Page 24 of Brian and Cora
Rufus went to answer, bowing in a flow of women, starting with the owner of the mercantile, Hortense Cobb. Delia had warned Rose and Cora that the woman could be unpleasant, and Mrs. Cobb proved the warning to be true, when she immediately complained to Rose that a library and reading was a waste of time and promoted idleness.
Not at all inclined to talk to the shopkeeper for fear of losing her temper, Cora sidled out of the conversation and glanced down the line to a pretty girl near her age, younger, perhaps, with big brown eyes, a snub nose, and a guileless smile. Thinkingthis must be the dressmaker’s assistant, she slid around the crowd waiting to greet Delia and her aunt and pounced on the young woman. “Are you Elsie Bailey?”
Looking startled, the girl nodded, running her hands nervously down the skirt of her pink dress.
“I’m Cora Collier, and I’m desperately in need of a new friend. I left my best friend behind in New York.” She gestured toward their hostess. “Delia is lovely, and I’m sure we’ll become close. It’s just that she’s so busy being a minister’s wife, as well as managing the household and her family.”
Widening her eyes, Elsie giggled and took Cora’s hand in greeting. “I’ve never had a best friend, or any friend, really. I grew up on the prairie, and there were no girls near my age for miles. Well, a neighbor girl a few years younger. But the Smiths barely condescended to acknowledge our family unless it was harvest time or they needed something from us.”
Cora couldn’t imagine such an isolated life, as different from hers as could be.
“Here in town, I have Miss Taylor, of course…” Elsie nodded at the attractive blonde in a fashionable silk gown of forest green, who spoke with an older lady, and let out a happy sigh. “She’s wonderful. Sort of like a friend, but not quite. We live together in the Gordon Building.”
“Luckily, here I am,” Cora teased. “Your new friend. Let’s go sit over there.” She tilted her head to indicate one of the wide couches.
“But shouldn’t you stay and greet everyone?”
“This tea party is really for Aunt Rose. She’s to be the new librarian. At some point soon, she and Mr. Bellaire will be soliciting donations and books. I’ll move around later and introduce myself to the ladies.”
“I’m so looking forward to the library. I can’t even imagine rooms full of books.” Elsie tilted her head toward a bookshelf against a wall. “There are more books here than I’ve ever seen.”
“You should have seen my grandfather’s library. Even Mr. Bellaire’s can’t match it. Maybe later I can show you his. But first, food and drink.”
Cora waved toward a buffet that held trays of small, triangular sandwiches made with white bread, the crusts removed. More trays held tiny tarts and scones next to petite bowls of different jams and clotted cream and, Cora’s favorite, petit fours. On a marble-topped oval table rested teacups and saucers, a teapot, a stack of plates, and small pots of cream and sugar.
Elsie glanced around, an uncertain look on her face. “Shouldn’t we wait for the other ladies to go first? I don’t want to be impolite or appear greedy.”
“I peeked into the kitchen earlier. You wouldn’t believe how much food was prepared. There’s no need to worry about running out, and I’m sure Delia and Rose will be standing to greet everyone for a while.”
Even as she spoke, Mrs. Cobb bustled over to the buffet, picked up a plate, and proceeded to crowd as much of the dainties onto the surface as would fit.
“See!” Cora whispered. She locked elbows with Elsie and towed her away from the crowd toward the buffet, where she turned her loose so they could fill their plates, but not, of course, to the extent Mrs. Cobb had. Then they moved to one of the wide velvet sofas and settled in the corner.
By this time, the parlor became crowded with guests, helping themselves to food and drinks, and taking a seat on one of the balloon-backed chairs scattered around the room, the wingchairs in front of the fire, or the sofas.
Cora and Elsie drank their tea, ate the scrumptious food, and began a tentative question and answer, which increased to chattering away as they became more comfortable with each other.
In the background, the grandfather clock ticked. The sound of soft ladies’ voices filled the air.
Pausing with the teacup, Elsie half closed her eyes and inhaled. “Smells so exotic. We had tea a few times at the Smiths’, but Miss Taylor drinks some every day. Sometimes, just holding a beautiful, fragile cup and smelling the fragrance brings me such a feeling of gratitude.” She sipped.
The more Elsie revealed about her life, the more Cora liked her.
“I guess I’ve always taken tea for granted.” She nodded at Elsie’s cup. “Although, Mr. Bellaire imports far more expensive leaves than my family used.”
“How lucky you are to live with Mr. Bellaire.” Elsie gazed around in obvious admiration. “Isn’t he a darling man? Such a charmer.”
Cora looked up in time to see her aunt’s disapproving expression. She must have overheard us. Perfect. She tossed her head and looked back at Elsie. “He’s so much fun. I adore him.” She didn’t dare look at Rose again but hoped she’d stirred in her aunt another proprietary feeling about Mr. Bellaire.
Elsie sipped her tea. “How did you come to move to Sweetwater Springs?”
“Mr. Bellaire was a dear friend of my grandfather.” Although Cora made her story short and matter of fact, she couldn’t help tears pricking her eyes in recounting her grandfather’s death. But the sympathy in her new friend’s big brown eyes made her forge on, recounting the rest.
“I envy that you were able to see your grandfather anytime you wanted.” Elsie sent a wistful glance at Rose before looking atCora. “And being close to an aunt. We never had grandparents and aunts and uncles. Well, we did. But out here, it was just my parents, brother and sister, and me. Why, we’d go for weeks without seeing another human soul.”
“I guess I took for granted the time I spent with Grandpapa and Grandmama, too, before she died.” Cora felt a shift in her grief. She still mourned her grandfather. But now she could feel a profound sense of gratitude for their relationship. Thank you, Elsie. In that moment, she vowed to be a good friend to the younger woman, who displayed such innocent wisdom.
Not being willing to share her newfound thoughts without pondering them further, Cora turned the conversation back to Elsie.
