Fairchild's 7 Daughters-The 12: Book One

37. Magic of a Fairytale

The sisters kept it a secret that they planned to leave, but little by little they packed. Jethro sensed a change in Selene as she read to him with apprehension and though she wanted to confide her fears in him she had made a promise to Miriam and chose to keep it.

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Taitiann held her hat on her head a she hurried after Heloise to the post office. She had misplaced her hatpin and now fought against the winds not to lose her boater. As they entered the post office she sighed relief to be out of the wind and readjusted her clothes.

Heloise waited anxiously for her sister to finish making herself look presentable. She clutched the letter in her hand and jumped up in down in one spot. "Come on, Taitiann!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Taitiann said continuing into the post office. A woman had just finished at the counter as they walked up. "One stamp please."

The postmaster took her money then gave her the stamp which Heloise put on the envelope. "This is for my papa!" She boldly declared to which the postmaster gave a dry smile. She handed over the letter then skipped out of the post office.

As the two were coming out, Jessop road up in his surrey with Jethro and parked it just outside.

Heloise and Taitiann curtsied as he dismounted and rounded the horse.

"If you two are on your way back to the house, I'll be happy to give you a ride. I just need to pick up my mail."

Taitiann and Heloise obliged and climbed into the back of the door-less carriage. "Good morning, Young Mr. St. Cloud!" Heloise said.

"Good morning, Heloise," Jethro replied. "Is that Taitiann with you?"

"It is I," Taitiann said tugging at her gloves. "Sure is a windy day."

"Just wait until the tornados start," Jethro said. "They can rip through whole areas and leave nothing standing."

"Is that like a hurricane?" Heloise asked.

"Not exactly," Jethro said. "Hurricanes are like a gathering of storms while a tornado is more like the wind at its greatest fury."

"I would hate to be caught in something like that," Heloise said.

"Amen," Taitiann said. "I'd rather suffer a hurricane it would seem."

Jessop came out the post office flipping through his mail. He stuffed an envelope in his pocket then stopped along the side of the surrey and handed a magazine up to Taitiann. "For you and your sister Selene."

Taitiann held the copy of Ladies Home Journal in her hands and starred down at the rabbit looking back at her. She looked at Heloise who was watching Jessop climb up into the surrey. "Thank you, sir" she said, remembering her manners.

Jessop flipped the reins and started the horse back towards home. As they rode along Jethro asked her to read a short story and Taitiann turned to page seven and began reading the second installment of Land of Joy.

As her sister read Heloise imagined what she would define as the land of joy. The scenery, touched with the wind brush, passed before her as the horse moved away from the town and towards the more distant residences. Closing her eyes made imagining a lot easier, as images came pouring out from her heart.

She saw her grandparents sitting on the porch of Fairchild Place in rocking chairs. He grandpa was singing a spiritual while her grandmother did needle work. Astrid was sitting on the porch steps trying to learn the craft. Her tasting fruit from a lovely tree she had grown all her own, while Hannah chased the chickens around the yard. She and Alifair were sitting astride on the swing plank with their backs together pretending it was a horse and lo, up the road came her father singing gaily with his three eldest children who had grown into fine southern ladies.