Sarah, but she couldn't raise the energy. The kitchen was overly warm from using the oven all afternoon, and the air was sweet with the mingled smells of pies, bread, and cookies. Julia leaned back against her chair drowsily.
"Julia." Julia jerked out of her doze at the sound of Sarah's voice. She looked up to see Sarah standing over her.
"I'm sorry, I must have slipped off." Julia straightened, glancing around her The children were no longer there, and the table was cleared. When had Sarah done that? "You should have awakened me earlier. I should have helped you..."
"Don't be silly You're dead on your feet."
Now the questions would start, Julia thought. Sarah would want to know why Julia was here, what had happened to make her walk all the way from Gideon, and how long they would stay. It was perfectly reasonable to have questions when a sister-in-law you hardly knew dropped in on you out of the blue. But Julia dreaded revealing her whole pitiful, embarrassing story, especially to a woman like Sarah McGowan, who had never known hunger or want. Julia wet her lips and tried to prepare herself to answer Sarah's questions.
But Sarah didn't ask one. She said only. "I fixed up a room for you and another one for Vance. I'm putting Bonnie in with Emily I sent the kids upstairs to wash up and take a nap. 1 thought you might like to do the same."
Julia stared at her, surprised, then slowly a smile of breathtaking sweetness crept across her face, transforming it from careworn to almost pretty. "Thank you. Yes, I'd like that."
Julia followed Sarah up the stairs, her hand sliding over the smooth walnut banister. The wood gleamed. The whole house gleamed. Julia had never been inside a house this spacious and pleasant. They walked down the hall past a room where the girls were already curled up in a four-poster bed. White eyelet-embroidered curtains hung at the windows, matching the duster and coverlet of the bed. The door of the next room also stood open, revealing a sturdy pine bed, chest, and washstand. Vance sat on the bed, just looking around him. Julia understood how he felt. When Sarah opened the door to what was to be Julia's room, her reaction was much the same.
Julia walked into the guest room and looked around her. When Sarah quietly left, closing the door behind her, Julia moved to the windows and looked out. Her room faced the front of the house. For a long moment, she gazed at the white and pink blossoms of the fruit trees moving a little in the breeze. Then she turned back to the room. The bed was oak, and it was covered with a colorful quilt in a Texas star design. A braided rug lay on the floor beside the bed.
Julia went to the washstand. A white stoneware pitcher and bowl stood on it, with a plain white towel and washcloth hanging on the rack. Julia poured water into the bowl and washed her face and hands. It felt so good and the soap smelled so delicious that she skinned out of her clothes to wash all over. It was glorious to be rid of the dust. She only wished she could have taken down her hair and washed it, too, but there wasn't enough water in the pitcher. Besides, she was far too tired.
Sarah had laid out one of her own white cotton nightgowns on the bed. Julia put it on and slipped into bed. It was unbelievably soft after two nights of sleeping on the ground, and it smelled faintly of lavender. Julia snuggled down into the feathery comfort. How lovely it was here. How kind Sarah was. Tears gathered in her eyes and seeped out beneath her lids even as she drifted off to sleep.
❧
Downstairs, Sarah hummed softly to herself as she scrubbed the Irish potatoes and rubbed them with bacon drippings, then stuck them into the hot oven to bake. She grinned a small, secret smile, thinking of how Luke's face would look when he saw Julia. He would be so happy! Sarah knew how much Luke loved his sister and how much he had regretted her marriage to Will Dobson and the separation between them.
Sarah thought about
"Julia." Julia jerked out of her doze at the sound of Sarah's voice. She looked up to see Sarah standing over her.
"I'm sorry, I must have slipped off." Julia straightened, glancing around her The children were no longer there, and the table was cleared. When had Sarah done that? "You should have awakened me earlier. I should have helped you..."
"Don't be silly You're dead on your feet."
Now the questions would start, Julia thought. Sarah would want to know why Julia was here, what had happened to make her walk all the way from Gideon, and how long they would stay. It was perfectly reasonable to have questions when a sister-in-law you hardly knew dropped in on you out of the blue. But Julia dreaded revealing her whole pitiful, embarrassing story, especially to a woman like Sarah McGowan, who had never known hunger or want. Julia wet her lips and tried to prepare herself to answer Sarah's questions.
But Sarah didn't ask one. She said only. "I fixed up a room for you and another one for Vance. I'm putting Bonnie in with Emily I sent the kids upstairs to wash up and take a nap. 1 thought you might like to do the same."
Julia stared at her, surprised, then slowly a smile of breathtaking sweetness crept across her face, transforming it from careworn to almost pretty. "Thank you. Yes, I'd like that."
Julia followed Sarah up the stairs, her hand sliding over the smooth walnut banister. The wood gleamed. The whole house gleamed. Julia had never been inside a house this spacious and pleasant. They walked down the hall past a room where the girls were already curled up in a four-poster bed. White eyelet-embroidered curtains hung at the windows, matching the duster and coverlet of the bed. The door of the next room also stood open, revealing a sturdy pine bed, chest, and washstand. Vance sat on the bed, just looking around him. Julia understood how he felt. When Sarah opened the door to what was to be Julia's room, her reaction was much the same.
Julia walked into the guest room and looked around her. When Sarah quietly left, closing the door behind her, Julia moved to the windows and looked out. Her room faced the front of the house. For a long moment, she gazed at the white and pink blossoms of the fruit trees moving a little in the breeze. Then she turned back to the room. The bed was oak, and it was covered with a colorful quilt in a Texas star design. A braided rug lay on the floor beside the bed.
Julia went to the washstand. A white stoneware pitcher and bowl stood on it, with a plain white towel and washcloth hanging on the rack. Julia poured water into the bowl and washed her face and hands. It felt so good and the soap smelled so delicious that she skinned out of her clothes to wash all over. It was glorious to be rid of the dust. She only wished she could have taken down her hair and washed it, too, but there wasn't enough water in the pitcher. Besides, she was far too tired.
Sarah had laid out one of her own white cotton nightgowns on the bed. Julia put it on and slipped into bed. It was unbelievably soft after two nights of sleeping on the ground, and it smelled faintly of lavender. Julia snuggled down into the feathery comfort. How lovely it was here. How kind Sarah was. Tears gathered in her eyes and seeped out beneath her lids even as she drifted off to sleep.
❧
Downstairs, Sarah hummed softly to herself as she scrubbed the Irish potatoes and rubbed them with bacon drippings, then stuck them into the hot oven to bake. She grinned a small, secret smile, thinking of how Luke's face would look when he saw Julia. He would be so happy! Sarah knew how much Luke loved his sister and how much he had regretted her marriage to Will Dobson and the separation between them.
Sarah thought about
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