Page 45 of A Late-Blooming Rose
“Of course you would,” Rose murmured, not hiding her sarcasm.
“Just a minute,” Elsie said softly, leaving their group and hurrying over to the shabbily dressed woman, perched on the sofa.
She held a plate with a sandwich in her lap and was chatting with Mary Norton, Delia’s mother-in-law, who sat next to her. In front of them, the laden dishes almost obscured the flowers painted on the top of the butler’s tray table.
Elsie paused, apparently waiting for a lull in the conversation to interrupt the two. She pinched a few inches of her skirt and moved the fabric to and fro.
Mrs. Norton used tongs to lift apetit foursfrom the tray and place the tiny treat on the woman’s plate, motioning for her to eat.
“That’s Anna Swensen,” Pamela said to Rose in an undertone, noticing her interest. “She’s married to a Swede, who’s a hunter-trapper. They have seven daughters andfinallytheir eighth is a son.”
Seven daughters, oh my!
Mrs. Swensen took a bite of thepetit fours. She half-closed her eyes, and her smile bloomed. She opened her eyes and finished the little pastry, obviously savoring each small bite.
In spite of her annoyance with Cora, Rose couldn’t help but smile at the woman’s pleasure in the food. By her thinness and the way the minister’s wife plied Mrs. Swensen with more sandwiches, she wasn’t accustomed to special fare.
Rose made a mental note to introduce herself before the tea party ended. She’d also ask Delia to send along the leftover sandwiches and cookies for the Swensen family. Although perhaps that was something the hostess normally did.
Elsie took a seat next to Mrs. Swensen and said something in her ear that made the woman stop eating, frown, and shake her head.
With concerned expressions, the two put their foreheads together, talking fast and casting anxious glances at Mrs. Norton and then at Cora and Rose.
Curious, Rose wanted to move closer. Since the topic probably concerned her niece, she had the right to eavesdrop. But she refused to act like Mrs. Cobb. From this distance all she heard of the conversation was “Jewel.”What could jewels possibly have to do with this situation?
By their nods, the two women seemed to come to an agreement. They pulled apart, said something to Mrs. Norton, and the three stood and came over to their group, Mrs. Swensen clutching her plate with both hands.
The minister’s wife introduced Anna Swensen to Rose and Cora, mentioning that the Swensens were neighbors of Brian Bly and Hank Canfield, although they lived higher on the mountain than the bachelors of Three-Bend Lake. Mrs. Norton gave the woman a gentle smile. “I’m delighted Mrs. Swensen is here today, for we don’t often see her family. With their small children, they cannot hike up and down the mountain.”
“It’s a rare treat to come to town, although my older daughters go to school as often as the weather permits.” Mrs. Swensen smiled at Pamela and Samantha before turning back to Rose. “Mrs. Carter and Mrs. Thompson have been kind enough to provide my girls with school clothes.”
“Anna, we’re using first names, remember?” Elizabeth tipped her head toward her friends. “PamelaandSamantha.”
“Yes, ma’am, uh, Elizabeth.”
Mrs. Swensen flushed with apparent pleasure. “Today, Torin Truesdale, our other neighbor, let us borrow his wagon, which is why we were able to attend church and I could come to this tea party. My husband is at the mercantile with Hank and the children, selling furs and buying supplies for the winter.”
Rose got the sense that Mrs. Swensen had very little contact with other women and thus had a lot of words stored up, which she wanted to share.
“My husband thinks he’ll have enough money left over from purchasing the supplies to buy me a dress length.” Mrs. Swensen ran a hand down her faded skirt. “Oh, my. I haven’t had a new outfit in ages.” She touched Elsie’s arm. “Elsie insists on making the dress for me, which will be far finer than anything I could have sewn by hand.”
“And faster.” Elsie gave the woman an affectionate sideways hug. “I can use the sewing machine after the store is closed.”
Mrs. Swensen reached out to take Rose’s hand, squeezing and releasing. “Miss Collins, my daughters are so excited about the library. We can’t even imagine a whole building filled with books. They’ve already borrowed all the ones at school. Their teacher allows my girls to bring them home. Sometimes in the evening, my oldest two read to us.”
The reverence in her tone made books sound like treasures. The thought made Rose smile.Perhaps that’s what Mrs. Swensen and Elsie meant by jewels.
Mrs. Swensen shifted her plate to one hand and gave Rose a shy look. “Elsie told me about your niece wanting to nurse Brian Bly, and that you have some concerns. Would it ease your mind if I checked on Cora every day?”
Only partially.“That would be kind. But we wouldn’t want to impose.”
With a sniff, Mrs. Cobb inserted herself into their midst. “A daily visit doesn’t settle the proprieties, though, Miss Collier. Who knows what mischief a young man and woman alone could get into.” She gave Rose a steely look. “The niece of our librarian must berespectable. After all, her actions reflect onyou.”
Rose bristled.No one, not even the most unpleasant woman in town, will insult my niece!“Then I will appear in amostfavorable light, considering Cora’s good-hearted willingness to be of service to aheroin misfortune.”
Mrs. Cobb scowled. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it. I predict no good will come of her doing this.”
Mary Norton drew herself up as far as her petite stature allowed. “Why, Hortense Cobb,” she scolded, her fierceness at odds with her gentle demeanor. “Those uncharitable sentiments are exactly what we hope to allay, and I expect you to do everything in your power to expresssupportfor Miss Cora’s dedication to what she sees as her duty to our injured warrior.”
