A Blessed Song for Their Love by Olivia Haywood
Chapter Sixteen
The days flew by with growing ease in the family as everyone settled into their roles. They had reached a rhythm that was both comfortable and pleasing to all. Rosaline kept up the chores and mothered Robbie, who was growing stouter by the day.
She looked up in surprise one evening when Thomas asked if it was okay for him to stay after dinner.
“That’s if you don’t mind,” he asked, slightly embarrassed.
“We would love to have you,” she said in surprise from her usual spot on the floor. Robbie was on her lap playing with his blocks.
Arthur looked at her in pleasant surprise as his son knelt and sat beside Rosaline on the floor.
“What are we building here, little chap?” Thomas smiled at his son and helped him build a tower.
Robbie giggled in delight when he knocked the tower over.
“Now we need to get you ready for life as a rancher young man. This will all be yours someday. Let me show you how to build a corral.” He picked up the blocks and laid them out in a circle.
Warmth was spreading through Rosaline’s heart as she watched Robbie play with his father.
“Can you say corral?” Thomas asked his son and showed him the circle. “Can you say blocks?” Robbie furrowed his brow and looked to his father and Rosaline. “Has he not said anything yet? Not mamma or papa?”
Arthur shook his head and Rosaline hugged Robbie to her. “We are working on it.” She pressed her cheeks to the top of his curls. “We practice every day.”
“We will have to try harder then.” Thomas smiled down at his son. “Say pa-pa,” He mouthed the words slowly for his son.
Robbie looked up at Rosaline.
“Pa-pa,” she encouraged him.
He looked at his father. “Pp-a,” He tried.
All three looked at him in surprise. Thomas was the first to break the stunned silence. “That’s it, my boy. You can do it. Pa-pa,” he annunciated slowly.
“Pa-pa,” Robbie said.
“That’s it! You did it!” Thomas scooped up his son and held him above his head, to Robbie’s great delight as he squealed with joy.
Rosaline was overcome with joy as she watched them play, Robbie repeating papa, again and again, every time he getting a round of applause from the men. She felt very lonely all of a sudden. It was her deepest wish for this sweet child to bond with his father, but now that it happened she felt a need for him to say ‘mama’. A need that she told herself was selfish. She was, after all, not his mama, just the lady who looked after him.
She looked up to see Thomas staring at her. His eyes were intense and happy. He pointed to Rosaline and mouthed the words ma-ma for Robbie to repeat. Rosaline’s heart swelled with love as Thomas smiled at her.
Robbie looked from his father to Rosaline.
Thomas said ‘ma-ma’ slowly again.
Looking at his father’s lips in concentration and screwing up his tiny nose, Robbie said. “Ma.”
Grateful tears streamed down her face as she held out her arms to Robbie and he lunged into her lap, wrapping his chubby little arms around her neck.
In that moment she felt like everything had fallen into place. Everything was coming together. For the first time in her life, she felt like she was suitable for the task God was calling her to. Thomas’ acceptance made her sure of that. Nothing could possibly go wrong...
***
Rosaline walked along happily as the empty basket swung on her arm, singing quietly to herself. The wild sunflowers were still in full bloom, though Thomas had said they would be dying out soon as the weather grew colder. She smiled at the thought of Thomas.
Their friendship was blossoming along with the flowers as they strived to create a happy home for Robbie, their son. Their son. Her smile broadened as she almost skipped along the path to town. Thomas had been referring to Robbie as their son since that evening when he first said Papa and Mama.
She admitted to herself that she was in love with Thomas. She knew that he had said he would never love another woman again, but she couldn’t contain the growing feelings she felt every their eyes met, or their fingers accidentally touched when she handed him coffee in the mornings. She was content to be Robbie’s mother and Thomas’ friend, even if it would bring her even more joy for Thomas to return her feelings.
Her life had changed so much in the past few months. Back on the Vosses’ farm, going to shops had been an escape that she relished, taking her time. Now she loved her leisurely walks whenever Arthur watched Robbie. The difference was that she now longed to get home. Home. She had a home now. She smiled to herself as she entered the town.
