The day after Mrs. Castor asked for my aunt's services, she dropped off a check. My aunt ran into town and bought herself a brand new, double-decker, conventional oven, the oven of her dreams—one where she could make multiple desserts at once.
Saturday rolls around, and Alice is hard at work with the baking. I'm in the kitchen with her, preparing the crust. We are both covered in flour.
"You really should make this into a business, Auntie. There isn't a bakery in town, and I think it would be very successful," I say, looking up from cutting the strawberries. Alice is putting the next batch of pies into the oven.
Alice contemplates my words as she finishes putting the next batch of pies in. "I was thinking about that. Now that you have all the help you need, I may open one up." She closes the oven door and begins opening a new bag of flour. "I am scared, though. I've never been my boss. Working for someone isn't as scary as hiring and firing. It would all be on me." Her brows furrow as she turns to me, wiping her hands on her brand new blue "Kiss the Baker" apron. I can tell she was thinking a lot about this.
"Don't worry," I say to her. "You are smart and talented. If you need anything, I will help." I went to the sink and washed my hands. I turn to look for a towel to dry my hands.
My aunt walks around the island and puts her arm around my shoulders. She looks at the twenty-two pies she's created in awe. They sit all over the kitchen and dining room tables. She sighs. A worrying expression spreads throughout her face. "Okay, we're almost done. Now how do we get all these pies to the..."
The doorbell rings.
I continue slicing as she goes and opens the door. I am so proud of my aunt! She has given up so much to take care of us, and I think it's time for her to venture out on her own. A bakery, with her name as the logo, is just what her soul needs right now.
If I save up enough to help her, I definitely will.
I finish cutting an entire bowl of strawberries and place the knife into the sink. Two older gentlemen step into the kitchen carrying medium size, flat, pink boxes.
"These are the pies I've made so far. If you want, you can pack them up and take them now," Alice says with a huge grin.
The men nod. They start folding the boxes and place one pie in each box. I look over at Alice, confused. "What's going on?"
She beams. "Well, they work for me. For the time being," she says, giggling. "Mrs. Castor sent over the boxes, and they will take the pies over to the Castor Estate."
That is surprising. Estate?
I wait around patiently as the men start to load some boxes onto a cart. Once they push the first set out of the kitchen, I run towards my aunt. "Estate? Isn't the old miller home tiny?"
The Millers used to babysit me when I was younger. I knew their property sufficiently. It is pretty vast. The home itself is tiny, but it sits on almost a thousand acres. They practically owned their forest.
Alice mulls over my words. "These people are rich, Em. I wouldn't be surprised if that hut us now a castle."
The sun is going down when daddy, Alice, and I head over to the Castors. I am interested and anxious. My aunt keeps talking about the estate, but I don't believe it. I saw the property a month ago. It's still a horrid landfill. The deteriorating wooden roof had fallen, piles of trash collecting for years, the vines and grass that stands taller than me. Not enough money could change the outcome of that mess in less than a month, let alone two weeks.
We are almost at the property when I start to notice trees. It's a barrage of Leyland cypress trees. They are lined up on the grass, tightly packed—one after another as we continue up the road. I can't see anything past them.
My mouth drops. I know this road like the back of my hand, and I have never seen these trees here before.
"We're here!" Alice sings excitedly. We continue to pass the cypress trees until I see an opening. My aunt slows the truck down and makes a left into a narrow path. There stands an open iron gate.
I look up. Above the black, iron gates reads Castor Estate. It had angel wings on either side.
As we continue up the path, I'm in awe. Different plants and trees lined the entire driveway up to the house.
When we are close to seeing the house, my mouth drops again. I slide over in the backseat, toward the middle, leaning between my father and my aunt. I want to get a good view of the house and man did it not disappoint. The house looks like a mini castle.
"Seriously? They did all of this in less than two weeks?"
The outside of the house is breathtaking. It's an Elizabethan-era-style mansion—both enchanting and elegant. For a second, I feel like Cinderella. I am being taken to the ball while Alice and my father are driving the carriage. The pumpkin is our old, green ford truck. A nosy truck too. I'm sure everyone hears us pulling up.
The driveway has a small, rectangular garden where a fountain would've been. There stood what looked like a Christmas tree at the center, white lights adorning it. Plants and flowers all around it.
The Castors come out to greet us. As I get out of the truck, my eyes go straight to Mrs. Castor. She is dressed casually but looks beautiful in a flowy, pink skirt with a white button-up shirt. Her husband is wearing an all-white suit.
Rick didn't button the top buttons to the shirt all the way. Is he trying to go for the sexy look?
Alice looks at his shirt and uncomfortably looks away.
I stifle a giggle.
I watch as Mrs. Castor hugs Alice and shakes Daddy's hand. Mr. Castor follows.
"Emery, dear, you look beautiful," Mrs. Castor says as I look back at what looks like a Christmas tree.
I turn around and blush. "Oh, thank you! I think I've had this sundress forever. Nothing special about it." I grin at her and tuck a strand of hair behind my ear.
"She's so modest. I love it! Come on, dear!" Mrs. Castor grabs my hand. "Everyone else is waiting." We turn and begin walking into the house.
"Trevor!" Mr. Castor yells to what looks like the valet. The valet asks Alice for the keys to the truck. She happily gives it to him.
"Is everyone else here?" Alice asks as Mr. Castor runs around us to open the front door.
"Oh, yes! They've been here for more than two hours. You and your family were kind enough to listen to the time given," Mr. Castor says, and he opens the door. "I guess this town is full of curious and ill-mannered minds."
"Rick!" Mrs. Castor elbows him in the stomach. He coughs. "I'm sorry, he can be a little too..."
"Honest?" Daddy finishes her sentence with a grin. "I agree with Rick."
That is the reason why daddy hates the townspeople. No one knows how to mind their own business.
We all laugh as we step inside.