A Blessed Song for Their Love by Olivia Haywood
Chapter Twenty
Rosaline’s voice carried over the congregation in the tiny chapel. Light was streaming through the stained glass windows as everyone looked up at her with friendly smiles.
“Amazing Grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.”
Her heart soared as Thomas smiled up at her from the front row in his best Sunday suit, his arms crossed over his chest.
Her dark green dress swayed slightly as she sang. Thomas had surprised her with a dress fitting before her grand performance. She smiled to herself. He had been referring to her singing in the church as her grand performance. He let her choose the color of the fabric as well as the style and cut.
“'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved.
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.”
His smile widened as she lifted her voice to the heavens.
“Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far
And grace will lead me home.”
It was Thomas that had suggested she sing on Sundays. The proud look in his eyes when he suggested it to the church elders still made her stomach flutter. He was proud of her and her talents.
Unlike the Vosses who always belittled her gifts, Thomas and Arthur encouraged her to sing whatever she wanted. This was what she had always wanted, a home and a family that loved her.
“The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures...”
The blood in her veins turned to ice as she caught a glimpse of a man in a top hat carrying a gold-tipped cane exit the church and disappear into the sunlight. She stammered on the last word and almost lost her place.
Thomas frowned and shot her a puzzled look. He was about to stand when she regained her composure and finished the song.
The congregation clapped politely as she curtsied and took her seat beside Thomas as the Reverend took up his position at the altar to finish the service.
“Are you alright?” Thomas leant in and whispered to her, squeezing her hand gently.
“Just got a little dizzy is all,” she smiled. There was no need to worry Thomas when it was probably just her imagination. It couldn’t have been Diedrick Voss, she reassured herself. Her mind was just playing tricks on her because she had been thinking of him.
Her nerves eased as Thomas held her hand for a moment or two before letting go and listening to the service. His presence and support made her feel safe. She loved him now more than she cared to admit to anyone but herself.
Thomas had made so much progress since she came to the ranch. He was now regularly attending church on Sundays and committing his life back to God. Admittedly she wanted him to return her love, but God had already blessed her with so much. She had a loving home and a God-fearing family that encouraged her to grow her talents and sing the hymns she treasured so dearly. She felt that asking or even hoping for more would be selfish.
God had already given her more than she had originally asked for, yet there was still an inner voice that longed for a child of her own when she held Robbie in her arms. Robbie was her son and she loved him dearly, yet she wanted to know how it felt to carry a child inside of herself.
Her thoughts were drawn back to the service as the Reverend asked the congregation to bow their heads in prayer.
She closed her eyes and prayed that the man she had seen was not Diedrick Voss.
The congregants stood and milled about as everyone poured out of the tiny church.
Thomas gently reached out and tilted her chin towards him. “Are you sure you are well? Are you feeling ill?” he asked with concern.
“Just a bit nervous because I stumbled a bit in the song,” she lied.
He smiled warmly at her and offered his arm to escort her out the door. “You sang beautifully. I am incredibly proud of you.”
Rosaline blushed as she tucked her hand into the crook of his arm.
He leant in closer and whispered again. “Everyone was so spellbound by your voice, I’m sure nobody even noticed that tiny slip.”
“Thank you,” she whispered back as they made their way through pews and out the door into the sunlight.
Rosaline shielded her eyes as they stepped into the throng of people talking about the service and making polite conversation with their neighbors. Her heart raced as her eyes adjusted to the light and darted around, but she couldn’t see any traces of anyone that even resembled her former employer.
Her grip tightened on Thomas’ arm and her heart stopped as she saw a top hat poking out from a group of men. The men moved and the top hat came towards her through the crowd. Just as the man was about to be revealed, a woman stepped in front of her.
“You sang beautifully, my dear,” a kind older woman congratulated her as they passed a group of people.
“Thank you,” she said distractedly as Thomas talked to the woman. The crowd parted to reveal a young man with a mustache beneath the top hat. She let out an audible sigh of relief.
As Thomas guided her through the people, her heart lightened. It had been her imagination after all. Her heart sang as she heard snippets of the conversation from the old woman and her friends.
“Such an angelic voice,” the old lady said to the group.
“Utterly lovely,” someone else agreed.
They were stopped on their way to the buckboard by the lady who organized the flowers and events in the church. “If I may have a moment of your time Rosaline? I need help with something and you are the perfect person, so please don't say no,” she said cheerfully in a torrent of words.
The lady was in her mid-thirties with light brown hair and blue eyes. She wore a yellow dress with floral print and her skin was smooth and freckled over her small upturned nose.
Rosaline took a step back in uncertainty. She still had a fear of trusting strangers. Mr. Voss’ temper was so unpredictable that she could never tell from one moment to the next what he was going to be like. The lady's upfront manner took her off guard.
Thomas gently placed his hand on Rosaline's back to stop her from backing away any farther. “Good morning Jane, have you met Rosaline yet? I don’t think we've had the opportunity to do formal introductions.”
Jane lifted her hands and covered her mouth. “I'm so sorry Rosaline, you must forgive me. I tend to talk to people like I know them when we've just met. I'm Jane Smith. You may have heard that I organize all the events in the church. I most certainly know who you are! Your voice is beautiful.”
Rosaline relaxed and smiled when she felt Thomas gently press his hand into her back. “Pleased to meet you, Jane.”
