“Love in the Great Pine Woods”, Ch. 23 (PG-13, D): Rights and Revelations, February 22, 2016 by Gratiana Lovelace (Post #876)

(An original story copyrighted by Gratiana Lovelace; all rights reserved)  [(1) story cover, left]

[From time to time, I will illustrate my story characters with:  Richard Armitage as Sam Wakeforest, Marcia Gay Harden as Sam’s older sister Tessa Wakeforest Shoop Delaney, and Emily Deschanel as Tessa’s sister-in-law Olivia Delaney Wakeforest, Viola Davis as Pauletta Perkins, Cicely Tyson as Nellie Newton, Anna Sophia Robb as Alice Trent, Kevin Spacey as Roger Delaney, Sam Heughan as Todd Wakeforest, Idris Elba as Dominic Perkins  and others as noted.]

 

Authors Content Note: “Love in the Great Pine Woods” is a mature love story with dramatic themes of love and relationships.  It will mostly be at the PG and PG-13 movie levels. Specific chapters or passages may have a further rating of:  L for language, D for dramatic emotions, and S for sensual themes.  And I will rate the chapters accordingly. If you are unable or unwilling to attend a movie with the ratings that I provide for a chapter, then please do not read that chapter. This is my disclaimer.  And as is my habit, I will summarize the previous chapter’s events at the beginning of the next chapter.

Authors Recap from the Previous Chapter:   Though not the sole cause of his wife Olivia’s abating difficulty in handling negative events, Sam Wakeforest discovers that Olivia’s brother Roger Delaney was being both distressingly overprotective and secretive toward his sister and Sam’s wife Olivia Delaney Wakeforest as she grew up—to the point of smothering her figuratively.    And even while Valentine’s Day present shopping with him for their wives, Sam senses his brother-in-law Roger’s overbearing nature. So on their Valentine’s Day overnight visit to his Wakeforest Famly Home, their home, Sam elects with Olivia’s agreement  to have he and Olivia permanently move to this home in the Town of  Wakeforest this week.  And Sam and Olivia also poach two Delaney Manor junior servants to join them in their new home—a cook and a maid– which Tessa had not yet been apprised of.   Then Sam discovers that his wife Olivia also has a most delightful secret—which she shares, that she is pregnant with their first child.  But Olivia pleads with her husband Sam to keep it secret for now—until she is further along and they are certain that their baby will go full term.   Sam and Olivia kiss tenderly and sweetly with this joyous news.  Their lives and newlywed marriage are getting a fresh start–with Olivia being on the mend and healing nicely from her injury, and with her being pregnant with their first child.

But concern for two other children will finally come to the forefront as Tessa and Roger will have to formally resolve the futures of their foster children—fourteen year old Alice and her now twenty month old baby brother Bobby.

 

“Love in the Great Pine Woods”, Ch. 23 (PG-13, D):  Rights and Revelations

More than a week later on Monday February 22, 1956, the formidable force of nature and of humanity that is Tessa Wakeforest Shoop Delaney has resigned herself to losing both her best friend Olivia Delaney Wakeforest and an under cook and a housemaid to Olivia’s new domicile with her husband that is the partially renovated Wakeforest Family Home.  Tessa understood the sense of it—Olivia needing her own space away from her overprotective brother Roger Delaney, Tessa’s husband.  And with Olivia still recuperating from her Wakeforest Mountain avalanche injury and subsequent surgery to repair her injured left lower leg, she cannot do housework—so the cook and maid are needed.

But if Olivia thought that her days would lag in the quieter nature of her Wakeforest Family home—with fewer people around since Sam is back to working days on the Mountain and at the Wakeforest Family Lumber Mill—she was happily mistaken.  Since Olivia now lives just on the outskirts of the town of Wakeforest, she is 5miles closer to the Wakeforest County Orphanage School where she used to work as a teacher.  So the Orphanage’s and Schools’ Director/Principal Pauletta Perkins will visit Olivia this Monday, February 22, 1956 to see how Olivia is faring.

Olivia [(2) right] sits at her ladylike cream colored antiqued secretary desk with shell and scroll detailing in her recently redecorated bright and spacious Wakeforest home living room this early afternoon after lunch.

