Twice Blessed: A Borrowed Brides Novella by Rebecca Hagan Lee

Author:Rebecca Hagan Lee [Lee, Rebecca Hagan]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: newromancehistorical 9/5/2017
Publisher: Amber House Books, LLC
Published: 1994-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Over the course of the week, mealtimes quickly became Lydia’s favorite part of the day because it was the one time in the day they were able to have together. She outdid herself at breakfast, finding ways to make it special. When she served boiled eggs, Lydia drew funny faces on the shells. When she fried eggs, she used egg rings to shape the egg whites into hearts. Her pancakes arrived on the table in a variety of flavors and forms, and her omelets were fluffy and light and stuffed with ham and cheese, which, she quickly learned, brought sighs of pleasure from both Robert and Thomas.

In a week’s time, Robert had blossomed into a lively little boy. He chattered nonstop now, satisfying his unending curiosity about his surroundings by asking a variety of questions in his delightful mix of French and English. Lydia did her best to answer all of them—sometimes using her best schoolgirl French.

She was drying the last of the breakfast dishes one morning when she glanced over at Robert to find him drawing another picture at the kitchen table for Lydia to display.

She rolled down her sleeves and buttoned her cuffs, then glanced down at the watch pinned to her blouse. “It’s time for us to go down and open up the store.”

Robert nodded. “As-tu lave mon assiette, aussi, Lydia?” Ever since Lydia had explained the significance of the special plate with the animals painted around the rim, Robert took great pains to make certain nothing happened to it. The animal plate had become his most cherished possession.

“Oui,” she answered patiently. Thomas had translated Robert’s questions after their first breakfast together and Lydia had learned that Robert was asking if she washed his plate along with the others. She no longer had a problem understanding what he meant because the little boy asked the same question after every meal. “And your cup and knife and spoon and fork, as well.”

“As-tu mis mon assiette en haute?”

Lydia smiled. She’d explained that she put the plate on the top shelf to keep it from getting broken and now Robert felt compelled to make sure she continued the practice.

“You can bring the picture you’re working on,” Lydia reminded him, “and your crayons.”

She’d purchased a school desk, a school bag, a slate and some chalk, as well as drawing paper and crayons to help Robert occupy his time while she worked in the drug store. And Lydia made it a point to pack lunches of cold meat sandwiches and fruit during the noon break so she and Robert could walk across Beach Street, behind Eden Point School to the playground. Lydia knew how important it was for a child to get out in the sunshine, to run and jump and play—especially after being cooped up in the store most of the morning.

Lunch at the playground was a Turner family tradition. When she was a child, Lydia’s mother had packed lunches for the two of them to take to the playground.

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