Chapter Nine: Elizabeth

The few weeks I spent with my aunt, uncle, and cousins were busy ones, but enjoyable nonetheless. Aunt Hamilton was a no-nonsense kind of woman and she was more than happy to teach me everything she thought I needed to know. She was unafraid to point out where I went wrong, but then kindly showed me how to fix my mistakes.

I was able to learn more about animals that I ever dreamed possible to know. My hands ached from milking the cows in the morning and evening. The chickens had also left their mark on my hands until I learned to distract them with grain before I ransacked their nests for eggs.

Though too early for many vegetables, the early fruits of their garden, strawberries, had also afforded me the opportunity to learn how to preserve them. Making jam was fun, as was making strawberry pies.

My aunt graciously invited me back closer to fall when there were more vegetables ready in the garden. She knew what I was doing, though she was respectful enough not to tell my cousins. I was grateful she didn't judge me for corresponding with Mr. Coleman and only wanted to help.

Tired but pleased with myself, I returned home. I carried with me a letter for Mother. Aunt Hamilton had been concerned to hear about my mother's health. She promised to visit soon.

What would Noah think of everything I had learned?

After a mostly quiet ride, my cousin declined to come into the house. He hoped to visit a young lady on his way back. His neck flushed red when I teased him about inviting me to the wedding. As he drove the wagon off, I carried my carpetbag into the house And found that all was not as I had left it.

"So, you are finally back," Angelica said, eyeing me with a frown. She shifted her daughter from one hip to the other. Mary Jane sniffled, sucking on her thumb. "It isn't everyone who is allowed a holiday, and here you have been gone for nearly three weeks! And right when you were needed the most!"

I held back a sigh at her dramatic tone. "You know I went to help my aunt." That had been the story Mother had told to my sister-in-law. I set my carpetbag down. "I'm sure you have managed everything with Sally's help. She's never let us down."

But Angelica shook her head, her golden curls bouncing with the motion. "Sally is no longer here. I have been left with an entire house to run and no one to help me. I'm sure I needed you more than your aunt. How many children does she have who she could have called on?"

Astounded, I stared at her. Sally was gone? Sally, who had worked for our family for at least five years, was gone? She was an honest, hard working girl who helped provide for her siblings. "What?" was all I could think to ask. What could have happened that Sally would have just left? "Why did Sally leave?"

"That's not important, since it is over and done with," Angelica said swiftly. "Needless to say, things have been difficult since she left. I have had to cook, clean, and tend the children without anyone to help me. Your holiday was poorly timed, Elizabeth. I hope you enjoyed yourself."

There was one thing she hadn't listed in her tasks, which made me ignore her sarcastic statement. "So who has been keeping Mother company while I have been away?" I asked, reaching to untie the ribbons of my strawhat.

"Elizabeth, really! There has been too much for me to manage! There hasn't even been a moment where I could sit down this week. Besides, what woman wants someone sitting with her all the time? I'm sure she has enjoyed the peace and quiet, the Lord knows she would be the only person to have that in this house."

Her voice rose with each word, and Mary Jane began to whimper. Witha frustrated sigh, Angelica jostled her in what I assumed was an attempt to soothe her.

Surely she couldn't be serious! "Well, Mrs. Parker and Molly must have spent some time with her," I said, trying to find some detail that wasn't absolutely horrifying.

"How could I let them see the house in disarray? No, I will not let them spread the gossip that we cannot keep a proper house," Angelica said defensively. "It is bad enough they know you went away without any concern for the rest of us. I can't imagine what everyone must think of our family."

No. What had she told our neighbors? How often had she left Mother alone?

"I will go see her now." Mother was the only person who would give me an honest accounting of what had happened to Sally. That is, if she knew what had happened at all.

Angelica let out a sharp sound that might have been a laugh. "Did you not hear anything I just said, Elizabeth? There is no time for visiting or gossiping. I need your help! You can take a tray to your mother at dinner. We have company tonight and there are a hundred things to do."

Taking a deep breath, I counted to ten. Of course, I understood her frustration. It couldn't be easy to manage children and be a hostess at the same time. But I didn't understand how it had reached this point at all, nor could I prioritize a dinner party over my mother's well-being. Surely she knew that!

"Why did Sally leave?" I asked. "Why haven't you hired someone else to replace her if she did do something unforgivable?"

