Love Finds You in Maiden, North Carolina

by Tamela Hancock Murray

  “You think that’s the perfect solution?” Selene pouted. “Oh, Aunt Louisa, everyone will be so full of turkey and pie they won’t be able to eat another thing.”

  “Then they can just have coffee.” Aunt Louisa’s tone bespoke her determination. “I think we have time to bake pies and cakes before Thursday, especially with all three of us working. I’m feeling a mite better now, so I should be able to offer more help than I could recently.”

  Seeing Selene’s distress on her face, Hestia decided to give an opinion. “If it’s all the same to you, I’d like to accept the invitation with Booth’s family.”

  “Traitor.” Selene stared into her cup of coffee.

  Aunt Louisa ignored Selene. “Of course you may go.”

  “Then where will that leave the two of us for turkey, Aunt Louisa?” Selene asked. “It’s bad enough that I’m here all alone with none of my friends, but do I have to starve, too?”

  “You’re hardly starving.” Aunt Louisa surveyed Selene’s expanding figure.

  Hestia tried to think of a way to console Selene. “I’m sure Mrs. Barrington would let me bring you home some food, but rather than imposing on her, I might order a small turkey from the grocer. I can cook that for you and then go to Booth’s. Of course, that means I’ll have to turn down Judith. I feel so terrible about that.” Hestia considered that she might suggest to Judith that she invite Peter Drum in her place.

  Aunt Louisa kept her attention focused on Hestia. “Now don’t you fret. You don’t have to turn down anyone. I think you can go to both. I’ll just fix Selene and me a little chicken, and we’ll have our own celebration.”

  Though Aunt Louisa’s tone didn’t convey regret, Hestia still felt pity for her. “That’s not much of a day for you.”

  “It’s more than enough excitement for me. And don’t forget, I still have church and my whist party every week. I get out plenty for an old hen.” Compassion touched her eyes as she looked at her youngest charge. “Besides, I said I’d take care of Selene, and I will.”

  Hestia looked at her cousin. “Thank you, Aunt Louisa. Maybe this will be a happy Thanksgiving after all.”

  Booth felt more anticipation than usual as he entered Miss Louisa’s house, cracking open the back door and announcing his arrival. He hoped Hestia could dine with his family for the holiday. Hestia didn’t realize it, but he’d never asked a woman to share their family’s Thanksgiving meal with them. His mother’s ready acceptance of the idea heartened him. His parents had become acquainted with Hestia on their rides to church, and he could tell she’d be an amenable daughter-in-law for them. He tried to put such thoughts out of his mind. He had no reason to think Hestia would stay in Maiden. He vowed to treasure their moments together as long as they were his.

  Hestia greeted him with her usual smile, appearing radiant in her plainest dress. “There you are.” She escorted him into the kitchen, where Miss Louisa, Selene, and Hestia were shelling pecans. “Wasn’t Artie generous to bring us so many pecans?” Hestia took a chair. “Have a seat.”

  “That’s okay. I’ve been sitting all day and I’m ready to stand awhile. I can’t stay long, anyway. I’ve got chores to do once I go home.” He watched the busy women. “Speaking of chores, it looks as though you have your hands full right here.”

  Hestia nodded. “It’s taken us awhile.”

  “Need some help?”

  “We only have three of these.” Miss Louisa raised her hand slightly, holding a nutcracker. “If I had more, I’d welcome your help.”

  “I can get one from my house.” He felt he had to make the offer even though his heart wasn’t in the task.

  “This one is your mother’s.” Hestia grinned. “We just borrowed it from her.”

  They were interrupted by a “Yoo-hoo!” He recognized the voice as belonging to Miss Olive.

  “In here, Olive,” Miss Louisa called.

  Booth wondered what had prompted their neighbor to visit. Normally she didn’t appear without reason. She didn’t have any sugar or eggs in hand. Perhaps she wanted to borrow something. He watched Miss Olive survey the activity. “My, but you’re busy bees. Where’d you get all those pecans?”

  “Artie Rowland.” Selene’s voice sounded prideful and shy at once.

  Miss Olive’s eyebrows rose. “I see. Well, I suppose he’s invited you to dine with him for Thanksgiving.”

