Page 10 of The Gift of Seeds
Hester nodded. A polite lie, really.I’ll never again be entirely all right.
Sam released her, and she tottered a few steps on the dirt path leading toward the house, before stretching her walk a bit to place her feet on the flagstones, spaced widely to match Jimmy’s longer legs. Vaguely, she was aware of Reverend Norton and Micah falling in behind her.
She stopped to look at a bare-branched sapling planted in the middle of the left side of the front yard and a memory struck her from one of Jimmy’s last letters.
“I’ve planted you a fruit tree, Hess. Guess which kind?”
She’d written back, guessing.Cherry? Apple? Pear?Couldn’t be apple, because his neighbor had already given him one for the back yard. Jimmy never had a chance to respond. She might not know the answer for several years.
A vibrant young woman in an expensive green dress burst out of the door and hurried over.
“And here’s my wife,” Reverend Joshua murmured, his tone affectionate. “My very own whirlwind.”
“You’re here.” With a warm smile and sparkling hazel eyes, Delia Norton clasped Hester’s hand. “Dear Miss Smith,” she said with a melting Southern accent “—welcome to Sweetwater Springs.”
In gratitude, Hester squeezed Mrs. Norton’s hand before releasing her.I’ve been touched more in the last half hour than I have in months. Only Lovie and her children, and lately Kitty….
“As soon as I heard the train whistle, I put on the tea kettle,” Mrs. Norton chattered. “I’m sure you must be desperately in need of refreshment. Is Earl Grey suitable?”
Mrs. Norton’s exuberance unlocked Hester’s speech, making her aware of her thirst. “Earl Grey would be lovely. Thank you kindly, Mrs. Norton.”
“Call me Delia. As my husband probably told you, we avoid confusion with my in-laws in going by Reverend Joshua and Delia, instead of Reverend and Mrs. Norton.” She linked her arm through Hester’s and towed her up the rest of the path toward the house. “There’s warm water for washing, and I brought my own soap, so you wouldn’t have to subject yourself to the manly aroma of Mr. Smith’s bay scent.”
“I made that bay soap to send to Jimmy.” Hester shook her head, unable to go on.
Delia stopped suddenly and, with an understanding expression, looked into Hester’s eyes. “Although we were unable to attend the gravesite service, my mother-in-law and I camehere beforehand to fetch Mr. Smith’s best clothes for his burial,” she said in a kind tone. “Along with Alice Cameron, the doctor’s wife, we used your soap to wash his body before we dressed him.”
Tears pricked Hester’s eyes, and she forced them not to fall. “Thank you,” she whispered.
Delia squeezed Hester’s arm. “Come. You must be anxious to see your new home.”
They walked up a stone step to the covered porch and through the open door. Only dimly was Hester aware of Reverend Joshua and Micah following them.
Once inside, she had to blink several times to clear her eyes.
The kitchen area stretched out on the left—a row of cabinets, a dry sink with a round white basin inside and a matching pitcher on the edge, a high, narrow counter on which to prepare meals, and a black stove. A clean towel decorated with violets was folded next to the pitcher, with a disk of round purple soap on top. A small shaving mirror hung on the wall above the sink.
In the middle of the room between the kitchen and the parlor area, a square table was set with gold-rimmed white china on an embroidered flower tablecloth. Several white cloths covered some serving plates.
Beyond the table toward the back of the house was a parlor area. Several handmade wooden chairs were grouped in front of a stone fireplace, with a carved wooden mantlepiece she knew her brother had made several years ago.
Delia released Hester at the same time as Reverend Joshua reached out a hand. “Let me take your coat, Miss Smith.”
Unaccustomed to aid from a gentleman, Hester awkwardly slid her arms from her coat. “I’ll probably need to air it outside for a few days to get out the smell of soot.” She made futilely to wipe the wrinkles from her black skirt.
“A week at least.” Delia’s tone was heavy with experience. “Then, you’ll wipe it down with a damp cloth and let it air some more.” She made a shooing motion at her husband. “Joshua, why don’t you drape Miss Smith’s coat over the chair on the porch? While you’re at it, will you and Sam please bring in her luggage?”
Reverend Norton’s eyes twinkled. “Always willing to be of service, my dear.” The minister went outside with Hester’s coat.
Such solicitousness made Hester uncomfortable. Even at Lovie’s house, she was treated as one of the family and expected to see to herself.
She moved over to the dry sink, unpinned her hat, and checked in the mirror to make sure her hair remained smoothly tucked into a tight bun. Lifting the soap to her nose, Hester sniffed, expecting to smell lavender but instead caught the faint scent of violets.How lovely.Quickly, she washed and dried her hands and face. Carefully, she folded the towel and returned it back to the sink.
Delia gestured toward the table, covered with a cloth, embroidered with violets along the edges. “I didn’t want to leave you with washing up to do. So, I brought my own linens and dishes. Oh, and by the way, I’ve made sure all Mr. Smith’s bedlinen and towels have been laundered.”
“You didn’t have to do that!”
Mrs. Norton went on as if Hester hadn’t spoken. “As far as I could tell, the clothing he had here was clean, and what was sent back from the logging camp, was smudged with smoke to make sure to kill the lice, before we washed them.”
