“That’s a bigif. Tom and I moved on from the library yesterday and have been working in other rooms. Still no dice. But we’ll keep looking.”
Elsa thanked him for that and rose to go. “It was good to see you this evening,” she told him. “Thanks for listening, and for caring. See you tomorrow?”
He stood as well. “You bet. Is seven too early?”
“Not at all. By the way, I’ll be bringing some storage trays for the purpose of ferrying back some birds.”
“That must mean you’re finished going through the field notes?”
“At last. Tonight’s task is to cut up my own chart with what I gleaned from their expedition logs, rearrange the rows in alphabetical order, and copy all of that into a fresh ledger.” Not every bird in the house had data for it, but she’d managed to collect information for three hundred of the specimens.
“Sounds like you have a long night ahead of you. I’ll leave you to it.” He bade her goodnight.
“See you soon.”
Once Elsa was inside the Beresford’s lobby, she turned and waved at him through the glass revolving door. He tipped his hat, then put his hands in his trouser pockets and walked away with his head held high.
She thought she heard him whistling.
TARRYTOWN
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1926
Morning arrived all too early, but it came with a surge of adrenaline. Now that all the Van Tessel field notes were alphabetized by taxonomy in her own perfect chart, Elsa could finally assign catalog numbers to the birds, tag them, and bring them back to the museum. It felt like she’d been coming here for much longer than the two weeks it had actually taken her to reach this point. And yet, now that her progress could begin taking flight, she didn’t relish the thought of leaving here for the last time. Of leaving Tatiana and Danielle.
Neither did she like the idea of parting ways with Luke and Tom when all this was over. The shared lunches and rides to and from Tarrytown had brought them all closer.
But the Petrovics were the ones who stood to lose the most. Elsa was anxious to check on Tatiana after hearing her news from Luke last night.
While the men carried her storage drawers in from the truck and delivered them to the dining hall, Elsa dropped off her satchel and made her way to the cottage. Barney kept close at her heels.
Maybe she ought to go faster. After all, if she was training her body, she should push herself to exertion. Not enough to break a sweat today, but enough to at least feel her muscles.
And, boy, did she feel them by the time she reached the cottage. She half smiled, half grimaced at Barney, who for some unknown reason looked at her adoringly. Elsa rubbed his head between his ears.
Tatiana greeted Elsa from the porch, waving as though to a long-lost friend. “Good morning, dear! How are you?”
Elsa climbed the steps and inhaled, filling her lungs with much cleaner air than she got in the city. “I feel fine,” she said and meantit. “Except for the news Luke shared with me about what the executor said. I’m so sorry. How are you holding up?”
“By the Lord’s strength. I’ve sent a letter to the Tarrytown Garden Association as well as the local conservancy asking if they’re hiring, but even if they are, that doesn’t solve where we are to make our home.”
“I’m glad you’ve taken that step,” Elsa said. “It’s wise to explore your options while you wait to hear from the county on the matter.” And if the county didn’t reply soon, Elsa had a mind to pay a visit in person to investigate. If only phone service hadn’t been discontinued to the estate already, Tatiana would be able to make telephone calls, presumably getting her answers much faster.
“In the meantime, would you like to visit the hummingbirds?” The hope in Tatiana’s eyes was irresistible.
She needed a friend right now, and Elsa had all day to catalog and tag birds. “Lead the way.”
“Wonderful. Danielle is setting out food for George in little caches she’s set up for him, but she’ll come join us when she’s done.”
“I’d love to see her again.”
“Count on it. Her routines do not vary if she can help it.”
Letting Tatiana set the pace, Elsa enjoyed the stroll through the backyard and down a curving path she’d not explored before. Barney loped along at her side.
“Does Danielle look forward to the school year, then?” Elsa asked. Wesley had mentioned his fall semester would begin September 29. She wondered if the village school kept a similar calendar. “She must be a good student. She knows so much about birds, and she seemed quite proud of a metaphor she used in conversation.”
“Did she? Oh good. We’ve been working on understanding nonliteral expressions.” Tatiana smiled. “The bird study is allher own doing. But there is a difference between knowingaboutbirds—the facts she so easily memorizes—and really knowing them. Their unique abilities, the marvelous way God created them. It reminds me of the difference between knowing what the Bible says about God and truly experiencing Him in one’s own life. I’ll tell you something, dear. When I am lonely or afraid, knowing God is sovereign doesn’t make me feel better.”
