Positively penelope, p.10
Positively, Penelope, page 10
There was a pause on the other side of the phone before he responded. “Penny-girl, I’ve never once wanted to own sheep. I don’t need a reminder about why God used them as examples of His kids.”
“It’s not that!” She laughed and bumped the door closed behind her with her hip. The scent of oatmeal-raisin cookies still lingered in the air from her before-work baking, but everyone at work had seemed to like the treat. Even Matt smiled. A little.
Of course Alec raved like they were the most delicious things he’d eaten all week. Said they reminded him of his mum.
“The quieter way of life is similar to back home, it’s just that over here everything seems a little fancier. Old stone buildings, cobblestone streets, church bells chiming the hour.”
“We have a clock that chimes the hour on Main Street.”
“Not the same thing.” She shook her head and tossed her purse on the little table by the door, then she dropped down on the couch, pulling a nearby blanket up around her. She wasn’t sure why, but talking to her brother with a blanket wrapped around her somehow made her feel as if it were a hug. How weird was that? “Maybe you could come for a visit?”
“What do you think of the theater folks that have come in this week? They keeping you busy?”
She sighed. Deflection meant no. But who could blame him? He’d just started a new business and was “busier than a squirrel in a windstorm,” as he’d quaintly put it. So of course he didn’t have time to drop everything and come see her. Besides, she hadn’t even been away for a month yet. It was a rather ridiculous request. “I’m still doing my marketing research and making plans for the float, but I think they’ve been forced to ask me for help with some of the production logistics because they’re so short-staffed here. Finances aren’t great, and to be honest, Luke, some of the actors could really use coaching.”
“Could you teach them? I mean, didn’t you offer acting and singing classes during summers here?”
“Yes,” she answered slowly, nibbling her bottom lip. “But that was with kids and teens. Most of these folks are adults. New to acting, but still adults. It’s My Fair Lady. There are no kids.”
“I thought classes were offered for adults too? As I recall, it brought lots of revenue for The Ashby Theater, didn’t it?”
Luke’s statement sank in. Classes. The Darling House used to offer classes years ago. Or at least that’s what she thought Gwynn had said. If Penelope could discover some of the old brochures to find out what sort of classes were offered and who taught them, perhaps she could encourage the team to try again. With classes. Give Emblem a little wholesome competition.
“Luke, you’re brilliant.”
“You’re just figuring this out?”
She rolled her eyes heavenward, but her lips burgeoned into a smile. “I try not to tell you too often because the rest of us can live with your arrogance only so long before we become overwhelmed with nausea.”
“Mortals are prone to weakness.”
She hugged the blanket closer. “I’m really glad you called, Luke.”
“Anytime, sis.”
* * *
From: Penelope Edgewood
To: Izzy Edgewood, Luke Edgewood
Date: September 16
Subject: Epiphanies and more epiphanies!
A museum!! That’s what I could do! With all the theater paraphernalia and history! There is a lovely set of rooms on one end of the theater that no one uses anymore. They’re not far from the main entrance and have gloriously large windows. It’s a fantastic way to celebrate the centennial and also help newer folks grasp some of the theater’s history. We appreciate things so much more when we know their histories. What do you think?
But . . . I spent the morning with Grandpa Gray (after bringing him some of my famous chocolate cheesecake) and he’s agreed to consider opening the other stage, especially when I mentioned we could dedicate that stage to his wife. The Lorianna Gray Stage. Doesn’t that sound wonderful? I mean, we’ll end up calling it the Gray or the Lorianna, but officially it will be dubbed the Lorianna Gray. Being the smaller of the two, it would make a perfectly intimate spot for smaller plays and children’s theater. And since Lorianna is the one who started the first children’s theater in Skymar, it makes perfect sense! When I presented my argument in that light—celebrating his wife, renewing the children’s theater, AND increasing business for the theater—Grandpa Gray began to have a little change of heart. I think. At any rate, he nodded more frequently, so I took that as a good sign.
Oh! And guess what????
Matt’s name is Matthias! MATTHIAS!! Can you even believe it? I thought it was short for Matthew but it’s much cooler! I feel as though I’ve heard that name before, but I can’t remember where. I did an online search for it in the Bible, but it wasn’t there either. But I love it! Matthias Gray. Doesn’t that seem to give even more character to him? I shall henceforth refer to him as Matthias because . . . why wouldn’t I? (Izzy, did you like that use of “henceforth”?)
Gwynn thinks the museum is a great idea! We’re going to keep it a secret and reveal it to Grandpa Gray when it’s closer to being finished! She’s coming in for a long weekend next week so we can brainstorm. She’s also volunteered to help me with some of the social media stuff so I can focus on other things. I have a blog idea I want to try, so that will help.
Penelope
PS: Another weird coincidence? After I started putting up reels related to our current rehearsals AND began offering some “stories” of the cast, one of the actors sent me a link where Emblem started doing the same things on their social media platforms.
PPS: And their newest advertisement looks like a design I’d been working on but hadn’t made public yet. I shared it with the Darling House team and Izzy, but no one else. Another coincidence? Please say yes; otherwise there’s a real possibility that we have a mole in the theater.
