Arlene Sachitano - Quilt By Association

"Oh, Harriet,” she called, pausing at the front door. “Let me write you a check."

She was holding the invoice Harriet had tucked into the quilt bag with the finished product. Harriet waited in the foyer as she pulled a pink plastic checkbook with a matching pen from her purse and began writing.

Movement on the steps caught her attention, and she looked up as Neelie retreated back upstairs.

"I hope he'll take my advice and go home,” Phyllis said in a hushed voice. “I'm not one to pry, so I don't know what's going on with him, but he looks like a man who hasn't gotten a good night's sleep in quite some time."

Harriet hadn't been in town long enough to know what Joseph Marston should look like, but as she studied him from the foyer, she had to admit the dark circles under his eyes and too-prominent hollow of his cheeks, combined with worn-looking gray slacks that were a bit looser than was fashionable, suggested he wasn't at his peak.

She returned to the dining room and got Joseph a second piece of cake. Aunt Beth and Mavis were picking up plates and cups from the table, while Jenny and Connie helped DeAnn pack up the presents.

"I've got to get back to work,” Sarah announced. “Congratulations,” she said to DeAnn. “Do we have a time to show our next blocks?” she asked no one in particular.

"Since DeAnn isn't going to be doing a block in any case, what about tomorrow?” Lauren suggested.

"Actually, that's not a bad idea,” Robin said. “That will help us all respect DeAnn's request to let the first couple of days with the new little one be immediate family only."

The look of relief on DeAnn's face suggested that plan worked for her.

"I'll check with Carla,” Harriet said. “Anyone see which way she went?"

"She went upstairs to take a piece of cake to the babysitter,” Mavis said.

"I'll see if she's available.” And see how she feels about leaving Neelie here alone for that amount of time, she added silently.

Mavis followed her into the kitchen. “I know you're wondering if Carla is willing to leave home with Neelie staying here, but you don't have to worry. Terry's taking a few days off and said he would come stay here. He said Aiden bought a new sound system, and he had volunteered to hook it up and wire speakers into two other rooms as soon as he had some time off. Now he does, and it will provide a perfect excuse for him to be around the house. Since he lives on the base, and it's so far away, there's a good reason for him to stay here while he's doing it."

"I'm going to go say goodbye and see if she's free in any case,” Harriet said and went up the servants stairs to the second floor. She met Carla on the landing.

"Hi, Harriet, I was just taking Haley some cake. Wendy and Kissa are napping."

"Mavis said Terry was going to come stay a couple of days."

"And it's sort of cute that you all think I don't know you asked him to come stay here until Aiden gets back. Don't worry-when Terry told me he was coming to work on Aiden's sound system, I didn't let on I knew the real reason."

"When did you get so smart?” Harriet said with a smile.

"When I started hanging out with you.” Carla's cheeks turned pink, and she laughed.

Harriet laughed with her then sobered.

"Even with Terry here, you need to be careful. And keep your eyes and ears open. See if you can learn anything more about Neelie."

"I'm trying, but she doesn't give up much. She reminds me of my mother's ‘friends'-they come from some vague place that doesn't have a name and they always have families they don't want to talk about and they're always one deal away from the big score."

"Has she mentioned what her one big deal is?"

"No, but you can tell she's got one."

"Well, like I said, be careful. And it may be cute that Terry is coming to protect you, but we don't know who this woman is or what her intentions are so, until we find out, let him do his job."

Carla looked at her feet.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound so harsh, but I don't want you or Wendy to get hurt."

Carla lifted her gaze to Harriet's face.

"Do you really think we're in danger?” she asked, her dark eyes serious.

"I don't know. Right now, it's just a feeling. All the same, you be careful. On a lighter note, are you available tomorrow to do our dog blocks?"

"My block is done…"

"But you don't want to leave Neelie here by herself,” Harriet finished for her.

"Not until Terry is here, and I don't know when he's coming."

"What if we meet here? I mean, you'd have to be invaded by the Loose Threads again, but I can come early and help you get ready."

Carla smiled. “That's a good idea. Not the part about you coming to help get ready, the part about having the meeting here. You can come early if you want to have tea and leftover party food, but with a house this big, there's always a room ready, especially with Aiden away. I think Avanell used to have meetings in the upstairs parlor. I found a portable design wall in a carry bag in the closet."

"That's perfect. Let's go see what the others think."

Connie was standing at the kitchen sink, hand-washing the delicate teacups and saucers. Mavis was drying them, and Aunt Beth was carefully putting them back into the kitchen china cabinet.

Harriet told them about Carla's offer to host a dog block meeting the following day.

"I suppose we're inviting la diabla ?” Connie said.

"No, we're not inviting Neelie to join us. Carla would just feel better not leaving her here alone if she doesn't have to,” Harriet explained in a hushed voice.

Connie rolled her eyes. “Dios mio,” she muttered.

"I'll call Sarah, since she's already gone, and Robin, too.” They all could see Robin getting into her car in the gravel parking area outside.

"If you ladies have the cleanup under control, I'm going to go find Randy and say hi to her so I don't have to lie to Aiden when I finally get to talk to him."

"This sounds like the dog ate my homework,” Connie said. “I've heard that one before."

"You gave homework to first graders?” Harriet said and laughed. “No wonder they all fear you, even as adults."

"Don't change the subject,” Connie said. “Go check the table and sideboard and make sure there aren't any more cups that need washed."

Harriet did as instructed and did find two more cups hidden behind a large vase of flowers on the sideboard.

"Now can I go?” she asked Connie as she handed her the dishes.

"Yes, honey, thank you."

She left through the kitchen door and circled around to the back of the house. Aiden's property had a separate kennel with its own fenced yard that had once been home to his father's hunting dogs. Randy was happy to see Harriet, since she lived in the main house when Aiden was home and lately had taken to spending her days following Wendy everywhere as Carla tended to the care and cleaning of her master's residence.

Harriet unlatched the kennel yard gate and let the little dog out. After a minute or two of joyful jumping up and down and circling Harriet's legs, she started running in large circles and figure-eights on the lawn in a pattern only she knew. Harriet moved out onto the lawn, positioning herself in the middle of the pattern. As she got closer to the house, she heard a woman's voice coming from an open window on the second floor.

"Do not come here. You have no business here.” There was a pause. “No, you're the one who's going to be sorry."

Either the conversation had ended or the speaker moved away from the window. Harriet couldn't be sure. She hadn't recognized the voice. Her only two choices were Neelie or the babysitter, Haley. It hadn't sounded like the voice of a teenager, but on the other hand, it lacked Neelie's accent. She wasn't familiar enough with the second floor of Aiden's house to be able to figure out which room the window belonged to.