“We are, too. But you know there was talk of affordable housing for town employees like cops and teachers. Not that I like being considered a town employee lumped in with the road crew and the water department.” Lydia’s dark eyes flashed. “ I’m a professional with a master’s degree. But it would have helped some of the younger teachers. If this plan is passed by town meeting, I don’t know what will happen to that.”

“I didn’t realize Sam Miller was behind all this. Maybe that’s what Dave Davidson was talking about in his sermon. It didn’t make sense to me,” Lucy confessed.

“Maybe. Maybe it was just something Marcia put him up to saying. Socking it to the family that Sam didn’t want to be like them, he just wanted to be one of the folks. She hated the Millers. You know what else I heard?” Lydia’s eyes grew large and she dropped her voice. “I heard she had an affair with Culpepper.”

“No.” Lucy giggled. “With Culpepper? The woman who brought Donna Karan dresses to Tinker’s Cove?”

“And sculptured nails!” Lydia laughed.

“And black eyeliner!”

“Don’t forget black stockings.” The two women burst out laughing.

Noticing that her mother had withdrawn from the conversation and was just sitting at the table fingering her napkin, Lucy reached over and caressed her hand.

“What do you say we make a quick trip to Portland? There’s a big toy store there.”

“I don’t want to buy them toys.” Helen shook her head. “They have too many toys already.”

Lucy tapped her fingers on the table. “We’ve been to every store in town, and you didn’t find anything. What do you have in mind?”

“I don’t know. I’ll know it when I see it,” she said, frowning.

Lucy rolled her eyes and looked at Lydia, who asked, “Have you been to Sandcastles?”

“What’s that?”

“A little shop behind the fire station. It’s cute. She does T-shirts and sweat suits. She’ll monogram them or put designs on, whatever you want.”

“There wouldn’t be time now to have something monogrammed,” Helen argued.

“Oh, sure there is. She can probably do it while you wait.”

“Let’s check it out, Mom. Thanks, Lydia. See you later.”

Just as Lydia had promised, Sandcastles was located on pilings behind the fire station. As they walked along the boardwalk the cold wind from the bay whipped their clothes and faces. Lucy took her mother’s arm and guided her along protectively, afraid the wind would be too much for her. Once inside the little shop filled with brightly colored clothes, they began to warm up.