People were bustling about, doing their shopping and selling their wares. They waved happily at Rosaline as she passed their stalls and made her way to the mercantile store.
The bell over the door jingled as she pushed open the door and made her way through the tiny aisles to the counter. Baxton’s store was smaller than the one owned by Donna’s parents in Delaware. She greeted the kind older lady behind the counter and handed her the list of things they needed on the ranch.
“Of course, Mrs. Stratton,” the old lady smiled. Her hair was salt and pepper and tucked beneath a light pink cap that matched her apron. Rosaline loved the way she looked over her half-moon spectacles whenever she read a list. Even more than that she loved it when anyone called her Mrs. Stratton.
“It’s a good thing you came by,” the lady said in her gentle voice. “A letter came for you just this morning.” She retrieved a pile of letters from beneath the counter and sorted through them. “Here we are.” She handed Rosaline the letter. “Save our Reggie a trip to the ranch.” She hurried away with Rosaline’s list.
Rosaline’s heart sank into the pit of her stomach as she read the return address.
Mr. Voss. Wilmington, Delaware.
Her fingers were trembling as she tore open the envelope and unfolded the letter.
Rosaline,
I have surmised your whereabouts from your friend Donna. It took me a while, but she eventually turned on you. I can only say that I hope your childish fantasies of marrying a strange man have come to nothing. I will be giving you a week to come to your senses and return to where you belong. If I do not hear from you within that time, I will be going to the police to report the things you stole in your hasty departure.
Patiently awaiting your response.
-Mr. Voss.
Rosaline looked up as she finished reading the letter. He was lying! He was going to lie to get her back. She had only left with the things she had arrived with on the farm, that and the dresses she had purchased with her own meager earnings as Mrs. Voss had insisted. The dress they had purchased for her to wear while she sang had been left behind on her bed. It had been part of the life she wanted to forget.
She had no choice, she would have to tell Thomas the truth. She prayed to God that he wouldn’t hate her and send her packing for not telling him until now. How long had the letter taken to get here? she wondered, her blood turning to ice. Mr. Voss had said he was giving her a week. She probably only had a few days left to send her reply.
Her thoughts were drawn back to the present when the old lady returned with her basket. “Are you alright, dear? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“I’m fine, just feeling a little ill.” She hastily paid for the groceries, shoved the letter into the basket and hurried out of the store.
***
Rosaline quietly entered the study and gently pushed the door shut behind her.
Thomas was standing in front of his desk with his back towards the door. There were papers strewn about the desk. He turned when he heard the door shut and looked at her. “Is something the matter?” His voice was heavy with concern. “Did something happen in town?”
“Everything went fine in town,” she said quietly. “There’s something I need to tell you.” She leaned back against the door and let out a breath. “Before I start, I can only say that I didn’t keep anything from you on purpose. There wasn’t a good time to bring it up. I was going to soon, but my hand is being forced.”
Thomas frowned, crossed his arms and sat on the edge of his desk. “I think you’d better tell me then.”
“Before I let you read the letter I want you to know where I come from and how I came to be here.”
He waited patiently for her to continue.
“When I was ten my parents died from cholera. Having no relatives, I was sent to an orphanage where I was soon taken in by Mr. and Mrs. Voss.”
“So your name isn’t Berry, it’s Voss?”
“I kept my father’s name. You see the Vosses never intended for me to be their daughter. I lived in the servants quarters for eight years and served as a maid in their house. They didn’t love me, Thomas. I never knew a moment’s kindness in all those years.”
“Why didn’t you just leave when you were of age?”
She lifted her hands in front of her and stroked the scar in her palm. “Mr. Voss is a man of means. He stops at nothing to get what he wants. He would fly into rages whenever he didn't get his way.”
“Did he give you that scar?” His voice was deep and angry.
“Yes, and no. There was an accident shortly after I came there. I had spoken out of turn and there was an accident when he shouted at me. Mr. Voss never physically laid a hand on me.” She put her scared hand behind her back out of habit.
Thomas sighed. Rosaline thought she could see a look of relief on his face.
