Page 16 of A Letter to Carolina
Carolina nearly dropped her cup as she spun around to see the object of her thoughts standing there with a grin on his face. Her children would have sandy blonde hair with striking blue eyes. There was no doubt in her mind.
“Good morning,” she murmured.
He moved closer and the smell of soap and bay rum washed over her. She closed her eyes as she felt his breath tickle her ear. “Georgia said you didn’t sleep well last night.”
Her eyes flew open as she noticed him right next to her. “How would she know that?”
He raised a biscuit. “Because you cooked these.” Taking a bite, he made his way back to the table. She wasn’t sure if it was the idea of having children with Nate, or the way his lips had wrapped around that biscuit that had her heart racing. She shook her head to clear her thoughts as her eyes followed him.
He sat down and she noticed the way his shoulders lifted as he laughed at something Emily said, his eyes crinkling in the corners. Carolina couldn’t help but feel drawn to him, his easygoing nature and serene smile.
“Let me help with breakfast,” she offered, as Georgia moved to cook. “I can crack the eggs.”
“I’d like that. Normally, Madison helps, but she is staying with her friend this weekend.”
“That’s your sister?”
Georgia nodded. The women engaged in small talk as the rest of the brothers shuffled in for coffee and food. They placed platters of crispy bacon, fluffy eggs, and another basket of buttermilk biscuits fresh from the oven on the table.
Everyone greeted Carolina as she slid into the seat next to Nate. She listened as they talked about their plans for the day. There had never been mornings like this growing up. Half the time, Mama hadn’t even come down until the midday meal. Carolina found the concept of a large family fascinating.
Several times, she felt Nate reach underneath the table to grab her hand. She found the gesture comforting and took strength from it.
“As I was telling Nate this morning, the rush of cooler weather seems to have cured me.” Miss Cleo’s words broke through Carolina’s thoughts.
“I’m glad to hear you’re feeling better,” Doc answered, patting Cleo’s hand. Carolina wondered if the Doc didn’t have feelings for the older woman.
“How do we prevent these spells from happening again?” Simon inquired.
“Cool water, I suppose could help.” Doc answered thoughtfully.
Carolina looked around the table, weighing her options. “A cross breeze would help. Opening the windows to let the air out. Filtering cooler air through the house. “Or a sunshade over the windows to let the air flow in, but keep the light out.”
Everyone was interested, but Simon ran to his office, grabbed a ledger, and handed it to Beau with a pencil. “Take notes. You’ll know what she’s talking about, and I can make a list for the mercantile.”
Beau scribbled on a clean sheet. “What else?” His lips pursed as he took in her concepts and wrote them down, his eyes fixed on the notes.
She wondered if he was the builder in the family. Carolina glanced at Nate, who nodded his encouragement. Licking her lips, she considered her words.
“In the east, they are using fans. It runs on something like a pulley system attached to several paddles on the ceiling.”
“Is it electric?” Nate wondered.
“I’m not sure how it works, but you could probably write to the hospital in Philadelphia. The wheels turn with something pulling them and the paddles rotate clockwise. They have them in restaurants as well. These fans keep the air moving, which doesn’t allow the hot air to sit still.”
“See, she’s already making a difference here.” Doc Mueller smiled at her. The support from the lifelong doctor bolstered her confidence. Others nodded and suddenly Beau flipped the ledger around and slid it across the table, barely missing her coffee cup.
“Like this?” He pointed to a sketch of what looked like the fans she’d meant.
“Yes. That looks right. I’m sorry, I don’t know much about it, but when Miss Cleo mentioned that staying cool seemed to help, I started thinking of options. An icebox would be impractical, and I don’t know what set-up there is to keep the water cool in the heat of the summer.”
“There’s a springhouse,” Nate joined in. “It is just outside the back door. Because it’s underground, the water stays cool. What are you thinking?”
Realizing that they had been talking around their aunt, Carolina turned towards her.
“I apologize for leaving you out. I was merely speaking to the room. You could use the cool water behind your knees, and in the crease of your elbows, or even soaking a cloth much like one would for a fever and place it at the back of your neck. This would allow you to give your body an immediate shift in temperature. I noticed though that most of the windows seem to open east or west as opposed to the north and south, so during the day every room gets direct light.”
“Except for your room,” Emily jumped in. “I always wondered why there was one room that did not have a window. Maybe they deliberately didn’t include a window in that room when they built the house.”