With he Wakeforest home’s living room walls newly painted a light sky blue with white crown molding [(3) right]—Sam previously stating to Olivia that anything blue would be alright by him–brightening considerably what had devolved during her husband Sam’s former bachelorhood into what could only have charitably been called a dark and dank man cave. 

The said man cave  had once held a full bar with a beer tap at one end and a pool table at the other end.  Yet now, scalloped edged light blue sateen drapes adorn the street side windows—leaving the windows at the back open to enjoy the spectacular view of Wakeforest Mountain.   And light blue paisley and abstract patterned accent pillows on wing chairs and a leather couch with carved wood molding—the leather aspect being a nod to Sam’s request for some manly element in the room—is elegant and comfortable.  A coffered ceiling painted white—where rough and unfinished barn scavenged beams had striped their way across the full length of the front of the house to the back of the house living room—completes the living room’s stylish transformation.

The redesign styling was all Olivia’s doing and she relishes in having a say in what her home looks like–with Sam giving her free reign to make whatever changes she likes in their Wakeforest Family home. The last vestiges of his bachelorhood were removed with the pool table and bar that went to his brother Kevin Wakeforest’s home. 

Olivia looks up when her maid announces the Wakeforest County Orphanage Administrator and Principal Mrs. Pauletta Perkins [(4) right].  Mrs. Perkins look elegant in her surroundings, framed as she is in the doorway with the foyer and it’botanical green silk pattered wallpaper behind her.

Olivia: “Pauletta!  It’s so good go see you!”  Olivia smiles, grateful to see her friend and mentor.

Pauletta:  “It’s good to see you, too!  And your home is beautiful!”  Pauletta looks around appreciatively as she walks over to Olivia seated at the desk with her crutches nearby.

Olivia:  “Thanks!  It took a lot of work to get the bachelor man fashion non-statement eradicated.  Ha ha ha!”

Pauletta:  Pauletta smiles.  Then she sees Olivia starting to push herself up to stand in politeness.  “Stay seated Olivia, you’re still healing.”

Olivia: Plopping back down into her cushily cushioned desk chair, Olivia winces sheepishly.  “Alright, Thanks!  Please sit down.”  Then Olivia asks of the maid hovering nearby.  “Kathleen, please bring us some tea and cakes.”  The maid smiles, nods, and leaves to attend to her task.

Pauletta sits in the large wing chair next to Olivia’s desk where Sam usually sits when he is visiting Olivia while she works on her household accounts, or the Nellie Newton Scholarship Fund notifications with follow-up phone calls that she makes, and such.

Pauletta: “Thanks, Olivia.”  She smiles. And though Pauletta is glad to see Olivia looking so cheerful and purposeful again, Pauletta is troubled—which her friend Olivia perceives.

Olivia:  “What’s wrong?  Anything to do with the children?”  Olivia asks in concern since she had to give up teaching while she focused on her recovery.

Pauletta:  “It’s not that.  Everyone is fine.”  She assures her.

Olivia raises her eyebrows questioningly and waits.  She knows that her friend Pauletta will speak of her concerns in her own good time.  Then the maid returns with the tea and cakes and Olivia and Pauletta sip and nosh for a minute.

Olivia:  “I suppose that I should tell you now so you may find a permanent replacement teacher for me.”  Olivia winces.

Pauletta: And Pauletta’s head jerks up as she glances at Olivia. “Oh?  Is your recovery not going well?”

Olivia: “It is slow, but improving.”  Olivia gives a small smile.  “It’s just that I must stay home in the Summer and Fall—and maybe longer.”  Olivia offers cryptically.

Pauletta:  “Really?  May I ask why?  Or is that privileged information between a husband and wife?”  Pauletta bristles thinking that Olivia’s husband Sam—as so many men of their era, except her own husband Dominic–might not want Olivia to work outside of their home now that she is his wife.  Pauletta feels grateful to have a husband in Dominic Perkins who understands that she is a professional lady, just as he is a professional man as the Bank’s Vice-President for Loans and Acquisitions.

