Round Robin (43 page)

“The orchard?”

Sylvia raised her eyebrows at him. “Why, yes, Matthew. The orchard. The one on the west side of the estate, where you were working just yesterday. Surely you remember it.”

“Yes, but—”

“It's yours. The land, the trees, everything. The deed has been transferred to your name. If you don't want it, you can sell it, but I hope you won't.” She paused. “I also hope you'll remain as our caretaker, but I'll understand if you don't. You're an essential part of our operation, Matthew. You're our—our secretary of the interior, as it were. I hope that the orchard will give you the independence you desire and the security any man would want for himself and his family, so that you keep your role in Elm Creek Quilts because you want to, not because you must.”

“Thank you, Sylvia. I'm very grateful,” he said, and Sylvia knew he spoke from the heart. “But the orchard—what am I supposed to do with it?”

“Do with it?” Sylvia looked around the circle in surprise. “For goodness sake, what does anyone do with an orchard? Grow apples and cherries if you like. Develop your own hybrids. Build a cider mill. Experiment. Learn. Tear everything up and plant a vineyard if you like,
but have fun.” She snapped the papers and hid a smile. “And here I thought you had a green thumb. What do I do with an orchard, he asks. What a question.” She glanced at Andrew, and she could see that he knew how much she was enjoying herself.

Matthew had barely recovered his wits, the poor dear. “Thank you,” he said again, sinking back into his chair, amazed. She could already see his mind at work, imagining the possibilities.

“The whole orchard. An actual piece of the Bergstrom estate,” Sarah teased him. “You must be the boss's pet.”

Sylvia fixed her gaze on her. “You only think that because I haven't given you your present yet.”

Sarah looked at her, her smile fading. The others grew silent.

“But you're going to have to wait for it.” Sylvia shook her head. “I almost fear telling you this. I know what an impatient young woman you are.”

“I don't want anything,” Sarah said quickly, clenching her hands together in her lap. “I don't even want you to have a will. I don't want you to
need
a will. I don't want anything if it means that you—that you—” Carol put an arm around her shoulders as Sarah's eyes filled with tears.

Sylvia sighed. And here they had been having such a pleasant time. “Sarah, dear, I survived this recent blow, but I won't survive forever. Recently I've learned that I'm stronger than I ever knew, but no one is that strong.”

To her relief, Sarah nodded.

“I need to know that the estate will be cared for when I'm no longer here to see to it myself. I need someone who understands that the true value of Elm Creek Manor doesn't reside in its price per acre. You are that person.” Sylvia reached out and stroked Sarah's hair. “Matt gets the orchard, the Elm Creek Quilters get the company, and you, my dear, you get everything else.”

Sarah nodded, tears slipping down her face. Suddenly she was at Sylvia's side, embracing her. “I'll take good care of it for you. I promise.”

Sylvia's heart was full as she hugged her dear young friend, who would perhaps never understand that no estate in the world could even begin to equal what Sarah had given Sylvia. “I know you will.”

By the end of the day, two new quilts hung side by side in the foyer of Elm Creek Manor. The first was a testament to the courage of one remarkable woman who refused to be daunted when confronted with the many faces of tragedy. The other was a reminder of the power of friendship, the awareness that any task could be completed if friends thought creatively, trusted in themselves, and gained strength from each other.

In the years to come, whenever new visitors arrived at Elm Creek Manor, the Broken Star and round robin quilts would welcome them. The visitors would admire the colors, the patterns, the intricate quilting, and perhaps, just perhaps, they would sense the love that had been worked into the fabric with every stitch. They would wonder about the women who had sewn a small measure of their souls into the cloth as they labored with needles and thread, as they sat around the quilting frame or worked alone, driven on by hope and determination. Some visitors would discover the true stories behind the quilts; others would be content to imagine and wonder.

But Sarah McClure knew, and for as long as she lived, she would keep those stories close to her heart. She would never forget the lessons she had learned from the Elm Creek Quilters and from the wise woman who had become her most cherished friend. For Sylvia's greatest bequest was the reminder that true friends are the most precious gift, and that even in the darkest of times love illuminates the way home.

A
N
E
LM
C
REEK
Q
UILTS
N
OVEL

by

Jennifer Chiaverini

A round robin quilt is created by sewing concentric patchwork or appliqué borders to a central block as it is passed around a circle of friends. We rejoin the Elm Creek Quilters as they embark on just such a project, intended as a gift to their beloved Sylvia. But for each member of the circle, the threads of happiness begin to unravel. As each woman adds a border to the central block, she contributes her story to the ongoing history of Elm Creek Manor. Resplendent in green, blue, and gold, the quilt serves as a symbol of the complex, lasting ties that unify mothers and daughters, sisters and friends. As they stitch together the sometimes harmonious, often discordant scraps of their crazy-quilt lives, the Elm Creek Quilters learn that friendship is a most precious gift, and that even in the darkest of times, love illuminates the way home.

1. Sarah says that the common thread joining all the women at the camp is that after giving so much to others, they “were now taking time to care for themselves, to nourish their own souls” (page 39). What do
you
do for yourself? What is your life's equivalent of the Elm Creek Quilters?

2. Sylvia compares Carol's surprise visit to Agnes's visit last year. How are the two surprise arrivals the same? How are they different?

3. The skateboard rally brought everyone together, even Craig. But Carol and Matt were skeptical. Did you agree or disagree with the way the quilters handled the situation?

4. Carol expresses her distrust of Matt. Did you doubt him in any part of the novel? Why or why not?

5. Discuss the mother-daughter relationships in
Round Robin.
Compare and contrast Carol and Sarah's relationship with Gwen and Summer's.

6. Share your thoughts on Andrew and the signs leading up to his and Sylvia's falling in love. Why did it take Sylvia so long to realize her true feelings?

7. Carol shows conflicting sides of herself throughout her visit to Elm Creek Manor. What was your opinion of her when she first arrived? At the end of the novel?

8. Gwen describes the border she stitched as having “order within the chaos” (page 231). How was the border's random pattern a metaphor? What inspired Gwen to make the pattern?

9. Why was Sylvia prouder of her Broken Star quilt than any other quilt she'd ever made?

10. Diane's contribution to the round robin quilt represented her family union. Bonnie's displayed the uncertain future of her marriage. Judy's symbolized her journey from Vietnam to America. If you were asked to add to a round robin quilt, what would your section represent?

1. If you have read the other Elm Creek Quilts books, how do you feel Round Robin ties in to the “family” of books? Does this answer questions raised in other books? Does it raise questions about the rest of the series?

2. Do some research to learn more about the different quilt patterns mentioned: Square in Square, Pinwheel, Mariner's Compass, Crazy Patch, etc. Try them out at home!

3. Sylvia was lucky to recover so well after her hospitalization. Take a look at
www.stroke.org
for information on strokes, stroke prevention, recovery, and care.

4. Visit Jennifer Chiaverini's website at
www.elmcreek.net
for book news, a reader's circle, and more.

Jennifer Chiaverini is the author of the Elm Creek Quilts series, as well as three collections of quilt projects inspired by the series, and is the designer of the Elm Creek Quilts fabric lines from Red Rooster Fabrics. She lives with her husband and sons in Madison, Wisconsin. Visit her at
www.elmcreek.net
.

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