The Christmas Pony Read Online Free PDF

Lucy exclaimed. “Veronica is staying in the front room and George took the one in back.”
    â€œOh.” Mama stood back up, folding her arms across her front.
    â€œSo . . . can they stay?” Lucy asked hopefully.
    Mama and Grandma looked at each other, but they still looked uneasy. “I don’t know for sure, Lucy.”
    â€œBut we need the money, Mama. You said we do.”
    â€œWhy don’t you go speak to them?” Grandma suggested to Mama. “Get to the bottom of it.”
    Mama firmly nodded. “I’ll do that.”
    Lucy started to go with her, but Grandma put a hand on her shoulder. “You stay here with me,” she said quietly. “This is grown-up business.”
    Lucy stayed in the kitchen, helping Grandma to make piecrust while Mama was gone. But as Lucy was rolling out the dough, she noticed George outside. It looked like he wascoming back from his walk. “I guess Mama hasn’t talked to George yet,” she told Grandma, pointing out the kitchen window.
    â€œThat might be easier.” Grandma shook her head. “She and Veronica can talk woman to woman.”
    Lucy wished she could overhear the conversation. More than that she hoped Mama wasn’t saying anything rude to Veronica. Even if Mama didn’t approve of movie actresses, it seemed wrong to be mean to her. What if Veronica took offense and decided to leave? Besides them needing the money, Lucy didn’t want Veronica to go.
    â€œWell, that’s all settled,” Mama said as she rejoined them in the kitchen.
    â€œWhat did you decide?” Grandma asked.
    Lucy stayed quietly put, hoping she might go unnoticed as she slowly moved the rolling pin across the dough on the kitchen table. Like Grandma sometimes said, Lucy just wanted to be like a fly on the wall as the grown-ups talked.
    â€œLucy was right,” Mama told Grandma. “George and Veronica are not married. And they are not sharing a room. Veronica claims that they met while traveling. It seems Veronica needed a ride and George offered her one. Apparently there was no romance involved.” Mama made an exasperated-sounding sigh. “At least not yet, anyway. But when I voiced my concerns, Veronica assured me there would be no”—Mama cleared her throat—“no degeneracy going on. And I made it perfectly clear that I will tolerate none.”
    Lucy wasn’t sure what degeneracy meant and had no intention of asking, but based on the tone of Mama’s voice, she suspected it was not a good thing. Mostly she was relieved that Veronica Grant was being allowed to stay on with them.
    â€œAre you going to speak to George?” Grandma asked quietly.
    â€œI don’t think that will be necessary.” Mama was halfway out the back door now. “I have the woman’s word.”
    â€œWell.” Grandma slapped the flour off her hands. “I guess that takes care of that.”
    After the pies were in the oven, Lucy slipped upstairs. She knew she was supposed to go up there only to replace linens or tend to the needs of guests, but she told herself that it was possible the towels needed freshening by now. Mostly she was hoping that she’d get a chance to say something to Veronica. Just in case she was feeling bad about what Mama had said.
    â€œHello, doll,” Veronica called out as Lucy walked quietly down the hallway. “What are you up to?”
    Lucy smiled at her. “Just checking to see if you need anything. Towels or soaps or anything? Or if you’d like a cup of tea?” They didn’t usually bring tea to their boarders, but Veronica seemed special.
    â€œTea?” Veronica’s blue eyes sparkled. “Yes, that would be lovely, thank you. I take just a spoonful of sugar, please.”
    Excited at the prospect of delivering a cup of tea to Veronica, Lucy scampered downstairs and explained her plan to Grandma.
    â€œTea?” Grandma scowled.