"It doesn't matter why she isn't here! She just isn't working for us anymore!" Angelica snapped, making Mary Jane burst into tears. "Oh, see what you've done? Why must I repeat myself?"

There was something about this that just wasn't right. If Sally had made some mistake, why was Angelica so reluctant to tell me? If she wouldn't explain what happened, I'd just have to find someone who would! Sally's family lived on the edge of town. I would get her side of the story. A task for another day, though. It seems I was cast in the role of miracle worker.

"Why did you decide to have a dinner party when you were so short-handed?" I asked, taking off my gloves. I waited for my sister-in-law to finish calming down Mary Jane. "Angelica? Why did you not put it off for a few days?"

"Why must you ask so many questions? It is too late to put off the dinner party now."

This time I counted to twenty before I said, "Very well, then. However it came about, we'll just have to make do with what we have. What have you already begun preparing? What is the meal you have decided on?"

Immediately, Angelica launched into a detailed description of the menu: beef soup to start, fish with sauce to follow, stuffed cabbage, bread, and a buttermilk cake to end the meal. An elaborate meal, but nothing too difficult. Thankfully, I remembered seeing several of those recipes in Mrs. Elliot's Housewife. It shouldn't be too difficult to just take over from where Angelica had started.

"What time did you start the soup?"

"When would I have had time to cook?" she demanded. Upstairs, I heard the wail of one of the toddlers. "I barely put breakfast on the table. I'm sure everything you will need is already in the kitchen."

Nothing had been started? She didn't even know if the ingredients for her meal were in the house? Was there even fresh fish? Surely she knew better than to make a plan without taking stock of what she already had!

"Well, I hope you have an alternative to the soup, because that should have been started early this morning. There is no time for it now," I told her firmly. I glanced at the grandfather clock. There were only a few hours before it would be six o'clock, the time they usually hosted dinner. "Who will serve?"

Mary Jane began fussing again, and struggling in her mother's arms. "I haven't had time to work out the details!" Angelica exclaimed, fighting to keep a grip on her daughter. "Hush, Mary Jane! Your auntie doesn't mean to upset you, I'm sure. Just calm down, my darling. All will be well."

How was this my—? Breathing out, I let that passive aggressive accusation go. There were more important things to worry about. "I'll see what I can do," I said as I started for the staircase. Just how I was going to pull off a miracle in a couple of hours, I had no idea.

Whatever I managed to put together, my sister-in-law better be grateful!

"Where are you going?"

"First, I am going to change into something better suited to cooking, and then I am going to greet my mother before I start working," I responded over my shoulder. What? Did she expect me to just run to the kitchen? "Perhaps you can take stock of the kitchen? Then, when I come down, we will be able to get started right away."

"What? No, Elizabeth, there is no time! Wait just a moment!"

She continued to splutter as I hurried up the steps. Did she mean there was no time to change or to greet Mother? Both? Whatever she thought there was no time for, I hardly thought a few more minutes would make a difference in the grand scheme of things.

As I walked, my fingers undid the tiny buttons that closed the front of my bodice. Once I had made it all the way up to the attic, it took perhaps ten minutes to take off my blue traveling dress and put on my simpler brown dress. My apron was only slightly wrinkled from traveling. I tied it on and considered myself as ready as I would ever be.

Before I left the room, I paused, closed my eyes, and took a deep breath. I couldn't summon any actual surprise that my sister-in-law was putting me to work as soon as I returned. She hadn't been enthusiastic about me leaving, which was an odd change from her eagerness to send me to my sister's house. I had to make myself useful in the household, after all.

With that in mind, I walked down to Mother's room. "Mother," I called out, rapping my knuckles on the door before I opened it. "I'm home. Mother?"

There was no immediate response. The musty scent of a closed up room, along with the unmistakable smell of sickness, hit me as I stepped in. The curtains were still closed on the windows, making it dim and difficult to see. There was no candle or lamp lit, and it took several seconds for my eyes to adjust.

"Mother?"

"Elizabeth?" Mother's voice sounded frailer, weaker than when I had left. "Are you back?"

Had I woken her? I strode to the window and pulled the curtains aside. Light flooded in. "I cannot believe Angelica couldn't even be bothered to let you enjoy the day!" I raged as I pushed the window open. The fresh air that rushed in was a relief. "When I see John, I am going to give him a piece of my mind! This is intolerable!"

