I decided to get myself out of bed and go eat breakfast. When I got downstairs Muriel was making Irish stew. It took all day to cook, so she had to put it on in the morning. She knows that it is my favorite food. I asked her, "Muriel, what is for breakfast? I'm starving."
She replied, "Well, I've cooked up some ham and toast! Would you like some of that?"
I replied, "Yes, but do you have any leftover potatoes I can fry?"
Muriel said, "Um…I think I have one left. Oh here it is!"
I said, "Thank-you."
So I fried up my potato. When I had gotten finished eating, Father came down and said, "Morning, Muriel; how are you doing? Oh hello Izzy! I thought that you wouldn't be up this early."
I replied, "Father, it's 7:30 in the morning. I always wake up around this time."
Father said, "Oh, yes I forgot. So, Izzy are you dying to find out who's coming this afternoon?" he asked.
"Oh yes; will you tell me please?" I said in a begging whining tone.
"No, you'll have to wait until this afternoon to find out. But I'll give you a hint: This person is coming by train."
"That's not much of a hint, Father. Every person on this earth could be coming by train." I still said in a whiny tone.
"Well, I must go to a meeting. I hope that you and Muriel will have a good day." Father said. He gave Muriel a kiss and gave me a hug and he was off to his board meeting.
I asked Muriel, "What is on your agenda today?"
"Well, she said, I thought that I would go to the general store and pick up some vegetables for tonight. And then you and I would go to the English Rose for some brunch and tea. How does that sound?"
"That sounds fine. When will we leave?" I asked.
"Well," Muriel answered, "if you can get dressed in fifteen minutes, then we can leave. Do you think you can do that?"
"I can be ready in two minutes if you wanted me to, but fifteen is fine." I answered.
* * *
Fifteen minutes later…
"I'm ready Muriel!" I said. I had on my blue dress with pink flowers on it, and my hat was light blue.
"Go ahead and get in the motorcar. I'll be out there in just a second!" Muriel said very loudly.
Well Muriel came running after me and said. "Izzy, I forgot that today I'm teaching at a teachers seminar. So I won't be able to go with you. You can take Buttercup {the horse} and go anywhere you like. I'm really very sorry."
I replied, "That's alright, Muriel. We can go to the English Rose another day." I sounded happy so Muriel wouldn't hear the tone of disappointment in my voice. "Besides," I continued, "I would enjoy being on my own today."
"The only thing that I need you to do Izzy is to meet your Father at the train station at 1:30 today. Do you think that you can handle that?" Muriel asked.
"Yes, I'm very sure that I can do that." I replied.
By this time I was saddling up Buttercup. "Now, do you need any money Izzy?" Muriel asked.
"No," I replied, "but thank you for asking."
I then hugged Muriel, and she kissed my forehead. Finally, I went off riding on Buttercup.
* * *
I noticed the clock on a church steeple and it was 1:00! I had to hurry to the train station, if I wanted to see who this Mysterious Guest was. When I got to the train station it was 1:25. Good, I thought to myself, I'm five minutes early.
I then spotted Father and went over to see him. After I hugged him father said, "Izzy, the train arrived early and so I will let you meet you guest now." Someone behind me put their hands on my eyes and said, "Guess who?"
"Felix, is that you?" I asked.
"No, it's Grandmother Naomi." Father said.
I turned around a low and behold there she was and along with her was a young man. "Hello Grandmother Naomi!" I said and continued, "and who is this young man who is with you?" Naomi said.
"Hello, Izzy darling. This is a close friend of mine. His name is Oswald Prescott the Third. He is your fiancé!"
* * * * * * * * * *
"WHAT?!"
"Isolde, darling don't make a scene! You look very unladylike, and try to remember that you're a lady; you don't have an opinion, So you shouldn't be distraught anyway," Grandmother Naomi said.
"She's just exited." Oswald chimed in.
I couldn't say anything. This was my grandmother, I couldn't say anything to her; she was too... much of herself. So instead I just stood there with tears swelling up in my eyes without saying a word. Oswald's father stepped off the train, "There's the lovely girl. So anyway, Oswald, how about those stocks? I want fifty percent."
"I'm sorry, ol' timer; that wouldn't be fair to me," Oswald replied.
"I'll make a deal you can't refuse," his father said.
"How much are we talking about?..." Oswald said in a business tone of voice.
The Prescotts kept speaking in tongues as Father introduced Grandmother to Muriel. I could tell right away she hated her. Grandmother is so predictable she hates everything less than perfect. "Isolde darling," Grandmother said, "don't stand there all day; we must get home and make wedding arrangements!"
I just nodded and followed. Muriel came along also as Father helped carry Grandmother's, Oswald's, and his father's things. The ride home was particularly ugly. "Isolde child, I don't know WHERE we'll have the wedding I tried making arrangements in the Bahamas then Alaska for a lovely white winter wedding but it simply WON'T do..." Grandmother said TRYING to sound very lady like.
When was she planning to have this wedding, anyway? Probably tomorrow, if she had it her way. What's happening? Is this all a dream? Where is my Felix? I need to be with him right now.
My thoughts wandered until Muriel spoke up. "Maybe you can have the wedding in Avonlea. It's beautiful all year round and I know you'll love it." Good ol' Muriel. I knew she'd pull through.
But then Grandmother looked at her disgustingly and actually asked my opinion. "I don't think Isolde would like it, would you, dear?"
"But Izzy," Muriel said, "wouldn't you love to be in Avonlea with all of your FRIENDS around?" I knew where Muriel was going, I shook my head vigorously as a yes. "SPLENDID!" Muriel exclaimed.
"Well I suppose I can consider it.... We'll be off tomorrow." Grandmother said in a disgusted tone of voice.
It was quiet for a few minutes; then Grandmother said, "I like a gal that does things on the spur of the moment, I see where Clive gets it." Grandmother definitely did NOT like Muriel.
As soon as we got home, Grandmother ran through my closet and threw out everything and replaced it with what looked like five new wardrobes she had obviously bought with the Prescott's money. I managed to save the dress Aunt Lilian bought for me, the one I wore when Felix and I first kissed (sigh), and one pair of pants--I used the excuse that I used them for gardening. Grandmother then said. "Isolde, I packed your luggage for you and I threw out all those out-of-fashion clothes. And I guess you had some of Morgans old clothes mixed in you closet somehow." I stayed silent.
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