Free Julia's Last Hope by Janette Oke

pampered and served too, I imagine,” Julia said under her breath. “They will take my lovely home for granted and expect it to be at their disposal.”
    She shook her head and lifted her chin. “In which case—we shall pamper them and serve them, and they shall—shall be made to feel at home. No, not at home. I will never let them feel that my home is theirs. They are only guests here.”
    With renewed determination Julia went to the kitchen to prepare tea while Hettie finished helping the Hammonds get settled.
    The guests were not in the parlor in fifteen minutes. Julia flitted about impatiently. The tea was getting cold. She sent Hettie to the kitchen to boil water for a fresh pot. “But don’t make it until they actually show,” Julia suggested.
    After thirty-five minutes Mr. Hammond appeared. He had changed his traveling suit to something unlike anything Julia had ever seen. It looked very casual—very rugged—and very expensive. “Does he think he’s on a wilderness safari, or what?” she muttered to herself.
    “Mrs. Hammond will be right down,” he growled. “I should like a cup of tea while I am waiting. Hot tea,” he emphasized. “We detest tepid refreshments.”
    Julia went to tell Hettie to make another pot and to be sure it was as hot as she could make it. Then she returned to the parlor.
    Mr. Hammond fidgeted while they waited for the pot to steep. “You should have had ample time to prepare,” he complained, pulling out an ornate pocket watch and studying the time. “We allowed you more time than you asked for.”
    Julia bit her tongue to keep from expressing the impatient retort forming in her mind. “Yes, of course,” she replied softly. “We did want to be sure that the tea was fresh—and hot, so we held back from making it.”
    Hettie relieved the uncomfortable situation by appearing with the fresh pot of tea. Julia poured her guest a cupful and placed it on the table near his elbow.
    And he left it there until it cooled to lukewarm before taking a swallow.
    When Mrs. Hammond appeared they went through the process all over again.
    At last the children joined their parents. There were two girls about the same age as the twins and a boy of about five. Julia studied them. They looked snobbish, whiny, and undisciplined.
    “Mama,” began the oldest. “You said I wouldn’t have to share a room with Miranda.”
    “We have already been through that,” the woman argued. “I had no idea this would be such a tiny place.”
    Julia’s indignation rose. She was about to remind the woman that the information she sent stated that the house had three bedrooms available for guests, but just then Julia’s attention was averted to the boy. He had lifted the whole plateful of sandwiches and was racing across the room with them.
    Julia caught her breath, sure that the child was going to dump the whole plate on her fine blue carpet, but Hettie intervened. Before the boy knew what had happened, she deftly removed the plate from his hand. He seemed about to howl in protest, when Hettie asked, “Would you like a cream puff?”
    His disapproval quickly changed to delight.
    “I’ll serve you on the back swing,” Hettie continued. “Come. I’ll show you the way.”
    Julia breathed a relieved sigh and watched the boy and Hettie disappear.
    The Hammond girls caught her attention again.
    “Fredrika used all the closet and all the drawers for her things.”
    Julia could well imagine it. Tom had carried up more suitcases than she had been able to count.
    “You must learn to share,” admonished the mother. Julia guessed that the concept was totally foreign to the two girls.
    “But—” began Fredrika.
    “Now—no buts. We are not in a hotel, you know. We will be making do for a few days. Your papa wanted to get off to some quiet place. Away from civilization.”
    The look the woman gave her husband told Julia that the two were not in agreement about their destination. The man ignored his