#368b
"Gentlemen, please come to my study;" Mark invited and Wyatt stood up to follow.
"Dr. Bruce, that means you too," Wyatt was low voiced and calm.
Bruce almost knocked his chair over, as he rapidly swallowed the last of his oatmeal; and stood up. Feigning nonchalance, he picked up his coffee cup and followed Wyatt at a distance; about as far away as possible, as they walked down the hall.
Clora motioned Tilly to sit down at the table; "now, tell me what went on."
Tilly almost giggled. "The Mr. Wyatts, he had enough of Dr. Bruce's sarcastic talk, and threatened to kick the s...... out of Dr. Bruce. Mr. Wyatts; he must have had a spat with the Miss's Tess; because he came in mad." Tilly shook her head in dismay. "This one is a man, not a wavering boy, like it seems Miss Tess was married to before. I no know the details, just what I hears."
"I'm afraid you are correct Tilly, Tess should know the difference, and it may be her undoing in the long run. I don't believe Wyatt is going to hang around forever, if Tess can't open up and let him understand her. She is very strong minded, and that can be both good and bad."
Tess was coming across the open area, when she caught the last part of her mother's words. The boy's scampered ahead, slamming the screen door and forgetting to close the regular door.
"Hey, you shouldn't be slamming the doors," Lyric was running across the open space, "I gotta talk to Gramma first, before you clunkies get to her."
That announcement was lost in the door slam, and Lyric put her shoulder to the door and tried to turn the knob. There might have been two sets of hands trying to keep the knob from turning, until Clora admonished gently, "boys, stop."
Lyric's force made the door fly open and bang against the wall, rattling the glass.
"Ok, now all you kids stop. That's enough, especially you Lyric; you're five years older than the triplets." Clora scolded.
"I have something very important to tell you, it's a secret." Lyric whispered loudly, tugging on Clora's hand to get her to sit down and listen.
"If it's a secret, then you shouldn't tell." Clora sat across from her gangly granddaughter and watched her face.
Tilly wisely lured the boys to the playroom with a handful of cookies, and Tess met up with Rennie as she hurried toward the house.
"That Shelia," Rennie was spitting mad. "She is going to get a whooping her butt will remember."
"Rennie, come quietly around back, I believe you need to see this, but be quiet." Tess ordered. The two ladies walked almost silently in the back door.
Clora and Lyric were deep in their serious discussion at the table.
"Grandma, I have a real secret to tell you; Mum said not to tell anybody, but I want to tell you right away, before she gets here."
"I don't want to hear it." Clora was firm.
"But Grandma, I want you to know, it's real important."
"No, I will not listen to you. If you tell me a secret your mother said not to tell, what is to keep you from telling everyone a secret I tell you. It is wrong Lyric, and shame on you for trying to get the both of us in trouble."
Lyric tried her very best to get Clora to allow the secret, whining and cajoling to the best of her ability.
"No," Clora was firm. "In fact, I think you should go find your mother and apologize for not minding her instructions."
Then Lyric got a good scolding and an in depth lecture on minding and the importance of secret keeping.
Listening, Rennie relaxed for the first time, Clora was on her side. She had been nervous and unsure of her talented mother-in-law; wondering. if the woman was trying to drive a wedge between Lyric and herself. She was well convinced that Lyric was due a good scolding when Rennie got her home.
Tess gave her sister-in-law a conspiracies wink and went to wash her hands.