Page 28 of Wake Me Up Before You Cocoa

“No,” Marina protested weakly, although it was exactly what she was thinking.

“Since the French Quarter and the Garden District are so close together, the young people ended up in the same high school. Ruby and I had math together, and choir as I recall.”

“Granny sang in the high school choir?” Marina exclaimed, shocked. “She loved country music and listened to the radio all the time but was always off-key. I liked to tease her about it.”

“Thatmy dear,” Mrs. Sutton chuckled, “was most likely on purpose. She only took choir class to get close to the boys. One in particular: a bass with a naturally beautiful voice. They took a shine to each other—and then she made him chaseher.But choir class got him to notice her—and he did.Shewas quite popular. I was the shy one.”

Marina smiled at all the memories. It had been a long time since she had been able to talk about her granny. “I miss her every single day.”

“I’m sure you do, honey,” Mrs. Sutton said with a soft smile.

Marina could see the shyness in the elderly woman’s gaze. The softness of her voice. Southern genteel. But she suspected there was an iron rod running straight down her back.

“Would you like to see the house, my dear?”

“I’d love to, thank you. I must confess I’m not sure why you asked me to come. I assume you want appraisals of your antiques . . .” Marina let the sentence drift off. She didn’t want to assume anything more than that.

“First appraisals of the antiques. Then the house. Then I sell.”

“You want to sell your home? It’s soperfect.”

Mrs. Sutton glanced about the library and then beckoned Marina to follow her into the grand foyer, then across the plushrugs into the loveliest of sitting rooms on the other side of the hallway. “The upkeep is wearing me out. I’ll be eighty-seven next year. I must downsize sometime!” she teased with a trill of laughter.

“No way,” Marina said, under her breath, but the woman caught her words.

“My hearing is still perfect,” Mrs. Sutton said with a smirk. “I adore my house, but my daughter just bought a lovely property in Boca Raton—but far from the tourists and crowds, mind you!” Her voice quieted. “It’s quiet, my grandchildren and great-grandchildren are close by. And good hospitals and doctors. A mighty big concern when you reach my age.”

“You will miss this beautiful place,” Marina murmured, tempted to examine and touch every beautiful thing she saw. The vases, the cherry wood end tables, the burled oak desk, the intricately carved white columns stretching high above them at each room’s entrance, and the old piano from 1895. So much beauty and artistry and history within these walls.

“Oh, yes, I was born right here. An upstairs bedroom, in fact. My great-great-grandfather built this house in 1881 when he struck oil. Added on bedrooms and the second story as his family—and wealth—grew. But I must face reality. And . . .” Mrs. Sutton let her voice trail away for a moment. “I do love my great-grandchildren, too. My last years should be with family, not worried about the next item to break in this big old house. Had to replace plumbing last year. Next winter it will be the furnaces. I have a small army of electricians, plumbers, gardeners, and repair people that march through here monthly.”

“Itisa big job; I can totally understand. So, what exactly would you like me to do?” Marina asked.

“If it’s not imposing on you too much, I’d love for you to go through each room, make a list of all the antiques, catalog them, give me appraisals and estimates. Then I can decide what to takewith me, what to leave here, find potential buyers for certain items, and what to sell with the house.”

“Do you have a timeline or deadline?”

“No real rush, but it would be lovely to move into my granddaughter’s place by September. So that gives me six months. And I would pay you handsomely, I can assure you.”

Marina paused for a moment, thinking about the tasks at the antique store that kept her hopping, including the upcoming shipment from overseas.

“I can read your mind, my girl,” Mrs. Sutton said, peering straight into her face. “I know you have a full-time business. That’s why I’ve also hired a gentleman to do the heavy lifting and the appraisal of the house and gardens, as well as getting it ready to be put on the market. All you’ll need to worry about is antiques. If you need more time, or an assistant, we can certainly arrange that. I hope this will be just a temporary part-time job.”

Marina smiled. “Well, I must admit I’m dying to explore your home, drool over it all, and appraise everything. That’s definitely my favorite part of my job.”

“Wonderful,” Mrs. Sutton said with a small clap of her hands. “I am delighted to have you work for me. It will be such fun—and keep my sad heart from mourning over leaving this place forever.”

She reached out and took Marina’s hand in her warm ones, pausing to gaze into her eyes. “I see Ruby in you, my dear, and I’m looking forward to this adventure very much.”

At that moment, the front doorbell rang a soft chime that tinkled in the air.

Mrs. Sutton leaned in close to whisper, “I believe that is my real estate agent. I hear he is quite handsome. Let’s go meet him, shall we?”

Before she could finish her sentence, Mrs. Dixon swiftly rounded the corner from the dining room. “I’ll get that for you—” she started.

Mrs. Sutton held up a hand to stop her forward stride. “Marina and I will receive our guest. We’re perfectly capable. Go about your business.”

“As you wish, madame,” Mrs. Dixon said, quickly pivoting to return to her tasks.

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