12

45. Kindled Spirits

 By the following afternoon everyone was pleased to know that Andrew Addams wouldn't be bothering them anymore. The twelve grandsisters celebrated this news by going to the pavilion to dance and practice their anniversary play.

"We should visit Mr. Woodrow today," Ottaline said. "Company is good for the unwell. Right, Rovy?"

"Of course," Providence said. "But the doctor is probably with him now. Mr. Woodrom doesn't like it when people are in the room when he's there."

"Oh, that nosey doctor," Ottaline said. "He just wants to keep Mr. Woodrow all to himself."

"Ottaline, don't be silly," Taitiann said.

"Well surely he's interested in how much Mr. Woodrow is worth," Ottaline said getting stares from everyone.

"She's not wrong," Beatrice said. "People are curious if he has maintained his fortune."

"Ottaline may be right," Providence said. "Well...at least in some ways. While I was up there I personally witnessed Mrs. Calico send away visitors. Some people did stop by to ask about Mr. Woodrow in good faith. Others just seemed to be there to see the giraffes at the zoo."

Hannah burst with laughter. "Giraffes!"

Miriam poked her. "Well, with Mrs. Calico as a guardian I don't think Mr. Woodrow will be made into a spectacle. And if that doctor is a crook then he's likely to end up the one in the bed, curtsey of Mr. Calico. They won't let him be taken advantage of."

Hannah fell back on the blanket. "What's Mr. Woodrow going to do with himself now, Miriam? His family doesn't love him anymore."

Miriam stroked her forehead. "He has his grandfather. And I suppose once he's better he can get up and be whomever he pleases."

"And with all that money to himself!"

"Now you stop that, Hannah," Miriam said "you sound like the rest of the carpetbaggers."

Hannah just laughed and put a flowered wreath on her head.

Finally Miriam got up.

"What are you doing?" Ladybird asked.

"We should put together a basket for Mr. Woodrow if we are to see him," she said. "Wysteria, why don't you bring some flowers for Mrs. Calico too? She's spends an awful lot of her time keeping him comfortable at their home lately."

"I'll help you, Wysteria," Astrid volunteered."

"Good," Miriam said. "And if you don't mind playing a little music..."

"I don't mind," Wysteria said as she looked over the flowers.

"Then Ottaline and Providence will fetch a basket and your violin from home. The rest of us will pick up a few comforting items from town and meet back here before we go to the Calico's to put everything together. By then that doctor should be gone."

"I still don't like that doctor," Ottaline said.

"Well then step lively and try not to break your hip on your way down any steps," Beatrice said. "Else you'll be the one convalescing in his care." She shooed her away and everyone hurried to carry out their respective tasks.

/

It took around half an hour for the grandsisters to gather all that they needed and return to the community garden. There they assembled everything they collected including a couple of things given by people they had met in town who pitied Sumner Woodrow's fate. Once the flowers were arranged, they set of to the Calicos' residence forming a neat colorful train through the garden.