Chapter 21 #2
She set the pot of ink on the bedside table and twirled the pen, catching the last rays of the fading light outside in its faceted surface. It shone beautifully, casting a little rainbow of colors on the wall, broken up by the white swirls.
The more she admired the pen, the more plans started to turn in her head.
Themed spelling days, when she could teach young children different words relating to that theme.
It would be a fun way to keep children interested in what she had to teach, getting them to engage more with what was happening in the class.
She smiled, setting the pen down with the ink, smoothing a strand of hair back from her face when it fell forward. As she pulled her blanket up, nestling deeper underneath it, she was hit with another wave of exhaustion.
“I think I might sleep for a bit longer,” Cressida said, yawning and shifting lower in the bed. “I think you might be right about me still needing my rest.”
Ronan grinned and shook his head. “I might know a thing or two about being sick. If there’s anything you need, just shout. I’ll be here until you’re better.”
“You don’t have to do that. I know you have your own life you need to get back to as well.”
“I’ll be here,” he said firmly, taking her hand for a moment and giving it a squeeze, his gaze locked on hers.
She felt a little shy as she kept her eyes on him, her breathing shallowing out just a little. Her heart raced as he brushed his thumb over her knuckles, his own breath hitching slightly when she squeezed back.
“Sleep well,” he said, leaving the room and shutting the door behind him.
Though Cressida’s eyes closed, she couldn’t sleep. Not right away, at least. There were still too many thoughts racing through her mind, but finally she settled on the warmth and what seemed like affection in Ronan’s eyes, and it lulled her to sleep.
***
Warm sunlight bathed Cressida’s face, slowly waking her up as the sun crept over the horizon, pale pinks and oranges painting themselves in fluid flourishes across the sky.
The tea seemed to have done its job as she rested because when she sat up to look outside, her head didn’t spin, and it didn’t feel like lifting anvils just to raise her hand and shove the window open wider.
Cressida breathed in a deep breath of air, letting out a deep sigh and closing her eyes. She hadn’t realized how poorly she felt yesterday until waking up and being able to move without a bone-deep ache in her body.
She stood out of bed, taking her time to get clean, leaving her room with Diver on his heels, his ears flopping with each step he took as he followed her down the hall.
The house was dark and quiet. Etta still had to be asleep.
It was good for her. She likely spent most of the night worrying.
Cressida knew she would have if their positions yesterday had been reversed.
As soon as she opened the back door, stepping out to follow the path to the privy, Diver took off running through the dewy grass, his too-large paws nearly tripping him up as he yipped and went to do his business while Cressida relieved herself.
When she and Diver walked back to the house, he ran in front of her, his tail whipping around as he pounced at butterflies that flew by, missing them as his little teeth snapped.
Cressida laughed and whistled to him, patting her thigh. He came running straight over to her, sitting at her feet, his head tilting to the side slightly. His tail kept whipping back and forth, his entire backend moving with the force of it.
She crouched in front of him, scratching his cheeks. “Oh, you’re such a good boy, aren’t you?”
His tongue lolled out of the side of his mouth.
“What do you say we go get something to eat?” Cressida said, opening the back door and stepping inside. She went to clean up, scrubbing her face and hands, stopping in front of her dresses and picking out a pale blue one. She slipped it on, her fingers trembling slightly with the button.
It was the first time she had dressed herself for the sake of hoping to catch a man’s eye since her husband died.
It felt odd, in a way, but there was something thrilling about it as well.
Something that told her she was finally ready to move on from the death and the grief and step into something lighter and happier, something that would bring her peace and happiness.
Once she was dressed, she got some food for Diver, putting it on a plate and setting it on the floor. He dug in right away, his tail wagging the entire time as he ate.
Cressida moved around the kitchen slowly, still a little tired, getting a pot of coffee on. As she took out a pan and started cooking some bacon and eggs, Etta stepped into the kitchen, wiping the sleep from her eyes and yawning.
She stopped in her tracks when she saw Cressida. “You should still be in bed resting. I can handle this.”
“I know you can, and I’m sure you did great yesterday, but I want to do this.” Cressida put the bacon into the pan first, wanting to use the fat from it to grease the pan for the eggs.
“Well, you’re going to have to make more than that. Ronan went to sleep in the barn for the night, but he’s going to be back here once he’s done taking care of the animals for the day so he can check on you.”
Cressida’s body warmed as she stirred the bacon, adding some more slices to the pan so Ronan could have a good breakfast, too. “I hope you told him that he doesn’t have to.”
“I could’ve told him that until I ran out of air in my lungs, but the man cares for you and won’t be moved.
” Etta sat down at the kitchen table, yawning.
“If I didn’t know better, I would think that he was entirely in love with you, and it was only going to be a matter of time until you tell me that you’re engaged. ”
“Etta!” Cressida poured herself a cup of coffee and sipped it. “We’re not engaged, and he’s not in love with me.”
“Don’t lie.” Etta gave her a flat look as Cressida poured another two mugs of coffee.
“You cannot tell me that you haven’t seen the way he looks at you, and I know about the gift as well.
He showed me when he brought the notebook back from the store.
If that man doesn’t tell you that he’s in love with you soon, then I’m going to declare myself as the worst judge of character ever. ”
“I’m not lying,” Cressida flipped the bacon, the salty scent filling the air as the fat popped and sizzled.
“But I don’t know what’s going to happen.
We’re both busy people who have our own lives to live, and I’m sure that once he gets to know more people in town, his interest in me is going to fade. ”
Etta scoffed and shook her head. ‘You’re a fool if you think that, and there’s one thing you’ve never been, Cressida, and that’s a fool. You know as well as I do that there’s not going to be another to capture his attention.”
“Have you seen Tobin recently?” Cressida asked, pulling out a chair and sitting down.
“He came over yesterday to help with a section of fencing since it was a little loose. We had some lemonade, and then he was on his way.” Etta crossed her arms, arching an eyebrow.
“But we’re not talking about me and my life right now.
We’re talking about yours since you don’t normally tell me all the things going on in your world. ”
“There are seldom things going on in my world.” Cressida reached down to rub Diver’s head as he put it in her lap.
“Well, if I’m right and I think I am, we’re going to be planning a wedding before you know it.
” Etta lit up. “Oh, when Tobin was by, he mentioned that the town is starting to put up the posters for a festival! Elections are right around the corner, and it looks like Conrad is trying to win people over with food and music and speeches. I’m sure at least half the town is going to attend. ”
“Well, that will be…exhausting, honestly,” Cressida said with a laugh.
Etta rolled her eyes. “Come on, we have to go. We never go to any of the town events, and this could be our chance to go to town and have some fun with everyone else.”
“I’ll think about it,” Cressida said, getting up and going to check on breakfast once more. “But if you want to go, I’d be happy to get the buggy ready for you so you can ride to town.”
Squealing, Etta got up and made her way around the table, hugging Cressida tight. “Does this mean you’re finally ready to stop treating me like a child?”
“I can’t make a promise that I’m not going to be a little overprotective at times, but I can see how I might have been sheltering you a little too much.”
“Might have?” Etta said with a teasing laugh. “I appreciate it, though. And you should think about coming. It might be fun.”
“It could be.”
As she continued to make breakfast, she thought about going to the festival. It would be long and loud, and Conrad would be parading around like the belle of the ball, sure to try and win everyone over.
But there was a part of her that wanted to go too. It could be fun. It could be part of that life she was still missing, the one she thought she might be getting back to.
And Ronan might be there…