Chapter Six
Rosaline sipped her tea as Buena Gideon carried on with the cooking.
Thomas had left them all in silence with his abrupt departure from the kitchen.
She didn’t know what to make of the man. His gruff behavior towards her spoke of irritation and anger, yet there was something else there. A softness behind his eyes that made her curious. There was no denying that Thomas Stratton was a handsome man. She had felt a fluttering in her stomach when their eyes met.
“There are some chores I need to see to before dinner,” Arthur said, smiling politely as he stood. “I’ll be out in the barn if anyone needs me, but I’m sure Buena can show you everything you need.” He winked at Rosaline. “Hang in there lass. He’ll come around,” he said quietly so that only she could hear, and headed out the door.
She watched him depart before turning back to her tea and observing the kitchen. After all, it would be hers to manage on her own soon enough.
That’s if Thomas comes around to the idea, she reminded herself, clinging to the hope that he would. She desperately needed a home.
The kitchen was bright and warm. The simple stone floor would make it easier to clean. The long gray table ran the length of the kitchen with six dining chairs all around. It was clear that they’d been made with a family in mind. She wondered if they were handcrafted by one of the family or purchased from a craftsman.
Three windows overlooked the yard from different angles, framed with simple white linen panels that served as curtains, slightly yellow and frayed around the edges from age. She would have to clean them up as best she could. Her years of being a maid had sharpened her senses to anything that needed a fix.
“There now,” Buena interrupted her thoughts. “We can have a lovely chat while the men are away.” She slid into the chair that Thomas had vacated across from Rosaline and poured herself a cup of tea.
Rosaline felt comfortable around Buena. She had a motherly presence that put her at ease, and her brown eyes held a warmth and understanding that reminded Rosaline of her own mother. She had been caught off guard when the woman had spontaneously hugged her out in the yard, but now she was grateful for a friendly face.
“This must all be very overwhelming for you. I can’t imagine leaving my people and coming to a stranger’s house,” Buena said once she had her cup of tea in front of her. “I hope you won’t be too homesick?”
Rosaline paused for a moment before responding and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, the gesture a sure sign that she was uneasy or nervous.
Arthur had obviously not spoken about their letters to anyone else. She wondered how much of her past he had revealed to Thomas, let alone Buena Gideon.
“I don’t have any people besides my friend Donna. My parents died from cholera when I was little and I only stayed in the orphanage for a short while before I went into domestic service on a farm,” she explained. Her better judgment cautioned her not to mention the Vosses or her act of running away.
“Oh dear, I am sorry about your parents. Cholera is such a scourge. No doubt you have heard that this house had its fair share., losing two members just years apart.” Buena tutted. “Such a shame. My house has been very fortunate. My eldest caught it last year but pulled through by the grace of God. Why He would take some and not others, we will never know.” She paused in thought. “But then again, it’s not for us to reason why.”
Rosaline liked the open way that Buena spoke of God. Arthur had cautioned her in his letters that God was a subject not easily approached around Thomas.
“Do you have many children?” Rosaline asked. She was curious about this friendly woman whose character reminded her of Donna Granger.
“Three boys. All grown and happily married with little ones of their own.” Her eyes were bright when she spoke of her boys.
“It’s kind of you to take the time to help me find my feet. Does your husband mind? Arthur mentioned on the way over that he’s the sheriff.” She felt guilty for taking a wife away from her husband, even if it was just for a few nights.
“Don’t even mention it, dear. Mrs. Stratton was a dear old friend of mine. We helped each other through some difficult times,” she said sadly. She reached over and squeezed Rosaline’s hand. “We all need a little help now and then.”
Rosaline smiled warmly at Buena and thanked God for placing this woman in her path. The introduction to Thomas may not have gone well, but she had Buena Gideon and Arthur Stratton on her side. That made the situation so much lighter to bear.
Robbie began to cry from somewhere down the hall.
Buena stood and pushed her chair back. “I can see someone has decided it’s time for an introduction.” She nodded towards the door. “shall we?”
Rosaline stood and followed her down the hall as Buena carried the lamp Thomas had left in the kitchen to light their way. Her heart thudded in her chest and her palms were beginning to sweat as they neared the source of the crying.
She had never looked after a baby before. The Vosses had no children of their own, a fact she had revealed to Arthur in her very first letter. He had written and assured her that mothering would come naturally once she was there. She wasn’t so sure now that she heard the screaming.
Buena pushed open a door and lead the way into a dark room where she placed the lamp on a table beside a crib and proceeded to light two more that lit up the room. Bending into the wooden crib, she picked up the screaming child.
“Hello, little one,” she said gently as she soothed Robbie in her arms and patted his bottom through the swaddling cloth. “Would you like to meet a new friend?”
Rosaline stood uncomfortably in the doorway, not sure what to do. The nursey held a wooden crib, a rocking chair nestled in the corner, and a small table with paraphernalia that she would doubtlessly have to become acquainted with.
The only other furniture was a single bed covered in a pretty pink quilt.
