Quilt As You Go (23 page)

When she and Carla had been locked in a basement together, Carla had told her how she'd imagined being rescued by a knight when her mother locked her in a closet, as a way of keeping the bogey man at bay.

"He's still out there somewhere."

Carla dried her tears and sipped her tea.

"We better see if your aunt needs help,” she said with a sigh. “She had her lips pressed together real tight when she was watching Bebe try to braid."

"It can't be easy with those inch-long plastic sabers she calls fingernails,” Harriet said.

Carla laughed and led the way back to the classroom.

Connie and Jenny had arrived while they were in the kitchen. Jenny looked cool in a crisp white sleeveless blouse and pale-blue linen knee-length shorts that were belted at the waist. Connie, by contrast, wore stretchy black pants, and her sleeveless top was a pink, orange and black floral print in a jersey-type fabric.

"Hi, Bebe,” Connie said. “What are you doing?"

Bebe giggled and explained she was trying to make embellishments that would make her and Carlton's new luggage easier to identify on their upcoming trip to Hawaii.

"Do you want me to do it for you?” Connie asked.

"Oh, could you?"

"I would be happy to.” Connie sat down, and in a matter of minutes had created four colorful markers that could be attached to the handles of Bebe's luggage.

"Oh, thank you,” Bebe gushed then jumped up and hugged her, almost knocking the older woman over.

"De nada, de nada,” Connie said, and forcefully disengaged herself. “You run along now. I'm sure you have things to do."

"I do,” Bebe replied, clearly grateful Connie understood. She tucked the ribbon markers in her oversized pink hobo bag and left.

"She's so frightfully busy,” Connie said, and then laughed.

"Why did you indulge her?” Beth asked. “I was making her do it herself."

"Because nothing you were doing was going to change who she is. And did you want her here for the next hour?"

"Who her?” Robin said as she came in. Today's sleeveless yoga top was pale pink. Her pants were their usual black Lycra.

"Oh, Bebe was here trying to make those braided ribbon thingies that you put on your suitcase handle so you can find your bag more easily at the airport,” Harriet said.

"Connie was just explaining why she made them for her instead making her struggle through doing them herself,” Beth said.

"You wanted her out of here?” Robin guessed.

"See, she understands,” Connie said. She went toward the kitchen. “Anyone want anything?

Robin joined her in the kitchen, and they both returned with cups of coffee.

"Lauren is in the middle of a work project and might join us later, and Sarah was on front desk duty at the senior center, so we can start as soon as DeAnn gets here,” Harriet explained.

"DeAnn's here,” the missing woman called from the hallway. “Marjory is cutting some backing fabric for my dot-on-dot quilt,” she said, referring to the product of a class she had taken a few months earlier. The quilt top was a circular pattern made completely from dotted fabrics.

She came in tucking her new purchase into her quilting bag as she went to her usual spot at the table. Like most groups, each person had a favorite place.

"As I told you all on the phone, I asked everyone to come in today so we can plan a comfort quilt for Mavis,” Harriet went on. “We also need to discuss what to do about Ilsa, who also lost her husband."

"Oh, that's a tricky one,” Robin said.

"Let's think about that while we decide what we're going to do for Mavis,” Connie suggested.

"Good idea,” Harriet agreed. “Suggestions?"

"I like the idea you and I were talking about,” Beth said. “Something different enough that she can't associate it with Gerald in any way."

"That's a new twist,” Jenny said. “Usually, we're struggling to make our comfort quilt bring out memories of the lost loved one."

"How about soft florals?” Connie suggested. “We could do pale versions of the colors she likes."

"That sounds good to me,” Robin said. “And I think we should use a simple pattern so the fabric print shows more."

"Corn and Beans?” Jenny suggested, referring to a block made from three different sizes of triangle formed into squares.

"How about shoo-fly?” Carla suggested. “We've been using that with the young mothers group."

"I like that idea,” Aunt Beth said. “It's nice and simple."

"If we choose the fabric pretty quick, we can start cutting our blocks while we're here,” DeAnn said.

"Mavis usually buys rust colors and dark blues and greens,” Carla offered.

"So, let's try for lighter, softer versions of those colors,” Beth said.

