Additional Conflicts

Chapter Thirty

When Goldie left the Kaffee Klatch late on Tuesday evening to go home, she found Elisa still up, waiting for her.

         Great!

Setting her purse on the kitchen table, Goldie glanced at Elisa’s perfect figure and pursed her lips. Shouldn’t a missionary wear a long-sleeved flannel nightgown that pooled around her feet? Instead, Elisa wore skimpy baby-doll pajamas.

Goldie had once owned a swimsuit that looked like that. 

“I made you hot cocoa.” Elisa set two steaming cups on the table before she sat down. “I know it’s warm outside, but I love hot cocoa at night.”

         “Thanks.” Goldie wasn’t too keen on cocoa in June, but she pulled out the other chair and sat down.

“I need to apologize to you.” Elisa sighed. “I’m sure you were shocked when you saw Ryan and me tonight, but don’t worry. There’s nothing between us anymore.”

“But there was at one time?”

“We were engaged.”

Goldie’s mouth fell open. Another thing Ryan failed to mention!

“Our relationship is over.” Elisa plucked a napkin from the napkin holder and folded it in half. “I’m going to Africa, and he’s staying here in the States.”

“Um, so you just broke up tonight?” Had Ryan been engaged all this time?

“No, we broke up eight months ago.” Elisa kept working on the napkin until it was reduced to a tiny square. “It’s a long story.”

Folding her hands on the table, Goldie decided to pull a Frieda. “I have time.”

Elisa looked up at her. “I want to be a missionary, and he wants to become an architect.” She shrugged. “There’s not much need for architects in Tanzania.” 

Goldie sat back. That was her story?

“I know God called me to be a missionary, but Ryan…” Elisa shook her head. “He grew up in East Africa, and it holds no appeal for him. He wants to put his roots down in America.”

Praise God! If Ryan was available, Goldie wanted to marry him.

But did he want to marry her?

“Thanks again for letting me stay with you.” Elisa sipped her hot cocoa. “I hope I didn’t cause any problems between you and Ryan. I feel bad about my behavior.”

Goldie shrugged. “We’ll work it out.” With God’s help!

“Hey, I have an idea!” Eliza touched her hand. “Let me make breakfast for you tomorrow morning. If you have eggs, I’ll make omelettes. Or I could make pancakes if you’d rather have that.”

“Well…whatever.”

“Pastor and Mrs. Thomas are picking me up around ten tomorrow morning, so we’ll have plenty of time.”

Goldie nodded. Her day tomorrow would be spent at the Gallery Connection. A lingering despair filled her heart as she thought of her destroyed pottery. She would have to box up her extra lines after Elisa left tomorrow and take them in. The buyer was scheduled to come at one o’clock.

If only Ashley Wakefield would see the potential in her Rose line.

The next morning, Goldie didn’t get to the Gallery until 11:30. She had eaten Elisa’s omelettes, wished her well, and said goodbye.

Hopefully, she would never see Elisa Hartwell again!

Arriving at the Gallery, Goldie lifted a box of her Autumn dishes from the car seat. Maybe Ashley would like the colorful leaves, even though they weren’t in season.

Goldie had packed another box with her Butterfly collection. She hoped Noreen wouldn’t mind. Noreen had finally made her Butterfly line—ugly black dishes with brown and orange abstract butterflies. It looked like Vincent Van Gogh himself had painted them.

         “Hi, Goldie!” Mrs. Langford held the door open. “Need some help?”

         “Thanks.” She handed the box to Mrs. Langford before getting the other one from the car. She walked back to her booth.

Mrs. Langford had set the box on the floor and was holding her rose teapot.

         Goldie caught her breath. “Is the teapot okay?”

         “No.” Mrs. Langford pointed to a crack on the bottom.

         “Not again!” Goldie’s shoulders slumped. Her treasured teapot!

         Noreen approached them. “Mrs. Langford! Look at this.” She held out one of her Van Gogh-ish black plates. A large crack ran down the side. “Three of my plates have been damaged.”

         “You, too?” Tears filled Goldie’s eyes. Would they catch this criminal before all their pottery was destroyed? She looked at Mrs. Langford. “What can we do?”

         Mrs. Langford set Goldie’s teapot back in her booth. “Girls, the buyer will be here in an hour. Both of you need to go to the coffee shop across the street and relax. Take Carl and Henry with you.” She took a deep breath. “I’ll set up your booths.”

         “But—my plates!” Noreen hid her face in her hands and sobbed.

         “Don’t worry.” Mrs. Langford looked calm. “We’ll catch the culprit.”

         Goldie eyed Mrs. Langford. Did she know something they didn’t know?

Placing her arm around Noreen, Goldie pulled her toward the door. “Come on. Let’s find the men and get some coffee.”

         As the four of them walked across the street, Carl took over the job of comforting his wife. Henry kept his distance.

         Goldie went through the motions of ordering coffee. Maybe she should just give up. Quit the pottery business. Was that God’s will for her?

         Picking up her coffee, she sat down at a small table.

         Henry took a seat beside her. He not only ordered a large coffee, but an oversized blueberry muffin.

With a smug smile, he turned to her. “Can’t wait to see what Ms. Wakefield thinks of my Calypso line. Being from New York, she might be impressed with the West Indian theme.”

         “You have an impressive collection, Henry.” Goldie sipped her coffee.

Why had no one tampered with his pieces?   

        

         Ryan answered his cell phone and listened to Mrs. Langford’s concerned voice. “I’m on my way.”

         He’d never admit it to Goldie, but Ryan was glad the culprit had struck again—literally. He couldn’t wait to see what the “nanny cam” showed him.

         Henry Nesbitt was about to get caught!

* * *

         The adventure continues tomorrow.

         Until then, God bless!