Olivia:  “Sort of.”  Olivia winces again.  And she realizes that she must divulge her secret to at least Pauletta.  “Sam is happy for me to continue teaching at the Wakeforest County Orphanage School.  It is just that my state of health will not allow it.”  Now Pauletta frowns.  “Now don’t be cross.  It’s just that …”  Olivia leans toward her friend and whispers confidentially with a smile.  “I’m going to have our first child in September, if all goes well.”  Olivia adds as a caveat—her not wanting to tempt the gods to thwart her happiness.

Pauletta:  “Olivia!”  She shrieks in delight. “How wonderful!  I am so happy for you!”

The two women embrace each other joyfully.

Olivia: “Now Pauletta, please do not say anything to anyone.  You’re the only one we’ve told.  Even Tessa doesn’t know.  Because, well because it’s so early, and I might … I might.”  Tears form in Olivia’s eyes at considering the awful thought of her losing this baby.

Pauletta: “Now now, you’ll be fine.  I feel it.”  Pauletta says soothingly, but she knows the pregnancy miscarriage  issues as well as anyone.  “However, why don’t you at least let Tessa know that you’re pregnant?  She’ll breathe fire if she finds out others knew before she finds out.”  The two women chuckle.  “Ha ha ha ha ha ha!”

Olivia: “Ha ha ha ha ha  ha!  I love Tessa dearly, but she  can’t keep a secret.”  Olivia pouts—her thinking about Tessa telling Roger about Sam’s former girlfriend Lola, and then Roger told Olivia about Lola.  Some things should be kept a secret—and in the past.

Pauletta:   “So will you be a homemaker and stay at home mother, giving up your teaching career?  You are a very gifted teacher and we would hate to lose you permanently.”

Olivia:  “I don’t know.  The surgeon said that my leg could take a year or more to heal properly—to heal enough for me to be able to get around without my crutches.  And with my having a baby to take care of, too …”  Olivia’s voice trails off.  “Maybe I can tutor some students in my home before the baby comes and then once the baby is a bit older and naps more starting around six months?  Before I employ a nanny, I want to be with my baby at home for at least its first two years–and not miss any of its milestones.”  She suggests hopefully.

Pauletta: “I think that is an excellent compromise!”  Pauletta nods her head in agreement.  “And I have just the person in mind for your first pupil.”

Olivia:  “Oh?”

Pauletta: “Your foster niece, fourteen year old Alice.  Tessa doesn’t want Alice to get behind on her school studies, but with their fostering Alice and her baby brother Bobby being so new—and then your injury refocusing Tessa in two directions—Alice’s education has fallen through the cracks.”

Olivia: “Yes, of course.  We must tend to  Alice.  Have you given Alice any subject level tests to see which grade we might place her in?”

Pauletta: “I have.  And though Alice is very bright, with her schooling interrupted even before she came to Wakeforest, her knowledge and skills needs some work to get her ready for eighth grade come the Fall.  I am teaching her math and science in the mornings.  But she needs English composition, literature, and history to round out her education.  So what say you, Olivia?  Shall we send Alice to you in the afternoons for you tutoring her in those subjects?”

Olivia:  Olivia bites her lip, then smiles.  “I suppose it could work.  Alice could read, write, or take tests while I’m doing my physical therapy.”

Pauletta: “Then it is settled.  I will send Alice to you later in the week.  We’re using the Houghton-Mifflin humanities curriculum–which I just happen to have two copies of each subject here in my bag for you as the teacher and Alice as the student.”  Pauletta smiles as she lifts the writing/language, literature, and history books out of her leather satchel and places them on Olivia’s desk.

Olivia:  Olivia smiles wryly.  “You knew that I would agree?”

Pauletta:  “I hoped.”  Pauletta says with a smile. Then her face becomes somber. “And having Alice here will keep her safe were her past to catch up with her.”

Olivia:  “Have you heard anything?”

Pauletta:  “hhh!  No, blessedly.  And we are following procedures for fostering and custody, with Alice and her baby brother being evaluated and reports filed by me as their social worker as Alice Trent Delaney and Robert Trent Delaney.  We are not hiding their identities.  And Tessa and Roger have an approved preliminary Wakeforest County Court custodial agreement for both of them in place.”

Olivia: “But?”

Pauletta: “We are not seeking out trouble.  But if trouble finds us, we will be ready for it.”  Pauletta states a bit cryptically.