“He never needed to harm me physically, he has enough power and influence to make people’s lives as difficult as possible when he doesn’t get his way. Truthfully, I was too afraid to be without a roof over my head if I ran away. I attempted it once, but he caught me and withheld food for a week. I never attempted an escape again.” She looked up into his angry face. “Until I came to you.”
There was a vein popping in Thomas’ neck as he clenched his jaw.
Rosaline felt panicked but it was too late to turn back now. "I found your father’s advertisement by chance, and my friend Donna suggested I reply. I corresponded with him and ended up coming here.”
She looked at the floor. “I’m sorry I lied to you, Thomas. I should have been honest with you that day you proposed.”
“Is that everything you needed to tell me?” His voice was dark.
“This morning in town I received a letter from Mr. Voss. It seems that Donna has betrayed me and he knows where I am. I believe with all my heart that Donna would never have betrayed me if she had another choice. Mr. Voss must have threatened her family. I just know it.”
She looked pleadingly into his eyes. “Whatever you may think of me now Thomas, please know that what he is saying in this letter isn’t the truth.” She held the letter out for him to read. “I am not a thief. I may have snuck away because I knew he wouldn’t just let me leave, but my motives were honest.”
Thomas took the letter. He stared at the page for a moment or two before placing it on the desk behind him and turning back to her. His eyes were dark with anger, and Rosaline saw her happy future crumbling in his eyes.
“Do you promise me that you are telling the truth about him never having laid a hand on you?”
Rosaline inched away from his angry tone. “I swear, Thomas.” She waited for him to say she should pack her things and leave first thing in the morning. She had, after all, withheld important information about her past.
“Because if he did, if he hurt you...” Thomas clenched his jaw and shook his head. “It is going to take a lot of strength on my behalf not to hurt him in return.”
Her head snapped up in surprise. “He never beat me, Thomas,” She said earnestly.
He let out a ragged breath and unclenched his jaw. Running his hands over his face he leaned back on the desk. “We will have to write to this Mr. Voss and tell him that you are a married woman now, and set him straight about his false accusations.”
Rosaline had tears in her eyes, not knowing how to respond to the grace of Thomas’ response.
“I believe you, Rosaline. Whatever my relationship with God might be at the moment, I believe that you were meant to be here, that you were meant to pick up the pieces of my broken family.”
Rosaline was quiet as Thomas opened up to her about his hurt and his dream that had eventually turned out to be her.
“That’s why I believe you were meant to be here.” The look in his eyes when he continued speaking took her breath away. “I will fight to keep you here in my family. Nobody is going to force you to leave against your will. No matter how much money and power they may possess.” He hesitated to mention his growing feelings for her, but thought he needed more time to examine them himself before discussing them with her.
Rosaline found her voice again after his earnest reply, and told him about everything that had happened between her and Arthur.
“There was no way that your father could have known that was my mother’s favorite verse, Thomas. It could only have come from God.”
Thomas smiled at her and then frowned again. “What I don’t understand is why Mr. Voss wants you back so badly. If he has all this power and money, is it not simply a case of hiring another maid?”
“My singing,” Rosaline said softly. “He wanted to make money off my voice.”
Thomas gently approached her and took her scarred hand before she had the chance to hide it behind her back. He took her hand and examined the scar.
She felt her pulse jump under the lightness of his touch. He gently traced the scar with his finger. “You must write him back at once, denying his claims. Tell him the truth. You are now a married woman. Sign your name as Mrs. Rosaline Stratton.”
Rosaline’s eyes were still on the hand that was holding hers. He gently lifted her chin so she would look at him. “I promise you this, Rosaline. I will protect you. You are a part of my family now.” He smiled reassuringly down at her. “You can sit at my desk and write your reply. I’ll be right here if you need me.”
Her heart was pounding in her chest as she noticed for the first time how beautiful the deep flecks of gold in Thomas’ deep brown eyes were.
He gently stroked her cheek. “It’s time this Mr. Voss lets you go, Rosaline. You are a married woman now, and you owe them no loyalty. You are worth far more than that.”