“You made us whole again Rosaline. You mended my relationship with my son and showed me that there is still so much love in the world,” He smiled down at her as the tears flowed freely over his cheeks. “You did all of that Rosaline, that and more than you will ever know. I was blind but now I see.”
“Like doubting Thomas I now have unwavering faith that God will see us through this. He brought you to us after all.”
Rosaline placed her hands over her mouth as she listened to Thomas’ words.
“My darling you are the light of this family and you restored our hearts with your unshakable faith.”
Arthur stood and gently kissed Rosaline’s forehead. “You lass, were the answer to my prayer, so I second that notion. I told you before that I dreamt of a woman with auburn hair that God was sending to us. There is no doubt in my mind that you are that woman Rosaline,” he said, as he too began to cry.
“You are our Ephesians 2:10 woman, masterfully made in His image to help us achieve the good things He had planned for us long ago.”
She shut her eyes against the hot tears that threatened to spill over her cheeks.
Thomas shook her gently. “Do you hear us, Rosaline? Do you understand what we are saying to you?”
Rosaline nodded and opened her eyes. “Words can never express how thankful I am right now. God has blessed me beyond my wildest dreams,” she managed to say through the tears. “Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would have a beautiful home with such a loving family,” She gently touched Robbie on the cheek as he stared wide-eyed at all of their crying faces.
“I know that whatever comes next, God will make a way for all of us, just as he has been doing this entire time. We will be strong and courageous together, just like in Deuteronomy 31:6-8.” She placed her arms around Thomas and Arthur, drawing them all into a giant hug.
Robbie squirmed beneath the pressure of everyone’s arms, struggling to break free.
They all laughed and broke apart as Buena came into the room carrying a tray of tea. “Isn't that lovely,” she remarked as she saw how Rosaline was blushing. “Jumping right in isn’t so bad after all.”
Rosaline gave her a grateful smile.
“I’m sure we will all feel better once we’ve had our tea,” Ezrah said as he came into the room, oblivious to everything that had just taken place.
They all laughed together as Ezrah stood looking puzzled.
***
Rosaline sat beside Thomas on the couch with a cup of tea in her hands. They’d all taken a moment to refresh themselves and were now discussing their defense strategy.
“You don’t suppose the diamonds were placed in the dress pocket before you left the farm?” Ezrah asked Rosaline.
She shook her head and chewed on her lips. “I don’t think so, nobody knew that I was planning to leave. Diedrick would not have had a reason to frame me,” She thought for a moment or two. “And even if he did have a reason, the dress was washed several times in the past few months, so either Buena or I would have discovered them. They must have been planted by someone who recently had access to the house.”
Everyone turned to look at Arthur as he dropped the cup he was holding. The amber liquid spilled onto the carpet.
“Are you feeling ill Arthur?” Buena asked after retrieving the cup.
“I’m sorry,” He stammered. “That was terribly clumsy of me.”
“Don’t worry,” Buena patted his hand. “It will clean right out.”
“I just realized that the diamonds were probably my fault.”
They all looked at him in astonishment.
“It could have been Ian that morning he disappeared. I left him alone in the kitchen when Robbie was crying.”
Rosaline set down her cup. “He had been asking me about the layout of the house and all the rooms.”
Thomas stroked his beard in thought.
“Who is Ian?” Ezrah asked.
“The farmhand we hired to help with the new horses, he was recommended by Elroy Higgs,” Thomas informed him.
