A Blessed Song for Their Love by Olivia Haywood
Chapter Eight
Rosaline awoke before the sun was even up. She got out of bed and pulled on a pale green frock. It was one of only three dresses she owned, the others being her maid’s uniform and a plain brown day dress.
It had long been her custom to rise before the sun and start her day by spending time with God, just as her father had taught her when she was little. “We need to follow Jesus’ example,” he would say.
“Remember (Mark 1:35) “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.”
She washed her face in the porcelain basin that Buena had filled for her the night before. The basin was a pale pink with a pretty floral design and gold leaf around the edges. She wondered if it had belonged to Thomas’ wife or mother. She made a mental note to thank Buena for all the kindness she’d shown her since she’d arrived.
“Things will look better in the morning,” she recalled the woman’s words of encouragement. “They always do.”
“Lord, please let that be true,” she prayed aloud. Making her way back to the bed, she removed her mother’s old hairbrush from the valise, along with the pins she needed to tie back her hair and the cap to keep them contained. Her hair would always loosen throughout the day, no matter how hard she tried to keep it tamed.
Brushing the auburn tendrils back, she was about to place the cap over the bun, when she suddenly realized that nobody was there to demand her hair remain tidy. No rule bound her to obey.
Smiling she put the cap on the bedside table and left it there. She’d leave her hair in a loose bun. No more itchy scalp. The thought brought her immense joy. Ever since she was a child she had loved it when her hair was free. It was something that her mother had encouraged.
The feeling was quickly replaced by one of dread at the thought of the Vosses and their rules. What if Mr. Voss has figured it out. What if, at this very moment, he was on a train coming to take her back. She couldn’t stand the thought of the humiliation and deprivation she’d have to face, or the bars she would undoubtedly be forced to perform in.
“No,” she whispered to herself and shook her head. This is God’s time and she would not let doubts and fears intrude on that. Taking her thoughts captive and making them obedient to Christ, she turned her mind back to her devotions.
Sitting on the edge of her bed, she took out her Bible and flipped to her favorite verse. She needed a bit of extra encouragement to take on the task that lay ahead. Convincing Thomas that she should stay.
(Deuteronomy 31:8) “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.”
She dropped to the floor on her knees, and with her elbows resting on the bed and her hands clasped in front of her, she began to pray.
Lord, thank you for the opportunity you have set before me. I know that sometimes our prayers may not be answered exactly how we imagined or wanted them to be, but you have placed me here for a reason. Let not my will be done but yours.
She continued to thank God and pray for every member of the household. Arthur, Robbie, Buena, and Thomas. Especially Thomas. She asked God for a miracle that would take his heart of stone and replace it with one of flesh.
The sun was beginning to rise. She could see the light gently peeking through the drapes. She finished her prayers and pushed herself up from the ground. Her knees were sore from the hard floor, but her heart was content.
She walked over to the window and pulled open the drapes, letting the early light spill into the room. Rosaline felt like she was ready. Ready to take on the task that God had lain at her feet. Ready to be a mother.
After all, God would not call her to a fight without also giving her the strength to face it. And was it not God that made her find the scrap of paper that lead her here.
She would put off all the doubts she had felt the night before and run towards the light. She stood determinedly with her hands on her hips and watched as the sun rose over the ranch.
***
Buena was busy with breakfast when Rosaline made her way into the kitchen. She stayed in her room praying and talking to God for an extra hour after the sun had come up. It gave her the courage and strength she so desperately needed.
“Good morning Buena,” she smiled as she entered the kitchen with newfound confidence.
“Good morning, dear. I hope you had a good night.”
“I feel well-rested, thank you. What can I help you with?” She asked, determined to take on her role.
Beuna stepped back from the stove in surprise. The timid girl from the night before was gone, and the woman who stood in the kitchen this morning was stronger, more determined, and more confident. “If you are sure, you can lay the things for the coffee.” Rosaline could see that the woman was both impressed and taken aback as she smiled at her.
She let Buena show her where everything was, but took it upon herself to pour the water into the kettle that hung over the fire and spoon the coffee grounds into the pot.
The cabinet that stood behind where she had been sitting the day before held a China set with blue patterns of windmills and farms.
She carefully took them out and placed them beside the plates that Buena had already set, taking extra care to note where everything was so she could do it on her own the following day.
Her pulse began to race at the sound of approaching feet. She knew that Arthur was already out in the yard. She’d heard him this morning when he’d gone into the nursery and greeted Robbie and Buena.