  “In a way, yes.” Selene smiled and ate one of the nuts.

  “I’d invite you over myself, only I won’t be here this year. I’ll be with my family in Gastonia.”

  “That’s fine, Olive.” Miss Louisa squeezed a pecan with the nutcracker. The shell gave way with a sharp snap. “Shall we look after the house while you’re away?”

  “You sure can. I already asked the postman to drop all my mail here. Otherwise, just make sure all’s well. I’ll be back on Tuesday.” She studied Selene. “So you’ll be with Artie?”

  “Booth invited us to dine with his family.” Hestia’s interruption made him wonder if she was trying to distract their nosy neighbor. “Is it still okay for me to have dinner with you that day, Booth?”

  “Of course.” He tried not to look too happy. Miss Olive had enough to gossip about as it was. “So I can tell Mother to set three more places at the table.”

  “Just one.” Miss Louisa held one finger in the air. “Hestia’s the only one who’ll be with you.”

  “You mean Selene and you aren’t coming to the Thanksgiving feast?”

  “We’ll stay home. But I know Hestia will have a grand time with you and your family. Oh, and you all are more than welcome to stop by for pie later in the day. Sometime after five.”

  He couldn’t imagine eating more dessert after indulging in a big slice of his mother’s pumpkin pie—a treat she baked only once a year. “That’s generous of you. I’ll mention that to Mother. But really, Miss Louisa, I wish you would reconsider. Truth be told, Mother has planned for the three of you to be there, and she’ll be disappointed.”

  “She won’t be the only one.” Selene split open a pecan with so much force that pieces of shell flew in the air and scattered all over the table.

  “Pay no attention to Selene.” Miss Louisa shot Selene a chastening glare.

  “Mercy!” Miss Olive’s look mimicked Miss Louisa’s. “Don’t you know you shouldn’t be socializing in your condition? Why, in my day, no girl would have considered leaving her room in a state such as the one in which you find yourself, much less contemplate going out to eat with respectable families.”

  “Now, Olive, you let me do the lecturing.”

  Noting the two older women exchanging stern looks mixed with indignation, Booth turned to Hestia. “I’m glad you’ll be there.”

  “Me, too.” Her quick nod indicated her relief at the change in conversational tone.

  “I’ll be on my way, Louisa.” Miss Olive sniffed. “Clearly you have everything under control here. I hope you manage to enjoy your Thanksgiving somehow.”

  “We will, somehow.” Miss Louisa’s demeanor stayed serious, as though enjoying the day would indeed be a struggle.

  “I should be on my way, too. See you tomorrow. I’ll be checking in on you as usual.” Booth addressed all the ladies, but his gaze rested on Hestia.

  “Yes, we can set our clock by you.” Aunt Louisa smiled.

  Diamond rubbed against Booth’s legs. He reached down to pat her head. The cat closed her eyes and purred.

  Booth noticed Hestia watching him and the cat. “She must remember that you’re the one who brought her to us. I’m glad you did. I haven’t seen a mouse since she arrived.”

  “Not a live one, anyway.” By placing her hands in her lap, Miss Louisa stopped her task long enough to observe the cat. “I must say, I’ve grown fond of the little thing.”

  “I guess I won’t be able to take her back with me to Haw River.” Hestia’s voice sounded with regret. She glanced at Booth long enough to capture his gaze in hers with sparkling eyes. All too soon,
she looked back at the animal. Booth felt his heart beating faster. On the surface, she spoke of the cat, but he sensed that her sorrow ran much deeper.

  “I don’t think I want Diamond to leave.” Miss Louisa bent over and stroked the cat’s back. “She’ll be a companion for me once you girls go back home.”

  Booth swallowed. He didn’t want to consider the day.

  “I know what you mean, Aunt Louisa. I almost wish I could take her with me to New York.” Selene looked longingly at Diamond. “Some days she’s the only company I have.”

  “What does that make us?” Hestia asked with a smile.

  “Maybe I’ll let Diamond answer that.”

  Booth didn’t want to leave, but he soon bid them farewell. As he turned to go, he stole one last look at beautiful Hestia. He walked the short distance to his home, the brick bungalow where he had spent his life. Thoughts of leaving the home his parents had made with each other and their children left him feeling wistful, but not sad. The time to leave had come, and he wanted Hestia to be with him. How he would convince her, he wasn’t sure. Deep in thought, he breezed through the back door as he had hundreds of times before.

