goodbye to Thaddeus, two customers arrived. One needed corn meal; the other asked for mouse traps of all things. Bea Dot couldn’t help him with that but assured him she’d ask Will to bring some from Pinevew on his next trip. Eager to see about Netta, Bea Dot almost pushed the customers out of the store.
In the bedroom, Netta sat solemn faced as she rocked slowly and stared out the window onto the lake. Before Ralph’s call, she’d been anxious and nervous, telling Bea Dot how to arrange items on the shelves and sweep the floor. Now she was deflated.
“Tell me about your telephone call.” Bea Dot sat on the end of one bed. She watched Netta’s back as she rocked. Netta remained quiet for so long that Bea Dot wondered if she’d heard the question.
“Netta?”
Netta shook her head slowly. “Mrs. Bradley died last week,” she said quietly. “She was in my sewing circle.”
“I’m so sorry.” Bea Dot’s heart plunged into her stomach. She could have told Netta about that last night.
“Before we came out here, Mr. Bradley came to the house looking for Ralph. He told me Ina was sick, but I thought she’d had a bad cold. If I had only known, I would have sent for Ralph right away.”
“You can’t blame yourself for that,” Bea Dot said. “How could you have known the flu would be so severe?”
Netta kept rocking.
“And Edith Gentry died too. She was the organist at our church. Now her husband is in the hospital.” Netta turned toward Bea Dot as much as her body would let her. “I thought Ralph was calling us to come home.” Her eyes pooled, and her face pinked. “He was calling to tell me not to worry if I don’t hear from him for a while. He has so little time for telephone calls.” A brief sob escaped from her lips, and Bea Dot took the handkerchief from the night stand and handed it to her cousin.
“But he’s all right, isn’t he?” A flash of frustration shot through Bea Dot. Why did Ralph tell Netta all that bad news?
Netta nodded as she cried into her hanky. Then she took a deep breath and blew her nose. Another minute went by before she spoke again.
“I’m so silly,” she said. “All this time I was worried about him getting enough to eat and getting enough rest.” She huffed a cynical laugh. “I actually thought Ralph had sent us out here because I was so cautious about the baby.” She rubbed her round belly. “It never occurred to me that he was afraid for our lives.”
“I’m sure he didn’t want to alarm you.”
“Bea Dot, what if Ralph gets sick himself?” Netta’s chin quivered. “I don’t know what I’d do without him.” She wrapped her arms around her middle as if she were lifting a huge ball. “I can’t raise this baby by myself.”
Panic simmered behind Netta’s eyes, and Bea Dot kneeled next to Netta’s rocker and clutched her hands.
“Stop thinking like that,” she said with as much authority as she could muster. “Ralph is counting on you to be brave. He’s doing everything he can to protect himself.” At least she hoped he was. “All of that effort will be for naught if you drive yourself to an early labor with all this worrying.”
Netta straightened, to Bea Dot’s relief. Thank goodness she’d struck a chord.
“You’re right.” Netta inhaled, then sighed. “I must pull myself together and stop behaving like a scared child. Ralph deserves better.”
“That’s the right attitude.” Bea Dot tucked a wayward blonde lock behind Netta’s ear. Then she rose, her knees creaking from kneeling on the hard wood floor. “Maybe you should lie down for a little while.”
“I have this layette to finish,” she replied, shaking her head. “Then I must write to Ralph. A letter from me will do him good.”
Bea Dot smiled, hoping Netta realized the blessings of a husband who returned her love. She sighed and walked tiredly to the back porch, where she lowered herself heavily into one of Will’s rocking chairs, as if she’d
In the bedroom, Netta sat solemn faced as she rocked slowly and stared out the window onto the lake. Before Ralph’s call, she’d been anxious and nervous, telling Bea Dot how to arrange items on the shelves and sweep the floor. Now she was deflated.
“Tell me about your telephone call.” Bea Dot sat on the end of one bed. She watched Netta’s back as she rocked. Netta remained quiet for so long that Bea Dot wondered if she’d heard the question.
“Netta?”
Netta shook her head slowly. “Mrs. Bradley died last week,” she said quietly. “She was in my sewing circle.”
“I’m so sorry.” Bea Dot’s heart plunged into her stomach. She could have told Netta about that last night.
“Before we came out here, Mr. Bradley came to the house looking for Ralph. He told me Ina was sick, but I thought she’d had a bad cold. If I had only known, I would have sent for Ralph right away.”
“You can’t blame yourself for that,” Bea Dot said. “How could you have known the flu would be so severe?”
Netta kept rocking.
“And Edith Gentry died too. She was the organist at our church. Now her husband is in the hospital.” Netta turned toward Bea Dot as much as her body would let her. “I thought Ralph was calling us to come home.” Her eyes pooled, and her face pinked. “He was calling to tell me not to worry if I don’t hear from him for a while. He has so little time for telephone calls.” A brief sob escaped from her lips, and Bea Dot took the handkerchief from the night stand and handed it to her cousin.
“But he’s all right, isn’t he?” A flash of frustration shot through Bea Dot. Why did Ralph tell Netta all that bad news?
Netta nodded as she cried into her hanky. Then she took a deep breath and blew her nose. Another minute went by before she spoke again.
“I’m so silly,” she said. “All this time I was worried about him getting enough to eat and getting enough rest.” She huffed a cynical laugh. “I actually thought Ralph had sent us out here because I was so cautious about the baby.” She rubbed her round belly. “It never occurred to me that he was afraid for our lives.”
“I’m sure he didn’t want to alarm you.”
“Bea Dot, what if Ralph gets sick himself?” Netta’s chin quivered. “I don’t know what I’d do without him.” She wrapped her arms around her middle as if she were lifting a huge ball. “I can’t raise this baby by myself.”
Panic simmered behind Netta’s eyes, and Bea Dot kneeled next to Netta’s rocker and clutched her hands.
“Stop thinking like that,” she said with as much authority as she could muster. “Ralph is counting on you to be brave. He’s doing everything he can to protect himself.” At least she hoped he was. “All of that effort will be for naught if you drive yourself to an early labor with all this worrying.”
Netta straightened, to Bea Dot’s relief. Thank goodness she’d struck a chord.
“You’re right.” Netta inhaled, then sighed. “I must pull myself together and stop behaving like a scared child. Ralph deserves better.”
“That’s the right attitude.” Bea Dot tucked a wayward blonde lock behind Netta’s ear. Then she rose, her knees creaking from kneeling on the hard wood floor. “Maybe you should lie down for a little while.”
“I have this layette to finish,” she replied, shaking her head. “Then I must write to Ralph. A letter from me will do him good.”
Bea Dot smiled, hoping Netta realized the blessings of a husband who returned her love. She sighed and walked tiredly to the back porch, where she lowered herself heavily into one of Will’s rocking chairs, as if she’d
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