Jane seemed relieved and beamed from ear to ear. “I was hoping that you would help me out and sing at the town dance next week? The ladies that usually sing have other obligations and can't make it. It would be such a shame if nobody could sing. Dances can be so flat when there are only instruments. Please say yes.”
Rosaline took a moment to take in the flurry of words. It was incredibly difficult to keep up with what this woman was saying. She didn't know how she felt about singing in front of a crowd of people outside of church. It reminded her too much of how Diederick wanted to misuse her talents.
Jane was about to begin talking again when Thomas interrupted her. “I will be playing the guitar. We could sing and play together if you like?” he asked Rosaline, and gently moved his hand up her back in reassurance.
Rosaline smiled gratefully at him. “That would be nice,” she said to Jane.
“Marvelous!” Jane clapped her hands and almost bounced with joy. “It will be so exciting. I can't wait to hear the two of you!”
They bid Jane goodbye politely and continued through the throng of people.
Thomas beamed at her as he took her hand and helped her onto the seat of the buckboard. “What did I tell you?” He winked at her before walking around to the other side and climbing up beside her.
He clucked his tongue and urged the horses on. “Utterly lovely,” he teased her as she blushed a deep red.
***
Rosaline read from the Bible as Thomas and Arthur sat across from her at the kitchen table the following week, while Robbie was comfortably drifting off in his father’s lap.
(Ephesians 2:8-9) “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
“I love the message behind this verse that gives us hope,” She looked up and smiled at the others. “It reminds us that no matter how far we stray from God or where the winding paths of life may take us, there is nothing we can do that will take us away from his love.”
She watched as the corners of Thomas’ mouth curved up as he looked down at his son nodding off in his lap. Thank you that we are finally getting through to him, Lord, she prayed silently before continuing.
“If it was because of our works, I know that none of us would be saved. We are all sinners that fall short of the grace of God, in one way or another.”
“Amen,” Arthur nodded.
(Deuteronomy 31:6-8) “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the Lord hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it.
And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.”
“Here we saw how we need one another to move forward into the places that God has promised us. We become each other's strength when we walk together in Christ as a family unit. Encouraging and protecting one another.”
Arthur nodded. “I don’t think I could have done a better reading if I tried, lass,” He winked at her. “You two better be off.” He stood and lifted a sleeping Robbie into his arms and laid the child’s head against his shoulder. “I’ll put this little chap to bed.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to go with Arthur? I can stay here with Robbie if you’d like to go to the dance instead,” Rosaline offered.
“Oh no lass, I'm far too old for that kind of thing.” He winked at her again. “Besides, I hear that your performance from last Sunday has gathered quite a bit of attention. I’d make a poor replacement if I showed up to sing.”
Thomas laughed as he stood and retrieved his guitar from the kitchen table. He no longer kept it hidden in his study. He walked over to Rosaline and placed a hand on her shoulder. She breathed heavily as the tips of his fingers brushed against the smooth skin of her neck.
“Pa has everything in hand here. Shall we go?”
***
Rosaline sang as Thomas played his guitar and the crowd clapped and danced in two straight lines, hopping and twirling in a series of country dances.
One of the ranch owners just outside of town had cleared an old barn to be used for the dance. Bales of hay were pilled along the walls to serve as benches for the guests, and a few sheets of white linen hung over some bales to serve as makeshift tables for the drinks.
The crowd cheered and applauded as the song ended. Rosaline caught her breath as other musicians came forward with guitars to take over the next song.
A handsome young rancher came up to Rosaline and asked her if she’d care to dance.
Thomas took her elbow and steered her away before she had a chance to politely decline. “My wife and I would like a moment to catch our breaths, perhaps another time.”
“Of course,” the young man smiled politely and backed away.
Rosaline’s heart thudded in her chest, Thomas had referred to her for the very first time as his wife. Legally she knew that they were married, and she was his wife in name. Hearing him refer to her as his wife sparked feelings inside of her that she wasn’t sure she wanted to face. If anything progressed beyond the growing friendship between them, she didn’t know if she would be able to hold back her feelings for him.
He steered her out of the barn and around the corner into a quiet section of the tree-lined yard.
The light breeze rustled the leaves and cooled her hot skin, making her hug her arms around her waist.
“Are you cold?” Thomas asked as he began to remove his jacket.
“No, it’s just a little chilly but I’ll be...” She began to protest but was silenced when he swung his coat over her shoulders and wrapped it tightly around her.
“That should help,” he said as he smoothed the fabric down her arms.
She could feel the heat of his hands through the jacket.
“You sang beautifully this evening,” he said, not moving back.
He was close enough to kiss her forehead, she thought to herself, a little panicked at the situation.
“I was wondering something when that man asked you to dance,” he remarked, his voice taking on a husky gruffness.
“I wasn’t going to say yes,” her head snapped up quickly.
“I know.” His face was inches away from hers. “I wasn’t thinking about that.” His arms moved around her, drawing her closer to him. “I was wondering if you know how beautiful you are?”
“I don’t...”
His lips cut off the rest of her sentence as he pulled her against him and kissed her with an intensity that took her breath away.
She couldn’t think of anything else as he kissed her passionately, his breath mingling with hers.
He gently drew back from her when a nearby bush rustled. They looked around but there was nobody to be seen.
“Must have been the wind,” he said breathlessly.
“Thomas I want to tell you something...” Her words were once again cut off as he drew her into another kiss and held her tightly against him.