"Elizabeth."

Turning, I finally saw my mother clearly. My breath caught in my throat as my heart gave an alarmed stutter. She was pale against her pillow and...was it possible she was thinner than when I had left? She coughed, slowly raising a handkerchief to her mouth. Was it my imagination or was that cotton square stained a deep red?

"Mother!" I rushed to her side. Why hadn't I been notified that she had gotten worse? Surely they could have sent a telegram! "What's happened? Let's get you sitting up. You'll be able to breathe easier."

She peered at me, her eyes narrow slits. "I have a dreadful headache, Elizabeth," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Please keep your voice down and close the curtains again."

Guilt hit me, and I retreated back to the window. I drew the curtains closed, leaving just a narrow slit so that I could see. "I'm sorry," I whispered as I returned to her side. "I didn't realize... I saw it so dark and—"

"You assumed the worst," Mother finished the sentence for me. "Yes, I know. Angelica is not a completely heartless woman, Elizabeth. She is simply doing the best she can. Not everyone can be a nurse."

But maybe Angelica's best wasn't good enough? I pushed away the unchristian thought. "Has Dr. Peters been here? What does he say? Did he leave you a new medicine?" I reached to help her sit up.

It wasn't until she was sitting up and her pillows fluffed and supporting her that she answered me. "Yes, he has been here. He had nothing new to add to what he has already told us. And no, he left no new medicine, save for some laudanum for when the pain is too bad."

My heart sank. Dr. Peters had warned that Mother would only get worse. "There will be good days," he had said, his tone serious. "So good that you may believe that she is getting well. But those days will be followed by much worse and slowly become fewer and fewer."

Mother had been doing so much better when I'd left, I'd convinced myself she was stronger than the consumption. What a fool I had been! And now Dr. Peters had left laudanaum?

"I shouldn't have left you," I said, reaching for her hand.

"Yes, you should have and I'm glad you did," Mother said, a spark of her usual spirit shining in her eyes. She coughed into her handkerchief before she continued, "Why are you wearing that old thing?"

"I need to help Angelica prepare for a dinner party tonight. I am needed in the kitchen." I didn't want to tell her the whole situation. "I'm afraid I can't stay any longer. There is, apparently, no time to waste."

For a moment, concern made Mother frown. Then she was coughing again, a deep, terrible sound that shook her whole body. I reached my hand for the glass beside her bed, only to be annoyed that it was empty.

Oh, Angelica had much to answer for!

"I will bring you some water and tea to soothe your throat," I promised, standing up. "And I will check on you while I cook as I can. Get some rest. I will tell you all that Aunt Hamilton taught me tomorrow."

"Mind your tongue with Angelica," Mother murmured, closing her eyes. "It isn't her fault."

"Of course," I said brightly. After all, it wasn't just my sister-in-law I intended to have words with.

~*~

From that point on, I kept on the move. The meal had to be started from scratch. There were vegetables to peel and chop, a soup to simmer, and a cake to mix up. I set out to get fresh fish, any kind that could be had, because there was none in the kitchen.

It was very unlike Angelica to be so unprepared for a social event. What had happened with Sally for it to have come to this? How long had it been since the maid had been in the house? Questions that circled my mind but had to be put off for the time being.

To her credit, Angelica was not idle while I cooked. Apparently, the silver needed to be polished for it to be acceptable for guests. I knew Sally had done the polishing before I left, but kept my thoughts to myself. At least it was something she could do and keep an eye on her children.

As long as I didn't have to worry about the table being set, I would have a fine enough meal to go with it.

John arrived around five o'clock. I heard him come through the front door while I was getting the cake out of the oven. I heard him speak to Angelica, praising her hard work and telling her she looked lovely. Then, his footsteps sounded on the stairs as he went up. No doubt, he was concerned with making sure he was properly attired for his guests.

Did he even know I was home? The least he could do was poke his head in to say hello! At the same time, I knew I would have been annoyed if he'd tried to have a conversation with me. I wouldn't have put it past him to praise his wife for being so adaptable or something like that.

Wiping sweat from my forehead, I took stock of the kitchen. Yes, it was a mess and extremely hot, but everything was ready. Or as ready as I could get it on such short notice. It would have to be good enough.

"Good heavens, you look horrible!" Angelica exclaimed as she entered. Her green silk dress rustled as she moved. Wait. When had she gone up to change? "Is everything ready?"