Olivia: “I sense that there is something else.  Alice wasn’t the only reason you came to see me today.”  Olivia clasps her friend’s hand in hers.  “Tell me.”

Pauletta:  Looking stoically into Olivia’s eyes, Pauletta shakes her head woefully.  “We knew that it was coming, but the actuality of it is still disturbing.”  Olivia furrows her brow questioningly.  “You remember that our Town of Wakeforest Friendship XMAS Tree we decorated in the park last December was precipitated by my telling you about Rosa Parks [(5a) right] refusing to give up her bus seat in Montgomery, Alabama and the bus boycotts that followed by Negroes refusing to sit in the back of the bus?” Olivia nods.  “Well, Mrs. Parks, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and 87 others who participated in the Montgomery buys boycotts have today been indicted for criminal conspiracy to harm business.”  [(5b)]

Olivia: “No!”  Olivia is stunned that a citizen, Mrs. Parks and others, exercising their constitutional rights have been trampeled upon by individuals twisting the legal system. “Oh Pauletta, I’m so sorry.  I don’t know what to say.  At least, that kind of discriminatory behavior doesn’t happen here in the North.”

Pauletta slowly raises her eyes to her young and still slightly naïve friend and colleague.

Pauletta:  “Olivia, You know when Dominic and I arrived five years ago, there was quite a stir with each of us serving in positions pf authority and responsibility previously held by a white person?”

Olivia: “Yes, I know there were some difficulties, but with our Delaney and Wakeforest families supporting you, no one dared to insult you.  They accepted you—as we did.”  Olivia nods her head with conviction.

Pauletta: Pauletta winces slightly.  “Olivia, what you saw as acceptance, we felt as begrudging tolerance for our presence.  It came in small ways when we first arrived here:  a clerk serving someone else before us, our having to stay at the local roadside motel out of town rather than the nicer Wakeforest Hotel in town as we searched for a place to live, and some parents not sending their children to the Wakeforest County Orphanage School because I became its Principal, as well as my being the Wakeforest County Orphanage Administrative Director.”

Olivia: With tears in her eyes, Olivia whimpers.  “Oh Pauletta, I never knew.  Why didn’t you say anything?”

Pauletta: “Because of our pride.  That Dominic and I were professionals with graduate degrees when many people we met who treated us prejudiciously had only high school diplomas, if that.  Because of our disbelief. That we were in the North, where we thought we were safe from discrimination, only to find that there were still pockets of it here.  And because we were too busy proving ourselves to everyone we met—and to ourselves—by being twice as good as anyone else would have been.”

Olivia: Sitting up and looking resolved, Olivia clasps her friend and mentor Pauletta’s hand in hers.  “I’m glad that you told me.  We must meet ignorance and prejudice head on if we are to defeat them.  And we should try to prevent them through educating our school children about the dignity of all people, and how others have struggled for their basic human rights as citizens of our nation.”

Pauletta:  “I have often thought so.  We educate our own children about our history of struggles.  But others …”  Her meaning is clear.

Olivia:  “But you mean that my and other non Negro people are ignorant of these struggles and history.”  Olivia nods knowingly—smarting in the belated nature of her own deeper understanding.  Then she brightens as an idea takes hold in her mind.   “I think I know what Alice’s first unit will be on, the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the history from which it sprang.  She can create an exhibit that the younger children at the Wakeforest County Orphanage School may view and interact with, then the younger children can write a short essay about.”

Pauletta:  “Are you certain that you want to get mixed up in our struggle for equality under the law, Olivia?  There will be some who will not understand, they may even shun you for it.”

Olivia: “Oh I know.  But this is too important to worry about my possibly being shunned by someone who holds views which I abhor.”  Then Olivia places her hands upon her tummy.  “For my child, I want him or her to know a world where no one is discriminated against—a world where peace and harmony create a society of equals, working together for the common good of all.”  And in Olivia, the late Nellie Newton’s legacy of compassion, love, and dignity for all is manifested in Olivia’s thoughts, in her words, and in her deeds.

Pauletta:  “That would be a lovely dream.”

