NaNoWriMo 9

The first of the crates to be opened contained heavy yet luxurious featherbed mattress covers for the bed. Getting the down filled baffled cases upstairs was cumbersome but not too difficult to manage. It was the one meant for the monstrous bed that was a struggle which tom took upon himself and took to their bedroom for her. Two barrels were opened and inside beds of straw were beautiful pieces of delicate china. Abbey had Tom move those into the dining room to make it easier to unpack the pieces and less likely something would get broken. By the Tom headed off to work there were a dozen open containers for her to start sorting through. She was impressed with the way things had been packed and so far had revealed nothing had been broken in its journey. Table and bed linens had been wrapped in clean pieces of muslin with sachets of herbs tucked to keep them fresh. These she was able to put away in the linen presses with no need to have to wash and iron them. They were more than serviceable items. The linens were finely stitched and embellished with embroidery and tatted laces. Beautifully pieced quilts gave her a thrill and she took time to inspect the hand work of the stitching. Abbey spent time to make the beds properly, fluffing pillows and smoothing coverlets until each bed looked ready and fit for the most important of guests. She moved on to placing the china in the dining room hutches. Her hands caressed the fine platters. They would all have to be washed before being used but for now just wiping them with a clean cloth left them perfectly fine to display. She continued to plow through at a steady pace. When Tom came up for his supper she had empty nearly every crate. The house had taken on a much different look and feel. There was a refined looked and a more homey and cozy feel. After supper Tom helped her put books into the cases in both their evening parlor and the front parlor. Working through the evening they managed to finish off most of the unpacking. Abbey was exhausted but pushed Tom to open one more box from the back porch and the rest could wait until the next day. He made a big production out choosing which box to pry the lid off of . He further teased by having her guess what she thought would be in the crate, refusing to lift the lid until she answered. “A purple elephant wearing green pajamas and smoking a pipe,� she answered saucily. Tom threw his back in laughter and wondered if the pajamas might be red instead of purple. He then wanted to know if the pajamas might be silk and if the elephant would be wearing a smoking jacket. In the midst of their laughter Tom lifted the lid. Abbey held the lamp closer and they both peered in. Tom pulled out an odd shaped item covered in a velvet bag. Under it was what appeared to be a box also under a veil of velvet. They took the pieces in to the kitchen to the table. “A phonograph!� the words burst from her lips. “Oh! How luxurious! Is there music in the box?� Looking for the records that surely accompanied the player required Tom to open all of the boxes left. The phonograph was taken to the evening parlor and given a place of prominence on a polished table. When all the pieces were assembled she chose a record to play. Once on the turn table Tom turned the crank. In a matter of moments the tinny sound of music filled the air. Abbey closed her eyes and let the sound fill her. “Pardon me, Ma’am,� She opened her eyes and Tom stood before her in a gentlemanly bow, slightly bent at the waist, his right hand extended. “May I have this dance?� Abbey thought about being coy and even simulated checking her dance card but was so pleased by Tom’s sincere playfulness she took his hand. Tom was a beautiful dancer and she stumbled her way along as he waltzed her about the room. They danced through the evening stopping to clean up the mess of opened boxes and removing remnants from the kitchen. Tom added logs to the fire in the hearth as the evening were becoming more and more cool as the month progressed. She prepared an evening drink for the two of them. Afterward they settled into their chairs by the fire each having chosen a book from the shelves. The quiet of their evening was broken only by the sounds of turning pages, the crackle of the fire and the tick of the clock on the mantle. Two days before Thanksgiving the weather changed from the cool of autumn to an unseasonable warmth. The wind picked up and blew the brightly colored leaves that fell from the trees. Leaves which piled up against the side of the walkways and porched and anything else in their path. Abbey was in the store placing spools of thread into a case. Tom was stacking can goods on the highest shelves. Carl was out back splitting logs and stacking firewood that would fill the black pot bellied stove in the center of the store when the weather once again turned cool. The bell on the door tinkled as it was pushed open by George Franklin. In a gust of wind he was followed by Myrtis and their boys. Amidst smiles and handshakes they all greeted one another. George and tom drifted off to the to look up some sort of thing in a catalog. Abbey and Myrtis had gravitated to the mill goods and were discussing ordering a fabric for Myrtis who wanted to make new shirts for the boys. “They are growing out of everything. As soon as Todd out grows one thing it is handed down to Toby and suddenly nothing fits and I find myself wondering how they grew so fast without my knowing it.� Myrtis chattered. “You probably should be thinking about making them both new shirts for Christmas,� Abbey suggested. “I could order some heavier flannel and get it here next week. That should give you time to have them sewn up in time.� “I am a slow sewer, Abbey. It is all I can do repair clothing as it is. I would never get two shirts finished in time for the holiday.� “You could come over for tea and we would use the sewing machine. The work will fly by. You will have two shirts finished in no time.� Abbey had already been using the machine and was pleased with the results. In the mornings after tom left the house she had been working on a new pair of trousers with a matching suit coat and a nice white shirt for his Christmas present. It didn’t take my convincing for Myrtis to agree. “What will you be serving for your Thanksgiving table?� Myrtis changed the subject as abbey wrote up a ticket for the fabric order. “I know I am going to make dressing from the my grandmother’s recipe. There will be vegetables and other fixings. I am hoping Tom will get us a turkey. But then it just seems wasteful to cook so much food and there is only the two of us to eat such a dinner.� “I know what you mean. I was hoping this year my parents would get to come for a holiday visit but my sister had her first baby a few weeks ago and my mother is set on going to see her new granddaughter.� Myrtis and Abbey looked at each other with a similar thought apparent on their faces. “Let’s have dinner together!� Both said the words at once. “Oh, please let’s have dinner at our house,� Abbey asked excitedly. “I have been to your house for tea several times and I would be honored to entertain you and your family at my table.� They chattered like magpies and moved across the floor of the main room of the store toward where their husbands stood. “George asked if I wanted to go hunting with him tomorrow,� Tom spoke first. “We thought we would go looking for a turkey for the Thanksgiving table.� “Myrtis and I were just talking and we thought it would be lovely to have our dinner together.� Abbey’s eyes were bright with anticipation of being able to entertain in her own home now. The men took to the idea. A spirited mood filled the air which kicked up excitement in the boys as well. The men agreed to meet in the afternoon of the next day for their hunting expedition. The women put their heads together and planned the dinner menu. Myrtis chose to bring the breads, salads, a vegetable and a dessert. Abbey planned to handle the rest of the meal herself. By the time the other family had left the store she was a mash of planning and had filled a pad with lists and notes scribbled in hurry. Her brow was furrowed with her thoughts. When they finally closed up the store for the evening Abbey had a basket full of items for their Thanksgiving dinner and Tom had a ham tucked under his arm as well as a croaker sack filled with various potatoes, nuts and greens. With so much to get ready for their guests Abbey hurried Tom through his supper and sent him to bring in several buckets of water from the well. Hurrying to the dining room she pulled dishes and serving pieces from the hutches and set to washing. Tom rolled up his sleeves helping with the work drying and setting cups in a neat row, stacking clean plates and wonder out loud why women needed so many serving pieces. To answer his question Abbey told him his sassiness just earned him the privilege of polishing the silver table ware when he finished. While Tom worked at the table with soft flannel cloths and silver polish, easily working his way through the spoons and forks and dinner knives, Abbey heated the iron and pressed a beautiful white damask table cloth with matching napkins. Bringing everything back to the dining room she had set the table and laid the place settings before they retired for the night.