"And maybe some peach,” Connie offered.

Robin and DeAnn laughed, and Jenny smiled.

"What?” Connie asked. “Peach would go nicely with those colors."

"And you would have suggested it even if it hadn't matched,” Robin pointed out.

Connie smiled. “It does go with everything,” she said in defense of her favorite color.

"Come on, ladies, everyone grab a bolt and meet back here,” Aunt Beth said.

"I could carry yours,” Carla offered Harriet.

"That would be real nice,” Harriet said. “Now, you've been working here for months. Where is the best match for Connie's colors?"

"We just got a new shipment from Hoffman. There's a floral print that has all those colors. I could check it in real quick,” Carla said with a devilish grin Harriet hadn't seen before.

"Lead the way,” she said.

They were sitting at the table again when the remainder of the group began to filter in with their fabric choices.

"That's perfect!” Robin said as she set her bolt of pale-blue batik on the table. “Where was that?"

"Yeah,” DeAnn said and put her pale-yellow floral on top of Robin's batik.

"We cheated,” Harriet said with a laugh. Carla had carried in three bolts of coordinated print from the new line.

"Hey, it's not cheating if it works,” Robin said.

The group spent the next fifteen minutes rejecting and then replacing various bolts of fabric until they had a grouping everyone was sure would coordinate with Mavis's color palette. Carla took the bolts to the cutting table by the cash register to cut fat quarters of each for each quilter.

"Now, what about Ilsa?” Jenny asked.

"Aunt Beth and I were thinking we need to ask Mavis before we give anything to Ilsa,” Harriet said.

"But we could make them, and then if Mavis objects, which I think she won't, but if she does, we could use them for the raffle quilt next month,” Jenny said.

"All right, what are we going to do?"

They discussed and then rejected an Americana-style quilt with folk art imagery. They decided to stay away from the traditional blue and white associated with Dutch motifs and finally settled on shades of brown with dark and light blues and an accent of yellow done in a log cabin pattern.

Aunt Beth suggested they pull colors from their own stashes and go for a scrappy look. The rest agreed then got out their cutting mats to start working on the block for Mavis.

"Red alert,” Carla said as she brought in the stack of fat quarters. “I saw Mavis out the front window. She was down the block but headed this way."

The women stuffed their fat quarters in their bags and quickly tucked their rotary cutters back in their tool kits.

"Mavis,” Robin said when she came in. “Can I get you some tea?"

"No, but does Marjory have any cold water in her refrigerator?” Mavis's face was pale, and her lipstick had worn away.

"I'll get it,” Carla said and left the room.

"Did you get the cousins?” Aunt Beth asked.

"Yes, we did, and they had a little surprise package with them,” she said.

"Surprise package?” Harriet said.

"That's what I said,” Mavis stalled as she accepted a frosty bottle of water from Carla. “Keep in mind I've met Theobald and Uda,” she went on after taking a drink. “And their two daughters. Well, I think they were planning on claiming the child with them was their granddaughter."

"They brought a child with them?” Harriet said.

"They must have lost track of the fact that I have five boys with Gerald. Either that, or they hadn't taken a good look at the Christmas pictures I've been sending them, because the little girl they brought is a dead ringer for my Harry. At least, for what he looked like when he was twelve.” Mavis took another drink of her water.

"Gerard had a daughter with Ilsa?” Aunt Beth asked.

"Looks like it."

"How do you feel about that?” Connie asked.

"Compared to finding out Gerald has been alive for the past twenty years? It's just one more thing. And besides, I couldn't think about how I was feeling when that little girl is devastated."

"Wow,” Harriet said. “This just keeps getting more complicated, doesn't it?"

"Have you told the boys yet?” Connie asked.

"No,” Mavis said. “I dropped the Dutch bunch off at the bed and breakfast at Smuggler's Cove and took Ilsa back to her cottage at DeAnn's and then I came here.” She sipped her water. “Ilsa and I figured we'd give the cousins a day to recover from the trip and then do the funeral on Saturday. I need to get the boys and their families together to meet the cousins and spring the surprise on them as soon as possible. I want everyone to have whatever reaction they're going to have and then have time to calm down before we go to church."

