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"Tiht" On i off a piece of paper, she wrote down her phone nuain, would you call me?"

Cherry didn’t answer

"I’ll let you know if he phones me"

When Cherry turned her back, Allison laid the sheet on the table and quietly left the trailer

Sixteen

When Charlotte left the Garden Club , she stopped by her friend Helen’s on Poppy Lane Ben was playing bridge with some other men, and then later Charlotte would meet him for soup at the Pot Belly Deli, one of her favorite lunch spots Their homemade soups were not to be missed However, she’d promised Helen Shelton a quick visit before lunch Her friend orking on a Fair Isle sweater for her only granddaughter and wanted Charlotte to take a look At one time or another, Charlotte had tackled just about every type of project in the knitting world, and Fair Isle was no exception Helen found this sweater a challenge; Charlotte adh she’d had to restart ured out the correct tension

Charlotte and Helen were both s They’d begun as casual acquaintances, but their friendship had grown through their involvement in the Senior Center Now Charlotte considered Helen one of her dearest friends She knew Helen had been in France during World War II, but only recently had she learned that Helen had been part of the French Resistance This information came to her by accident, when Charlotte happened to see a faded poster while visiting her friend She’d asked about it and then, reluctantly, as though every word had to be forced out, Helen explained that as a young college student, she’d been trapped in France after the German invasion

Determined to support the Allies, she’d joined the French Resistance, helping downed Aland Although Charlotte had tried to ask further questions, Helen sidestepped them Instinctively Charlotte had realized that her friend didn’t want this information shared The only person she’d ever told was Ben The friendship between Helen and Charlotte had deepened from that day forward

Helen met her at the door of her duplex and immediately ushered her inside and out of the drizzle No one used umbrellas in the Pacific Northwest--or residents didn’t, anyway An un of a tourist

Now, as she sat in Helen’s living room with a cup of tea, Charlotte examined the body of the sweater, which was knit in the round This was thewell

"It’s all in the tension," Charlotte said, looking closely at Helen’s knitting She nodded "Nice job" Holding a strand of yarn in each hand was a learned skill, but one grew accusto to be thrilled when she sees this"

"I certainly hope so," Helen said, shaking her head "I can’t tell you the nu just fine"

Helen set her tea aside "Ruth’s engaged--did I tell you?--and I’"

Since Helen was already knitting her granddaughter this difficult sweater, Charlotte was loath to suggest a wedding coat, which wasthe ceremony She’d come upon a 1970s pattern for one and was quite taken with it Perhaps she’d find an excuse to knit it up herself

"Letup," Charlotte said

Helen thanked her with a sestions are welcome"

Charlotte finished her tea and bade her friend an affectionate farewell, pro another visit soon She put on her raincoat, collected her large purse and stepped into the May drizzle With gas prices what they were, Charlotte had decided to walk Fortunately the Garden Clubroom, Helen’s duplex and the deli were located only a few blocks apart

By the time she arrived at the Pot Belly Deli, Ben had secured a table and was reading theher a discreet kiss on the cheek and helped her remove her coat The fact that Ben exhibited such impeccable manners had endeared him to her from the very start Such courtesies didn’t play much of a role in social relationships anymore, so when they existed, she felt they were often indicative of real respect In Ben’s case that was definitely true Those protective, caring gestures--opening a door, helping her into a car, walking on the curb side of the street--touched her She and Ben believed in treating each other with politeness and consideration Her first e, to Clyde, had been marked by those sao?" Ben asked after seating her and reclai his own chair

Charlotte was afraid he’d ask "I was elected president again," she said with a slight grimace "Everyone’s so busy these days, and no one else wanted the position" The Garden Club didn’t require a lot of her time, but it was a monthly commitment that took her away from him

His lack of response unsettled her "Are you upset with me, dear?"

Ben lowered the menu and his eyes widened at her question "Why would I be upset? If I were a Garden Club member, I’d want you as president, too You’re the perfect choice You’re organized, practical, responsible--and the s this s that made her heart expand with joy "Oh, Ben, I do love you"

S, he set the menu aside "I know, and I consider myself the most fortunate of men because you do"

They both ordered the chicken-and-wild-rice soup, with large chunks of warh bread The restaurant owner had once told Charlotte that the sourdough starter had come from Alaska and was more than a hundred years old Whether or not the story was true, the bread did have a flavor that couldn’t be matched