her the tea table; it seemed to be something she wanted. And yes, you are welcome to point out I am buying her off. I'm a desperate man who loved that little girl, who loved her mother. I will do anything to get the doll. Pay you anything. Donate to charities. Anything you ask. Because you see, now she has written to Santa Claus and the only thing she wanted was the 'mama doll.' I did not tell you, but the doll looks quite astonishingly like her mother, my sister, Josephine."
Idalie's breathe caught and her hand went to her neck. She closed her eyes and said, "Jo."
"I called her Josie" he said, looking at her with an odd look.
Tears filled her eyes. "My sister was Jo. We called her Jo. It was short for Josephine."
The air seemed to vibrate. Something had changed. Perhaps it was her heart breaking all over again. "My uncle is a dollmaker, as was his father, my grandfather. He owns the factory where I order the doll heads. I order them after the first of the year--it takes months-- and he sends them over from Germany, from Dresden, where the factory is. He made the doll head from one I sent to him. Josephine was a new doll to my small collection. At the time, I had only made Liza and one baby doll, since the babies were becoming very popular. I had made the head as a gift for my sister. Jo died a few months later."
At that moment Pirate leapt out from behind the sofa, onto his lap, and to her dismay, his hat, settled in and began to purr loudly.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. She started the take the cat from him, but he stopped her.
"He's fine, aren't you fella?" Edward Lowell was scratching his ears and Pirate rolled over, sprawled on his knees, getting range cat fur all over his wool trousers.
"Jo's cat," Idalie said. "He rules the roost."
He looked down kindly at the cat and then said, "It seems we both have something of our sisters' left behind. Something to car for."
She wished she could give him what he wanted. "You have cat hair all over you."
He laughed. "I do." Pirate jumped down, clearly bored by the sudden lack of attention and ear-rubbing. They watched him saunter off toward the kitchen.
"I have no more heads, Mr. Lowell. It's impossible to get one from Germany before Christmas."
He stood, hat in hand covered in orange cat hair. "I understand, Miss Everdeane."
"Idalie," she said extending her hand.
"Edward," he said taking her hand in his and holding it moment longer than necessary.
"Please know," she said. "If I had a doll head, I would move Heaven and Earth to make a doll for your niece.
"Thank you." He moved toward the door, a man who had failed and wore that failure like a cloak over his whole body. She had truly judged him unfairly.
"I'm sorry, Edward."
He looked back at her.
"I'm sorry I accused you of following me."
"I was," he said with a soft laugh. "I just didn't know it. I didn't know the man I hired to find the doll would track down the dollmaker. I apologize. I hope he didn't cause you too much trouble, or frighten you. I honestly had no idea."
"That was clear by the expression on your face when I answered the door. I'm also sorry for what passed between us in your office. I was quite wound up--a bit of a storming virago accusing you of the heartlessness of trying to buy everything. Because of the past, because of what happened over this house, the property battles, I am overly suspicious, and I was unfair to you."
"I think perhaps you were right."
No," she said, shaking her head and laughing. "You were sitting at a child's tea table."
"I was," he admitted.
" Because you are man who loves his family. I couldn't have been more wrong, could I? You are going to have tea with your niece."
"Tomorrow at 3 o'clock," he said. "I've been told we have 'an en-cage-ment.' " He laughed. "It's such a joy to hear words from her."
"I think you are going to make it a habit of sitting at that table, knees under your chin, drinking tea and eating iced cakes."
"Cinnamon buns, I've been informed. Aunt Martha's cinnamon buns--a famous family recipe. Although I have to find the actual recipe somewhere in the kitchen. I have ordered blueberry crumpets, just in case." He placed his hat on his head, pulled on