Ready to Wed (4 page)

T
hey all bowed their heads, and Louise asked the blessing for their dinner Wednesday evening. Even before the soup was served, Belle was telling Ethel about her plan to give the Howard sisters a special facial treatment.

“And you should join us too,” Belle told Ethel with enthusiasm. “The more the merrier.”

“I’d love to,” said Ethel happily.

“But aren’t you worn out, Belle?” Louise asked as she passed the salad bowl to Jane. “After your all-night drive, I would think you might prefer to turn in early tonight. Perhaps we should plan this special facial treatment for some other time?”

“There’s no time like the present,” declared Belle. “Besides, if I go to bed too early, I’ll just wake up in the middle of the night, and before you know it I’ll get my days and nights turned around and everything will be all topsy-turvy.”

“Well, I would thoroughly enjoy a little pampering,” said Ethel as she slathered butter on a hot cornbread muffin.
“All this nasty, cold weather has wreaked havoc on my complexion. And, being a redhead, I have rather delicate skin.”

“You and me both,” said Belle. “And I have just the thing for you.” She smiled at Louise. “I have something that would be good for your skin too, Louise. Might even do something about those little frown lines between your eyebrows.”

Louise touched her forehead, then quickly put her hand back down in her lap. “Well, I imagine it couldn’t hurt.” She looked at Jane and Alice. “And I suppose if my sisters are willing, I won’t be a spoiler.”

“I think it sounds like fun,” said Alice.

“Jane?” asked Louise. “Are you going to participate?”

Jane suppressed the urge to groan. “I guess so.”

“Then it’s settled,” chirped Belle. “As soon as the dining-room table is cleared, I’ll set everything all up. Oh, this will be such fun, ladies. You’re all going to get the Super-duper Diva Delight.”

“I’ll clear the table,” offered Alice as they finished their meal.

“Thanks,” said Jane. “I think I’ll whip us up a little something to go with our Super Diva … uh … whatever it’s called.”

“You can call it anything that your little ol’ heart desires,” said Belle as she folded her napkin, “as long as you call it a real treat.” She stood. “Now I’ll go get my magical beautifying things.”

“Do you need help?” offered Ethel eagerly.

“Well, that would be just dandy,” said Belle.

“I didn’t mean to rope you girls into this,” said Louise as the three of them congregated in the kitchen. “But I simply could not see an easy way out.”

Jane sighed as she beat two eggs in a bowl. “I guess it’s best to get it over with.”

“Who knows?” said Alice as she set plates in the sink. “It might be just the thing you need to brighten your spirits.”

“You know that Belle will try to sell us her magical beauty products,” Jane pointed out as she measured vanilla.

“Well, I could use some moisturizer,” admitted Louise.

“And there’s no harm in helping Belle out,” said Alice as she rinsed a plate. “She seems like a nice person.”

“Aunt Ethel certainly is taken with her.” Louise chuckled as she put a soup bowl in the dishwasher.

Before long, they were all gathered around the dining-room table again. Only this time the table looked much different. Laid out on it were pink trays and pink washcloths and mirrors with pink frames and pink packages—pink, pink, pink.

Belle started with an explanation of the basics of good skin care.

“It seems a little complicated,” said Alice.

Belle giggled. “Well, I suppose it might seem that way at
first, sugar, but it’s really simple.” She held up a hand with five fingers extended. “There are five basic steps: cleansing, exfoliation, toning, moisturizing and protection.” She grinned. “Now, say it with me, girls.” So they all repeated the steps, and soon Belle was helping them to apply varied products to their faces.

“Oh, there goes the oven timer,” Jane said after Belle had just lathered some kind of minty cream all over her face. “I better go take out those butterscotch squares.”

“Yummy!” said Belle. “I thought I smelled something good.”

Ethel pointed at Jane and chuckled. “It’s a good thing you don’t have any unexpected visitors, dear.”

Jane immediately thought of the letter she’d received from Justin. “What do you mean?”

“I mean you’d scare them away with that green face of yours.”

Jane laughed as she caught her weird image in the mirror above the sideboard. “Well, yes, I suppose I would.”

