Postby KP Presents » Thu Nov 28, 2013 5:30 am
Angela woke with a start, and looked around. It was still dark, and yet it felt as if she had slept for hours and had to get up. Looking at the clock by her bed, she saw it was five am.
“Five? Oh god – the time difference,” she said as she slipped out from the covers, and stood up, putting on a dressing gown. She could hear voices downstairs, and as she went down she heard Cindy saying “That’s the yams about ready for candying.”
Walking into the kitchen, she saw Cindy at the stove, with Amy and Dorothy working on the preparation area. Dorothy looked up and said “Oh – good morning Angela, did we wake you up?”
“No – I’m still getting used to the time zones,” she said as she sat down.
“Well,” Amy said as she poured a mug of coffee for Angela, “You catch us preparing some starters for the Thanksgiving meal. We have a family tradition of preparing the puddings, so there’s a pumpkin pie in the oven, we’re sorting put some candied yams, and Dorothy is preparing her world famous Key Lime pie.”
“Sounds good – so different people are bringing different things?”
Cindy nodded as Heidi walked in, yawning and saying “Sorry I’m late.”
“Heather, Veronica and Maria are hard at work at the farm, preparing the turkey. Others are bringing appetizers, soups and side dishes.”
“Well, we brought ourselves, and some English Mints – I hope that’s enough.”
“Trust me, it’s more than enough,” Cindy said as she put the dish in the oven. “Once these are done, I’ll stick some breakfast rolls in the oven, and we can sort out breakfast.”
“So how long will it take to get there?”
“A couple of hours,” Amy said as she removed a steaming brown pie from the oven. “Plenty of time for others to get up and get ready. Besides, we need to sort a few more things out first...”
“This has to be some of the most beautiful countryside I have ever seen,” Jo quietly whispered as they drove through the Maine countryside, the brown and yellows highlighted by the autumn sun as it shone down.
“We like it,” Dorothy said with a smile. She and Cindy were dressed in white pinafore dresses, with open necked blouses underneath, and short black boots on their feet. By contrast, Heidi was wearing a powder blue trouser suit over a white camisole top, while Amy had on a grey jumper and skirt, with flat shoes.
“It reminds me a lot of Scotland in the autumn,” Jo said as she looked out of the window, “especially around Loch Ness.”
“That’s what young Patty would say,” Cassie said with a smile. “Just as well she’s not here.”
Amy had to stop herself from laughing as the SV stopped outside a large farmhouse. As they got out, Heather emerged from the kitchen, wearing a long white skirt with a black apron over it, and a short sleeved blouse.
“Welcome to my place,” she said with a smile, “You’re the first to arrive – well, apart from the domestic staff. Please come in – but remember rule one of my house.”
“Rule one?” Lucinda looked at Amy, who laughed and said “all shoes to be left by the door – no exceptions.”
“Come on, Grandmother,” Angela said with a laugh, “when in Rome.” She stepped inside, and slipped out of her black ankle boots, leaving them at the door as she walked in her stocking soles into the kitchen. She was wearing a red short sleeved dress, while Lucinda had on a white cardigan over a knee length blue high necked dress.
Cassie and Jo were wearing open necked blouses and trousers, as they walked into the front room. Veronica came through, wiping her hands on a cloth, and said “Welcome – did you bring the puddings?”
“In the car.”
“I’ll give you a hand,” Veronica said as she accompanied Amy. “Maria will bring some drinks through shortly.”
“Who’s Maria,” Jo said as she looked round the room.
“Veronica’s housekeeper,” Lucinda said as the door to the kitchen opened and a large, broad shouldered Hispanic woman backed through, carrying a tray of drinks. She wore a white apron over a blue short sleeved dress, and smiled as she turned round.
“IT is good to see you again, Lady Holderness,” she said as she set the tray down. “Is this your granddaughter?”
