Chapter 3
After breakfast the following
morning, Belle left on Esther, the Clydesdale. Lillian and Danielle watched
anxiously.
“I’ll go
follow her,” Cassandra said running towards the barn.
“No. Don’t
go; it won’t do any good,” Lillian watched Belle disappear and walked back into
the house.
“Let’s go
help Paul,” Danielle said to Cassandra.
“What is
wrong with Belle?” Cassandra asked as they mounted Ruth and
trotted in the woods.
“She doesn’t
want us to live here with the O’Neals.”
“But they’re
really nice and so loving! Why wouldn’t she want the younger ones to grow up
remembering this instead of a childhood with no parents?” Cassandra looked
confused.
“I just
don’t know. She feels like we’re forgetting Mama and Papa.” Danielle
shrugged.
“That’s
silly. We’ll never forget Mama and Papa. It’s not like we’ve completely
replaced them. The O’Neals are simply giving us a home. They aren’t trying to
force their way into our lives.”
“I know,”
Danielle shook her head. “That’s what I tried to tell her.”
“I’ll have to speak with her,”
Cassandra muttered.
~~~
That evening, Lillian prepared
supper with Cassandra while the others finished homework. Belle was helping the
girls with their homework and Danielle was feeding the animals with Paul.
“Supper’s
ready!” Lillian called, setting the last plate on the table. Eight girls sat
down at the table and Danielle and Paul went to wash their hands.
“Where’s
Belle?” Lillian asked sitting down at her seat.
Elsie and
Faith glanced at each other.
“Well…”
Elsie began slowly; stretching out the word.
“She isn’t
coming.” Faith finished quickly.
Paul and
Danielle walked in and sat down.
Paul eyed
the empty chair, “Where’s Belle?”
“She’s not
coming,” Hannah spoke up.
“I’ll go
find her,” Lillian said. “You can start without me.” She stood up and headed
for the loft.
“Well then,
Jinger, please pray for the food,” Paul instructed, bowing his head.
Jinger
prayed for the food and began passing the plates around.
Danielle
ladled a spoonful of stew into her bowl while glancing up at the loft. She
could see Lillian and Belle sitting on the bed together, conversing.
“Danielle,”
Cassandra said. “Here.” She passed a basket of bread to her sister.
Danielle
took a slice of bread from the basket and passed it on. She took a bite of the
fluffy wheat bread and looked back at the loft. She saw Belle shake her head
and Lillian make a sweeping gesture with her arm.
“How was
work today?” Faith asked Danielle.
Danielle
reluctantly looked away from the loft and at her sister. “It was fine...Paul
chopped down two more trees and we trimmed the branches off.” Danielle ate some
of her stew and looked back at the loft. Lillian was gone.
Where
did she…?
Lillian suddenly appeared in the
living room. In her hand was a valise and she was wearing her coat. She marched
to the front door and grabbed her shawl.
Paul looked
up from his food. ”Where are you going?”
“Away.”
Lillian grabbed her bonnet and opened the door.
Danielle
stood up and stared at Lillian.
“Lillian?”
Paul called. The front door slammed. Paul rubbed his chin and dipped his
eyebrows. A few minutes later a loud whinny came from outside. Paul and
Danielle leaped up from the table. They ran outside to see Lillian sitting
astride Strawberry.
“Lillian,” Paul said in a warning
tone.
“Paul, I
need some time alone. I’ll be back tomorrow.” Lillian moved her light blue eyes
down on him. Her jaw was set and her entire face showed that she was dead serious.
“What
about Oakley?”
“You can
take care of him for a night.”
Paul sighed
loudly but Lillian ignored him and galloped off. Danielle slipped back inside
and ran up into the loft. She grabbed her own bag and began stuffing her
clothing inside the bag.
“What are
you doing?” Belle called from her place on the bed.
“Like you
care,” Danielle snapped.
“I’m your
sister,” Belle snapped back. “Of course I care.”
“What did
you say to Lillian?” Danielle stood up to her full height and stared down at
Belle.
Belle gazed
back at Danielle. “None of your business.”
“You…you…you
make me so mad!” Danielle let out a frustrated sigh and returned to her bag. “Lillian
just wants to help.”
“She’s
meddling where she isn’t wanted.”