In the kitchen, Jane removed the hot pan from the oven and filled the teakettle with water, then turned up the flame beneath it. She thought about how nervous she’d felt when Ethel mentioned visitors. Was she worried about Justin and his less-than-welcome visit? What would it matter so much if he showed up here in a week or so? Was she concerned
over what her family thought of her ex-husband? He was no longer a part of her life. Why should his visit trouble her in the least? But, the truth was, it
did.
And sooner or later, she’d need to let her family know.

“Come on back in here, Jane,” called Belle into the kitchen. “We don’t want that mask drying hard as plaster on your face.”

Jane returned and sat patiently as Belle carefully removed the mask. And, surprisingly, Jane’s face did feel refreshed. “That’s nice,” said Jane as she patted her cheek.

“You have such lovely skin, Jane,” gushed Belle. “You really should take better care of it.”

“I’m always telling her that,” said Ethel. “She spends a lot of time out in the sun when she’s gardening, and half of the time she forgets to wear her hat.”

“But surely you wear sunscreen?” asked Belle as she wiped something cool and refreshing across Jane’s forehead.

“Uh, sometimes.”

“Jane, Jane, Jane,” scolded Belle. “You must always wear sunscreen, sugar. You’ll be a wrinkled old prune before you turn fifty.”

Jane giggled.

“What’s so funny?” asked Belle.

“She’s already hit that milestone,” Alice pointed out.

Belle smiled at Jane. “Well, you could easily pass for
much younger than that, especially if you took better care of your skin.”

“Belle was telling me more about her dream,” said Ethel in a serious voice. “I find it very interesting.”

Jane turned to her aunt, whose face now was covered with something that looked like pink frosting, and laughed.

“You find her dream humorous, Jane?” Ethel’s voice had a scolding tone as she cocked her head to one side.

“No,” said Jane, recovering. “I think you are humorous, Auntie. You look like someone pushed your face into a little girl’s birthday cake.”

“Oh.” Ethel leaned over to peer into the little mirror in front of her. “Well, now I do, don’t I?”

“And I wouldn’t blame y’all for laughing at my dream,” said Belle as she helped Louise to apply her facial mask. “I’m sure it must sound perfectly ridiculous to some folks.”

“Not at all,” said Ethel. “I think it’s rather charming. And I have decided to partner with you in it.”

“Really?” Belle stopped wiping the goop on Louise’s face. “How do you mean?”

“Well, I know almost everyone in Acorn Hill. I don’t know if my nieces mentioned that the mayor and I are on, shall we say, very good terms. And because I am rather well respected in this town, I just thought I’d be the perfect person
to introduce you around, Belle. Take you under my wing, so to speak.”

“You’d do that for me?” Belle set down the pink tube of white mask she’d been using on Louise, whose face now resembled that of a mime, and rushed over to put her arms around Ethel’s shoulders, giving her a big squeeze. “Well, bless your heart. Thank you so much!”

“It’ll be my pleasure,” said Aunt Ethel. “As well as introducing you to our eligible bachelors, I can also introduce you to some women friends who might be interested in your beauty products.” She chuckled. “Besides my three nieces here, there are plenty of ladies in our fair town who could use some professional assistance in the beauty department.”

Jane rolled her eyes. Luckily, Ethel missed seeing her, but Alice hid a giggle with a cough and winked at Jane.

“Perhaps you can introduce Belle to Betty Dunkle,” Alice suggested.

“Good thinking,” said Ethel.

“Betty’s a hairdresser,” said Alice. “She has a shop called Clip ’n’ Curl.”

“Oh, I’d love to meet her.”

“I think Belle is going to be right at home in our town,” said Ethel.

“So what are your plans, exactly?” inquired Louise.

“Well, first of all, I have to meet Mr. Right,” said Belle as she helped Alice to apply some toner. “That’s my top priority.”

“But what if he’s not here?” asked Jane.

Belle laughed. “Of course, he’s here. Just like in my dream. He has to be.”

“But how can you be so sure?” asked Louise.

“Because, so far, everything is happening
just like my dream.
I dreamed I drove into a sweet little town in Pennsylvania, and here I am, just like my dream. I dreamed that I would be helped to find my way. Then I stopped in the Coffee Shop to inquire about a hotel, and a nice waitress named Hope gave me directions. Just like in my dream.”

“Hope Collins,” said Alice. “She’s a lovely person.”

“And she could probably use some beauty help,” added Ethel. “The last time I spoke to her she was considering dying her hair blonde again.
Tsk-tsk.
Someone should give that girl some advice.”

