Donners Bend (15 page)

“Can’t Jon watch it for you while you’re gone?” Gracie suggested.

“Of course he can, but that’s okay.  I’ll just stay and
...
”

Jon cut her off, “Of course I’ll stay.  You go and have lunch, Mae.  It’s no problem.”

“No, no, I’ll stay.  Thanks for the offer though
,
Leah.”

The children frowned and pouted.

Jon smiled and whispered into Ellie’s ear, “Just go, Mae.  I’ll be fine.  Don’t worry.”

“Are you sure?” she replied.

“Positive.”

Ellie sighed, “Alright then.”

The children cheered and Jamie set Wesley up on his shoulders so that Wesley’s little legs straddled Jamie’s neck.  Leah grabbed Ellie’s hand and they were off to the picnic tables where lunch was being served.

They’d only sat a moment when Marcelle walked up.  She wore a white apron over her striped powder blue dress and her hair, formerly curled beautifully down her back just hours before, was pulled back untidily with a white ribbon.  Limp curls hung out around her face and she didn’t appear to be in a good mood.

As Marcelle set out the napkins and silverware, Ellie asked her how her day had been going.

“Horrible,” Marcelle replied bluntly.

“Why so?”

Marcelle rolled her eyes, “You’ll see.”

She then put on her best smile and said graciously, “Now what would you all like to eat this afternoon?”

Once the children had taken their orders, Ellie soon saw what had been making Marcelle so distressed.  As Marcelle was walking away, she accidentally knocked into
Benjamin
Fanning, who was dressed far more casually than he had been at the ball.  His entire tray, full of drinks, sandwiches, and salad for a nearby table, fell partly onto the grass and partly onto both Marcelle and
Benjamin
. 

“What’s that, the third time you’ve bumped into me all day?”
Benjamin
asked madly.

“I didn’t bump into you!  You bumped into me!” Marcelle screamed back, “And now look what you’ve done to my dress!  It’s ruined!”

“Well, look what you’ve done to my pants!  They’re ruined!”

“’Tis not my fault.”

“Everything’s your fault.”

“
’Tis
not.”

“Is to
o
!”

Another voice interrupted their childish quarrel: the recipient of the food now splattered on Marcelle’s apron. 

“Well it’s certainly somebody’s fault!” the man accused angrily.

“I’m so sorry, sir,” Marcelle apologized as she stood up, “I’m sorry that you had to endure putting up with this irritating, unpleasant man as your waiter all afternoon.  I’m sorry he had to
be so incredibly careless and drop your lunch onto his co-worker, and I promise you that I’ll bring you a new lunch free of charge.”

“Hey!  Those are my customers and I will be the one to take care of them.  Why don’t you get back to work and start thinking about your own customers instead of worrying about mine and making a complete fool of yourself, Miss Marquis!”
Benjamin
retorted, pushing his way past her. 

“Well, I’m sorry,” she replied with an evil laugh, “But you obviously aren’t able to serve them well yourself, so I thought I’d step in and
...
”

The customer cut in again, “Stop yelling at each other and just bring my family some food!  We’re starving over here!”

“Yo
u heard him!  Get back to work Ben
!” Marcelle said as she began walking back to the kitchen tent. 

Benjamin
ran his hand through his auburn and slightly grayish locks, reminding Ellie that he wasn’t a young man anymore; he was thirty-two in fact, and fifteen years Marcelle’s senior.

“You’re the most difficult woman I’ve ever met!” he called after her.

“And you’re the most difficult man I’ve ever met!” Marcelle screamed back, “I despise you, Mr. Fanning!”

“I despise you more, Miss Marquis!”

Marcelle stomped angrily into the kitchen and slowly the quieted tables of people began to speak again. 

“Good comeback, Fanning,” Jamie said with a laugh.

Benjamin
rubbed his head, “I know, but it was all I could come up with at the moment.”

After they’d eaten, Marcelle pulled Ellie aside and after she’d said a quick goodbye to the Rhodes. 

Marcelle sighed
and
pushed some stray curls behind her ears; she looked even more miserable than she had when Ellie arrived.

“I don’t think I can take this anymore, El,” she said as she shook her head back and forth, “He’s driving me mad!”

“It’s only one day,” Ellie replied, trying to bring her spirits up, “And after that you never have to see or speak to him again if you don’t want to.”

“I know, I know, but I swear that if he does one more thing: bumps into me, calls me Doltish Dela, blames me when he gets an order wrong, I swear I’ll scream,” Marcelle answered through clenched teeth.

Just then, at the most inopportune moment,
Benjamin
shouted, “Doltish Dela!  You’ve got some more customers to take care of so I suggest you stop slacking off!”

