At Home on Ladybug Farm - Donna Ball [83]
“I love the week after Easter,” Lori declared, letting the screen door bang behind her. “Ham sandwiches every day!”
“Take off those muddy boots before you come tramping through my kitchen,” Ida Mae told her, casting a critical eye over the rest of her outfit. “Those overalls don’t look fit to bring to the table, either.” She raised her voice as Noah appeared at the door. “If you bang that door again, young man, I’ll take a strip out of your hide.”
Lori kicked off her boots and left them by the door as Noah closed the screen door with exaggerated care. “I’ll change after lunch,” she told Ida Mae. “I have to go into town as soon as Mom gets back with the car keys.”
Ida Mae grumbled about people running hither and yon, wasting time and gasoline, as Lori slid into her place and took a bite out of her sandwich. “Isn’t there anything to drink besides milk?” Noah complained. “I hate milk.”
“You’ll drink it and be grateful for it,” Ida Mae returned. “Did you wash your hands?”
“Outside,” he assured her around a mouthful of sandwich.
Ignoring them, Lori reached for the book that had been lying on the table and flipped it open. “Say, there’s some stuff in here about Blackwell Farms. That’s what this place used to be called!”
Ida Mae set her own plate on the table, and lowered herself into a chair. “Does your mama allow you to read at the table?”
“Only at lunch,” murmured Lori absently, turning pages. “Look!” She held up the book, open to a photograph, and turned it to each of them. “A picture of this house, way back in the sixties. We’re famous!”
Neither one of them seemed very interested, and Lori returned to her reading. “It says here they used to make cheese in that very dairy where Aunt Lindsay has her art studio, and they aged it in caves. Imagine that! I didn’t know there were any caves around here.”
Noah gave a derisive snort. “Everybody knows about the tourist caves down the road. Where’re you from, anyhow?”
Lori looked at him, uncomprehending, for a moment, and then made a dismissive face. “Oh, you must mean the Luray Caverns. I don’t think the Blackwells aged cheese there. Where did they age the cheese, Ida Mae? It would have to be on this property somewhere, wouldn’t it?”
Ida Mae, chewing, didn’t reply.
“Well, I guess it makes sense though,” Lori commented, mostly to herself, as she turned back to the book. “Where there are caverns, there’d have to be caves.”
“Soldiers stored ammunition there during the Civil War,” Ida Mae said.
Lori looked up excitedly. “Here? In our cheese caves?”
And Noah said, “No kidding? Betcha there’s some old can nonballs and stuff still lying around. Might be worth looking around for.”
“Won’t do you no good,” returned Ida Mae smugly. “They ain’t around here.”
“But I thought you said—” Lori broke off at the sound of tires on the drive. “Oh good, they’re back.” She finished the last bite of her sandwich and washed it down with milk. “Thanks, Ida Mae, that was delicious.” She hurried from the table, taking the book with her.
“Hey, Mom.” She met the three women in the front entrance, her hand out. “I need the car keys.”
Cici fumbled distractedly in her purse and came up with the keys. “Have a good time,” she said as she handed them over.
Lori gave her a confused look and started to say something, but Bridget interrupted. “Oh, honey, if you’re going out, do you mind taking that book back to the library for me? It’s overdue.” She too started searching in her purse. “I have the fine here somewhere.”
“Hey, Teach.” Noah came in from the kitchen. “We having school today or what?”
For the longest time, Lindsay said nothing. Then she smiled. “Actually, Noah,” she said brightly, “I have some good news for you.”
Both Bridget and Cici looked at her sharply.
“That idea you had about