Chapter 4
Athin, fretful cry pierced the darkness of the parsonage just after three in the morning.
Levi felt the heaviness of his body as bare feet hit the cold floorboards.
He crossed the room in three strides, his steps automatic, moving to the familiar rhythm of exhaustion.
When he reached the kitchen, he was met with lamplight instead of the usual darkness.
He paused in the doorway, brows furrowed at the scene before him.
His wife stood at the stove in her nightgown, her dark brown hair loose over one shoulder in a thick cascade. A bottle was warming in a pan of water. She pulled it out and tested the temperature against the inside of her wrist. It was as if she had done it a thousand times.
Without a word, she turned and reached for Nora.
Levi handed the child over without thinking, too stunned to protest. Nora’s small fist immediately clutched Eleanor’s braid, tugging hard.
The crying stopped almost at once as Eleanor settled at the kitchen table, tucking the baby securely against the crook of her arm.
Levi lowered himself into the chair across from her. The lamp burned low between them, casting warm light and deep shadows across the wooden table. He watched as Eleanor offered the bottle to his daughter. For once, Nora latched on greedily, making soft, contented sounds.
To his surprise, Eleanor began to hum, low and gentle under her breath. The melody sounded French, soft and lilting, something he had never heard before. The sound wrapped around the quiet kitchen.
Levi cleared his throat softly. “How…?” He did not quite know how to ask the question.
Eleanor kept her eyes on the little girl.
“My mother was a midwife,” she explained.
“I learned to care for children from her. I don’t have any children of my own.
” Her voice hitched, betraying more than she likely intended.
For a brief moment, an indecipherable emotion moved across her face.
Pain, perhaps? Or maybe regret? But it was smoothed away before he could study it further.
She went back to humming once the bottle was finished, her hand now moving in small, soothing circles on Nora’s back.
Levi could not look away. The lamplight caught the curve of her cheek and danced along the loose strands of hair that fell over her shoulders.
A dangerous warmth stirred in his chest. It was a feeling he had not experienced in eighteen long months, and he had told himself he would never feel it again with another woman.
He looked away quickly, clenching his fists under the table’s edge.
When Nora fell asleep, Louisa carried her back to the cradle while Levi banked the fire. Neither spoke of the moment that had passed between them.
Later that morning, the front door opened with its familiar creak. Grace stepped inside, a basket over her arm, the scent of fresh bread wafting ahead of her.
Levi looked up from the table where he had been making notes for Sunday’s sermon.
Grace set the basket down and crossed the room without hesitation. She took both of Eleanor’s hands in her own, her expression warm and open. “Louisa, I am so glad you are here. Truly, it is a blessing.”
She drew Eleanor to the table and sat across from her, questions flowing freely.
“How was the journey from Philadelphia? The stage from Corinee can be terribly rough this time of year. Did you manage to eat properly along the way? You must be half-starved after all those miles and subject to Levi’s cooking. ”
Eleanor answered with quiet politeness, her hands never leaving Nora, who rested contentedly in Eleanor's lap. Grace watched the young woman cradle the child, and her face softened with visible relief.
“Nora hasn’t taken to anyone this quickly before,” Grace said gently. “And I haven’t heard a peep out of her. She’s usually so fussy in the mornings.”
Levi noticed Eleanor’s arms tighten around the little girl in a protective gesture that spoke volumes about her intentions as a caretaker.
The pastor felt his own wave of relief, grateful that, at the very least, Nora would have a capable woman to care for her on a more permanent basis than Grace could offer.
When the bread was gone and Grace finally rose to leave, Levi walked her out onto the porch steps. The morning air carried the scents of pine and damp earth. Grace paused, pulling her shawl closer, and spoke in a low voice.
“That girl knows what she is doing with that child, Levi. So, please, for the love of all that is holy, let her do it. Don’t hold everything so close to yourself that she cannot let herself in. Nora needs this. And I suspect you do too.”
Levi did not answer her. He could only watch as she walked down the path toward town, her words settling over him.
He turned back toward the house, where Eleanor sat with his daughter in her arms. He paused at the door, rubbing the back of his neck.
He breathed out slowly before finally stepping inside.