  As he entered the Barrington kitchen, the scent of pork roasting in the oven greeted him. He wondered how Hestia cooked pork roast. Did she add onions to her gravy, the way he liked? Could she make lump-free gravy?

  Mother bent into the oven, taking out the meat. She paused. “Oh, there you are.”

  “May I help you with that?”

  “I’ve got it.” She set the meat on the top of the stove, beside a pot where potatoes had already been mashed. Booth watched her check the firebox. The meal was nearly ready to serve.

  Booth noticed how she seemed young even though she had married his father decades before. Each day, without fail, she provided a delicious meal, served in a house that smelled of lemon oil, her lavender talcum powder, and soap—all aromas that spelled cleanliness to Booth. Even more important, a sense of well-being and love evidenced themselves in their home. He wanted a wife who would make the same kind of home for him, but he wanted to share his thoughts and dreams with her, too. He wanted to talk with her about things important and unimportant, to share the joys of family.

  “Were you able to confirm that we’ll be having three extra guests on Thanksgiving?”

  Booth snapped himself out of his thoughts. “Just Hestia.”

  “Just Hestia?” Mother set her pot holders on the counter. “What about Louisa and Selene?”

  “Miss Louisa wants Selene to stay home.”

  Mother let out a breath. “I know the only one you really care about is Hestia—”

  Embarrassed, he felt he had to object. “I—I care about the others....”

  “Now, listen here. I’m your mother and I can tell by the way you’ve been mooning around the house that you’re interested in her. Can’t say I’m sorry about that, but don’t get too attached. She’s going back to Haw River. But we’d be mighty poor neighbors if we didn’t extend Christian charity to them. The Bible says so.”

  “Yes, ma’am. I’m afraid Miss Louisa was insistent.”

  “Well, we’ll see about that. Fetch my coat out of the closet, will you? I’m going over there right now.” She moved the pots to the side of the stove so the food would stay warm.

  Booth wished he didn’t have to obey. All he needed was for his mother to argue with Miss Louisa and ruin everything.

  Hestia had just finished cleaning up shells and putting nuts into a covered dish for later use when she heard a knock on the door. Selene was washing up, and Aunt Louisa had started preparing dinner. “Booth must have forgotten something. I’ll get the door.”

  “That’s fine. Don’t dawdle.”

  Hestia whisked off her apron. “It’s funny that he’d knock on the front door instead of coming in through the back. Maybe it’s not Booth.”

  “You won’t find out who it is if you don’t answer it.” Aunt Louisa dished a spoonful of lard into the frying pan. “Run on now, or whoever it is will leave and we’ll never know.”

  Hestia rushed to answer. Mrs. Barrington stood on the veranda. Hestia could never look at her without being reminded of Booth.

  “I hope I’m not disturbing you.”

  “No, of course not. Please come in.” Hestia opened the door wider and stepped aside for her to enter.

  “Is it Booth?” Aunt Louisa asked as she made her way into the parlor. “Oh, Betty, it’s you. What brings you by? It’s suppertime. Your dinner isn’t getting cold, is it?”

  Mrs. Barrington crossed the threshold and Hestia closed the door. “That doesn’t matter today. I wanted to come over myself, to let you know that I really want to include your family in our Thanksgiving celebration. And that invitation is extended to Selene.”

  “That’s mighty generous of you, Betty, but Selene really shouldn’t be out and about in her condition.”

  “Did the doctor say she had to have bed rest?”

  “No, but you know her situation.” Aunt Louisa stood to her full height.

  “I do, and I realize many people think it’s scandalous.”

  Aunt Louisa blanched. “There’s been talk about us, I take it?”

  Selene entered, but Mrs. Barrington didn’t miss a beat. “I don’t have to remind you that this is a small town, and people have been asking me what I know. I tell them I know very little and then I change the topic. Of course Selene’s situation isn’t ideal. But our God is a God of second chances, and I think He’d want us to share our meal with Selene.”

  Selene spoke, to Hestia’s surprise. “That’s the second time I’ve heard someone say that about God in the last few days.”