And it is a dream that will not begin to become more fully stated for another 7.5 years, until the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s I Have a Dream speech in 1963 [(6].  But it is a dream that both Olivia and Pauletta will work toward in the coming years.

***

So it is decided definitively that Alice Trent Delany will begin her studies with Olivia Delaney Wakeforest at her home on Thursday—to give Olivia time to create some initial lesson plans–when Tessa breezily pops in to see Olivia later that same Monday, February 22^nd to chat with her sister-in-law and to see how she is getting along with her two servants who defected to Olivia—Tessa’s words, though, she is teasing Olivia a bit.

With the now twenty month old baby Bobby Trent Delaney on her hip like a pro, Tessa walks around Olivia’s and Sam’s lovely first floor master bedroom in their Wakeforest Family home—also renovated in an elegant light blue with comfortable styling  [(7) right] –while Olivia is doing her afternoon physical therapy leg exercises while lying atop her bed spread.

Olivia: “Hhhh!”  Olivia gasps as she raises her healing left lower leg for three seconds –then repeats it nineteen more times.  Then she rests that leg while she does the exercised on the other side.  Then she does it again on the right and then the left side—exhausting her.  Olivia is making progress in her recovery, but it is slow going.

Tessa: Ever the cheerleader, Tessa encourages Olivia.  “Oh, Olivia Honey.  You’re doing great!  Keep up the good work!”  Tessa cheers Olivia on.

Olivia: “So you’ll allow Alice to come to me in the afternoons weekdays for tutoring to get her up to speed for a regular 8^th grade class next year?”

Tessa: “Of course!  She’ll love it!  And I’ll be glad that you have someone with you to keep company and your teaching skills sharp.”  Tessa admires Olivia greatly for being a teacher.

Olivia: “And you know we’re going to do Alice’s first unit on the ongoing Montgomery Bus Boycott situation?”  Olivia reminds her sister-in-law.

Tessa: “Yes!  The bus boycott and its aftermath is in all the East coast papers!  Roger gets the New York Times and the Washington Post, you know.  A day later, but we still get them.”  Tessa [(8) right] prides herself on being informed about national and world events.

Olivia: “And I plan to take an interdisciplinary approaching, weaving interdisciplinary learning activities to encourage Alice’s reading, writing, analysis, and history knowledge and skills by her reviewing current and historical documents and then writing her reactions and impressions.  Her final project will be an interactive exhibit that I’ll help her create and that we’ll put on display at the Wakeforest County Orphanage School for the other students to view and then write a short paragraph essay about for school.”

Tessa:  “Well you’re the teacher, Sweetie.  You do what you think best.  Alice is sharp as a tack, and I’m sure you’ll help her understand the politics, social, and legal implications.”

Olivia: “I will.  Hhhh!  That’s enough physical  therapy for this afternoon.  Hhhhh!”  Olivia holds her tummy and exhales as she gingerly changes position and sits up on the end of her bed. She will exercise one more time tonight, before she goes to bed.  Then Olivia smillingly reaches out for her foster nephew.  “May I hold Bobby as my treat for finishing my physical therapy exercises?”

Tessa: “Of course!”  Tessa transfers a willing Bobby to Olivia’s arms.  His short blond curls tickling her face as Bobby instantly leans in and strokes Olivia’s long hair—getting his fingers into her slightly wavy tresses.

Olivia: “I can tell that he’s going to be a hair man.  Ha ha ha!”

Tessa: “Now be careful, Olivia.”  Tessa holds out her hands protectively.

Olivia: “I’ve got him!  I won’t drop him.”  Olivia smiles widely as she makes faces at Bobby which he delights in with gleeful giggles.

Bobby: “Ha ha ha ha ha ha!”

Tessa: “I know.  You just need to be careful, not do too much.  And he’s getting rather heavy to carry around.”

Olivia: “Oh?”  Olivia smiles suspiciously at her sister-in-law.

Tessa: “Yes.  Don’t strain yourself by trying to lift him.  Let me change his position for you.” Tessa winces.

Olivia:  Narrowing her eyes beadily, Olivia asks with a pout as she rests her hands in her lap, on her tummy.  “Who told?”

Tessa: “Ah ha!  You did.  Just now!  Congratulations!”  Tessa throws her arms around Olivia and Bobby.  “You’re going to make me an aunt!”

