Dorothy turned to her sister, “What will we do all day long?”
“I brought a number of books. We can walk on the beach, sunbathe, prepare healthful meals and have a delightful relaxing time. I thought you would enjoy that,” Anna replied.
Dorothy pouted. “And how long are we to be here?”
“A week,” he said patting her hand.
“Oh-h-h… most dreadful.” She turned to her sister. “Oh, please let us go back. I had no idea we would be lost in the middle of nowhere.”
“My dear,” Anna tried consoling her, “We can always pop into the village for shopping and strolling any time you like.”
“What about the tavern, might we not stop there for the week?”
Anna cast a glance at Christopher who shrugged.
“It will be fine. We can play games in the evening and I know there is a pianoforte. You like, do you not?”
“And I supposeIam the one expected to play it.” She folded her arms across her chest and took on a defiant attitude.
“Look, here we are,” he said pointing to the small cottage nestled in a dune with a few scrub pines but no grass, flowers, or shrubs. “You see, it is not too far from the village. Why, I bet we could even walk there if we decided to.”
Dorothy refused to speak another word for the time being.
“It is really quite lovely,” Louisa said, trying to console her.
The carriage drew up to the cottage and they got out as the driver unloaded the luggage and began taking it inside.
The cottage was indeed small. There were only two bedrooms—one allocated to Dorothy and Anna and the other was to be used by Christopher and Louisa—Louisa insisting on the bed with Christopher relegated to a lumpy sofa. The poor coachman was going to have to sleep in the carriage.
After they were settled in and their luggage was unpacked, they gathered in the tiny sitting room and sat around the single table that served as a card table, dinner table, breakfast table and anything else that could be thought of that did not amount to standing or lying down.
“How about a walk on the beach?” Christopher announced brightly.
Dorothy stood at the window and observed, “It looks like rain.”
Anna joined her and had to agree it did. But Christopher was not to be deterred and said, “Well, it is probably only sea fog. It will burn off before you know it.”
“Huh…” Dorothy said, plopping herself down in one of the straight-backed chairs.
“I will go with you,” Louisa said, taking her brother’s hand.
“Are you certain you will not join us?” Christopher asked, giving a desperate last try to convince Dorothy.
“Not for all the wealth of Solomon.”
“You two go. I will stay with my sister,” Anna said. “We will be fine. I think I will look in the kitchen for tea and we can have a cup when you get back.”
“But they will not have cream,” Dorothy pointed out.
And with a longing glance at his fiancé, Christopher and Louisa headed out the door, across the dune, and onto the beach.
While Dorothy pouted, Anna explored the kitchen. It was fairly well stocked with the basics and besides finding the tea, she found a number of items that could make a supper. She then began constructing a list of supplies they could buy when then went back to the village. She became so caught up in her inventory of the kitchen she did not notice that it had, indeed, begun to rain. Almost immediately Christopher and Louisa scampered back, soaked through, and Dorothy just gloated.
But the rain did not stop. In fact, it rained almost continually for the next six days. It would look like it was about to clear up. The four of them would stand at the windows, and wait, but the sun failed to break through. It never did. It just rained and rained and rained.
At one point, they attempted a trip into the village, but the carriage got bogged down in wet sand and could not move. They had to run back to the cottage, leaving the poor coachman to try and free the wheels.
Finally, it was the morning they were to return to the Stewart’s and they awoke to a clear and bright day. It was stunning. Dorothy, who had grouched the entire time they were confined to the house, broke into tears. “Why? Why now?” she wailed. “It is so unfair. I could just die-e-e.”