“I want
her,” Danielle said in a small voice. “Ever since Mama died…I’ve felt like I
had no one to be there for me. Lillian is always there for me at the drop of a
hat. Paul is too…they care for me…for all of us. You’re pushing her away from
us! If you don’t stop it, I’ll never forgive you.” Danielle shut her bag and
rushed off downstairs. Before anyone could change her mind, Danielle saddled
Midnight and galloped down the road after Lillian.
~~~
Danielle
reached town and made some inquiries about Lillian’s whereabouts. A passerby
claimed to see Lillian stable a horse at the livery stables then she entered
the hotel. Danielle thanked the man and went to stable her own horse at the
livery. She grabbed her bag and walked inside the hotel.
The hotel
was the grandest place in Fairburn. It was tastefully decorated with ornate
curtains and tall art sculptures. A large oak-wood desk stood at the back of
the room. The manager stood behind the desk scribbling notes in a huge black
book. Danielle stepped up to the desk and tapped her finger on the silver bell.
A
resounding ding! echoed through the high-ceiling room. The
manager looked up at Danielle through wire-rimmed glasses. “Can I help you?”
“Yes, I’m
here for a room.”
“Ah, yes,
of course. Let me see what we have available.”
“Actually,”
Danielle spoke up, “I’ll be rooming with…my mother.”
“Your
mother? And who might that be?”
“Lillian O’Neal.
I think she came by here a half hour ago…”
The manager
glanced at the guest book. “Mrs. O’Neal, yes. Are you one of the orphan girls
she and Paul adopted?”
“Yes, sir.”
“She’s in
room 26.”
“Thank-you,”
Danielle picked up her bag and walked up the red-carpeted staircase. She
reached the second floor and wandered down the hallway until she found the
correct room. She raised her hand and rapped her knuckles against the door.
“Who is
it?” Lillian’s soft voice came through the wooden door.
“It’s me;
Danielle.”
Lillian
threw open the door. “Danielle!” she exclaimed, ushering Danielle inside. “What
are you doing here?”
“I
followed you. I was worried when you left.”
“I just
needed a moment by myself,” Lillian said, sitting down on the bed.
“I figured
that’s what you wanted. I know you had an argument with Belle, and I want to
talk to you about Belle.” Danielle dropped the small valise she held. Lillian
patted the bed beside her. Danielle changed into her nightgown and crawled into
bed beside Lillian.
“So, what
do you want to tell me?” Lillian asked, starting the conversation.
“Belle
told me last night that she thought you and Paul are ‘stealing us away from
Mama and Papa’.”
Lillian
arched a dark blonde eyebrow. “That’s what she thinks?”
“Yes.”
“I never
meant for her to think that way. Do you know why she feels that way?”
“I think I
do. She was always so close to Mama. When Mama died, she asked Belle and Albert
to watch over us. I think Belle has been our ‘mother’ for too long. I think she’s
afraid she can’t get used to being just a sister.”
“I think I
understand,” Lillian replied. “Maybe I should have a talk with her.”
“You
should.” The two fell silent for a few minutes. Danielle suddenly looked over
at Lillian. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Of course,”
Lillian answered, she tentatively slipped her arm around Danielle’s shoulders. “You
can ask me anything.”
For once,
Danielle didn’t resist Lillian’s touch. “Do you think of me as your daughter?”
Lillian
hesitated before answering. “Yes, I believe I’m beginning to see you as my own
daughter.”
Danielle’s
chocolate brow furrowed. “I’m not sure if I think of you as my mother. I enjoy
my life with you and Paul, but I’m forgetting about my old life and thinking
about Mama and Papa less and less. Is that a bad thing?”
“Well…you
must move on with your life, but don’t ever completely forget your parents.
They did so much for you. After my mother died…it was hard—very hard. When my
father remarried I didn’t want to accept Isabella as my new mother. After some
time, I learned to accept Isabella as my Mother but I never forgot my birth
mother, Caroline. I treasure the memories I have of her. But I don’t want to
force you to think of Paul and me as your parents. You don’t have to see us as
your parents.” Lillian turned to face Danielle.
“I don’t? You don’t mind?”
“No…you don’t have to. I understand
how difficult a situation you’re in. I want to be your friend but I don’t have
to be your mother. Does that answer your question?”
“Yes,”
Danielle said. She smiled gratefully at Lillian.
“We’ll
leave tomorrow morning; bright and early. Why don’t you go and get some sleep?”
Danielle
turned over and sighed. ”That’s a good idea.”
Chapter Four
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