Odette Caraway

****O******dette Caraway** is a chef who cooks for Greenglass House's guests. She is the mother of Lizzie and Madeleine Caraway.

## Biography

### *Greenglass House*

Milo noted that Mrs. Caraway was one of the only ones who used a road that went up Whilforber Hill. Mrs. Caraway later called Mrs. Pine to tell her that she and Lizzie were coming to help out, as many guests had arrived. She and Lizzie eventually entered Greenglass House with Mrs. Pine. Mrs. Caraway greeted Milo before taking the groceries into the kitchen. Mrs. Pine offered to put the groceries away while Mrs. Caraway and Lizzie rested. Milo and his father helped get their rooms ready.

When Meddy implied that Mrs. Caraway and Lizzie had been talking about Milo's adoption, Milo felt betrayed, because he liked and trusted the Caraways. Mrs. Caraway came downstairs the next morning and offered Milo and Meddy hot chocolate, but they declined. Mrs. Pine helped Mrs. Caraway with the dishes after breakfast. When Milo noticed that someone had been in his room, he knew it had not been Mrs. Caraway, as he knew she was busy.

Mrs. Caraway declared a buffet dinner. She and Mrs. Pine made a roast, which Milo thought was perfect for that day. Mrs. Caraway helped Mrs. Pine make punch while the guests told stories. After Milo collected the dishes, Mrs. Caraway thanked him and offered to make him hot chocolate for helping out. When it began to rain, Mrs. Caraway muttered darkly, then offered everyone more coffee.

When Mrs. Hereward freaked out about her missing ditty bag, Mrs. Caraway was one of those attempting to calm her down. Milo was later told to help Mrs. Caraway with breakfast, something he did reluctantly. Mrs. Caraway thanked him, as it was a big help, and tasked him with setting the table, which he did. He then placed the filled dishes on the table, commenting that they seemed endless.

Mrs. Caraway decided to have another buffet. She later did dishes. For lunch, she made macaroni and cheese and ham sandwiches, and set some aside for Milo while he was in the Emporium. When Meddy tried to get the guests' attention by ringing the bells on the Christmas tree, Mrs. Caraway inquired what was going on. When Owen arrived, Mrs. Caraway came with Mrs. Pine to help, and went to get blankets. Clem, upon seeing Owen, was so surprised that she dropped her cup, which fell on Mr. Vinge's head, and Mr. Vinge backed into Mrs. Caraway. Mrs. Caraway later helped get Owen onto the sofa.

Following Brandon and Fenster's arrival, Milo noted that Mrs. Caraway's snow-covered car was in Greenglass House's parking lot. When the power went out to Greenglass House, Mrs. Caraway was among those attempting to calm down Dr. Gowervine and Mrs. Hereward. Milo later stopped Dr. Gowervine from following Mrs. Caraway into the kitchen with the intention of continuing to yell at her. Mrs. Pine instructed Milo to knock on Mrs. Caraway's door if he had an emergency, even though she had gone to bed.

When Fenster and Mrs. Hereward baked a cake, Mrs. Caraway tried very hard not to laugh, explaining to Milo that the stove and the oven run on gas and work just fine despite the power being out. Milo later noted that Mrs. Caraway and Lizzie were hard-pressed not to take over the cake-baking. After Mrs. Hereward and Fenster managed to get the cake into the oven, she and Lizzie clapped. Mrs. Caraway told Mrs. Pine that they had survived Fenster in the kitchen with the help of Mrs. Hereward. She attempted to do the dishes, but Fenster decided to do them himself, and Mrs. Hereward helped, to Mrs. Caraway's disappointment. She later made breakfast as the two finished up, and managed to get everyone to load up their plates for breakfast.

When Milo wanted to go outside to investigate the garden, he asked Mrs. Caraway if he could. It took some convincing, but she eventually agreed, giving him her watch to borrow and telling him he must be back in ten minutes. She later called out to him from the door, and Milo realized he was two minutes late. He ran for the house and found Mrs. Caraway with her hands on her hips. She gave him hot cider, but not before scolding him for "not following instructions" and "practically dying of hypothermia" right in front of her.

After Milo found out that there was a customs agent in the house, Milo's parents talked hurriedly to Mrs. Caraway and Lizzie. Mrs. Caraway made dinner. Meddy told Milo that Mrs. Caraway's daughter was Meddy, and if Milo told Mrs. Caraway that he had been playing with Meddy, she would think Milo was crazy. Mrs. Caraway and Lizzie drove into town as the guests left. Before doing so, they hugged the Pines.

### *Ghosts of Greenglass House*

Mrs. Caraway made Milo a hot chocolate. When Emmett, the only guest and the reason Mrs. Caraway was there, asked to stay an extra night, Mrs. Pine noted that Mrs. Caraway was leaving that night. Mrs. Caraway made Emmett a hot chocolate as well, then offered to stay an extra night too. The Pines did not think it necessary, but she said that she might invite Lizzie, who was coming to pick her up, to stay for dinner. Mrs. Caraway asked Milo what he wanted to eat, offering a Chinese dish that he liked, which Milo gladly agreed too, requesting grilled cheese as well.

