Free A May-September Wedding by Bill Sanderson Page A

looked
envious. Cal wisely refrained from saying anything and changed the
subject. "How are Mark and his family?"
    "They looked
well when we saw them a few weeks ago. They're in Brandon to be
with Vivian's folks. I told him he needed to come here but he's
still not handling Mom's death very well. They drove, so they may
drop in on the way back." Jeremy waited to say more as he caught
his dad tracking Phyl's movements as she brought the appetizers
out. "Who else is coming?"
    "Aunt Rosalind
and Uncle Will both said they'd be coming. David and his gang
should be here shortly and Uncle Jack is in the family room letting
Emily do chin ups on his beard." He spotted a car in the drive. "I
also invited Harry's parents, but they went south to Florida with
the rest of the snowbirds."
    "And George is
still uncomfortable that his former CO was one of his son's best
friends."
    Cal shrugged.
"There is that."
    "Are Will and
Rosalind still sharing the old farmhouse?" Patricia asked.
    Cal shook his
head. "Will should have given up the farm years ago, but he won't.
And Rosalind's been taking care of her baby brother since Uncle
Brian died twenty years ago ... Anyway we should clear the entrance
so that they can join us."
    A wave of cold
air accompanied Cal's aunt and uncle into the house. At
seventy-five Will was still in good enough shape to put in enough
hours to make a go of the old farm. He'd ridden the fad for locally
brewed beer to a good profit in recent years alternating barley and
soybeans on his three hundred acres of arable near Winchester.
Rosalind was still ramrod straight at seventy-nine and made a
beeline for Felicity when she got her coat and boots off.
    "Felicity
darling, I know that you stopped Highland dance a couple of years
ago, so don't worry about another pair of knee socks, but I did
knit you something. And I think it will go perfectly with that
beautiful red dress." Rosalind moved over to the settee and patted
the empty space next to her. "And don't worry Lydia sweetheart, I
couldn't forget you."
    The girls, now
very curious, came to sit where Rosalind indicated. Felicity said,
"You can make me knee socks any time Aunt Ros. They fit me better
than any of the store bought socks."
    "Then I'll
measure you before I go home. Now, sit." She handed them each a
small gift bag. "You're both old enough to take care of these
properly now that you're young women. While I want to dance at your
weddings, Brenda and Harry passing away reminded me that only God
knows how much time we have left, so I thought you should have
these now while I can still make them for you."
    Elaine and
Phyl had heard Rosalind's speech and joined the group as the girls
each pulled out a soft package wrapped in tissue. Felicity put it
on her lap and unfolded the paper carefully under the approving eye
of her great aunt. Lydia did likewise.
    Rosalind said,
"They aren't as delicate as they look. I bought a good quality silk
yarn so they should last a lifetime if you take care of them.
Felicity, you'll have to stand up to show it off, your arms aren't
as long as Lydia's."
    Felicity
unfolded a delicate white silk shawl made of cobweb weight yarn
while Lydia displayed a similar shawl in ivory silk. "It's
beautiful Auntie Ros." She examined the pattern. "It's a Shetland
pattern isn't it?"
    The old lady
beamed. "I knew it wasn't a waste of time teaching you to
knit."
    Lydia very
carefully folded hers around her shoulders. "And mine is a Belgian
lace pattern?"
    "Phyllida,
your daughter is as smart as she is pretty. Now girls, these are
called wedding ring shawls because they will fit through a size six
wedding ring. Elaine can show you because I gave her one when she
got married to Brian."
    Elaine took
off her engagement ring and showed Felicity how light the fabric
was by passing the entire shawl through the ring.
    "Now if you
look in the bottom of the bags there should be a shawl pin to go
with it, but you have to promise me that you won't eat anything
while