“It is, Maria,” Lucinda said as she looked at Angela, 2and may I introduce Cassie Craig and Jo Frost?”
“I see the family resemblance,” Maria said as she shook their hands. “Forgive me, but I need to retrieve a turkey from the brine. I will talk with you later.”
“Busy woman,” Cassie said as Maria left the room again.
“And a very talented one,” Dorothy said as another car pulled up outside. “Looks like the soup has arrived.”
There was a sound of laughing, and then the door burst open and two young girls ran in, wearing blue petticoat dresses and white jumpers underneath. “HI HEIDI!” they called in unison, and then they saw the others there.
“Oooo – you’re Cassie’s grandmother,” the darker haired one said.
“I am indeed Margo,” Lucinda said with a smile, “where are the rest of your family?”
“We’re here,” Jannifer Dale said as she came in, wearing jeans and a blouse with a belt round her waist. “Mum, Dad, this is Lady Holderness, Alicia’s aunt. And you must be her older sister.”
“The pleasure is mine,” Angela said as she and Lucinda shook hands with Blossom and Kurt. “This is Cassie Craig, senior, and Jo Frost.”
“Welcome to Maine,” Kurt said as he shook their hands. “I hear you’ll be helping the girls?”
“Hopefully – we have some experience,” Cassie said quietly as Amy and the other girls left the room. “Boisterous, aren’t they?”
“They want to see their hero again,” Blossom said, “but yes, they can be.”
“Reminds me of the Terrible Duo,” Cassie said with a laugh.
“Suzie and Cassie?”
“Nope – Patty and Rachel. I’ll...”
“Hey.”
“Well, there you are,” Lucinda said as she walked over and took Natalie’s hands. “How are you, child?”
“Getting there – this is my mum Katherine, my father George and my brother Keith.”
Lucinda looked at the three people with Natalie and said “It is a pleasure to meet you. Is your grandmother with you?”
“I am,” Roberta said as she followed them in, carrying a large pit with her, “and I could use some help.”
“I’ll take that.”
Roberta handed the pot to the large Australian who had come in and said “Thank you, Brian – please take to to the kitchen. Where is Sarah?”
“Helping me to carry in the salads, Mademoiselle Reid,” a French voice said, and Angela came into the hallway to see Chloe standing there with Sarah.
“Angela, Mon Amie, it is so good to see you again – forgive me if I do not greet you properly for the moment,” she said as she went to the kitchen.
“The crowds gather,” Sarah whispered to Angela as another car pulled up, and a familiar blonde haired woman stepped out.
“Anne,” Cassie said as Anne and Sue came in, accompanied by a stranger to most of the room, “It is so good to see you again.”
“You too,” Anne Duncombe said as she embraced Cassie and Jo. “Folks, this is Kayla Smith, a colleague of mine. Thank you for allowing her to join us.”
“One of the many thanks we have to give thanks for this year,” Amy said as she came back into the room, followed by Maria and Veronica with more drinks. “All we need now are...”
“Us,” Coral Blackwood said as she came in with Andrea, and her husband. “Ladies, my husband Carl. Carl, I’ll introduce as we go on.”
“Well, not quite you,” Dorothy said with a smile, “there is the small matter of two other families.”
“Jack called me to say they are on their way, and so is Suzanne,” Coral said as she slipped off her coat. “Oh – and I hope you don’t mind, but I invited Bobbi as well.”
“I think we can squeeze her in – somewhere,” Veronica said with a laugh.
“Squeeze who in,” Suzanne said as she entered with Joanne and Alexa. The two girls looked grey, but smiled as they met up with Andrea.
“We’re not too late are we,” Jack Hawkins said as he entered, followed by Margaret and Alice.
“Not at all,” Veronica said as Maria handed them each a glass. “I want to propose a toast before we start – friendship.”
“Friendship,” the room said as they toasted each other, and then Chloe said “Right – we older girls are going outside. Angela, join us please.”