Olivia:  “But how did you guess?”  Olivia looks incredulously at her sister-in-law Tessa.

Tessa:  “You keep touching your tummy, Sweetie.  It’s a dead give away.”  Then Tessa looks at Olivia saucily.  “So are we to assume that this will be a Honeymoon baby?”

Olivia: “Of course!  With my injury and long recovery, I’ve been in no state for actual lovemaking since then—it’s too jostlely.”  Olivia pinkens in embarrassment and she covers Bobby’s twenty month old ears—as if he could understand what she was saying.

Bobby:  But, of course, Bobby simply parrots what he hears as he raises his hand in triumph at learning a new word sound.  “Jossy!”

Olivia winces and Tessa smiles.  But Olivia didn’t realize that she gave herself away, again, in another way.

Tessa: “Actual lovemaking?”  Tessa inquires with a knowing smile and Olivia goes crimson.

Olivia: Changing the subject from her and Sam making love—Olivia regroups.  “Tessa, I’m sorry that we didn’t tell you first about the baby—we only found out last week.  But it’s very early yet.”  Olivia conveys her meaning through a purposeful pout.

Tessa:  “Don’t worry, Olivia Sweetie.  You’ll be fine.  And your secret is safe with me.”

And then with two short knocks on Olivia’s bedroom door, Tessa’s foster daughter—Olivia’s foster niece—enters and  asks.

Alice: “What secret?”  Alice is used to walking into Olivia’s bedroom back at Delaney Manor after knocking, so she does the same in Olivia’s Wakeforest home.

Olivia’s and Tessa’s eyebrows rise.  Then Olivia covers her secret by saying.
Olivia: “You’re coming to me afternoons starting on Thursday of this week for your English reading and writing, and history lessons–to get you ready for eighth grade in the Fall.”

Alice:  “Yippee!”

But Tessa looks at Alice in confusion, and sees from her watch that it is 2:30pm.

Tessa:  “But why are you here now, Alice?  Didn’t Mrs. Perkins tell you that I would pick you up at the Orphanage at 3 o’clock?”

Alice: “Yes, but Mrs. Perkins came to me in the kitchen while I was getting the mid afternoon snacks for the kids.  And she said that she had official business to attend to and that I should go ahead and ride my bike over to my Aunt Olivia’s house early today.  She said that she would call here after she was done.”

Tessa:  “Official business?”  Tessa and Olivia exchange looks.

Just then, Olivia’s bedroom phone rings—so her housekeeper cook must have sent the call to her.

Olivia on phone: “Hello?”

Pauletta on phone:  “Olivia, it’s Pauletta Perkins  Don’t talk, just listen.”  Olivia complies. “The State Police were just here looking for Alice and Bobby.”  Olivia startles visibly and darts a concerned look at Tessa, then she glances at Alice.  “It seems that someone on the bus Alice had taken last December had tipped them off to seeing a young girl and child—and they have only now been able to find her.”

Olivia looks up at Tessa worriedly and motions for her to come next to her to listen in.  Tessa removes Bobby from Olivia’s arms and she hands him to Alice.  And then Tessa listens in on the phone call.

Olivia on phone: “Okay, Tessa is also listening in.  Could you repeat that for her, please.”  Olivia and Tessa don’t want to worry Alice.  But Alice can see the concern on both of their faces.

Mrs. Perkins on phone:  Mrs. Perkins does so. Then she expands upon it.  “They asked me if I knew about an Alice and Bobby Trent and I said yes—telling the truth is our best defense.”  She says defensively. “I showed them my records about Alice and Bobby and the foster custody agreement and all of the home visit reviews—to show them that everything is completely above board.”

Tessa on phone: Biting her lip to keep from crying, Tessa asks worriedly. “What did they say?”

Mrs. Perkins on phone:  “They want to speak to you and Mr. Delaney.  So I sent them over to the bank to see Roger, to give me time to call you.  I had also called Roger to warn him.  Tessa, please heed my advice and don’t run and take the children—it’s the worst thing that you could do for them.  You will never get them back if you’re caught.  So if you want to keep them, we have to follow the rules.”

