Free Across the Winds of Time by Bess McBride Page A

car.
    “Great, Cynthia. Just great. Broke, but great!”
    Cynthia laughed. No...she snickered.
    “And I feel very well off, thank you,” she hooted.
    Laura came around to meet us, and we hauled Cynthia up the steps.
    “I’m afraid I don’t have anything to offer you,” I sighed. “I just arrived this morning myself. The appliances aren’t being delivered till tomorrow.”
    “Oh, you’re getting new things? How lovely for you!” Cynthia was settled into the wicker love seat, and Laura took up one of the chairs.
    “Did you just get this furniture? It looks new!” Cynthia patted the arm of the love seat.
    I preened, just as Marmaduke continued to do on the porch railing.
    “Yes, I did. The store delivered it this morning, just about an hour ago. I ordered it online last week, with the express plan to have it here first thing. What do you think?”
    “It’s lovely, dear. Just lovely. My parents would have loved to own such a set.” Cynthia sighed. “But they really couldn’t afford nice things, as poor as they were.”
    “Poor? With this beautiful house?”
    “Oh, they didn’t buy the house. Our dad inherited the house from his grandmother, and she really didn’t have any money either. It seems her husband, my great-grandfather, a scholarly type from Virginia, inherited it from some brother who died young. I think he was left some money by the brother, but bad investments...” She smiled with a small shrug. “Something like that.”
    “So, even though my family owned the place, they never really had the money to actually buy it or maintain it.” Laura grimaced as she looked around. “And neither of our husbands wanted to live here. I’m afraid we let it go.”
    “I wouldn’t worry about it, Laura,” I patted her arm. “The house has good bones. That’s what the inspector said. In fact, he said it had been built by a master craftsman. Did you know that?” I couldn’t contain my pride.
    Cynthia and Laura turned bemused faces on me. “No, we didn’t. That would be that great-great uncle I just told you about. I don’t remember what his name was. He built the house himself.”
    Laura added, “I’m glad to see it in good hands—like yours, Molly. We had to let it go, but I’m glad it went to you. You seem very...I don’t know...comfortable here. Like you fit in.”
    I beamed. “I feel very much at home here. It’s strange really. I don’t think my family has any ancestors in this particular town, but somehow, this place just captivates me. It feels familiar in some way...like home.” I blushed at my whimsy. And I wondered how long before I would be able to get to the cemetery. I hadn’t been back since the day I bought the house. Sara and I had cut our trip short and returned to Seattle so I could make arrangements to relocate.
    Cynthia leaned over to pat my blue-jeaned knee. “Well, it is your home now, dear, and we’re your new family now—even though we’ll be in Florida for most of the year.”
    A round of chuckles accompanied Cynthia’s quip, and they moved onto a discussion of their plans for buying a condominium in Tampa Bay, Florida.
    When the moving truck pulled in a short while later, Laura and Cynthia thought it wisest to get out of the way. After some discussion, the truck driver backed out into the road to allow Laura to pull out. I said goodbye to my first visitors while the truck driver patiently pulled back into the driveway.
    Two hours later, my furniture was settled into the living room, kitchen, and the upstairs bedroom that had the view of the cemetery, and my new appliances had been delivered, although the only thing that could be hooked up was the refrigerator. The stove, washer, and dryer would have to wait for a wiring upgrade, scheduled for later in the week.
    Hands on hips, I surveyed my modern bright orange microfiber sofa with its angular lines and geometrically patterned sage green pillows, and I shuddered. Sassy, finding something that smelled like