A wagon rattled up the street and pulled up in front of the Lickskillet Diner. Aurelian Redmond put the brake down on the wagon and turned to help down Lucinda, who was overjoyed to be in town again after a long winter out on the Redmond homestead.
It had been a good winter for her, filled with learning how to care for animals, how to cook Aurelian and Wyatt's favorite dishes, and how to find things to occupy herself during the long winter days shut up in the farmhouse. Yes, it had been a long winter, but not a lonely one.
Now, as Aurelian swung her down to the ground, she looked happily up and down the street, treating any passerby to a wide, beaming smile. She, Aurelian, and Wyatt had already spent a few hours in town stocking up at the general store to replenish their supplies, and now they were going to the diner for lunch -- and to see Clara.
"Shall we?" She stepped up onto the boardwalk and held out her arm to Aurelian.
By now Aurelian and Lucinda had settled into the routine of married life on a farm. With both of them having once been married before losing spouses, they had at least known what to expect though every marriage can have certain differences. As for Aurelian, he certainly has no regrets about it. Lucinda is a fine partner. She has taken to doing her share of the farm work. Her cooking has improved, not that Aurelian was ever much of a cook. He had always depended on his first wife and then his daughter. Even more important than that detail, Lucinda was getting along well with Wyatt. Not that the boy had ever been hard to manage. In fact he'd been easy compared to his strong willed daughter.
The farm was doing well, thanks to the generosity and hard work of friends and neighbors, their barn, burnt down by those Evergreen thugs, had been replace with a new one, a bigger better one. He hoped for a bumper crop this coming summer. But of course Mother Nature had a lot to do with that...or God..or both.
They were in town this day for a couple of reasons. Lucinda had went to the general store for foodstuffs and other supplies and the goods were stacked in the back of the buggy. Secondly, they were going to eat at the diner. Ostensibly for a meal they did not have to cook - make that his wife did not have to cook. But also because even after all these months Aurelian still missed his beloved Clara and always jumped at the chance to see her when they were in town. Wyatt had asked permission to go visit Weedy since he was in town, the two boys were good friends.
"Shall we?" Lucinda stepped up onto the boardwalk and held out her arm to Aurelian.
He flashed one of his charming smiles and too her arm, "I believe we shall. Don't know about you but I'm hungry. Not that there was anything wrong with breakfast. But breakfast isn't lunch, is it?"
The couple took their time heading toward the diner.
"I would argue that sometimes breakfast is better than lunch," Lucinda said lightly. Lunch was often a simple affair, almost an afterthought, consisting of something to get the body through the rest of the day until supper, which might be more hearty and filling than the midday meal had been.
But eating lunch at the diner was completely different. There would be more options, and the possibility of dessert! She broke into a grin at the thought. She and Wyatt made a good pair in that -- dessert always got them excited. Really, Aurelian was that way, too, especially if the dessert in question was one of Clara's pies.
As they neared the diner, Lucinda wanted to pull ahead of Aurelian and burst through the door, declaring to the whole diner that the Redmonds were here! But she kept hold of her husband's arm so that he could be a gentleman and open the door for her.
As Lucinda expected, Aurelian played the part of gentleman perfectly, opening the door for her to enter first then followed her on in, closing it behind him and removing his hat. Gentlemen do not wear hats inside. The tinkling of the bell above the door signaled anyone's arrival. There were a few occupied tables but also a few open ones. Ahh, and Clara's new waitress was approaching. He didn't know much about her other than she came from back East and Clara was pleased with her work ethic. Pleasing his daughter was not always easy, he smiled to himself.
"Hello, would you care for a table?" Constance asked with a polite smile.
"Yes please, if you would be so kind," Aurelian nodded then escorted Lucinda to the selected table, seated her first then took his own seat right after.
There were no menus, what was available was always chalked on a blackboard fixed to one of the walls. Printed by Clara, it was so legible, Aurelian recognized her writing easily.
"Would you like a minute or are you ready to order?" Constance asked.
"Yes please, you can bring us some coffee though," Aurelian requested, "Oh can you also tell Clara that her father and step-mother are here. We might get a good deal on prices." The last part said with a grin.
"Ohhh, of course, Mr. and Mrs. Redmond. Nice to meet you, I'm Constance Straub," the waitress smiled right back.
Aurelian asked Constance to bring them some coffee, and introduced themselves as Clara's family, making a joke about discounted prices. Lucinda smacked her husband's arm lightly but was unable to hid a grin. There was a good chance Clara might offer their meal at a lower price, but there was also a chance she'd be her normal equitable, business-like self and not even think about doing that.
