Leeway Cottage Read Online Free Page B

at the back of her neck in silence.
    â€œOh…is a little…common.”
    James didn’t say anything. He stood behind her and met her eyes in the mirror of the dressing table.
    â€œNot the person, I mean. Mrs. Foss is a lovely person, all wool and a yard wide, as my daddy would say. I just mean the name.”
    There was a long pause. “Where is it we’re going for dinner?”
    â€œThe McClintocks,” said Candace.
    â€œThank God,” said James.
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œBecause it’s a house where you can still be sure of getting a drink.”
    There was a polite knock, and Lizzie opened the door. Annabee, pink from a bath and wearing a long linen nightgown and matching robe and slippers, bolted for her father.
    â€œAnnabee!”
    â€œDaddybee!”
    James scooped her up and swung her around and around. After they kissed each other they buzzed, zzzzz, zzzz, at each other and laughed.
    â€œJimmy, she just had supper…if you twirl her around, she’ll upchuck.”
    â€œNo she won’t, not my honeybee.” He put her down, but didn’t stop smiling and didn’t let go of her hand. “Look how brown you are!”
    â€œGladdy and Tom and I are going to be Indians when we grow up!”
    â€œThat’s a wonderful plan.”
    â€œI have three arrowheads in my room, I found them!”
    â€œYes, there’s a shell heap full of arrowheads on the McClintocks’ land, you’ll hear all about it. It’s so interesting,” said Candace. “Anna, do you want to put on perfume with Mummy?”
    Annabee shouted, “Yes!” and Candace looked at Lizzie and made a small gesture, as if the noise had hurt her ears, couldn’t Lizzie teach this child to behave like a lady?
    â€œCome here then, dear. We’ll use this one tonight, now you—No! Oh, for heaven’s sake, no, you don’t just douse yourself…”
    Annabee had eagerly seized the intended bottle, pointed at herself, and squeezed the atomizer bulb. Now she looked dismayed, and her mother softened. “You do it like this, watch Mummy.” Candace stood and sprayed the scent into the air before her and then stepped forward, with her eyes closed. She inhaled and opened them. “You see? You spray, then step into it, spray and step into it…” She pantomimed this action several more times, as if demonstrating a maneuver of daunting complexity. “That way the scent breathes around you all evening.” Finally she handed the bottle back to her daughter, who tried her best to imitate her mother this time. “Very good, now that’s enough, though, lovey, it’s very expensive…”
    And had mostly wound up on the rug. But Annabee quivered like a puppy, hoping her mother was now pleased with her.
    Â 
    Candace and James were either out or entertaining every night of James’s stay that summer. They gave one large dinner, with dancing afterward, while Candace’s mother and sister (with family) were staying, and people drove over from Mount Desert for it. James ran into old Gus Dodge at Abbott’s the next day.
    â€œHeard you had quite a wingding out to your house last night,” Gus said to him.
    â€œWe did.”
    â€œHeard it was some fancy.”
    â€œIt was so fancy I didn’t know half the people there,” said James.
    Gus laughed. “Not your idea of rusticating?”
    â€œIf I’d wanted to spend every night in a dinner jacket I could have stayed in Cleveland,” James said.
    Gus gathered his purchases and counted his change. “Let me know if you want to come in for a hand of poker down to the firehouse. Thursday nights, it’s come-as-you-are.”
    â€œThank you, Gus. There’s nothing I’d like better. I trust you’ll come around and explain where I’ll be to Mrs. Brant?” Gus laughed, and so did Max Abbott behind the counter. After James had gone out,