Tessa on phone: “But Mrs. Perkins, …”  Then she remembers that Alice is in the room and listening.  “I will do as you say.  I’ll take Alice and Bobby home and wait for Roger to join us.”

Mrs. Perkins on phone: “Good!  I will meet you at your home, Mrs. Delaney—as the social worker on the case.”

Olivia on phone: “I’ll call Sam at the Wakeforest Lumber Mill.  He is still a semi-practicing lawyer in the state.  And his area is family law.”

Alice:  “Family law?”  She asks, but Tessa and Olivia are too focused on their phone call to hear her question.

Mrs. Perkins on phone: “That’s good.  Maybe Mr. Wakeforest can get a court ordered injunction to stop any attempt on the police’s part to take Alice and Bobby out of our custody, at the Wakeforest County Courthouse before it closes today.”

Olivia on phone: “I’m on it.”  They hang up the phone.

Tessa:  “Me, too!”

Olivia:  “Tessa, let me call Sam first.  Then we’ll know if he wants to meet you at your home or at the courthouse.”  Olivia frantically dials her husband Sam at the Lumber Mill, worrying if her brother Roger and Tessa can keep their foster children whom they eventually hope to adopt–Alice and Bobby.

Then Olivia and Tessa look up and they realize that Alice and Bobby have left the bedroom.  What Alice may have overheard and understood is conjecture.  But Tessa must find Alice and Bobby to keep them safe—especially since it is still Winter and freezing cold outside.  And Tessa runs out of Olivia’s first floor bedroom to hopefully catch Alice and Bobby before they leave the house as Sam answers the Wakeforest Lumber Mill phone.

To be continued with Chapter 24

 

References for Ch. 23  by Gratiana Lovelace, February 22, 2016 (Post #876)

1)  The “Love in the Great Pine Woods” story cover is a composite of two images manipped by Grati:

5. a) the Richard Armitage portrait is from the 2011 Project Magazine photo shoot and article interview, that was found at http://www.richardarmitagenet.com/images/gallery/Richard/Promos/ProjectMagJuly2011/album/slides/ProjectMag-05.html;
   b) the snowy Pine forest vertical image was found on Pinterest at https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/62/fa/ff/62faff1253d55f571eb3659cc7661e73.jpg

2) Olivia Delaney (blue background manip) smiling is Emily Deschanel as Temperance Brennan (Bones) found at https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/30/Temperance_Brennan.jpg

3) Sam’s  and Olivia’s Wakeforest Family Home living room of Sam and Olivia was found at https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/c1/aa/61/c1aa611843c522040a153967c04bbfb4.jpg

4) The Mrs. Pauletta Perkins image is Viola Davis found at http://assets-s3.usmagazine.com/uploads/assets/articles/82502-viola-davis-billy-brown-how-to-get-away-with-murder-sex-scenes/1422575089_viola-davis-zoom.jpg

5ab) For more information about Rosa Parks (pictured with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.), and the Montgomery bus boycott, visit

http://zmblackhistorymonth2011.blogspot.com/2011/02/feb-22-rosa-parks-and-montgomery.html

6)  Information about Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s I Have a Dream speech in 1963 was found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Have_a_Dream

7) Wakeforest Family Home 1st floor master bedroom of Sam and Olivia was found at

8) Tessa image is Marcia Gay Harden at a 2008 Badgley-Mischka fashion show found at http://www1.pictures.gi.stylebistro.com/Marcia+Gay+Harden+Boots+Mid+Calf+Boots+04Zh6GnJ1wZl.jpg

Nota Bene:  February 22, 2016:   The storyline today happened to neatly coincide with historic anniversaries of 6 years ago in 1956  regarding the Montgomery Bus Boycott that I had mentioned last December.  So I was once again, able to weave historical events into this period drama’s chapter. Each year, te month of February is designated as Black History Month in the U.S.  It is celebrated in October in Canada and the U.K.  For more about Black History Month, please visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_History_Month

 

 

 

Previous  Blog Ch. 22 Story link: 

https://gratianads90.wordpress.com/2016/02/15/love-in-the-great-pine-woods-ch-22-pg-13-s-d-healing-olivia-february-15-2016-by-gratiana-lovelace-post-874