Part 28 (2/2)
Annie had made Burdell a vest and Diana a lace-edged pillow as well as a baby blanket. They'd chosen a wooden train pull-toy for Will, and he dragged it across the floor making choo-chooing noises.
Mildred watched the interaction with mild interest, the package Annie had handed her still on her lap.
”You haven't opened yours, Aunt Mildred,” Charmaine said.
Annie cast her mother an openly hopeful look, and Luke took a deep breath.
Annie's mother steadied the heavy gift on her lap. Expressionlessly, she untied the silver bow and let the paper fall back, exposing a flat wooden hinged box.
Unfastening the catch on the front, she raised the lid. Inside lay two rows of small tubes and an array of long slender brushes.
Annie handed her something she'd hidden behind the divan. ”These, too, Mother.” She lifted brown paper away and showed Mildred the blank canvases.
”A paint set,” Charmaine said, and glanced at Annie.
”Your aunt used to paint years ago,” Mort told Charmaine.
Annie's mother looked up, her eyes dark and unreadable.
”Do you like it, Mother?” Annie asked. Her vulnerability tore at Luke's heart.
”Why did you buy this?” Mildred asked. ”Where did you get the money?”
”Well, I worked for the money,” Annie explained, as if the fact should have been obvious, and as if the question in itself wasn't rude.
”Worked for it?” Her mother arched one eyebrow.
”Yes, I-I've been sewing. For the ladies in town. I have a lady in Fort Parker now, too.”
”When you mentioned sewing, I thought you meant lady's work. Not hiring yourself out as a common seamstress.”
”There's nothing shameful about honest work,” Luke said. ”I'm proud of Annie's sewing.”
Annie tried to change the subject by answering her mother's other question. ”I bought supplies for you because you told me you liked to paint at one time. I thought you would like to try it again.”
Mildred closed the wooden lid. ”I'm not living in a fantasy world, Annie. I have learned to accept my life the way it is, and not to foolishly pine for things that cannot be.”
Her words brought silence to the room. No one seemed to move or breathe.
”I don't see why you can't still paint,” Annie said in a cajoling voice. ”Just because you haven't done it for a while, doesn't mean you can't start again.”
”A person needs tutoring to be any good,” she said. ”Techniques must be learned.”
Annie's father had grown still. He studied his wife and daughter with a pained expression.
”Well, I think you could still try it for fun,” Annie said.
”Not everyone's life revolves around fun,” Mildred countered, her words obviously hurting Annie. ”Some of us take our responsibilities seriously.”
Annie's once gay smile had already faded. She turned luminous eyes to her father, who looked away, and then toward Luke.
”What's really special,” he said, ”is when your responsibilities seem like fun because you're doing what you want to do.” He gave Annie an encouraging smile.
”I'm very impressed with your sewing skills,” Charmaine added.
Annie gave her a halfhearted smile.
”There are more gifts to open,” Luke said, trying to sound cheerful, and wis.h.i.+ng instead he could stuff a wool sock in Mildred Sweet.w.a.ter's mouth and give her a good shake. ”Annie hasn't opened hers.”
Annie opened gloves and perfume and a tea set and books. Luke received a pipe and tobacco from the Renlows, a belt and handkerchiefs from Diana and Burdell. Eldon had purchased them an oval Florentine design gold-framed mirror. Burdell and Diana got one just like it.
Charmaine gave Luke and Annie an unusual dinner-plate-size round picture of two horse heads in a circular ebony frame. ”I thought you'd like something for your mantel, and the horses made me think of you.”
”That's very thoughtful,” Luke told her. ”It will look perfect on the mantel.”
Annie hugged her cousin.
”And it's a reminder,” he heard Charmaine tell her softly, ”that the next too-good-to-be-true man is mine.”
Eldon made a big production over Annie's pies next, as though he wanted to make up for her mother's cold responses.
They sat about with full stomachs, the scents of coffee and cinnamon and evergreen in the air, and Luke brought up the subject he and Annie had agreed to share this day. Might as well get it out and deal with it. ”Annie and I have something exciting to tell you,” he said.
Heads turned their way.
”Do you want to?” he asked her. She was seated on the upholstered footstool in front of him.
Her eyes let him know she was still uncertain. She seemed to think a moment before she nodded and reached back for his hand.
He tried to rea.s.sure her with a firm, but gentle grasp.
Without preamble, she spoke the words. ”We're going to have a baby.”
Poignant silence prevailed.
”We're incredibly happy, and we want this more than anything,” she rushed on. ”I've been to the doctor and he says there's nothing to prevent me from having a healthy child.”
Mildred's hand came up to cover her mouth.
”What doctor did you see?” her father asked, finally speaking out.
”Dr. Martin in town.”
”Perhaps you should see a doctor back East-” he began.
”Dr. Martin has always been perfectly capable of caring for me,” Diana spoke up. ”He delivered Will and he's going to deliver this baby.” She placed a hand on her slightly protruding belly.
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