Free Who's Sorry Now? by Jill Churchill Page B

said to Lily, Phoebe, Mrs. Tarkington, and Howard, "I hear that our very own chief of police is telling people I should run this post office thing in the station.”
    Howard nodded. "It was your idea. It's pretty much up to you to pursue it, don't you think?"
    “I've thought about it and you're right. But I don't want to do it forever."
    “Do you have someone else in mind?" Lily asked.
    “Not yet. But I'll keep an eye out for someone else to take over. If it happens, of course. I need to get back to getting people to sign the petition and present it to the town council for approval. Lily and Mr. Prinney need to give me some guidance on what the costs will be, and how much should be charged for a box, and how much of the money should go back to the city for funding it."
    “That should be easy to compute," Lily said. "We could work it out tomorrow, so you can get started with the petition.”
    Phoebe had to excuse herself. "I have two hats that aren't quite finished and both ladies want them tomorrow.”
    And I have lesson plans to work on. I have a teacher out tomorrow going to the dentist and I have to fill in," Mrs. Tarkington said, likewise excusing herself.
    When the two lady boarders had departed, Lily said, "I'm expecting more books to arrive soon. I spoke to Dr. Toller. I explained that I'd like to know more about anthropology but couldn't leave Voorburg to study at a college."
    “Why can't you?" Chief Walker asked.
    “I thought you already knew. Almost everyone in town does," Lily said. According to our Great-uncle Ho-ratio's will, we have to earn our living for ten years here in Voorburg. We're only allowed to be somewhere else for two months a year."
    “But if you wanted to go to college and could get a grant or something, wouldn't that count as the 'right' thing to be doing?" Howard asked.
    “It should be," Robert said. "But it would go against the conditions of the will and Grace and Favor would never be ours. Or at least not Lily's if she was gone for months at a time.”
    And Mr. Prinney enforces this, I assume?" Howard queried.
    “He has to. It's his responsibility to make sure we fulfill the conditions," Lily explained.
    “So that's why he and his wife live here?" Howard was still trying to get a complete understanding of this weird inheritance.
    “It's one reason," Robert said with a laugh. Another is because Mrs. Prinney loves to cook for all of us."
    “I still don't see how it's fair," Howard said. "Getting a good education is important."
    “It's not a matter of fairness, Howard," Lily protested. "It was the conditions we agreed to two years ago. It's why we're always scrambling for some sort of income. And to tell the truth, I don't really want to be an anthropologist. I just want to know a little more about it. That's why Dr. Toller is lending me some first-year textbooks.”
    Lily thought it was time to change the subject. "I understand you were gone all day yesterday, and Ralph Summer has gone missing."
    “Not really missing. He got married last weekend. And had to move to Albany."
    “How are you going to do all you have to do without a deputy?" Robert asked.
    “I won't be without one. I've snagged one from Chief of Police Simpson from Beacon. He wanted to replace him with a guy who was desperate to get out of Buffalo."
    “Why?" Robert asked. "Not that anyone in their right mind would stay in Buffalo, I hear. They say it gets more snow every winter than any other city. But if this young man he's sending you isn't good enough for another chief of police, why would you want him?"
    “Because he has more potential than Ralph ever did," Howard replied. A bit shy, but better educated than Ralph, and he really wants to be in law enforcement. You'll like him. He's a nice young man. I had Deputy Parker with me when I was up there in Beacon about the body in that horrible lake. You might remember him.
    He's the one who rushed that typewriter to be fingerprinted a month ago."
    “Where were you all