Marcelle’s eyes widened madly and hands became fists, “I swear I ought to
...
”

But Ellie stopped her.  She placed her hands on Marcelle’s shoulders, “It’s only one day.  One day and you’ll be done.  Don’t let him get to you, that’s what he wants!  Hold on just a few more hours, alright, Marcelle?”

Marcelle took a deep breath and let it out again.  She closed her eyes, nodded, and repeated, “Just a few more hours, and I’m done.”

“Why don’t we change the subject then?  Get
Benjamin
off your mind.”

“Sounds good to me,” Marcelle said, a smile creeping across her face, “Why didn’t you tell me you knew such a handsome man?”

“Johnny?” Ellie asked confusedly.

“No, not Jon.  The man you were lunching with.”

“Oh, Jamie.”

“Jamie, so that’s his name.  Who is he?”

“He’s the older brother of the children I care for.”

“I never knew older brothers could be so dashing.  Well, at least you know if you ever lose Jon you’ve got another worthy candidate to fill his place.”

Ellie rolled her eyes with a small smile, “What am I talking to you for?  Get back to work!”

Marcelle laughed and called back as she walked away, “I’m just saying that he seems very charming and plus he’s quite easy on the eyes!”

The rain poured down on the rooftops as Ellie sat in the schoolroom with the children.  They were working quietly on various projects while Ellie read.  Their solitude was interrupted when Juliet knocked on the door.

“Come in,” Ellie said as she set down her book and stood up.

“A letter for you, miss,” said Juliet, handing the nanny a white envelope addressed in a very carefree, scribbled penmanship to
Miss Eliana Mae Henderson
.

Juliet added, “It’s from Mr. Jamie,” before running out again.

“Will you read it to us?” Leah begged Ellie.

“Please?” added Wesley.

Ellie shrugged, “I suppose so.”

And so she read:

Dear Miss Henderson,

Terribly sorry am I to disturb you from your work, but if it is not too much trouble, I have a proposal to make.

As I’m sure you’re already aware, just recently I was dismissed from my studies at Lakeford University after I once again found myself competing with Professor Oscar Moss.  I ask you, is it my fault the man doesn’t know his history?  Is it not his responsibility as my instructor and mentor in the areas of history and geography to know what he is teaching me?  Also, on that note, as my professor should Professor Moss not know more about the past than I, his student, does?

Enough of my story though, for that is not the matter of which I write.  The fact of the matter is that I am now without school and without occupation and I need to determine what my next prospect in life shall be.  To determine this, I thought it best to refer to four of the most knowledgeable people I know: Miss Gracie J, Miss LeLe, Miss Demi Annie, and the honorable Mr. Little Wes-Man.  I shall come, as the clock strikes two, prepared with some background information so as to help my mentors with the decision of what I shall do next in this, so
-
very
-
interesting life that I live.  I think it wise to ask of their assistance, as well as yours, miss. 

If this plan is not reasonable in your day’s schedule Miss Henderson, please feel free to inform me of this. 

With all due respect,

Mr. Jameson Ethan Rhodes

The children were very excited and as Jamie’s letter had mentioned, as the clock in the schoolroom struck two
,
there came a knock at the door.  Ellie opened the door to find yet another character to add to Jamie’s repertoire
,
so far filled with Pirate Black-beardless James and Romeo. 

His mustache was shaved off, but now he wore a pair of thick-framed black glasses.  Despite what one might think though, they didn’t deter from his handsome appearance.  Although they did look a bit silly, they also seemed to show off how intelligent he really was.

Along with the glasses, Jamie wore a black suit, fedora, extremely offbeat orange and yellow striped tie, and he carried a black leather briefcase. 

“Good afternoon,” he said with a tip of his hat, “It’s a pleasure to be here, but I’m sorry to say I’m going to have to make this meeting a bit rushed, for you see I made this arrangement before becoming aware that a friend of mine was to visit.”

He spoke so fast the children couldn’t do much but nod. 

Taking off his hat and jacket, he now wore only a white-collared shirt, vest, and that wild tie.  He passed each of the children a blank piece of paper and pencil for “notes”, as he called them.  Then, he took a piece of chalk and began writing on the blackboard
Possibilities. 

“Possibilities,” he read, “This is what I come to speak of.  As I’m sure you’ve all heard from my letter, I am now without school and without job and I’ve come to you to see what you believe would be best for me to do next in life.”

He turned back to the blackboard and wrote:

             
-
Return to a different University

             
-Go into the military

             
-Find a job

             
-Become an apprentice

             
-Become an ordinary street bum

“These are basically my only possibilities at the current time, so I’d like your input so that I’m able to eliminate a few.  Anyone have an opinion?”

Demi raised her hand.

“Yes?”

“I think you should go fight in the military.”