A Year on Ladybug Farm - Donna Ball [132]
The house was silent; the guests—save two—were gone. Noah had accepted, albeit reluctantly, the hospitality of one of their guest rooms, and Lori had fallen asleep almost as soon as she had sat down on the newly dressed bed to take off her shoes. The faint glow of kerosene lanterns was all that illuminated the windows of Ladybug Farm, but overhead a brilliant half-moon bathed the furrowed snowbanks and flat white seas that surrounded it. The snow had stopped, and above the sky was awash with stars.
They stepped out onto the porch, bundled up in coats and scarves, to breathe the crisp night air and admire the moon. They each carried a glass of wine—not the Shiraz, which, thanks to Lori’s inability to find a corkscrew, was safely locked away on the top shelf of Cici’s wardrobe—but a nice California cabernet. From somewhere deep within the bowels of the house came the faint strains of the gramophone version of “Silent Night” as Ida Mae enjoyed her Christmas gift in the privacy of her own room.
Bridget said softly, “Some Christmas, huh?”
Lindsay repeated, wonderingly, “Eight thousand dollars.”
“Remember what Derrick said,” Cici cautioned. “Collectibles can be tricky. We shouldn’t start spending the money yet.”
“But still . . .”
“Yeah,” Cici sighed, sipping her wine and smiling into the night. “Still.”
“That Lori,” Bridget said, smiling across at Cici. “She’s really something, isn’t she?”
“And how about Ida Mae, going in my address book and calling her?”
“We’re going to have to keep our eyes on her,” Lindsay said. “She’s a little bit of a busybody.”
Bridget made a face at her. “You think?”
Cici chuckled, and the other two joined in. And then Lindsay said, “Good news about Noah. Reverend Holland says he thinks he can arrange a temporary guardianship as long as he lives here, and if it works out, I can set up homeschooling. I think the reason he never wanted to go back to school was because he was so far behind, and embarrassed to be in class with the little kids.”
Cici shook her head, grinning. “Imagine, raising a teenager at your age.”
“Not exactly raising him,” Lindsay said defensively. “Just—helping him out. Besides, he knows he’s here on the we’ll-see plan. It might not work out at all.”
“It’ll work out,” Bridget said contentedly. “He’s a good kid. And you have your classroom back.”
Lindsay smiled and sipped her wine. “Yeah, I guess I do.”
“All those people, coming in the snow,” Cici said after a time. “Can you believe it?”
“I still don’t know half their names.”
“You will,” Bridget said contentedly, “before long. After all, they’re our people now.”
“What a day,” said Lindsay.
“What a year,” agreed Bridget.
Cici raised her glass to them. “Merry Christmas, by the way.”
They touched glasses. “And a very happy New Year.”
And so it was.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
In the Beginning
Chapter 1 - In Which the Ladies of Huntington Lane Go Looking
Chapter 2 - In Which a Dream Is Born
Chapter 3 - In Which a Plan Is Made
Chapter 4 - Auld Lang Syne
Spring - Starting Over
Chapter 5 - Moving On
Chapter 6 - In Which Help Arrives
Chapter 7 - Settling In
Chapter 8 - In Which Bridget Gets into a Jam
Summer - Growing
Chapter 9 - In Which the Earth Moves and the Roof Caves In
Chapter 10 - In Which the Ladies Find Religion
Chapter 11 - A Few Minor Adjustments
Chapter 12 - On Farming
Chapter 13 - In Which All Their Problems Are Solved
Autumn - Harvest
Chapter 14 - In Which Preservation Is Paramount
Chapter 15 - On Children and Other Creatures of the Wild
Chapter 16 - In Which Ghosts Come in from the Cold
Chapter 17 - In Which Bridget Has a Very Bad Day
Winter - Home
Chapter 18 - In Which an Ill Wind Blows No Good
Chapter 19 - Mixed Blessings
Chapter 20 - The Lights of Home
Chapter 21 - In Which Miracles Happen
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
In the Beginning
Chapter 1 - In Which the Ladies of Huntington Lane Go Looking
Chapter