"Yes," I said as I arranged the bread on a plate.

"Oh, I wish you hadn't bought that from Milly's," she said with a sigh, naming the local bakery. "Everyone gets their bread there. They will know we bought it and didn't make it ourselves."

Gritting my teeth, I straightened up to glare at her. "Everyone loves Milly's bread. If you would rather we have no bread with the meal, I will set it aside," I informed her, picking up the plate. "There was no time to prepare bread dough. Not if you wanted some kind of dessert."

"Well of course we need dessert! I suppose it will have to be good enough." Angelica turned a frown on me. "Elizabeth, you haven't changed yet."

I wanted nothing more than to drop onto a chair, and I couldn't follow her change in subject. "Change?"

"You have to be presentable for the meal! What will Mr. Willis think if you appear like this?" Angelica said, waving her hand at my flour marked apron. "Hurry! You don't have much time."

I placed the plate of bread on the table and then calmly put my hands on the wood. This kept me from flinging it at her head. "You think I'm joining you for dinner?"

"Well, of course you are! What would people think if you didn't?"

Right. She was always concerned about what everyone thought. "I think you've forgotten something. Who is serving?"

"What?"

She genuinely looked puzzled. How could she have forgotten? "There is no maid in the house to serve the meal," I reminded her, speaking slowly and calmly. "So unless you have made some arrangements that you have not told me about, one of us must carry the food in and out. Or do you expect me to just put every dish out at once?"

There was no mistaking the panic on my sister-in-law's face. "There wouldn't be any room on the table for everything!" she wailed. "It just isn't done, Elizabeth! We're not some poor farm house!"

With a sigh, I pushed back the tendrils of hair that had escaped the hair pins while I worked. "Alright. Fine. I will find a clean apron," I said. I'd reached the point that I was so hungry the thought of eating made my stomach turn anyway. "I'll serve the meal."

"But...everyone will see you! What will they think?"

It was on the tip of my tongue to inform her that she should have thought of that before she dismissed Sally. But I had promised Mother I would mind what I said. After all, I still didn't know what had happened.

"I'm sure our friends will understand that these things happen." Honestly, I'd never heard of this happening before. It would invite comment and speculation.

"But the table will be uneven! Everyone will talk! No, you cannot. John will never allow it."

That was true enough, but my patience was being stretched thin. "Well, then, we'll have to think of something else. Will the Parkers be here?"

"What?" She blinked. "Oh, yes of course. John insisted the Parkers be invited. Why?"

That should have been a relief, but I was too annoyed. Too tired. "Then, I will go over and explain the situation to Mrs. Parker. I'm sure their maid, May, will be more than happy to step in if you compensate her generously."

"But—!"

"It will have to be one way or the other, Angelica!" I snapped. "There is no other answer for it. Either I put on an apron and do the work, or you pay May to come over and do it. Which will it be?"

She glanced over her shoulder and heaved a sigh. "Go," she said without looking at me. "I only hope the Parkers will be generous enough not to spread it about town that we were so unprepared."

Why would anyone care? There was no sense of victory as I took off my apron. Setting it on the table, I started for the door. "Take my place off the table," I said over my shoulder. "I have had a long day and I am in no mood for company. I will take a tray with Mother."

Angelica's screech of protest was cut off by me pulling the door closed. Maybe Molly would have a letter from Noah for me.

~*~

Dear Noah,

I quite agree that we can put off some of the formality between us. I will even be so bold as to admit that I have not thought of you as "Mr. Coleman" for several weeks now.

My mother appreciates the notes you sent her in your last letter. She has been confined to her bed for several weeks now, so anything to brighten her day is most welcome. She would like to know what your plans are for the future. Now that you have proven your claim, what is next?

I am back at my brother's home again. I very much enjoyed my time with my aunt and cousins. They taught me so much! I'm sure, as you say, mistakes are inevitable, but I feel more confident about taking on the challenges of managing a farm.

Though I'd expected to be happy about seeing my brother and mother again, I find that I am as out of place as ever. My brother's wife is a ...  No, I shouldn't say that. She is a hardworking woman, but I have found my patience tested by her. My mother tells me to appreciate her good points, but I just can't. Not when I am so angry.

I know that makes me sound awful, and I hope it doesn't give you a bad opinion of me. I think I could happily never see her again.