“You weren’t kidding.” Natalie turned slowly, trying to take it all in. “I can’t imagine having to dust all of this.”
“Ha! Me either.” Orene walked over and tugged open one of the long doors. “My sweet husband made this cabinet for me. He and a friend picked out and chopped down the trees, milled and cut the boards, and planed every one of them. People just don’t do that kind of thing anymore.”
“Wow. From a tree to this?”
“Sure did. Everything except the glass. He had to hire that out with a guy in Norfolk who was the nephew of his momma’s sister’s cousin. Each piece of glass was cut perfectly to size and trimmed inside and out. No way any dust is getting into this thing. It’s about airtight, I think. Even the silver doesn’t seem to tarnish like it should.”
“That’s true love.”
“Every woman deserves that kind of love.” Orene stepped back, looking at the cabinet and shaking her head.
“You miss him,” Natalie said.
She nodded. “Every single day.”
“But you’ve got this to remember him by.”
“And so many other things. I miss him so much, but knowing what I know about heaven… I’m okay with it.”
Natalie wished she felt that same comfort.
“Sometimes I’m almost a little jealous he got to go first,”Orene went on, “but then I still have stuff to do, I suppose. He’s in the most beautiful place there is. Which is really saying something when you live in a place as magnificent as Chestnut Ridge.” She touched Natalie’s arm. “You know about missing that kind of love. I know you do.”
“I do.” She nodded. “I haven’t gotten to the peace where you are on it yet, though.”
“You’ll get there.” Orene clicked her fingers. “Ah. You might be interested in this.” She hooked her finger as she darted toward the stairs.
Natalie followed, feeling a bit like a duckling ambling behind the mama duck. “You were asking about the letter on the landing. This,” she said, taking a book from a shelf, “was the registry people would sign upon visiting. Not really sure why. I don’t think it was an official record for bookkeeping or anything. I think it was more tradition at some point. Or maybe just bragging rights.” She flipped open the book to the first page. In bold letters the year “1886” was written. “Look how many people visited.”
“No wonder your granddaughter wanted to reopen this as an inn. It must’ve been quite successful.”
“Our family lived a very comfortable life sharing house and home with others.” She lifted her chin. “My granddaughter’s motivation was far less genuine. I think she thought she’d just pop up a website and let me run everything while she raked in the dough.”
“Oh, I’m not—”
“Oh, yes, that’s exactly what it was. I know it, and you can believe it or not, but don’t just say it to be polite.” She flipped through the book, to a date in 1967. “Look at this.”
Natalie leaned in closer to read the entry. “Harrison Maynard?” Her mouth dropped open.
“That was Jeremy’s daddy. He stayed here for a full week before he and Jeremy’s mother got married. Back then there was no shacking up. A couple didn’t live together until that ring was on the finger. Her father would’ve shot Harrison Maynard before he’d let him break that rule. Harrison stayed here until their wedding night.”
“That’s so romantic.” She pressed her hand to her heart.
“Well, truth be told, her father would’ve done anything to stop that wedding. He never did approve of that relationship. We all thought he was being overprotective at the time, but his misgivings about that man being a lousy excuse for a human proved to be spot-on. Anyway, there’s lots of history here.”
“Yes. There certainly seems to be.” In less than twenty-four hours Natalie felt like she knew more about this town than she did the one she’d grown up in. “I’m so glad I came here. It’s so interesting. The town. The history. Chestnut Ridge is a really special place.”
“Honey, we ain’t even begun to crack the chestnut on this place. I can’t wait to share more with you, but I know you’re anxious to move along and see what you’ve got ahead of you.”
“I am. I’m dying to know what shape the cabin is in.”
“You’ll get it all worked out. But please, don’t go being too proud to ask for help, and if that place isn’t as cozy as where you slept last night, you bring your fanny right back here to sleep tonight. Deal?”
“Yes, ma’am. Thank you. I’m just going to get my stuff.”
“Run along.”
Natalie went upstairs to get her things. She stripped the bed so she could bring the sheets down with her to put in the wash as she’d promised. This had been a wonderful way to start her transition. She felt a bit like a butterfly coming out of her cocoon for a fresh look at the world.
