Remembrance by Spaeth Janet

Author:Spaeth, Janet
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2013-07-24T04:00:00+00:00

Seven

The days marched forward relentlessly, with no respite in sight. When Eliza did sleep, it was too lightly to be restorative. She spent most of the nights in a drowsy torpor, too anxious to sleep and too tired to rouse herself.

A tentative knock on the door startled Eliza. She sat up and stretched, every muscle in her back and neck screaming in protest. She must have finally fallen asleep at the window seat, her head cradled on her arm.

This had to end—soon. For almost two weeks the guilt had been building until her stomach throbbed from it, her head shrieked in pain, and her soul was sick. She tried to reason her way out of it, to convince herself that she couldn’t be held accountable for something she didn’t know about, but it didn’t help. All she could think about were the women who gave Blaine Loring their money, simply because they trusted her.

Maybe in a court of law she wouldn’t be considered responsible, but she couldn’t shake the knowledge of her culpability.

She stood and made her way to the door. Hyacinth stood there, a steaming cup of tea and a plate of toast in her hands. “How are you feeling?”

Hyacinth didn’t need to say more. Eliza knew that the older woman’s eyes had scanned her room and had seen the bed still not slept in, had taken note of her clothing that she had worn the day before and which was now quite wrinkled.

She’d only gone out when absolutely necessary, pleading a headache the week before when church time came around. It wasn’t a lie. Her temples pounded from lack of sleep and worry.

“Are you sick?” Hyacinth persisted gently. “Should I find a doctor?”

Eliza shook her head. “No, no doctor.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

It wasn’t an easy question to answer. She did want to, but not yet. Not until she had sorted through everything that was plaguing her.

“Dear, if you do decide you want a sympathetic ear, I’ve got two. Take it on your own time. Are you hungry? Mrs. Adams sent this up.”

The tea and toast smelled heavenly, and she gratefully took them. “I’m sorry,” she managed to say, working the words past the dry lump in her throat that wouldn’t go away. “It’s not that I’m trying to avoid you, or anyone, for that matter. I’ve got something sitting heavily on my mind.”

Hyacinth patted her arm. “You take your time. But if you want to go to church with us, taking your time isn’t an option. We’re leaving on the dot of eight, you know, which is in twenty minutes.”

Time with God in His own house sounded like a wonderful idea. She spoke around the pulsing throb that settled behind her ears. “I’ll hurry.”

“Good,” Hyacinth pronounced. “I’m glad.”

As soon as the older woman left, Eliza hurried to get ready for worship. In between bits of toast and sips of tea, she washed her face, rebraided her hair, and changed her dress.

Soon she was walking down the road to the church with Hyacinth and Mrs.

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