Page 46 of The Dreaming Beauty
While Daisy slept, Tansy wondered if Marcus would look for her at church. She brought her painting things outside, but nothing struck her fancy. It wasn’t until that night, when the house was asleep, that finally, she knew exactly what she wanted to paint. As soon as she stepped in front of the gleaming sky, she knew something else as well. Mr. Robinson was truly in her past now. No matter how far she ran from fear of disappointment and heartache, she could not hide from her feelings for Marcus. The stars were her witness, and she could no longer deny it. She loved him.
Chapter 21
On Wednesday, the skies grewovercast and began to riddle the rolling hills with moisture. The weather worsened Tansy’s mood. She had already felt shut in and anxious, but now, fully confined to the small house, she could barely stand her own company. She watched the black clouds stretch their murky fingers in every direction, sending angry rumbles and flashing bursts of light through the rain-streaked glass. The wind moaned through the cottage walls and the shutters rattled.
“I hope the chickens fare all right,” Iris muttered.
“How can you worry about chickens at a time like this?” Daisy said, coming up beside Tansy to peer out the window. “It’s the fairies who should have our concern.”
Tansy put her arm around Daisy. “They know where to hide from storms like this.”
“There hasn’t been a storm like this before.” Daisy curled against Tansy. “Not that I can recollect.”
Sleep was hard to come by that night, with the wind slapping against the house and the thunder firing as loud as cannons above them. Somewhere past three in the morning, Tansy finally drifted off. When she woke, it was to Daisy shaking her shoulder and a glimpse of sun peeking into the room.
“They’re gone. All of them!” Daisy cried.
“What is gone?” Tansy pushed herself into a sitting position.
“My houses. The winds destroyed them. You must find Mr. Taylor. He’ll know what to do.”
Tansy rubbed the sleep from her eyes and blinked to sharpen her vision. “We will just have to rebuild.”
“We need Mr. Taylor. He knows wood better than we do. Aster won’t send for him, but you must.”
“Daisy, it would not be proper.”
Daisy’s face screwed up with emotion, and she bolted from the room. Tansy moaned and called for Betsy to help her dress. She selected an ugly brown gown—a castoff from a friend—perfect for outside cleanup. But even with an idea of what needed to be done, she was surprised to see the perfect mess in the yard.
The rosebushes were absent of the precious blooms that had been present yesterday. A large tree had crashed in front of the house, and a shutter from a window lay helplessly on the lawn. Surprisingly, the fence still stood. Thank goodness for Marcus’s handiwork.
Tansy passed the strawberries, noting with relief the undisturbed plants. She drew in a breath as the view of the back of the yard came into focus. More destruction. Willow branches and leaves were strewn everywhere. She hurried toward the willows, pushing back the dangling branches, and found Daisy curled up on the ground, rocking herself, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Hunching down beside her, Tansy put her arm around Daisy’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry.”
“Everything was supposed to be different here. But it’s just the same. We’re thwarted wherever we go.”
“Nonsense. This is just a storm. We can clean up and start anew.”
Daisy wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand, smearing a line of dirt under her eye. “The people here don’t like us. Only Mr. Taylor. You need to bring him here. He’s the only one who can help us.”
Sometimes Tansy could rationalize with Daisy, but not when she was this worked up. Still, she did not want to rush off to Ashbury Court with Marcus’s mother there. “I’m here to help, and so are Aster and Iris and our staff. We will make quick work of it once we get started.”
Daisy shook her head. “Nothing of our own merit will last. It’s as much of a curse as everything else. Only something built with a higher power will withstand the storms. We must rely on whatever source God has given us, and you and I both know that is Mr. Taylor. He has the knowledge and skills to help us.”
Daisy was making this into more than it was, but the desperation on her face was nothing Tansy could easily dismiss. It was as if she could see the burdens her young aunt carried—always being whispered about, never having a gentleman court her, the fears that kept her away from people. Daisy needed something to bring her joy. And up until now, it had been her fairy houses.
Tansy thought over her options, and she knew which one she wanted to cross from the list. The last thing Marcus needed to do was spend all his time building decorative houses for little fairies who did not exist. No, she loved her aunt, but Tansy could not bring herself to make such a silly request. There had to be a better solution.
“Tansy, please. You must do this for me. This is important to me.”
“I know it is. I’ll see if I can at least find the right materials for us.”
The desperation seemed to replace itself with a glimmer of hope. “Oh yes, we will need plenty of wood and nails. Mr. Taylor will know what to recommend. Go to him, and he shall tell you.”
Tansy forced a smile and patted Daisy’s hand as if she were agreeing. She meant to go to town, not to Marcus. How hard could it be to do a little carpentry? She left a much calmer Daisy behind and slowly forged her way back to the house. Skipping breakfast, Tansy went to her room and collected the little pin money to her name that she had been saving. She had desired to buy herself paints, but since Marcus had gifted her more than she needed, she had started to dream of new gloves and a new bonnet. After her conversation with Daisy, materials for a fairy house trumped her silly desire for new accessories.
Once Aster learned what Tansy was about, she agreed, letting Betsy accompany Tansy to town while the others stayed behind to clean up. An earthy scent permeated their long walk. Occasionally, they spotted branches pulled to the side, further testament to the ferocity of the storm, but thankfully the road was clear from obstacles.
