Arachnia #Featured

Chapter Four - Part 2

Chapter  Four             

by sloanranger

Part  2

Peggy had made spumoni for dessert. Not from scratch exactly, but close.

"It's looks great, Mom," Elaine said.

"I keep telling you, you should write a cookbook, Peggy."

"I don't think so," his mother-in-law said. "You need more recipes than I have."

"So make it a small cookbook," he countered. 

"I'll get the coffee, Mom." Elaine left for the kitchen while Steve and his mother-in-law cleared the dining room table.

They were sitting in the living room later after the spumoni and finishing their coffee. Peggy had the television on and the Turner Classic Movies channel announced: 'Hold Back The Dawn.'

"Charles Boyer, Olivia de Havilland, Paulette Goddard," Robert Osborne droned, "and a slew of character actors." Both women fairly squealed with delight.

"He's French," Steve said. "So what? I don't get it."

"Its not just being French," Elaine said, "it's those eyes."

"Mmmm," Peggy confirmed. This was one area mother and daughter had little conflict about. "Besides, it's got Olivia and Goddard and it's a great story."

"I'll take your word for it, girls, think I'll catch a few zzz's." Steve put a toss pillow under his head and scrunching down he added: "Wake me when it's over."

An hour and some minutes later, Steve was snoring lightly and on the screen, Boyer was bringing Olivia de Havilland's will to live back in a Los Angeles hospital. Peggy queried her daughter.

"How is your friend, Cassie?"

"Fine, Mom."

Her mother made no reply but she had a pensive look on her face and was nibbling her lower lip - always a sign of consternation to Elaine.

"Why?"

"Oh, nothing"

"What is it, Mom?"

"I don't know, honey; it's not something I can put my finger on. It's just that Cassie always seems to me to be anxious, like she's got something on her mind."

"You think so?"

"Yes. And the way she worries over that boy of hers..."

"Well, Mom - Billy's an only child. If Steve and I ever get lucky enough to have one, I may do some serious hovering myself."

"I guess," Peggy said, not very convincingly. Mother and daughter went back to Boyer.

(To be continued).