chose a muffin from the sideboard, along with a couple of pieces of bacon and some fluffy scrambled eggs before taking her seat at the table.
Saturdays were always more relaxed than workdays or Sundays when everyone was on their way to work or church. The boarders came down at different times and lingered at the table a little longer. This morning John entered just as she took her seat.
“Good morning,” he said as he began to fill his plate. Ben and Matt entered behind him.
John slid into his seat beside her. “I’m surprised to see you up so early. I heard you women laughing when I went downstairs last night.”
“We did have a good time. What did you and the men do?” Elizabeth asked.
“Oh, we played a few games, talked about the building Matt is working on and finally got bored with our own company and called it a night.”
“I’m still not sure why all this secrecy about the wedding dress is necessary,” Luke said from across the table.
“Missed Kathleen, did you?” Elizabeth asked.
Kathleen and Millicent Faircloud, one of the new boarders, entered the room just then and Elizabeth thought once more of how blessed she was to be living at Heaton House. As an only child with a father who was out of town often and only a housekeeper to look after her, she truly felt as if she were part of a big family living here.
“What’s all this I’m hearing?” Kathleen asked. “If it makes you feel any better, Luke, I missed you, too.”
That seemed to settle the man down and he smiled at his fiancée as she took the seat he pulled out for her.
Talk turned to the nice weather they were having and the Independence Day celebrations planned in the city the next month. As always there was much going on—parades, picnics and fireworks.
“There is much to choose from. But we really ought to go on a picnic while it’s still fairly cool,” Mrs. Heaton suggested. “Why don’t we go this coming Saturday, if the weather holds up?”
“Oh, I love the sound of that,” Millicent said. “I’d like to get photos of all of you at the park.”
“It’s about time we had some new ones made. But we need to include you and Matt in some. Maybe we can get a passerby to take a few.”
“That’d be nice.”
Everyone seemed excited about a trip to Central Park.
“It should be lovely this time of year. Just about everything has bloomed now,” Mrs. Heaton said.
“If your garden is any indication, there will be roses everywhere,” Elizabeth said.
“I think we should all take another trip to Coney Island and go swimming before long,” Ben suggested. “That might be something to think about for Independence Day. And you know they set off fireworks on Manhattan Beach on that day, too.”
“Most of the parks will have bands playing patriotic music, too. We’ll just need to figure out what it is everyone most wants to do that day and do some planning,” Mrs. Heaton said.
“That’s a good idea. We’ll have to see what we can work in,” Luke said.
“Sounds good to me, too,” John said. The clock in the foyer chimed the hour and he leaned near and nudged Elizabeth’s shoulder. “You about ready to go check out those buildings?”
“Anytime you are.”
“Let’s go, then.” He pushed back his chair and stood. “Let us know what you come up with for Independence Day.”
Luke nodded from across the table. “We will.”
“Where are you two off to so early?” Millicent asked.
“We’ve got some investigating to do,” John answered.
“Oh, I see. Well, if you have any need for professional pictures to be taken...”
John had just scooted Elizabeth’s chair out for her to stand and he turned to the other woman. “You know, Millicent, we may just call on you if we need to have photos taken. What do you think, Elizabeth?”
“I don’t know. Photographs might help.” Elizabeth didn’t mention that she had a camera she could take. She wasn’t really very good at photography and it was Millicent’s career, and she was just starting out here in the city. Still, she felt John had put her on the spot and it irked her a little.
Millicent nodded and smiled. “I hope you can use me. I need the work and the exposure, you know.”
“We do,” John said. “But we couldn’t pay you. That would only come if the Tribune or Delineator wanted to use them.”
“I understand. I don’t have a problem with that.”
“I suppose you could tag along.”
“Maybe we should take a look and make sure we have the right buildings before we waste Millicent’s time,” Elizabeth suggested.
Millicent’s smile disappeared and she shrugged. “I’ll be around this morning. I can meet you there if you need me.”
Elizabeth sighed inwardly. What was wrong with her? If she didn’t know better she’d think she was jealous. But she liked Millicent. She was very nice and she did need the work. If they did an article and used her pictures, she’d make money. “You know, on second thought, why don’t you go get your camera and come on with us now?”
“Really?”
“Yes, but hurry,” Elizabeth said. She didn’t look at John for fear he’d see that she really didn’t want the other girl to go with them. And she wasn’t even sure why. She had little time to think about it, though, as Millicent was back downstairs in a flash, camera in hand.
“You know, I’m not sure taking your professional camera is a good idea,” John said. “We really only need some snapshots and we don’t want to alert the landlords to what we’re doing right now.”
“Oh, well, I can go get my Kodak. Will that work?”
“That will be fine.”
Elizabeth sighed as the other woman rushed back upstairs.
* * *
“What’s wrong? Don’t you think a smaller camera will be better?” John asked.
“I do. But I have one. I could snap the pictures.”
“Oh... I’m sorry, Elizabeth. I can tell Millicent we don’t need her. I should have—”
“No—we can’t do that. Not after telling her she could come. It will be fine. I’m just a little out of sorts this morning. I’m sorry.”
“Maybe you didn’t get enough sleep.”
“Maybe
