“It can be quite painful for babies.” Ella shifted Addie in her arms. “Would you mind fetching a bit of clean snow?”
He shot glances at her as he did her bidding. The church yard was packed with wagons, but he found a nice patch of snow under a tree. He created a loose ball in his hands before returning to Ella’s side. “Here.”
“Thank you.” She withdrew her finger from the baby’s mouth, covering it with snow before putting it back against Addie’s gums.
Blessed silence filled the yard. Cody let out a breath. “You’re a miracle worker, ma’am.”
Her lips curled into a small smile. “You just have to know what to look for.” She gazed down at the baby. “What’s her name?”
“Addie.”
“That’s lovely. Is it short for anything?”
“Adelaide. It was her mother’s middle name.”
Ella ran a finger over Addie’s cheek. “What a wonderful legacy your mother left you, sweet girl.”
“How’d you learn that snow trick?” Cody asked, unable to help himself. This woman came from high society. He doubted what he’d seen was something taught in finishing school.
She shifted. “I used to take baskets of food to immigrant families from Ireland on a regular basis. They had many children, and I would teach them to read and write, or if the mothers felt overwhelmed, I cared for the infants and younger children. Those mothers gave me a lot of advice on ways to help little ones. Snow or ice for teething babies was one of those tips. A wet cloth to chew on will do as well.”
It was so simple, but brilliant. He never would have thought of such a solution. For that matter, he wouldn’t have guessed Addie was cutting a tooth. A tired sigh left him. There was so much about parenting he didn’t know.
“I’m surprised a fine woman like yourself spent time teaching immigrants.” Blast it all, he sounded accusatory. Clearing his throat, he sought to clarify. “I mean, you must have had other things to do.”
She chuckled. The sound was sweet and musical. “I understand your surprise. It doesn’t fit the image of society life, does it?”
At a loss, he shook his head. “Not from what I’ve heard, ma’am.”
“You’ve heard right. It’s not typical. But I couldn’t bear to spend my days in frivolous pursuits. I spent time with immigrant families because it gave me purpose. They were far more joyful and loving than anyone else I knew, even if they were poor as church mice. They shared what they had with others, and they did so without reservation.” She let out a quiet breath. “I had planned to open a school for those children.”
“What happened?”
Her eyes hardened into mossy green rocks. “My fiancé found out. He told my parents, and they put an end to it.” Her shoulders slumped. “They dashed my dream before it even began. Claimed it wasn’t proper for a society miss. I tried to go ahead with the school, anyway.” She sighed. “That was a mistake.”
“Why’s that?”
Ella’s throat convulsed. “They retaliated in a way I didn’t see coming. You may have heard the story.”
He frowned. “Why would I have heard it?”
She glanced at him side-eyed. “Travis didn’t tell you why he left Boston?”
Cody rubbed his neck. “Travis did tell the story, but I was a bit rattled at the time because he was interested in my sister. All I caught was that city life wasn’t for him and that he wanted a new start out west.”
Ella’s eyes softened. “There’s no doubt he always had a spirit of adventure. But that’s not the only reason he left. My parents were furious that he was helping me with the school. They smeared his reputation, accusing him of horrible things. Travis was fired, and it was my fault for going against my parents’ wishes.” Tears swam in her eyes, but she ducked her head.
Cody placed a hand on her arm. When she flinched, he withdrew it. “I’m sorry, Ella. But that doesn’t sound like your fault.”
She huffed, swiping at her cheek with a free hand. “If I hadn’t rebelled, Travis would still have a sterling reputation amongst Boston society. As it is, his name has been dragged through the mud. He was forced to leave his home.”
“And if that hadn’t happened, he never would have come here and married my sister.”
Ella blinked up at him. A tiny smile appeared on her lips. “I suppose you’re right.”
Addie had fallen asleep. She rested in Ella’s arms, looking for all the world as though she belonged there. Cody nodded at the baby. “Thanks for your help. I’ve been at my wits’ end lately.”
“Taking care of children is hard.” Ella brushed back some of Addie’s fine hair. “Your sister told me you took them in. That was kind of you.”
