“Just a few more minutes,” Luke called from the roof. “Do you mind waiting?”
“No,” Elsa called back. “I prefer it.”
Chuckling, Tatiana joined her on the porch, while Barney stayed outside in the sun, vigilant for his master’s welfare. “My, that dress looks fetching on you. You have no idea what a treat it is to have you here. And I’m not saying that because Luke is fixing the roof.”
“Seeing you twice in one dayisa treat.” But with the increased weakness in her leg, Elsa wasn’t sure when she’d make the hike here from the mansion next. “Do you ever come up to the mansion?”
“On occasion.”
“Look for me next time you do. I’m always ready for a visit from you and Danielle.” If Elsa spent an hour visiting with the Petrovics, she would simply stay that much later another day. Besides, she was already working on the notebooks at home, as well. Spending time with people was too important to skip.
Tatiana assured her she’d come when she could.
“I’ve been asking around and looking for the aviary,” Elsa told her. “I’m sorry to say I haven’t turned up any clues.”
Tatiana clasped her hand. “It’s good of you to try. I can’t say I’m surprised, though. Such an extravagant gift for Danielle was scarcely to be believed.” She shrugged. “The larger concern by far is whether we’ll be allowed to remain in our home. Moving would be such a challenge for my girl.”
“I can imagine.”
A sigh feathered Tatiana’s lips. “Whatever you’re imagining, dear, imagine it ten times worse.”
“Pardon me?”
“Danielle has always been a special child. Change is excruciating for her. She has ordered her world around her just so, and when something doesn’t go the way she wants or expects it to, she ...” Tatiana shook her head. “She has a hard time coping. It takes much effort to adjust, and that is putting it mildly. That’s why I haven’t told her there’s a good chance we’ll have to move. I don’t want to upset her yet if there’s any hope we can find a way to stay.” But her voice held little hope indeed. “I hope to hear back from the executor any day now.”
“That makes sense,” Elsa said, wishing she could encourage her more. “The executor may have good news for you, after all.” And if he didn’t, it would be even more important to find that aviary.
Luke climbed down the ladder, hammer hooked through a loop in a short apron tied about his waist. A handful of shingles poked out the top of the apron pocket.
“You happened to have all that in the truck?” Elsa asked.
“No self-respecting salvage dealer goes anywhere without his toolbox and extra supplies. The shingles are a bonus, though. I had these left over from another job Tom and I did on the side. So they don’t match your originals up there.” He wiped his forearm across his brow. “It may not look pretty, but it gets the job done.”
“A roof that doesn’t leak is a beautiful thing no matter what itlooks like.” Beaming, Tatiana rose and stretched out her hand to shake his. “I thank you. Mrs. Van Tessel had a fellow in her employ to do these kinds of repairs, but when he left, she decided it best not to hire another in his place. Finances were lean after the master died. Those of us who stayed were willing to tighten our belts to help her make ends meet on the estate. We stayed for the missus and the land, not for the pay.”
“Do you know why Mrs. Van Tessel didn’t sell some of her paintings instead of bequeathing them to museums?” Luke asked the other question burning in Elsa’s mind.
“Oh, she did. She sold the ones her husband preferred. The ones she kept meant too much to her to even consider parting with,” Tatiana explained, then added, “I’ve kept you too long, I suspect.”
Luke was still in his wet clothes, after all, and they both had more work to be doing at the mansion.
“Thank you for the dry clothes, Tatiana.” Elsa pushed carefully out of the rocker and accepted Luke’s support to help her down the stairs. “We’ll visit again soon, all right?”
“I do hope so.” Tatiana smiled, and her eyes pinched at the corners. “Thank you all for making this a lovely day.”
Elsa squeezed her hand in parting.
At the end of the day, Luke beckoned Elsa toward the truck. “How about we give you a lift?”
“To the train station? That would be great, if you don’t mind. I don’t know why the taxi I requested this morning hasn’t come.” She’d arranged for him to arrive an hour ago. At least she’d gotten more work done while she waited.
“We can do better than that. You’re going our way. We offer door to door service. You wouldn’t have to walk more than the distance from the curb to your building, and bingo, you’re home.”
Tom finished loading something into the back of the truck and slammed the doors shut before coming around to join her and Luke. Barney trotted alongside him.
“I would have offered last week, too,” Luke went on, “but you didn’t know us then. I figured you’d be too smart to get into a delivery truck with two men you’d only just met.”
“Especially when one of us looks like him,” Tom ribbed Luke, who seemed to take it in stride.