"Would you like to have a family dinner at my house tonight?” Harriet asked. “I mean, half the tribe is there already, and I have plenty of room."

"I'll come cook,” Connie offered.

"I could make a couple of desserts,” Jenny added.

"I'll prepare a big green salad,” Beth said. “Carla, you could make the potato salad recipe."

"Do you think I do it well enough?” Carla asked.

"You make it just fine, honey,” Beth said, and reached over and patted her hand.

Robin said she'd make a fruit salad, and DeAnn volunteered to provide drinks for them.

"What do you think?” Harriet asked.

"That would be wonderful,” Mavis said. “I was trying to figure out where I could take them that would be private and could be gotten on short notice. I will owe you big time."

"Nonsense,” Harriet said. “What time would you like to have dinner?"

"They're going to be jet-lagged,” Mavis said, “so we probably should make is as early as we can."

Aunt Beth looked at her watch. “How about five-thirty?” she said. “That would give the cousins some time to rest before they have to go out again."

"Sounds good,” Mavis said. “I better go call Pete and James. Pete was already planning on coming to town tonight to see the cousins, so the time should work for them. James went back to Port Townsend for a couple of hours, but he was planning on being here, too. The rest of them were going to be at Harriet's."

Mavis, Harriet and Aunt Beth were standing outside on the sidewalk talking after the rest of the group had left when a Foggy Point Police car pulled up to the curb.

"Mrs. Willis?” the officer asked when he was out of his car.

"Officer Nguyen,” Mavis said. The young Asian policeman had come to question Harriet at Mavis's cottage earlier in the year when Harriet had been hit in the head and left unconscious. “What do you need?"

"Detective Black asked me to see if you would come in and answer a few questions."

"Is he going to arrest me?"

"I don't know what his plan is, ma'am."

"Can I lock my car?"

"Do you want me to come with you?” Harriet asked.

"No, I have nothing to worry about. I haven't done anything."

"I'm calling Robin and asking her to meet you there,” Harriet said.

"I'm telling you, it's unnecessary,” Mavis insisted before she walked down the block and locked her car then returned and got into the back seat of Officer Nguyen's unit.

Harriet pulled her cell phone from her bag and pressed the speed dial number for Robin's cell phone. Robin answered on the second ring, and Harriet quickly filled her in.

"I'm still in my car,” Robin said. “I'll turn around and head for the police station. I'll probably get there before Mavis does."

"Thanks,” Harriet said. “Tell Mavis I'll call her sons for her."

"Will do,” Robin said and rang off.

"I'll help you get the house ready,” Aunt Beth said and put Harriet's bag in the back seat of her little car. Harriet angled herself into the front seat, and Aunt Beth drove them back home.

Harry was in the kitchen, rummaging through the refrigerator, when they came in from the studio.

"Can you give me your brother's phone numbers?” Harriet asked.

"Sure,” he said, and pulled his cell phone out. “What do you need them for?"

Harriet explained about the dinner that would be happening later that day.

"Do you want me to just call them?” he asked.

"Sure. Tell them the Dutch cousins will be here."

"No prob,” he said, and started dialing. “Yo, bro. Dinner, Harriet's house, five-thirty, Dutch cousins will be here—be there, be square.” He paused a minute. “See ya."

He then repeated the process twice more.

"They'll be here,” he said. “I'll go tell Ben. He's upstairs video chatting with his girlfriend."

Harriet laughed when he was out of earshot.

"Not quite how I would have gone about it, but he got the job done."

"That's all that counts,” Aunt Beth said.

"By the way,” Harry said a few minutes later when he'd come back downstairs. “Why are you calling my brothers? Why isn't Mom?"

"She's busy,” Harriet said.

"Too busy to call her sons? Hello, we're the lights of her life. She's never too busy for us."

Harriet looked at Aunt Beth.

"Your mom is at the police station tying up a few loose ends,” Aunt Beth said.

"Mom's been arrested?” Ben asked as he joined them. “We need to help her."

"Just calm down a minute,” Aunt Beth said. “She isn't being arrested and she doesn't need you two going down there causing her more trouble."

"Then you admit she's in trouble,” Ben said.