Rita had invited Linda and Ian around for dinner, so in the afternoon I helped with the necessary preparements.[…]Helped Rita with the preparements for tomorrow’s Christmas lunch.

The plural of 'cat' is 'cats', but the plural of 'child' is 'children'.

I was totally thrown by his bizarre remarks.

Men that I knew around Wapatomac didn't wear high, shiny plug hats, nor yeller spring overcoats, nor carry canes with ivory heads as big as a catboat's anchor, as you might say.