  “Is that so?” Mrs. Barrington looked at Selene. “Then He must be trying to tell you something.”

  “Maybe He’s telling me not to cause trouble.” Selene looked at the floor and back. “I would like to get out of the house, but I don’t want to cause problems for anybody. I’m enough of a problem as it is.”

  Mrs. Barrington’s voice displayed compassion. “Don’t speak that way about yourself. Mr. Barrington and I have always thought highly of your aunt, and I remember you as a sweet little girl who used to visit here over the summer. Inside, I think you’re still that sweet little girl. You just fell in with the wrong crowd, that’s all. I hope you’ll reconsider and spend Thanksgiving with us. It’s a special occasion, after all.” Mrs. Barrington turned to Aunt Louisa. “And if you’re worried, Louisa, please know that it’s just going to be Harry and me this year, along with Booth. We’d welcome doubling the size of our party. I do hate cooking such a feast for three.”

  “But what about Effie and her family?” Hestia knew that Aunt Louisa referred to Booth’s sister.

  “It’s their turn to be with her husband’s family this year. So you see, Selene’s condition won’t be out to any more people than already know about her.”

  “That’s not the case with Artie’s party, or Judith’s, either.” Hestia hoped such arguments would work with her reluctant aunt.

  “Artie and Judith?” Mrs. Barrington asked.

  “We got three invitations this year.” Aunt Louisa crossed her arms. “Seems Selene is quite popular.”

  “I can’t believe it, either,” Selene admitted. “It’s almost as good as being home.”

  Mrs. Barrington chuckled. “I’m glad we can make you feel welcome. So is it settled, then?”

  Aunt Louisa hesitated. “Well…”

  “Oh, please, Auntie?” Selene clasped her hands.

  “I’d like to go, too,” Hestia added, thinking of Booth. “I’ll be glad to bake a pie to bring, and a macaroni-and-cheese casserole. Or rolls.”

  “You don’t need to bring anything. Just bring yourselves.”

  “Oh, but I insist.”

  “In that case, macaroni and cheese would be a wonderful addition, as that’s one dish I hadn’t planned to bake.”

  Aunt Louisa opened her mouth to protest, but Mrs. Barrington inte
rrupted. “And you know, Louisa, I never would have come over here myself to invite you if I didn’t mean it.”

  Her aunt let out a labored sigh. “Oh, all right. I can see I’ll have no peace until I relent. Betty, the girls and I will come.”

  Selene and Hestia rushed to their aunt and hugged her. Mrs. Barrington smiled with more feeling than Hestia had ever seen.

  “That’s enough, girls.” Aunt Louisa, never being demonstrative, pushed them away with a gentle motion. “If I don’t get back in the kitchen, we won’t be eating until breakfast tomorrow.”

  They bid Mrs. Barrington farewell, with thanks. After the door shut behind their guest, Hestia moved to help Aunt Louisa, but Selene held her back in the parlor. “Seems getting me out of the house is quite a production.”

  “Aunt Louisa’s trying to protect you, that’s all.”

  “She’ll always be a Mrs. Grundy.” Selene pouted. “If this is what it’s like to be expecting, what must it be like to be a mother?”

  “You’d have even more responsibility, I can assure you.” Hestia recalled anxious parents bringing their children to her father’s office. “But don’t let this scare you. When the time is right and you have a husband who loves you, you’ll find a baby a blessing.” Hestia couldn’t help but indulge in a daydream. She imagined herself as a mother, with little blond tykes running afoot and a talcum-scented baby in her arms. Her husband would walk through the door, wanting dinner after a hard day’s work. The husband she pictured materialized as Booth. Embarrassed by how easily she allowed him to fit into the scenario, she forced the thought out of her mind.

  “I hope my cousin will take good care of the baby.” Selene rubbed her midsection.

  “She will.” Hestia recalled a time she had helped her father bring down a little girl’s fever. She prayed at the girl’s bedside, watching the poor motherless thing writhe and moan while the father, strapped for pennies, went to his work. When the fever broke, the little girl came alive, cheerful as spring sunshine. That moment led her to want a career in medicine. She had no idea her family would object or that her own doubts, along with love for a man, might get in the way.