Chapter 17
Nell had baked lasagna with ricotta cheese from a local supplier and tomato sauce she had made and frozen at the end of the season. Jill had eaten enough for two, somewhat making up in Nell’s mind for Molly’s lack of appetite. Jill didn’t much enjoy cooking for one; Nell feared she wouldn’t much enjoy it, either. Maybe once the girls were gone she could have Jill for dinner two or three nights a week . . . But that would be using her friend as a crutch, rather than making a true gesture of generosity.
“Hey, where were you before?” Felicity asked as she loaded the top basket of the dishwasher with glasses and small bowls. “I thought you’d be home right after work, but the house was empty when I got in from debate club.”
“I had some errands to run,” Nell said quickly.
Jill gave her a look that said “Liar, liar, pants on fire,” and Nell turned back toward the sink.
Felicity looked toward the door of the kitchen and lowered her voice. “I’ve been thinking about what Mick is going to give Molly tomorrow. It’s day five. Golden rings. Do you think he’ll give her an engagement ring?”
Jill shot a questioning look at Nell, and Nell ever so slightly shook her head. No, Felicity still didn’t know that her sister was planning to leave Mick after the holidays.
“I have no idea,” Nell said, fervently hoping not, though only weeks ago the idea would have delighted her. “But let’s not speculate in front of your sister.”
Footsteps in the hall announced Molly’s return. She had changed into sweats and a flannel shirt, perfect for spending a few hours with the rambunctious eight-year-old Robinson twins. “I’m going to grab some coffee before I go,” she said. “Is there any left in the pot?”
“Just enough for one cup, I think,” Nell told her.
“I forgot to tell you guys that Pam sent me a link to the hotel where we’ll be staying next year,” Felicity announced. “It’s amazing. It’s got all these twinkling white lights hanging from the balconies like delicate branches. So pretty. And there’s so much else to do besides ski. You can go horseback riding or get a massage or take a steam in the sauna. They have a tennis court and a library and a sun terrace. And there’s a pool. And I’ll have my own room, of course.”
“Sounds like heaven,” Molly remarked dryly, taking a sip of her coffee.
“The reality is usually not as perfect as the hype would lead you to believe,” Jill pointed out.
Felicity frowned. “You guys are downers. Nothing’s going to spoil my excitement about this trip.”
Molly put her empty cup into the dishwasher and glanced at her watch. “I’m off,” she said. “I won’t be home until late. Mrs. Robinson said this holiday party she and her husband go to every year is pretty wild.”
“It’s a good thing you’ve got so many babysitting clients,” Felicity said. “Rents in Boston are super expensive. That’s what Dad says, anyway.”
Molly made no response.
“Drive carefully,” Nell said.
Molly promised and took her leave.
Felicity dried her hands on a dishtowel and tossed it onto the counter by the sink. “I’m off, too, but I won’t be late. Robina has such a strict curfew it’s ridiculous.”
“You be careful, too,” Nell said, closing the door of the dishwasher.
“Now that we’re alone,” Jill said when Felicity had gone, “I can ask how things went with Eric this afternoon.”
“Fine.”
“Just fine?” Jill pressed. “What did you talk about?”
“We mostly talked about his family and his work.” Nell hesitated before going on. “He told me there’s been no one romantic in his life since his divorce.”
“And no one romantic in your life since yours. Did you tell him that?”
“Yes. He asked if we could get together again.”
“And of course you said yes.”
“Not of course,” Nell said quickly. She didn’t want to admit to Jill that she had been so absorbed in conversation with Eric that her daughters had temporarily become shadowy figures in the background of her consciousness. “I mean, there’s no harm in having coffee with an old friend, is there?”
“There might be harm in just about anything,” Jill noted. “If there is harm in seeing your long-lost love in the here and now, that’s something for you to decide.”
“Sometimes you’re so maddeningly—” Nell broke off in frustration.
“Maddeningly what?” Jill asked.
Smart, Nell thought. “Nothing. Sorry. It’s been a long day.”
“Then I’ll leave you to get some beauty rest. Good night, Nell. Thanks again for dinner.”
When Jill too had gone, Nell was left alone in the kitchen with her thoughts. If there was harm in her meeting with Eric, well, the damage had already been done, hadn’t it? Still, it probably wasn’t wise to see him again. Clearly he had a rich and busy life that had nothing to do with hers. The more often they got together, the more obvious the vast distance between them would become, and the more likely it would be for Eric to decide to cut short his visit to Yorktide before any more of his precious time was wasted.
Nell sighed, turned off the overhead light, and left the kitchen. No, it probably wasn’t wise for her to meet with Eric again. But she knew without a doubt that she would.