the poor girl.
According to Emmeline, Doc Dempsey had diagnosed Bess’s condition as female hysteria. Rebecca had no idea what that meant, but it didn’t sound good. Nor did it sound accurate. Bess was not hysterical, not if the English word meant what she thought. Quite the opposite. The girl was actually serene, oddly so.
And astonishingly pretty. Small like Emmeline, Bess had the same arresting blue eyes. But where Emmeline was dark-haired, Bess was blond. Yet as pretty as she was, as sweet as she seemed to be, the fifteen-year-old hadn’t spoken a word in a month and only barely interacted with those around her. She didn’t laugh. She didn’t smile. She didn’t even cry. Something had obviously traumatized the girl.
She needed a distraction. Rebecca hoped she could provide one.
With quick movements, she placed steaming biscuits into two baskets. “Let me deliver these to the dining room and then I’ll show Bess around.”
As she hurried out of the kitchen, Rebecca prayed for wisdom. Helping Bess find her voice was far beyond her abilities. But nothing was impossible with Christ.
Returning to the kitchen, she stopped next to Bess. The girl had lowered herself in a chair against the wall. “All right, then.” Rebecca looked down and spread a genuine smile across her lips. “Are you ready to get started?”
The girl nodded, but just as quickly her eyes turned cautious.
Emmeline rushed to her side. “Bess.” She brushed her fingers across her sister’s cheek. “You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to.”
Bess let Emmeline stroke her cheeks for only a moment before she ducked out of reach.
Undaunted, Emmeline proceeded to pet the girl’s long blond hair with slow, gentle movements.
Bess shifted away.
Setting a determined look on her face, Emmeline lifted her hand again. Bess twisted away from her—again.
Even as the girl silently fought off her sister’s attentions, her face held a slightly distant expression. Rebecca had never seen anyone look so normal on the outside yet still incapable of speech. Something had wounded her terribly.
Did her trauma have to do with the missing twins?
They would never know if Bess stayed in her current state.
Eyeing the guarded expression in the girl’s eyes, Rebecca wondered if this was how she herself had looked last night when Pete had escorted her home from the church. It was no wonder he’d sent her inside for the evening.
He’d been worried about spooking her.
She understood the sentiment.
“Bess, I would love for you to help me around the kitchen this morning. Would you like that?”
Bess nodded slightly.
“So you’ll stay?”
Another, firmer nod.
“All right, then.” Rebecca smiled at the girl. “It’s settled.”
“I don’t know.” Emmeline looked from Rebecca to Bess and back to Rebecca again. With each pass, worry spread across her face. “I’m not sure I’m comfortable leaving her, after all.”
“Don’t fret, Emmeline. Bess will be safe with me.” Rebecca ever so gently ushered her friend toward the back door, nearly dragging her the last few steps.
At that point, Emmeline dug in her heels. “I don’t think I should leave her. She’s not ready.”
“Quit smothering the poor girl,” Rebecca whispered.
By her shocked gasp, it was clear Emmeline took immediate offense. “I am not smothering her.”
Rebecca set her hands on her waist and stared at her friend.
After a moment, Emmeline’s shoulders slumped forward. “Oh, all right. Perhaps I am smothering her. A little.”
“A little?”
Emmeline sighed. “I can’t help it.” She slid a brief glance toward Bess. “I’m so worried about her.”
“I am, too. We all are.”
Emmeline sighed again, then slowly walked over to her sister. “I’ll be back to fetch you in a few hours. Will that be all right with you?”
Bess shrugged.
Grimacing, Emmeline dropped a kiss on the girl’s head and then moved back to the door. Hand on the knob, she cleared
According to Emmeline, Doc Dempsey had diagnosed Bess’s condition as female hysteria. Rebecca had no idea what that meant, but it didn’t sound good. Nor did it sound accurate. Bess was not hysterical, not if the English word meant what she thought. Quite the opposite. The girl was actually serene, oddly so.
And astonishingly pretty. Small like Emmeline, Bess had the same arresting blue eyes. But where Emmeline was dark-haired, Bess was blond. Yet as pretty as she was, as sweet as she seemed to be, the fifteen-year-old hadn’t spoken a word in a month and only barely interacted with those around her. She didn’t laugh. She didn’t smile. She didn’t even cry. Something had obviously traumatized the girl.
She needed a distraction. Rebecca hoped she could provide one.
With quick movements, she placed steaming biscuits into two baskets. “Let me deliver these to the dining room and then I’ll show Bess around.”
As she hurried out of the kitchen, Rebecca prayed for wisdom. Helping Bess find her voice was far beyond her abilities. But nothing was impossible with Christ.
Returning to the kitchen, she stopped next to Bess. The girl had lowered herself in a chair against the wall. “All right, then.” Rebecca looked down and spread a genuine smile across her lips. “Are you ready to get started?”
The girl nodded, but just as quickly her eyes turned cautious.
Emmeline rushed to her side. “Bess.” She brushed her fingers across her sister’s cheek. “You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to.”
Bess let Emmeline stroke her cheeks for only a moment before she ducked out of reach.
Undaunted, Emmeline proceeded to pet the girl’s long blond hair with slow, gentle movements.
Bess shifted away.
Setting a determined look on her face, Emmeline lifted her hand again. Bess twisted away from her—again.
Even as the girl silently fought off her sister’s attentions, her face held a slightly distant expression. Rebecca had never seen anyone look so normal on the outside yet still incapable of speech. Something had wounded her terribly.
Did her trauma have to do with the missing twins?
They would never know if Bess stayed in her current state.
Eyeing the guarded expression in the girl’s eyes, Rebecca wondered if this was how she herself had looked last night when Pete had escorted her home from the church. It was no wonder he’d sent her inside for the evening.
He’d been worried about spooking her.
She understood the sentiment.
“Bess, I would love for you to help me around the kitchen this morning. Would you like that?”
Bess nodded slightly.
“So you’ll stay?”
Another, firmer nod.
“All right, then.” Rebecca smiled at the girl. “It’s settled.”
“I don’t know.” Emmeline looked from Rebecca to Bess and back to Rebecca again. With each pass, worry spread across her face. “I’m not sure I’m comfortable leaving her, after all.”
“Don’t fret, Emmeline. Bess will be safe with me.” Rebecca ever so gently ushered her friend toward the back door, nearly dragging her the last few steps.
At that point, Emmeline dug in her heels. “I don’t think I should leave her. She’s not ready.”
“Quit smothering the poor girl,” Rebecca whispered.
By her shocked gasp, it was clear Emmeline took immediate offense. “I am not smothering her.”
Rebecca set her hands on her waist and stared at her friend.
After a moment, Emmeline’s shoulders slumped forward. “Oh, all right. Perhaps I am smothering her. A little.”
“A little?”
Emmeline sighed. “I can’t help it.” She slid a brief glance toward Bess. “I’m so worried about her.”
“I am, too. We all are.”
Emmeline sighed again, then slowly walked over to her sister. “I’ll be back to fetch you in a few hours. Will that be all right with you?”
Bess shrugged.
Grimacing, Emmeline dropped a kiss on the girl’s head and then moved back to the door. Hand on the knob, she cleared
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