence.”
Jecca pushed one of the photocopies and a pen toward her. “Show me what you mean.”
Mrs. Wingate revealed a talent for garden design when she sketched a plot for vegetables, flowers along a path, a little fence in front.
“There’s a big oak tree nearby, and I used to tell Bill that a swing should be put up there,” Mrs. Wingate said. “Addy would have loved it.”
Jecca and Lucy looked at each other with raised eyebrows. It looked like their guess that Mrs. Wingate and Bill Welsch had a history together was right.
That night when Tristan called—as he did every evening—Jecca asked him about Bill and Mrs. Wingate.
“Bill used to be the gardener,” Tris said, “but I don’t know any more than that. I was only about four when he left Edilean. If you’ve been through Miss Livie’s albums, you’ve seen him.”
“I know. He’s the man with the wheelbarrow,” Jecca said.
“You’re a clever girl, aren’t you?” he said.
“Not too much, as I didn’t think of landscaping the playhouse. If this guy Bill Welsch was the gardener he can do that too, can’t he?”
“Probably. I don’t know the man well. He only returned home last summer. That’s when Mom told me to call him to fix the playhouse, but I never got around to doing it. So are you looking forward to the party?”
Jecca almost said “What party?” but caught herself. “Very much so. Too bad you won’t be here to see what I’m going to wear.” The truth was that she hadn’t given a thought to the party, much less to what she was going to wear. And it was tomorrow.
“You’re dressing up for Reede?”
Jecca couldn’t help smiling at what sounded like jealousy in his voice. “Of course,” she said. “If you were here you could wear your tux. Do you dance?”
“Better than Reede does,” he said in a way that made Jecca laugh.
He seemed to want to change the subject. “What did your dad say about how I let the playhouse go to ruin? Is he ready to draw and quarter me?”