EVER A LADY
For my family,
May the lord bless you.
Chapter one
.........If I had three wishes, the first thing I'd wish for his to be happy, I want that desperately and as for the remaining two wishes...well...it just doesn't matter...
-26th of May, Rosella's journal
November 1799
Rosella Summers stared helplessly at the pale form of her mother on the bed and bit back a sob. Her mother was dying, and there was nothing she could do about it. Her mother, Mary had caught cholera two months ago, but there was not enough money to afford drugs from the physician when they could barely feed themselves. She smoothed away the once midnight blue hair now with strings of silver away from her mother's face. Her mother stirred, and Rosella grabbed the elixir from the stand to give to her mother. But her mother refused to take it.
"Mama, what's wrong? The doctor advised to take this".
"No darling" her mother rasped, her once melodious voice barely audible.
"I'm sorry I have to leave you like this". Her mother said referring to the tattered state of the little cottage they lived in.
"Mama, don't" Rosella said broken-heartedly.
"But Ro, I overheard father Gabriel say it was my time to go and meet the Lord", "listen to me Ro, I want you to take good care of your sister, I know life's going to be harder on you but you will pull through as you always do". Her mother coughed violently, closed her eyes. Rosella stared at her with growing panic until her eyes fluttered open. Her mother of thirty-three looked as if she had grown older than Methuselah. "Your father.." she said weakly. "Is alive, earl of Wrotham" of all the things Rosella had expected her mother to say, she never anticipated this.
"Mama, I thought papa was dead, you said he died in a storm". Rosella said faintly. She never really knew her father. When she had been two years old, she had gone to live with her aunt Miranda for eight years before her mother had come for her carrying a newborn baby.
"No, your father never died, always has been alive" another bout of coughing followed. Her mother was so white; she held her hand and tried to reassure her that everything would be all right. Then slowly, ever so slowly, the life went out of her. Rosella stared at her mother's lifeless form in shock, when she found her voice, her throat started to go tight. "Mama" she croaked. At that moment in her whole sixteen years, she felt so alone and so very helpless. She didn't cry then just rested her head on her knees.
A pair of reassuring hand came down on her shoulders to draw her out of the room. It was father Gabriel. "I'll take care of everything he said to the silent questions in her ocean green eyes.
She walked out of the cottage numbly, not feeling her legs. Her sister of six years raced towards her. Her sister. Her light. The best thing that had ever happened to her. Catherine. Rosella caught her sister in an embrace.
"What's wrong Ro? You don't look very happy. What of mama?" Rosella stiffened. "Mama won't be staying with us any longer" she chose her words very carefully.
"Why?" Catherine asked. " She has gone to meet the Lord in heaven," Ro answered.
"Won't she be coming back?" Catherine persisted. "No, she won't" Rosella answered. Catherine must have sensed the tension and thought it wise not to ask more questions. "I am going to miss her," Catherine said barely audibly. "Me too" Rosella said sadly. "Me too".
Rosella took in the poor quality of her sister and vowed that her joyful spirited sister will not suffer. Even if she had to work till her hands were sore. Her sister will be happy and will not lack. Even if it was with her last breath she had to see this done.
