Letters and Love

Chapter Five: Elizabeth

If I had known how my friend would behave once she knew my secret, I might have hesitated to even tell her at all. My friend never holds back when something catches her interest. And while it was nice to have her support, it was a bit overwhelming as well!

She wheedled me until I told her what I had written to Mr. Coleman and then made suggestions on what I could include in further letters to make them more personal. It seemed to be her personal mission to see me educated on anything I might need to know. To that end, she brought me Mrs. Elliot's Housewife, a recent volume on practical receipts on cookery.

I knew she meant well, but it was hard not to feel a little insulted by the gift. I knew how to cook. Over the years, I'd cooked often with my mother and she had taught me everything she knew. I was sure I knew how to cook, even if most of the time I'd had the help of my mother, sister, or a maid.

The book did have some interesting insights into preserving food, something that I admittedly had done little of. We'd always had a small garden in the back, but Mother had always handled preserving the vegetables. I thought I'd known what to do, but there was a lot contained in the book that I had never seen Mother do before. Simply different receipts or modern advancements?

So at least I was learning something, even if it didn't seem to have anything to do with farming. When I asked if Molly knew of a book on that subject, she informed me that she was still looking and I needed to be patient.

Mother seemed to be doing much better than she'd ever been all year. I credited that to the visits from our next door neighbors. After my conversation with Molly, I'd watched for her to come up the sidewalk. As soon as I saw her with her mother, I rushed down the stairs.

I was in time to hear Angelica say, "How sweet of you to come, but you really should have sent a message. Mother Garrison has been a little weak today. I'll be sure to tell her—"

"You came!" I exclaimed as I strode across the entryway. "Mother is going to be so pleased! She's been expecting you."

Angelica turned, her expression startled. "Elizabeth?"

"Molly and I made the appointment yesterday," I told her, standing next to her. I smiled at our neighbors. "Mother is very excited to have some company. She says she loves to have me with her but could use some different conversation."

"We'll keep an eye on her and if she grows too tired, we'll leave," Mrs. Parker said gently. She smiled at Angelica. "You are such a good daughter to her."

"Hmm? Oh. Well, thank you, I do my best," Angelica said, taking a step back. "If Elizabeth had warned me that you were coming, I would have been ready. I hope you won't be long?"

"I hope Mrs. Parker will have a nice long chat with Mother," I said, linking my arm with Molly's. We shared a conpsiratorial look. "After all, it has been too long since anyone has visited Mother. You wouldn't want anyone to think you're keeping people away from her."

Angelica gaped at us as we walked to the staircase. "Can you tell Sally to make us a coffee tray?" I asked over my shoulder. "If she is busy, I can come down and bring it up myself."

Should I have felt bad? Perhaps, but I couldn't even muster up a little remorse.

Mrs. Parker came nearly every day after that and Molly came with her. They brought conversation in the form of the latest gossip around town, which I hadn't been able to give. I was delighted to see the color returning to Mother's cheeks, even if she coughed more than ever.

I knew Angelica complained to my brother about how often our friends and neighbors visited without spending more than a few minutes with her. I knew because John told me how pleased he was that our friends had remembered Mother. I could have told him the part his wife had played in turning away visitors, but I was not that unkind.