“Athletes?” Grayson guessed. “Musicians?”
“Not that interesting,” Mr. Sullivan said, chuckling. “We’ve got two men who own an excavation company out here to look at the site for the highway. And a pair of birdwatchers with their granddaughter.”
“The highway?” Evangeline echoed.
“Don’t get us started on that,” Mr. Sullivan laughed.
“Trudy will tell you all about it,” Grayson said. “It’s been the talk of the town forever—for better and for worse.”
“Small town people like us don’t like change,” Mr. Sullivan said. “That’s all. But we’ll get used to it, and it will bring good things too.”
“Hello there,” a pretty lady in an apron said warmly. “I’m so glad you three could make it.” She was tall and lovely with a ponytail of chestnut hair streaked with gray down her back.
“Trudy, this is Evangeline, Leo’s new nanny,” Grayson said politely. “Evangeline, this is Trudy, my mom’s best friend.”
“It’s lovely to meet you, dear,” Trudy said with a smile. “Come on in and have a seat. Dinner is nearly ready for you.”
“Thank you,” Evangeline told her, already feeling less shy.
They all stepped into a lobby that smelled like pine and cinnamon, and looked like something out of a movie with its dark wood wainscoting hung with boughs of pine and holly.
“Here we are,” Trudy said. “Hello, everyone. This is Evangeline, Grayson, and baby Leo. I’ll let you all make your introductions while I just check on our supper.”
Grayson pulled out a chair for Evangeline with his free hand and she just caught Mr. Sullivan nodding approvingly out of the corner of her eye. Maybe men out in the country were just more polite than the city ones.
Mr. Sullivan sat at the end of the table, closest to a bigwindow overlooking the snowy woods and shimmering lake. Grayson seated himself beside Mr. Sullivan, with Evangeline on his left.
Past Evangeline were two men who seemed to be in their thirties. And across the table there was a pair of elderly ladies dressed to the nines, with a little girl seated between them.
The end seat nearest the kitchen was unoccupied, presumably Trudy would seat herself there when the meal was ready. And the seat to the left of that was also vacant.
“Jeff Golden,” said the man seated beside Evangeline.
“David Smithfield,” the man on his other side leaned forward to add. “We’re in town to make some final plans on excavation for the highway.”
“Nice to meet you,” she said politely. She didn’t know enough about the town or the highway to ask any follow-up questions.
“We’re Ethel and Blythe Hayes,” one of the ladies across from her said.
“And this is our granddaughter, Phoebe,” the other added, motioning to the little girl beside her.
“We’re here to look for the northern shrike,” Phoebe put in, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
“What’s the northern shrike?” Evangeline asked.
“It’s abird,” Phoebe said. “And it’shard to find.”
“What does it look like?” Grayson asked her.
The little girl beamed at him and dove into averydetailed description of the bird, where it lived, and its method of feeding, which was a little terrifying to Evangeline, but interesting nonetheless.
“It’spredatory,” Phoebe finished, breathlessly. “Even though it’s pretty.”
Her grandmothers looked on proudly, Blythe winking at Evangeline when she caught her eye.
“How long have you been here looking for him?” Grayson asked the little girl.
“Excuse me,” Evangeline said quietly. “I’m just going to see if Trudy needs a hand.”