Thomas came into the kitchen. She immediately noticed that he’d trimmed his beard and slicked back his hair with a comb. He cut a dashing picture in a clean shirt, and the only thing amiss was the dark rings around his eyes. He looked as though he’d had a rough night. It made her wonder if he’d been out drinking.
Arthur had explained all of her prospective husband’s habits in the letters.
“Good morning,” he greeted hesitantly as he took his chair.
Rosaline brushed a tendril of hair behind her ear and pulled herself together. “Good morning,” she smiled. “The coffee is almost ready.”
She saw the same look of surprise on his face that she had seen on Buena’s.
“I hope you slept well,” he asked slowly.
“Like a baby,” she said as they held each other's gaze for a moment. She thought she could see a look of relief in his eyes. He’d been worrying about her.
Something had changed in the space of a night. His manners towards her were no longer gruff and dismissive.
She blushed and looked away before busying herself with the coffee. The rich aroma that filled the kitchen let her know that it was almost ready.
If she was going to impress him, there wasn’t any time to examine her feelings.
The coffee was brewing nicely over the fire as she up the mutton cloth that hung on the wall next to the hearth before carefully lifting the pot from its hook and carrying it over to the table.
She removed the lid from the porcelain pot she’d taken from the cupboard along with the cups, and filtered the coffee through a cloth, catching the coffee grounds as the dark liquid flowed through and into the pot.
Once all of the coffee was filtered she returned the kettle to the fire and took the pot to the table to pour a cup for Thomas. She smiled as she passed him the cup, his fingers momentarily brushing against hers as he accepted it.
His hands were rough and callused from years of working on the ranch.
She turned away and tucked her hair behind her ears, flustered from the small but intimate touch.
Buena had finished cooking the breakfast and called out the back door for Arthur to come in.
Rosaline took her place and waited for the others to join them, averting her gaze deliberately from Thomas. She couldn't control the beating of her heart whenever their eyes met.
Arthur came in and took his place before leading them once more in prayer.
Over breakfast, a livelier atmosphere prevailed than that of the evening before. Thomas had even joined in the conversation a few times, contrary to last night when he’d kept his mouth closed and his eyes on his plate. She was beginning to feel more at ease in his presence as she caught glimpses of a man who wasn’t as gruff as he had made himself out to be.
They finished their breakfast and Rosaline helped Buena clear the table as the men sat and finished their coffee.
Buena announced that she was going to see to Robbie when they were done. “You are welcome to come and help me, dear,” she addressed Rosaline when they were done washing up. “Unless you’d like to use the morning to get to know the place?”
Rosaline was about to reply, when to her great surprise, Thomas cut in.
“Actually, I was wondering if Rosaline would like to come and take a walk with me,” he suggested. “There is something I would like to discuss with her.
The kitchen was silent as Arthur and Buena exchanged hopeful glances.
“I would like that very much,” Rosaline replied, and smiled at the relieved look in his honey brown eyes.
***
They walked side by side through the pens of cattle as Thomas pointed everything out and told her about his home. She loved how passionate he was about the ranch. For all of his misgivings and past mistakes, he was a man with a good heart.
The area around the homestead was divided into several pens and the yard where the house, barn, and other buildings stood. It was a warm, cheerful place that brought an inexplicable sense of peace as they strolled together in the morning sun.
She couldn’t help but glance at the way his mouth tipped up when he spoke, the angle of his chin tilted to the right.
There was a lull in the conversation as they stood looking at the big brown barn that housed all of the hay and supplies used to feed the cattle and horses.
Thomas cleared his throat after a few minutes. “There is something I would like to discuss with you.”
Rosaline’s heart thumped in her chest.
Was he about to tell her that she had to leave? Or was he going to give her a chance?
“I think we should get married,” he declared.
She stared at him with her mouth slightly open. This was definitely not what she had been expecting.
“My father was right. We need someone who can look after the house and be a mother to Robbie.” He paused and looked away before turning back. “That is if you still want to stay...” His words trailed off on a hopeful but uncertain note.
“I...I do,” she stammered. There was a look of relief in his eyes that tugged at her heart. She thought she saw a glimmer of a smile at the corner of his mouth before he continued.
“I can’t offer you love,” he cautioned, “but I can offer you a place to stay and a part in this family.”
Rosaline tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I would like that very much.”
“I thought of you just staying on here as a maid and carer to my son, but that would lead to speculation on behalf of the town that would tarnish your reputation.”
Rosaline’s heart leaped with joy. “I understand that this will be a marriage in name only.” This was exactly what she needed, a home of her own and a place away from the Vosses.
Was this the miracle she had been asking God for?