Quilt As You Go

'That's good advice,” Ellen said. “That won't stop all the comments, but really it's only one or two people. I wouldn't worry about it.'

'Good,” said Harriet. “That's one less thing. Did anyone see where Sarah went?” she asked the group as she stuck her needle into her fabric and put both items in her bag. “I need to get those quilts she mentioned.'

'Or not,” Robin said.

'She has been pretty scarce lately,” Jenny said.

'We were supposed to go to dinner last week and she ditched me at the last minute,” Lauren said. “She said she had to go to Angel Harbor. She probably has a secret lover.'

'Our Sarah?” Jenny asked.

'You're right,” Lauren said. “What was I thinking?'

Harriet thanked the re-enactors from Portland and arranged to meet with them the following day to inspect the event facilities, but not until they'd had a chance to thoroughly enjoy breakfast at their lodging.

* * * *

Beth waited in the circular driveway in front of Harriet's bow window as Harriet pulled in and parked. “I like the new planter,” she said when Harriet was out of the car. She pointed to the cedar box that Harriet had added by the studio door. “I assume you still want to walk.'

'I need to walk,” Harriet said. “Between the long hours on the quilting machine and the stress of dealing with all these crisis, my poor back feels like it's being twisted into a pretzel.'

Foggy Point was a great place to live it you liked to walk. There were plenty of wooded trails, but Harriet's favorites were the paths that went along the water. The peninsula had rocky shores with little or no sand, so there weren't beaches as such, but there were pathways through the rounded water-worn stone.

'Let's go down to the water,” she suggested, and Beth agreed. “Do you mind if we drive over to the north side? I don't feel like walking from here.'

'Whatever you want, honey.'

Harriet drove back down her hill and through downtown Foggy Point. She was taking them to a beach along the strait side of the peninsula, just beyond the commercial docks.

'Well, what do you think?” Beth asked when they had parked and gotten out of the car. Harriet led the way toward the path. “Is everything ready?'

'With the exception of Sarah's last quilt or quilts, everything is done as far as the quilt booth goes. Connie gave me my costume, so I've got something to wear. Bebe came by and talked Connie into making Carlton a new vest. She didn't like the one Mavis made. She's insisting he wear pink to match her dress, so they will look like clowns. Other than that, things are great.'

'At this point, the event is going to happen whether they have proper clothes or not, so I wouldn't worry about it,” Beth said. “I just met with the ladies at the Lutheran Church and they're all ready to do admissions. They have their tickets and cash boxes, and their schedule looked good-they have two people plus a spare for each park entrance.'

'It's unfortunate Mavis had to be gone,” Harriet said. “There isn't really anything she needs to be doing, but I'd feel better if she were here.'

'It seems strange the kids would insist on her helping out on such short notice when they know how involved she's been with this event.'

'She said she'd be back in time for the re-enactment,” Harriet said.

'How are things with you and Aiden?'

'We had dinner the other night, but he had to go back to work.'

'He kind of left in a hurry on pizza night, I noticed.'

'Yeah, well, he's worried about Carla. We both are.'

'We all want to help Carla, but she's been on her own for a long time and she's done a pretty fair job taking care of herself and that baby so far.'

'If he decides he wants to be with Carla, that's his business,” Harriet said.

'I didn't mean to suggest he was interested in her in that way.'

'You did, too, and if he's that easily distracted, we don't really have a relationship to begin with.'

'Go ahead and take the high road, but I saw your face when he left the other night.'

'I might not have wanted him to leave early, but I am a little curious about this guy Carla's seeing. Aiden hasn't met him yet, either. He said Carla was so embarrassed when he tried to ask her about him all he got was a bunch of mumbling.'

'I'll see what I can find out,” Beth promised. “I'm stopping by tomorrow to talk to her about housekeeping. And we're on the same shift in the sutler's booth.'

'It just seems weird. I mean, Carla has made great strides, but her life lately has been all about working at the quilt store and getting acquainted with that big old house. So given that, I'm wondering where she met this new guy.'

'Well, I read an article the other day that the grocery store is replacing the singles bar as a place to meet a potential mate,” Beth offered.

'I don't want to see someone take advantage of her. Don't you find it the slightest bit weird that the rare stranger under the age of forty who comes to town manages to find the one girl who almost never goes out in public?'

'Maybe its fate,” Beth said.

Chapter 6

Thursday dawned sunny and clear in Foggy Point. The weatherman was expecting the day to be hotter than usual, but that would still make it cooler than most of the visiting re-enactors were used to.

The first troops had arrived the night before. There were separate tent camps for the Union and Confederate soldiers in the main area of Fogg Park, but the people from both sides who had brought horses were camping near the river, away from the battlefields. Harriet had gotten the Lions Club to build a temporary corral, and there were already a few horses loafing around the water trough.

Harriet was just finishing her second pass through the park when she found Aunt Beth in the sutler's tent.

'How many times are you going to walk through the battlefield?” Beth asked.

She shrugged.

'You've been through twice since I've been here, and I don't imagine anything has changed either trip. People aren't supposed to start arriving until tonight.'

'Some of them are already here.'

'Is there anything I can help you with?'

'Thanks, but I'm waiting for Foggy Point Rent-all to deliver the portable bleachers that will be set up on the rise that overlooks the main battle field. After that, we just need the crowd to arrive.” She looked around the parking area for the hundredth time.

'Tell me again why Carlton isn't doing this?'

'That's a rhetorical question, right?” Harriet glanced at her aunt.

'I know. He's too busy keeping Bebe happy.” Aunt Beth smiled. “You know, Carlton didn't really date anyone until Bebe, and he was past forty when she blew into town. Old Marvin was so afraid his son would never marry he didn't even care if the bride was the assistant at his dentist's office. He'd given up on Carlton producing an heir. Fortunately, Carlton 's sister Frances took care of that, although she had four girls. Still, he paid for that big house Carlton and Bebe live in- Carlton 's reward for catching her, I guess.'

'As long as he shows up for his welcoming speech before the main battle, I don't care what he does with Bebe. Like I said, it's easier to get most things done without him. I still can't believe someone so incompetent runs a