His Two Miracles | Thomas Barrow

Chapter 35

When morning finally came, he was relieved to find that the worst of the storm had passed, but he knew that the damage had been done. As he made his way downstairs, he heard the sounds of chaos emanating from the kitchen.

"What on earth is going on in here?" he asked, surveying the scene of mops, buckets, and soggy towels.

"It's a bloody mess, that's what it is," grumbled Mrs. Patmore, the head cook. "Water's everywhere, and half the pantry's flooded. We're going to need all the help we can get to clean this up."

Thomas nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. He knew that he couldn't leave the other servants to deal with the aftermath of the storm alone, especially not with a young baby to care for. "I'll help," he said.

Over the next few hours, Thomas worked tirelessly alongside the other servants to mop up the water and salvage what they could. As they worked, he couldn't help but think of Ellie, wondering how she was faring upstairs without him. 

After doing that task he knew it would be best to check the other rooms, "I'll take care of the drawing-room," he said, rolling up his sleeves. "It's the least I can do."

Mrs. Hughes, the housekeeper, looked at him with surprise. "Are you sure, Thomas? You have a baby to take care of."

Thomas smiled. "I can manage, Mrs. Hughes. Besides, there is work to be done."

With that, he set to work, mopping up the water and moving furniture around to make sure everything was properly cleaned. His mind wandered to Ellie once again, and he couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt for leaving her but he knew she would be safe and fast asleep in her cot.

As the morning wore on, Thomas found himself working alongside the other servants more and more. He joked with Daisy, as they scrubbed the floors and laughed. 

~

Before long Thomas found himself missing Ellie and made his way to his room, he got there within minutes and when he opened the door and found he had gotten there just in time as she was starting to wake and whimper as she realised that she wasn't close to her father and her tiny arms and legs began to move as she became restless.

Reaching into the cot and gently picking her up, he holds her close to his chest holding her upright as he pats her back in the hope that it would soothe her being close to him once again.

"Hi my darling, it's okay I'm here. I'm here now.", he told her with his voice nothing but a whisper.

He knew he had to go back and help clean up but he didn't want to leave his daughter alone for any longer than she needed to be, spotting a large blanket in the corner of the room Thomas had an idea.

Placing Ellie back down for a moment he moved over a few steps to grab the blanket and before long he had Ellie nestled in a sling against his chest.

Upon arriving at the other flooded rooms, Thomas was greeted by Mrs. Hughes, the housekeeper. "Oh, Thomas, bless your heart," she said, noticing the baby in his arms. "Are you sure you want to help us with all of this?"

Thomas smiled. "I've already helped with a couple of the other room that were flooded and I couldn't just sit by and do nothing, Mrs. Hughes. Besides, Ellie and I could use the exercise," he joked, gently patting his daughter's back.

As he helped with the cleaning, Thomas couldn't help but marvel at how much Ellie had grown in just three months. He sang softly to Ellie as he worked, hoping to help keep her calm.

Despite the chaos around her, Ellie seemed to be at peace in her makeshift sling. She gurgled happily as she listened to her father's voice.

As the morning wore on, Thomas began to feel the strain of carrying Ellie around for so long. But he refused to put her down. He had to keep her close to him.

Finally, the cleaning was done, and the damage had been contained. Thomas breathed a sigh of relief and looked down at Ellie. She was fast asleep, still curled up against his chest. He felt a surge of love for her and knew that no matter what challenges lay ahead, he would always be there for her.