“So, you can see,” said Belle. “My dream really does seem to be coming true.”

“So, let’s say you do meet Mr. Right,” said Jane. “What’s next?”

“We get married, of course.” Belle laughed.

“When?” asked Ethel.

“The first Saturday in June,” said Belle dreamily.

“You are planning to be married less than three weeks from now?” asked Louise.

Belle nodded as she helped Ethel to remove her pink mask. “Yes. I have a complete plan.”

“My goodness,” said Ethel. “That seems rather unrealistic.”

“Yes. I hadn’t planned to mention that part just yet. But really, I have it all worked out in my head.”

“Exactly where will this particular wedding be held?” asked Louise in a tight voice.

Belle grinned. “I sort of hoped that it might be held right here at the inn. The reception anyway. I’d really love to be married in a church.”

“Grace Chapel is a very nice church to be married in,” offered Alice.

“You can’t be serious, Belle,” said Jane.

Belle laughed. “You see, I knew I should be careful about saying too much. Just like some of the people in the Bible—you know the ones that God gave dreams to—well, some folks thought they were crazy too. But just you wait, time will tell.”

“I guess so,” said Jane in a tone that suggested she was unconvinced. She stood, forcing a smile. “I’ll get our refreshments.” But as she went into the kitchen, she began to think that their guest was more than a little off her rocker. How could Belle possibly imagine that she was
going to meet Mr. Right and have a wedding, just like that? It was completely crazy.

After they had all tried many of Belle’s beauty products, Jane said, “Thank you, Belle, I really like the way my skin feels—softer and smoother.” She refilled their guest’s teacup. “I think I’d like to purchase some of these things.”

“Oh goody,” said Belle. “But we’re not done yet.”

“We’re not?” asked Louise with a touch of dismay in her voice.

“Of course not.” Belle opened up another one of her pink cases, unfolding the sides and back to display a wide array of what appeared to be all sorts of cosmetics. “Now, girls, it’s time to get glamorous.”

“Oh yes,” said Ethel happily. “This should be fun.”

Louise cleared her throat. “I don’t care much for makeup. A little lipstick in a neutral shade perhaps, but that’s more than enough—”

“No, no,” scolded Belle. “You have to at least try them, Louise.”

And before anyone else could protest, Belle began helping them to apply everything from Wrinkle Away concealer to Marvelous Mauve eye shadow. They tried out lip colors and blushes and eyebrow pencils and the works. And when they were finished, they all looked overdone except for Ethel, who looked very nice.

“Well, this is too much makeup for me,” admitted Alice as she peered at her image in the mirror. “But it has been fun, Belle. And I do think I like this lip color.”

“Yes,” said Belle. “It’s lovely with your complexion.”

“I’d like to order some,” continued Alice, “along with that moisturizer and facial mask.”

“I’m more than happy to help you,” said Belle.

“Goodness, it’s getting late,” said Ethel as she checked her watch.

Louise looked to be stifling a yawn. “It is indeed.”

“I’ll tell you what we can do,” said Belle. “I’ve got lists of everything you’ve used tonight, I’ll attach those to an order form for each of you, and you can just sleep on it. Look everything over tomorrow and let me know if you’re interested in ordering something. More than anything, I don’t like to come across as some high-pressured salesperson. Beauty should be fun.”

They all thanked her, and she reminded them to carefully cleanse their faces before bed. “Now, y’all just go on,” she called out. “I’ll clean up in here so that no one will ever know that I was even here.”

Alice and Jane picked up the tea trays and took them to the kitchen, where Jane studied Alice’s made-up face.

“Do I look bad?” whispered Alice.

“I really like the lipstick, but the rest of the makeup is a
bit heavy for you,” Jane said as she directed her sister to a small mirror that hung by the back door.

Alice chuckled quietly. “Can you imagine the reaction I’d get if I showed up at the hospital looking like this?”

“I don’t know,” Jane said, grinning. “You might catch the attention of one of your available male patients. Maybe you could get yourself engaged by tomorrow and then tie the knot in a week or two. Why, you could beat Belle to the altar.”

“Oh, Jane.” Alice shook her finger at her. “Don’t be such a cynic.”

“Well, you have to admit that getting engaged and married in less than three weeks sounds pretty far-fetched.”

Alice shrugged. “But don’t forget, Jane: God does work in mysterious ways.”