reminded herself, so many things reminded her of her son and would, she supposed, for a very long time to come.
Blinking back a swell of tears, Abby squared her shoulders and headed for the stove. Commandeering the simmering teapot, she moved it to a hotter spot beside the pot of leftover stew she was rewarming for lunch. Walking back to the cupboard, she took down a small, red lacquered wooden tray she had discovered just that morning, added the two mugs, a bowl of sugar, a jar of tealeaves, a silver tea strainer, two spoons, and two blueand white-checkered cloth napkins.
“I’m sorry there’s none of your delicious apple pie left, ” Abby said, as she carried the tray back to the table. “What little we had Beth finished off just a little while ago.” She shook her head in amazement. “For such a little girl, she certainly has an enormous appetite.”
Ella shifted Mary to the other side of her lap. “I sometimes think she tries to fill that lovesick hole inside her with food.” She hesitated before going on. “I saw the look you gave Devlin Jr. just now, Abby. If it’s too difficult for you to be around him, I won’t bring him anymore.”
“No, no.” Abby managed a wan smile. “I’ve got to get over it sooner or later. After all”—she forced a laugh—“I don’t want to be known as ‘Old Lady Stanton who can’t have children visit.’”
Ella laughed. “I don’t think you’ve got much to worry about, Abby. You don’t strike me as a woman who runs away from things.”
“On the contrary.” She set the tray on the table and began laying out the napkins, silverware, and sugar bowl. “That’s exactly what I had hoped this position would be. A place to get away from everything, until I could sort out my life.”
“And exactly how long did it take you to discard that foolish flight of fancy?” Ella asked with an impish grin. “The first time you talked to Conor or Beth?”
Abby’s smile faded. “Actually, I haven’t discarded that plan, Ella. It’s just getting harder to convince myself that I can manage it. The running away, I mean.”
Even as the words left her mouth, Abby wished she could’ve called them back. If the sudden, heavy silence that settled between them wasn’t confirmation enough of her tactless mistake, the shocked expression on Ella’s face most certainly was. This time, however, the shrill whistle of steam escaping the teapot provided Abby with a convenient excuse to busy herself. “Excuse me.” She hurried to retrieve the teapot.
In silence Abby filled the tea strainer with tealeaves, placed it over Ella’s mug, and carefully poured the boiling water over the leaves. Once Ella’s mug was full, she repeated the procedure for her own mug. At long last, though, Abby ran out of excuses to avoid her guest’s now concerned, if compassionate scrutiny.
“You’re the first decent woman Conor has hired, ” Ella finally said, “and now you’re telling me this job means nothing to you? That you intend to waltz in and out of their lives without a by-your-leave?”
Abby flushed. She gripped her mug between both hands, staring down into its amber depths. “It seemed like the best thing for me at the time. When I first considered the position, I mean.” She lifted an agonized gaze. “It was mean and selfish, I know, but I just wanted …” Tears clogged her throat and, for a long moment, Abby couldn’t speak. “I wanted to be left alone, with no emotional demands placed on me.
“I couldn’t do that in Colorado Springs. There were too many memories. And my sister-in-law, Nelly Burgess, just won’t let me be. She means well, mind you, but …”
With a soft sound of sympathy, Ella reached over and took Abby’s hand. Crushed now between the table and her mother’s bosom, Baby Mary squirmed and grumbled until Ella finally leaned back. “Maybe it’s for the best that you are here, ” she said, never breaking her gaze. “Maybe it’s meant to be, that you
Blinking back a swell of tears, Abby squared her shoulders and headed for the stove. Commandeering the simmering teapot, she moved it to a hotter spot beside the pot of leftover stew she was rewarming for lunch. Walking back to the cupboard, she took down a small, red lacquered wooden tray she had discovered just that morning, added the two mugs, a bowl of sugar, a jar of tealeaves, a silver tea strainer, two spoons, and two blueand white-checkered cloth napkins.
“I’m sorry there’s none of your delicious apple pie left, ” Abby said, as she carried the tray back to the table. “What little we had Beth finished off just a little while ago.” She shook her head in amazement. “For such a little girl, she certainly has an enormous appetite.”
Ella shifted Mary to the other side of her lap. “I sometimes think she tries to fill that lovesick hole inside her with food.” She hesitated before going on. “I saw the look you gave Devlin Jr. just now, Abby. If it’s too difficult for you to be around him, I won’t bring him anymore.”
“No, no.” Abby managed a wan smile. “I’ve got to get over it sooner or later. After all”—she forced a laugh—“I don’t want to be known as ‘Old Lady Stanton who can’t have children visit.’”
Ella laughed. “I don’t think you’ve got much to worry about, Abby. You don’t strike me as a woman who runs away from things.”
“On the contrary.” She set the tray on the table and began laying out the napkins, silverware, and sugar bowl. “That’s exactly what I had hoped this position would be. A place to get away from everything, until I could sort out my life.”
“And exactly how long did it take you to discard that foolish flight of fancy?” Ella asked with an impish grin. “The first time you talked to Conor or Beth?”
Abby’s smile faded. “Actually, I haven’t discarded that plan, Ella. It’s just getting harder to convince myself that I can manage it. The running away, I mean.”
Even as the words left her mouth, Abby wished she could’ve called them back. If the sudden, heavy silence that settled between them wasn’t confirmation enough of her tactless mistake, the shocked expression on Ella’s face most certainly was. This time, however, the shrill whistle of steam escaping the teapot provided Abby with a convenient excuse to busy herself. “Excuse me.” She hurried to retrieve the teapot.
In silence Abby filled the tea strainer with tealeaves, placed it over Ella’s mug, and carefully poured the boiling water over the leaves. Once Ella’s mug was full, she repeated the procedure for her own mug. At long last, though, Abby ran out of excuses to avoid her guest’s now concerned, if compassionate scrutiny.
“You’re the first decent woman Conor has hired, ” Ella finally said, “and now you’re telling me this job means nothing to you? That you intend to waltz in and out of their lives without a by-your-leave?”
Abby flushed. She gripped her mug between both hands, staring down into its amber depths. “It seemed like the best thing for me at the time. When I first considered the position, I mean.” She lifted an agonized gaze. “It was mean and selfish, I know, but I just wanted …” Tears clogged her throat and, for a long moment, Abby couldn’t speak. “I wanted to be left alone, with no emotional demands placed on me.
“I couldn’t do that in Colorado Springs. There were too many memories. And my sister-in-law, Nelly Burgess, just won’t let me be. She means well, mind you, but …”
With a soft sound of sympathy, Ella reached over and took Abby’s hand. Crushed now between the table and her mother’s bosom, Baby Mary squirmed and grumbled until Ella finally leaned back. “Maybe it’s for the best that you are here, ” she said, never breaking her gaze. “Maybe it’s meant to be, that you
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