Chapter 8
Text from Matt to Gwynn: Did you happen to express to Miss Edgewood that I appreciated her presence during rehearsals?
Gwynn: Why shouldn’t I share with her something nice you said about her? It made her day. It would be even nicer if you said it to her. She’s the sort of person who thrives on being helpful to others.
Matt: How do you know I haven’t shared my appreciation for her? And yes, I see what sort she is. But she’s also very young, believes in fairy tales, tends to sing an inordinate amount of the time, and carries that ridiculous bag around with her everywhere she goes.
Gwynn: I can actually FEEL you smiling right now, despite what you say. And as I recall, her “ridiculous bag” has come in handy. You know she calls it her Mary Poppins bag?
Matt: I don’t know how she manages to have everything and anything within it. She’s found tweezers, shoelaces, feathers, and a lollipop for when Iris had been waiting for me longer than planned. I’m starting to think it may very well be Mary Poppins’s bag.
Gwynn: I knew you liked her. I was just wanting you to admit it.
Matt: I never admitted it.
Skymarian Theater Troupe
From: FA
To: Skymarian Theater Troupe
It was great to see everyone on Friday. Welcome to our new members! I feel as though there’s some new (and needed) energy to our group with former members returning and new members who bring such passion.
As a reminder, we have a team member who is looking for some creative help. You know who she is. Meet her at FS’s garage Thursday evening after rehearsal if you have time to lend a hand. Remember, it’s for a good cause and a great way to drum up some publicity for My Fair Lady (for those of you involved in that).
Let’s join together for the cause of the “creatives.”
* * *
Text from Penelope to Gwynn: Classes! Have we ever offered classes at The Darling House for things like acting lessons, dance, and voice? I feel as though I read something about it in papers I’ve uncovered, but I can’t remember.
Penelope: Emblem does it, but the costs are astronomical and there are practically no classic dance classes. I’ve been around Mountcaster and a few of the existing villages enough to say . . . Skymar is a “classics” place.
Gwynn: We used to! In fact, Matt taught me dance, but after Granny and Mum died, things fell apart. And Matt stopped dancing after his ex-wife left.
Penelope read the text again and then dialed Gwynn’s number. The phone rang just as the idea that Gwynn might be in class surfaced in Penelope’s mind. She rushed to push the End button, but a hello greeted her from the other end.
“I’m sorry, Gwynn,” Penelope said, hurrying forward before Gwynn could say anything else. “I forgot that you might be in class.”
“Actually, I’m having a cup of tea and reviewing the website, so it’s a perfect time to talk. Is all well?”
Gwynn’s lovely accent always made Penelope smile—dulcet and clear like Emily Blunt or Emma Thompson, except with the special Skymarian curl.
“Not to seem overly curious, Gwynn, but is Matthias a dancer?”
“Matthias, is it?” Her laugh bubbled out. “Oh, he’s going to love that.”
“It’s a wonderful name.” Penelope stepped out onto the little porch of her cottage, orange and pink hues of sunset painting watercolors across the sapphire sky. She drew in a deep breath of the air, tinged with the scent of rain. Luke had taught her how to smell rain in the air. She wrapped an arm around herself in a hug. An Iris hug would come in handy right about now. “I can’t understand why he’d be ashamed of it.”
“Deirdre didn’t like it.” An edge entered Gwynn’s voice, hinting at the identification of this Deirdre. Matthias and Deirdre. Oh, but those names would look lovely on wedding invitations. “One of the many things she decided she didn’t like about Matt, especially not enough to give up her career.”
“Is that what happened?” Penelope gasped. “She gave up her family for her career?”
“Matt and Deirdre taught dance lessons at Darling. He’s been dancing since he was eight and it broke my heart when he stopped.”
“He just stopped altogether?” Matthias Gray loved dance so much, he even taught it? And he stopped dancing because of . . . a broken heart? Penelope’s breath squeezed in her chest. How on earth had he managed such pain? The death of his mother, then his dear grandmother, and then . . . the loss of his wife? A wife who, by all accounts, from what Penelope had learned so far, didn’t know how to love her family very well.
“When Deirdre left with her agent—with whom she’d been having an affair for almost a year—something inside Matt broke. He’d been through so much already and, well, I’d never seen him close himself off to the world before, but he did. He gave up dancing and even teaching it and pulled away from everyone except Iris. She became his whole focus for a while.” Gwynn sighed. “He’d taken some accounting and business classes in college so resorted to hiding in his office and burying himself in the books. It’s only been within the last year that he’s started really showing signs of some healing. Attending counseling has helped, and joining a small group of men from church has given him better perspective, but he’s still so . . . cautious.”
Penelope stepped off the porch and looked up the road toward the Gray House as if she could see through the forest to where Matt was. Perhaps there was much more to his grumpiness than just a surly disposition. “Cautious?”
“To trust new people, especially women. It’s a miracle he even agreed to go on the few dates I suggested.”
“And have any of them worked?”
“No.” She laughed. “I think he just went on those dates to get me to stop annoying him. Both ladies said he was very polite but rather dull.”
