June 21, 2020After yesterday's review, I've followed the same path today. I reviewed my online post and my personal file. This posted version had been properly and completely edited for typos and unnecessary bits. Could the word crafting be different? What I have learned in this gigantic writing exercise that word crafting can always be different.
Setting It Up
Dez and Emmie had been out to a country nursery for seed potatoes and some bedding plants. They were going to have their own small garden plot. Samuel, Emmie’s gardener, had indeed created another small garden as Mrs. Beaufort had asked. She didn't seem sure what she was going to do with it, but Samuel didn’t ask. Just marked it off and got it ready for planting. To get to the nursery, the two sisters had to drive on a gravel road. On the way back to the estate, Dez heard a ping, ping, thunk from below and called Giles right away.
“Giles can you meet us at the estate garage. I think there may be a hole in the oil pan…not that I know much about cars, but………. You’re on your way out there now? Ok we’ll be there in about 5.”
Giles had received a distress call from James. All he would tell him was that it was about the picnic and a table. He told him to get the coffee on and he’d be there soon. He needed to check on one of the estate vehicles before he came in. Giles grinned. He’d known James Digby for years and had never seen him in such a state. He had been getting crankier over the last couple of years, but thought it was just about getting well into his sixties. Then the pandemic restrictions scattered everyone. Giles and Melanie had their kids to entertain them and drive them mad. James lived on his own. He actually seemed more distracted in just the last week. But, he’d go see what this distress call was all about. Probably about Martha. James misses her! I hadn’t thought about that. At work together almost every day for all these years. No wonder he’s been all tied in knots. Giles grin just got bigger. I wonder if he’s talked to Cook yet. That may have turned him inside out. Giles parked at the back, just as Emmie and Dez arrived.
“Park it in the garage, Emmie. My tools are in there. Where did you go that you were driving on gravel?”
“Are you familiar with the nursery out on Benson Road? The road to it from the highway is all gravel and not the best road. The municipality really needs to do something to take care of the ruts.” Although Emmie drove the Honda often, it was her first trip to that nursery. They had good reputation for well started bedding plants. Dez and Emmie had been taking a trip down memory lane to the days when they helped their father plant the garden. They were very young and loved using their very own garden tools. Emmie was the one who said “Let’s plant our own garden, Dez!”
“Are you sure? You’ll get in the dirt and mud. I’ll bet you don’t have any garden clothes.”
“These jeans are old jeans so, they have officially become my garden clothes. Come Dez, it’s be fun!” And away they went. Like a couple of kids, they made their purchases and returned to the estate with their prizes. “Here Giles, I’ll give you the keys and let you park it where you need it. Just give us a few minutes to get our potatoes and bedding plants out.”
“Here. Put them in here.” Giles brought them a wheel barrow kept beside the garage. “You can’t carry all those plants out in one go.” He helped them load their plants in the wheelbarrow and once they were on their way to the orchard, he drove the Honda into the garage. Checking underneath, he could find no holes, only a bit of a dent. He slid a piece of cardboard beneath to catch any oil leaks he may have missed. Time for coffee and a chat with James.
~~~~
“Coffee ready, James?” Giles walked into the kitchen. The aroma of fresh coffee told him that it was. Two mugs were on the table. “James? Where are you?”
“Right here, Giles.” James walked out of his office. “I was just getting caught up on some paper work. I took some work home with me when we left, but there were still some issues waiting for me to clear up. This pandemic has certainly turned everything around. Thanks for coming so quickly, Giles. Any problems with the vehicle you checked?”
Giles was surprised. James seemed back to his old self. In charge and in control. He sounded a little off balance when he had called. “Vehicle is ok, James. You had me worried. You really sounded rough when you called.” Giles poured their coffee, got cream out of the refrigerator and sat down at the table.
“Giles, I’ve thought about this whole thing. I’ve been nervous as a cat for days now and I don’t like it. I never have liked it, although I don’t suppose anyone does. Anyway, I did talk to Cook yesterday. I was incredibly nervous having to tell her about Martha. She was good about it and will make the picnic lunch, but did manage to tease me a bit. I’ve also thought about where Martha and I should have our picnic.”
“Where? Out in the apple orchard. The trees are really coming into blossom.” Giles grin materialized again.
“No. I did consider that, but I think under the old redwood. We’d have good shade there. But what I need from you is a picnic table. I can certainly get down on a blanket, but sitting for a while then trying to get up again would not be very graceful or comfortable. I suspect the same is true for Martha.”
“I can do that but I’ll need some help with getting it out there. It’s heavy table. What prompted your distress call, James?” Giles was puzzled, his grin faded and his brow wrinkled.
“Well, it was certainly appropriate talking to Cook. She has known us for years. I guess I just needed to talk this over with you. I will enlist Brigitte to help you - she’s a good strong girl. I thought of Samuel, but I’m trying to keep this all in the family, so to speak. He is seldom here and then he’s out in the garden or orchard. I don’t really know him.”
“So you are still nervous, James.”
“Well, yes. The other issue is when we’ll have this picnic. I’ve decided that on the day of the Staff meeting, which will be mid week, I’ll have the picnic the same day. If you, Cook and Brigitte know about it, then, I think I wouldn’t be as nervous. Oh, I don’t know, Giles. What do you think?”
“So Staff meeting in the morning, then the picnic. I guess you have to figure out how you’re going to get Martha out there. What if she has other plans?”
Just then, Dez and Emmie came in the back door, laughing and talking. “You’re soaked, Emmie!”
“You soaked me!……Oh, hello Giles. What are you and Digby up to?” The sisters had heard the words ‘Martha’…’picnic’ ……’under the redwood’. Curious but not wanting to pry, they merely glanced at each other. Dez was more than curious. The old redwood was where she saw the girl on the swing.
“O divine art of subtlety and secrecy.”
~ Sun Tzu
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