When the bell rang, Mrs. Caraway was so shocked that she dropped something. Georgie and Clem, it turned out, had arrived by way of the Belowground Transit System, and Lizzie then arrived. At dinner, Mrs. Caraway was one of those sitting around the table, and Milo was delighted with the dinner, which Mrs. Caraway had, he thought, been getting very good at making. Mrs. Caraway announced to the guests that there would be cake in half an hour, and offered champagne. Clem and Georgie told the Pines about their heist-gone-wrong, and Brandon suggested that they get right to the point, questioning if they were worried whether the Caraways were going to squeal, to which Mrs. Caraway and Lizzie, from another room, replied that of course they would. When Emmett came back downstairs, he offered Georgie some cake, noting that he'd seen Mrs. Caraway cutting it.

Mrs. Caraway and Lizzie decided to stay until Emmett left, at least, as Madeleine would not be home until Christmas Eve, and they thus did not need to leave before. Mrs. Caraway later told Clem and Georgie that they were doing a bad job of looking like they were on a girls' weekend. She took the quarter Georgie had been sanding for a craft, then provided Clem, Georgie, and Lizzie with fancy drinks, nail polish, and a mask she'd mixed up to go on their faces. Mrs. Caraway told them not to come back down until the nail polish dried, promising to deliver more cocktails. Clem and Georgie seemed more relaxed afterward, though Georgie demanded her quarter back from Mrs. Caraway immediately.

When the Waits arrived, Mrs. Caraway expressed wonder. She joined the others on the porch to watch the group come, then went in with the rest when the Waits were invited inside. Mrs. Caraway offered drinks, and most of the Waits accepted, causing her and Lizzie to laugh and go to the kitchen. Mrs. Caraway later offered refills, and during the chimney-cleaning she kept busy with dishes. Mrs. Caraway provided ice backs when asked. Milo noted that Mrs. Caraway and Lizzie were sleeping in the spare rooms on the second floor. When Mr. Larven collapsed, Mrs. Caraway was one of those who rushed to help. She stayed near the dining table, being one of the only ones, and asked after Mr. Larven. Milo waved good night to the Caraways.

In the morning, Milo heard Mrs. Caraway in the kitchen. Mrs. Caraway greeted Meddy awkwardly, not calling her by name, but seeming welcome (This disturbed Meddy, who would have preferred to have been unseen). She noted that Sylvester was asleep on the couch, and that she would be probably serving brunch later. Mrs. Caraway made Milo hot chocolate and offered to get Meddy something. Meddy declined, and after Mrs. Caraway patted her shoulder awkwardly and returned to the kitchen, Meddy expressed annoyance to Milo, feeling that the adults would give her away, and Milo promised to talk to them. Mrs. Caraway soon returned with hot chocolate, and ruffled Milo's hair when he thanked her. Mrs. Pine had thought that Mrs. Caraway and Mr. Pine had cleaned the room, though it had actually been Sylvester.

The Waits felt they had to leave. Mr.s Caraway insisted that they could not leave until they'd had brunch, promising it would be ready soon and providing appetizers. Milo later mentioned the stolen things to Meddy, and Mrs. Pine, having not yet been told about the theft, inquired loudly whether he'd said 'stolen'. The guests heard, and Mrs. Caraway covered it up with a story about Lizzie making stollen. Mrs. Caraway then provided a buffet brunch, and the guests all ate. In preparation for stories, Mrs. Caraway was kicked out of the kitchen and the guests did dishes instead. She and Lizzie sat on the couch, and Mrs. Caraway seemed to be having difficulty relaxing, as was typical when someone else was in the kitchen.

When Milo explained that Mr. Larven's punch had been poisoned with mistletoe and holly, Mrs. Caraway, indignant, insisted that there was no mistletoe or holly in the kitchen, but Milo explained that it had been put there on purpose, to Mrs. Caraway's dismay. When Emmett emerged from talking with Georgie (telling her that he was a customs agent), he asked for more coffee, and Mrs. Caraway volunteered to make it but Mrs. Kirkegrim did it instead. Marzana later offered Milo coffee, saying that Mrs. Caraway had said there would be more hot chocolate. Marzana then provided him hot chocolate just the way he liked it, saying Mrs. Caraway had told her how.

After Lucky's story, Mrs. Caraway asked if Lucky had been caroling since she was ten, and Lucky confirmed this. Milo asked the Caraways to watch the guests' reactions after he told a story about Violet Cross. During his story, Mrs. Caraway sat on the sofa and smiled encouragingly at him. Meddy later got the scoop from each on the reactions of the Waits. The Pines and the Caraways were later in the kitchen seeming stressed. When Clem discovered the missing locks, Mrs. Caraway provided her with a bag to put them in. After Mrs. Kirkegrim left and the other Waits volunteered to stay until the things were found, Mr. Larven asked for coffee. Knowing that Mr. Larven was one of the thieves (Meddy announced this to those who could hear her), Mrs. Caraway and Lizzie, who were standing near the kitchen entrance like sentries, made him get it himself.

Milo slipped outside to recover the derrotero, slipping past the Caraways; Mrs. Caraway gave him a distracted pat on the shoulder but seemed not to really notice him. The Caraways were angry at the leaving Mrs. Kirkegrim. Mrs. Pine invited Clem and Georgie to stay, noting that the Caraways had to leave to meet Madeleine but Clem and Georgie did not have to go, however, Clem and Georgie declined. Mrs. Caraway suggested that Lizzie's car would fit them all, then gave out more hot chocolate and later provided a dinner of sandwiches and salad. Mrs. Caraway and Lizzie got their luggage, then gave hugs and left. Milo noted that they would return in a few weeks.

## Personality and Traits

Mrs. Caraway is a very good cook. She is very friendly to Milo and to the guests. She can be mischievous at times.