“Oh my, I suppose they are. I’ll take them and see if I can get Katie alone for a while. We might need to answer these quickly. Thank you for bringing them.” She kissed Michael and hurried into the house before he could say another word.
“Women,” he mumbled as he made his way back to the Inn.
Ella Grace walked to the kitchen slowly asking God for forgiveness for the next set of lies she was about to tell.
“Miss Ethel,” she whispered. “A response came from the letter Katie and I sent to the gentleman interested in Miss Edie’s ad that you placed for her.”
“Wonderful. After you see Katie in her dress, I’ll find a reason to send her to your house.”
“All right,” Ella Grace agreed.
Just then Katie came down the stairs. She was breathtaking in her wedding gown. Ella Grace hurried over to embrace her and whispered, “We received letters from both Worthington brothers. Come over as soon as you can.”
“I will.”
The family took a few moments to compliment Katie on her gown and then Ella Grace excused herself saying she needed to return home.
Chapter Twenty
Ella Grace paced nervously in her parlor as she waited for Katie. She kept glancing at the two letters she placed on the table and fought the urge to open them. The return address showed that Walt Worthington wrote back to Miss Ethel and Chet Worthington answered the letter he assumed came from Miss Edie. What had she and Katie done? What if these men become as angry as Eli was and tried to hurt their guardians? As soon as she saw Katie walking toward her house, Ella Grace opened the door and asked Katie to hurry.
“Is something wrong? What did they say?” Katie asked.
“I don’t know. I waited for you,” Ella Grace answered and pointed to the two letters lying on the small table next to a parlor chair.
Katie picked up one letter and sat down. She opened it and read it and then looked over at Ella Grace. “Oh my, Walt Worthington will be here on Wednesday’s train.”
Ella Grace grabbed the second letter and said, “Chet Worthington will be arriving with his brother on Wednesday. He looks forward to meeting and marrying Miss Edie. I didn’t expect them to arrive without writing a few letters. We have to tell Miss Edie and Miss Ethel, but I don’t know what to say.”
Katie dropped her head for a moment before looking back at Ella Grace. “We tell them the truth. Remember they both asked us to find these men for the other. They can’t be angry at us. Can they? At least they can’t send us away to that convent.”
“All right. When do we do this?”
Katie stood. “Benjamin is having supper with us tonight. Why don’t you and Michael come over for dessert? They can occupy the girls or something, and we’ll tell Miss Edie and Miss Ethel that they had the same idea, and each has a beau coming the day after tomorrow.”
“I like that idea. I’ll see you after supper. I’ll bring cookies,” Ella Grace offered.
Katie laughed. “If you don’t eat them all first.”
~ * ~
Shortly after supper, Michael and Ella Grace arrived at Howard House with a plate full of the promised cookies. Michael told Ella Grace for the third time that he didn’t want her to upset herself when she explained things to Miss Edie and Miss Ethel. Ella Grace rolled her eyes but promised she wouldn’t get upset.
Meg opened the door and invited them in and took the plate of cookies. “We have pie, too,” she informed them as she skipped off to the kitchen.
When Ella Grace entered the kitchen, she was met by her smiling family.
“Katie’s getting married,” Anna informed her.
“I know, dear.”
“No,” Benjamin explained. “She means we're getting married sooner than we planned. A week from Saturday if Pastor James has the time. We’re going to ask him tomorrow. I don’t want to take the chance of leaving Katie alone with unstable men around.”
“I doubt there will be any more problems,” Katie insisted. “But getting married a week from Saturday sounds lovely.”
Ella Grace hemmed and hawed a bit and then said, “Miss Edie and Miss Ethel, Katie and I need to speak with you in the parlor. Benjamin and Michael can sit with the girls and have dessert.”
“If you insist,” Miss Ethel said and stood and followed Ella Grace into the parlor. Katie and Miss Edie brought cups of tea along for the four of them.
Katie and Ella Grace sat next to each other on the settee and stared at their guardians.
“Well, what is it?” Miss Ethel asked. “You two look as if you’ve been up to something again.”
“Umm,” Katie began. “You both know about what we’re going to tell you, but you know for different reasons and won’t expect the news we have.”
“You’re not making yourself clear, my dear,” Miss Edie said.
“All right,” Ella Grace said. “This is what’s going on. Both of you asked Katie and me to do something without telling the other. The only thing you didn’t know is that you didn’t know the other asked and now you both have answers.”
“Child, you are confusing me,” Miss Ethel chided.
Katie drew in a deep breath and said, “Miss Ethel you asked us to send for a husband for Miss Edie, and she asked us to send for one for you. There I said it.”
“What?” both ladies said at the same time and glared at each other.
“How could you?” Miss Ethel asked.
“Well,