“Dull?” The word popped out so loudly that a little squirrel scurried up a tree as if his life depended on it. “He’s not dull. He’s actually very funny in a sarcastic sort of way. And he’s been so kind to help teach me how to ride a bicycle. And he has such thoughtful comments about things.” She looked around to make sure no one was listening and then lowered her voice into the phone. “I even got him to watch a little bit of a princess movie when he came to pick up Iris from the cottage. I think that’s definite healing progress, don’t you?”
“He watched a princess movie?”
“Well, part of one. Oh, and . . . we twirled.”
“You what?” A cough erupted from the other side of the phone.
“Iris and I were having a very unbirthday tea party and happened to be dancing in the kitchen when Matthias came to collect her, and after a rather disgruntled entry, when he saw how happy Iris was, he joined the dance. He gave her a few sweet twirls and then, well, he twirled me too.” A little flutter erupted in her stomach at the memory. “No wonder he’s such a good twirler! He’s a dancer.”
“Yes . . .” Her response sounded strange and slow. “He is . . . or was.”
“Oh, I think the dancer is still in him. In fact, I’ve witnessed it. That’s a sure sign his heart is healing, don’t you think? And someone who loves his daughter so beautifully certainly has the potential to love romantically again.”
“Family has always been his heart, which is why Deirdre’s betrayal wounded all the more.” Gwynn slowly measured her words, like she was . . . thinking? Perhaps it was just hard to talk about the whole thing. “He would have given up the theater without a second thought if he believed Deirdre would have stayed. He used to be quite the romantic.”
“But see, that’s what I mean! The romantic in a person may be wounded, but it won’t die. Take it from a true romantic!” Penelope nodded to herself. Yes, she may not understand a great deal about the world, but she understood that. “He just needs to find the right person to prove to him that there are still faithful, loyal women out in the world looking for a smart, talented man just like him. We just need to nudge him in the right direction.”
“We do?”
“Of course we do! He needs to know real love is still out there, Gwynn. We can’t allow him to let it pass him by.”
“You know, Penelope”—something in Gwynn’s voice caused the flutter in Penelope’s stomach to move into hyper speed—“I think you are exactly right.”
* * *
Skymarian Theater Troupe
From: GK
To: JA
I’m so glad you enjoyed the group. They are, mostly, a good lot. I’m glad they’re going to help you with your secret project, but I’m curious as to what it is. Since I missed the meeting, I also missed the news and am desperately interested.
You’re having lunch with a few of the best from the team. Dani, the self-declared team leader, is stellar. He and his wife are both involved in community theater as often as possible and he gives all of his free time to a local theater, from what I understand. He’s played about every bombastic male role (and a few female ones) that our local theaters have offered. He’s also a wealth of knowledge with a wide range of connections.
And the idea of Kinleigh as a mentor for children? That’s a remarkable idea. Her friend Lucas would be another one I’d suggest. He comes to the group meetings sometimes, but mostly to see Kinleigh. However, he’s an excellent kid and a stellar young thespian. If there were a way to pay them or provide some sort of stipend, it would also encourage other youth to become involved as interns.
And yes, Liam often wears a kilt. He grew up in the northern mountains of Ansling. There is a strong Scottish heritage in that part of Skymar. You should visit sometime, only be prepared for a much thicker accent than you might find in other parts of Skymar. In fact, some still speak Scottish Gaelic, which is delightful to hear but nearly impossible to learn. Well, at least it’s been impossible for me.
Would you happen to be working in Mountcaster?
From: Penelope Edgewood
To: Izzy Edgewood, Luke Edgewood
Date: September 17
Subject: A mole?
I had Alec set up an interview with the local news station tomorrow and just got a call that they’ve rescheduled the interview for the less popular time slot because Emblem offered to pay for the top spot we had. Is that even possible? And how did they know we had an interview set up? The Darling team were the only ones I told, unless they shared it with other folks. Or someone at the news team did.
I’m starting to feel that my paranoia is grounded in some truth here, y’all.
The Skymarian Theater Troupe promised to remain silent about the float (and if a group of drama folks give their oath, it’s nearly as binding as blood); however, if Emblem pops up with a float similar to mine, I’m going to KNOW something strange is going on. But why? Emblem is this huge, apparently thriving business. Why would they target The Darling House?
But I will say to you all, I’ve been researching them ever since I started getting worried that they have something against The Darling House, and I realized that The Darling House could have an edge against them in one important spot. The community. Emblem Studios only brings in outside musicals and offers overpriced, impersonal lessons. But The Darling House began out of a love for theater and for this community. And after a little snooping, of which I am NOT ashamed, I’ve discovered that Emblem’s numbers have been in decline for about two years now. People have been traveling all the way to Limmick on the island of Ansling to take lessons because Emblem’s reputation is of a cold and disconnected place. Darling used to fill that need here in Fiacla. Lorianna Gray, in particular, used her connections to cultivate an atmosphere of community for The Darling House. I think we need to find a way to bring that sense of belonging back. To help remind the people of Skymar what The Darling House has meant historically and how important it can be even today.