"A pleasure to meet you, Constance," she said, turning back to the waitress. "Coffee would be nice while we decide. Would you also bring some sugar and milk?" She had become accustomed to drinking coffee, but definitely didn't want to drink it black.
The waitress was quite pretty, and very pleasant. Surely it was a blessing for Clara to have someone to take orders and deal with customers so she could do what she excelled in - cooking. True, Clara had blossomed and become more personable in the time Lucinda had been in town, but she was still reserved and probably preferred working in the kitchen to talking to people all the time.
"Yes, ma'am, sugar and milk it will be," Constance nodded then headed off to get the coffee and additions.
As they waited, it wouldn't be long, Aurelian fidgeted with his hat then decided to set it on the seat of one of the empty chairs, all tables had four chairs after all.
"So my dear, now that you've had a bit to settle in at the farm, is there anything in particular you would like for us to have ...you know buy? I'm not much for frills nor was Clara but you might have some ideas. Better curtains perhaps? I don't know...that's why I'm asking you."
Even as Lucinda answered, Constance returned with a small tray and upon that, two steaming cups of coffee plus milk and sugar.
"There you go, would you care to order?" she asked in her best waitress manner.
Lucinda had been peering at the menu when Aurelian spoke, and now she turned her full attention to him. "Oh, let me think a moment. Maybe a new broom?" She tapped her fingers on the table and stared off across the room in thought. Her mind kept drifting to the last thing Aurelian had mentioned.
"Curtains...there's an idea. I wouldn't mind new curtains." She looked back at Aurelian. "Do you have any particular attachment to the current ones?"
She paused as Constance arrived with their coffee, milk, and sugar. After spooning a bit of sugar and milk into her cup, she looked at Constance and nodded. "Yes, I believe I'm ready. I would like a few slices of roast beef, some gravy, and some potatoes, please."
Not the most exciting meal, and certainly one she could have cooked herself, but Clara's roast beef was bound to be better than hers, and she didn't have to cook it!
"Curtains...there's an idea. I wouldn't mind new curtains." She looked back at Aurelian. "Do you have any particular attachment to the current ones?"
The man smiled, "I have a strong attachment to you and to Wyatt but the curtains, nope, don't much care one way or the other."
Lucinda paused as Constance arrived with their coffee, milk, and sugar. After spooning a bit of sugar and milk into her cup, she looked at Constance and nodded. "Yes, I believe I'm ready. I would like a few slices of roast beef, some gravy, and some potatoes, please."
Aurelian quickly added, "Actually that sounds great. I will do the same, miss."
Constance nodded, "It comes with green beans, just so you know."
Aurelian waved into the air, "Then green beans, it shall be. For the both of us."
Constance smiled and headed toward the kitchen.
"If you don't like green beans, it's fine. I will eat them tomorrow if you don't want them. Clara makes them in bacon grease with pepper. Very good," he hoped she did not mind her adding that item without giving her the chance. He certainly did not want to be one of those bossy husbands.
"I also have a strong attachment to you and Wyatt." Lucinda grinned. "Love is quite a strong force. Almost magnetic."
She had tried to be as simplistic with her order as possible -- they weren't here to splurge, just to have a meal and see Clara -- but the meal apparently came with green beans. Which was no problem for Lucinda. If she'd had a problem with the green beans, she would have stopped Constance in spite of what Aurelian had said. She didn't believe in just sitting back and accepting something she didn't like.
She sat back in her chair as Constance retreated to the kitchen. "I don't mind green beans at all. They're rather good, in fact. I'll have to try cooking them for you the way Clara does sometime." She sipped her coffee thoughtfully. "I hope she has a few moments to spare to talk to us, and maybe we'll get to see little Emeline as well."
"I also have a strong attachment to you and Wyatt." Lucinda grinned. "Love is quite a strong force. Almost magnetic."
"Magnetic huh? Well, let us hope we don't find ourselves with nails sticking to us," he joked but he got the seriousness behind the remark. The marriage was working out quite well......so far. And he saw no reason why this would not continue.
"Oh I should tell you this..." he paused for dramatic effect, "the other day while Wyatt and me were doing barn chores, out of nowhere Wyatt tells me that he thinks you are really nice. Although, and please don't be hurt by a boy's bluntness, he did say you aren't as good a cook as his sister."
"However he also added, a whole lot better than me. He has, and rightfully so, never liked my cooking. Can't blame him," Aurelian smiled.