"And the first is always the hardest, at least that's what my mother told me." Emeline chuckled, settling on a settee and nodding toward the rocker for Clara to sit in. "I forgot how much having a baby takes out of you, but I know I'll be fine in a couple days."
"Hope your mother is correct in her assessment. I have a feeling Jacob and I will be having more children. Well, I hope so," Clara now sat down in the rocker.
"Oh this is nice. We never had one of these, either in Pennsylvania or currently," she declared.
Cradling little Em, Emeline sighed. "I just hope...I hope we have a chance to know what they're like at fifteen. I'm sure Miss Em here will be a charming lady, and Wheeler will be dashing all over chasing cows and breaking horses!"
"Of course we will! You talk like you are a doddering old woman," Clara looked up from admiring the infant in her arms.
"Let me go get that tea!" Emeline stood gingerly. "Do you want to hold Miss Em, too, or should I put her down?"
Clara noticed and blurted out, "No, no, I did not come here to be waited on like some diner customer. I am here to wait on you."
She rose quickly enough even with the baby in hand, "Here sit down in your nice rocker and you can hold our precious little ones. I know where your kitchen is and I know how to make tea. No protests now."
Clara had that insistent, some said bossy, tone of voice, "You just sit and relax. I am here now. A few days from now, you can go back to doing everything yourself, but not while I am under this roof."
"Oh, well, if you insist!" Chuckling, Emeline settled into the rocker, then took both infants in her arms. 'I could get used to being waited on hand and foot!" Honestly, if she wasn't so stubborn about doing for herself, she could easily hire a maid and a nanny, a cook...but then what would she have to do? Besides seeing to her horses, but she wanted more to take care of her husband and child.
"There's cookies and tea cakes in the pantry, you know where things are, feel free to rummage around!" Sighing, she relaxed back in the chair and started to rock slowly. She'd have to talk to Barnabas about making her a rope swing in one of the big trees out front.
"Gah!!"
Now what the heck was happening? She was face the face with the kid. What was this, their first date?! Gimme a break!
Em looked Fightin' Joe over. He was far too young for her, of course. Poor kid, he was punching above his weight here. She decided to be kind, though: she didn't want to break his heart. But really, he was kinda useless, this little babe in arms: and she was a big girl! She could sit up! And she had just learned this fancy new manoeuvre, where she got up on all fours and sort of rocked back and forth.
Pretty fancy, huh? Even the Big People couldn't do that - least, she'd never seen any of them do it.
Oh, the Big People were going to stuff themselves with cookies and cake were they? Well where was her grub? And Joe's? She bashed a chubby little hand against one of Auntie Namesake's protuberances. "Service round here is terrible! Two milks please, Madame, and make it snappy!"
Well, she had two dispensers, didn't she?, and maybe a stiff drink would put a bit of pep into Joe.
"Oh, well, if you insist!" Chuckling, Emeline settled into the rocker, then took both infants in her arms.
"I DO insist and you know how insistent I can be," there was a part of Clara that was rather proud of her stubbornness.
'I could get used to being waited on hand and foot!"
"It shall only be a few days now. I am here to help but not spoil you," Clara quipped then headed for the kitchen.
"There's cookies and tea cakes in the pantry, you know where things are, feel free to rummage around!" Emeline called after her.
"I will!" Clara called back.
In truth, she had only been inside this ample kitchen once before, when she first got a tour of the place at the Christmas party. She had been very impressed too with everything about it. Large, well designed, well equipped. Ahh, the advantages of money. Not that Emeline did not deserve it!
Clara managed to locate all that she needed and even nibbled on a cookie as she prepared the tea, it would take awhile. Water needed to be boiled. But Clara was used to it and in no hurry. Let Emeline enjoy holding two babies.
Sighing softly, Emeline leaned back with her dual burdens and started to rock, trying to relax and relish the bounty she'd been given. It was all so amazing, the ranch and horses, a beautiful house and good nest-egg, but best, a wonderful husband, a healthy baby and an amazing friend. It was all so good that she couldn't help but harbor fears that something would go wrong. After all, the more bounty you had, the more you had to lose.
Closing her eyes, she started to softly sing:
Hush-a-bye, don't you cry,
Go to sleepy little baby.
When you wake, you shall have,
All the pretty little horses.
Blacks and bays, dapples and greys,
Go to sleepy you little baby...
By the time Clara came back with two filled tea cups and a plate of cookies they could share, Emeline seemed to have the babies well in hand, they seemed quiet and content. Singing did that often.
"Here we are. You certainly look a sight there, motherhood suits you," Clara declared confidently.
"I couldn't find the sugar but I myself do not need any. If you take it with sugar, just tell me where you keep it and I can go get it for you."
"Oh, before I forget, how are you doing regarding your laundry? Do you need me to wash things for you?"
Clara wondered if the Pikes let some hand do that sort of thing, Clara herself could never delegate like that. Why even Jacob cannot be trusted to do laundry. Men....
"Here we are. You certainly look a sight there, motherhood suits you," Clara declared confidently.
"Oh, thank you." Emeline smiled and nodded, she'd wait a few moments for the tea to cool before she rearranged to sleeping infants so she could drink.
"I couldn't find the sugar but I myself do not need any. If you take it with sugar, just tell me where you keep it and I can go get it for you."
"No, I'm fine with it plain, and besides, I should stay away from sweets until I have my girlish figure back!" Not that that was a big issue for her, and once she was up and around again, she'd be out working with the horses, not to mention caring for a husband, child and household. "A couple days of rest sound good, but I won't mind getting back to work!"
"Oh, before I forget, how are you doing regarding your laundry? Do you need me to wash things for you?"
"There's none right now. Bonnie Campbell did what was needed before she left." Smiling, Emeline rose awkwardly and gently placed her burdens in the bassinet. "She came out to help with the delivery because Dr. Danforth was busy. She did a fine job and made sure everything was in place before she left."
Settling back in the rocking chair, she was now able to drink her tea. "There is some sweeping that could be done, and dusting, but those are things that can wait, I hate to treat you like a servant." She knew that Clara wouldn't mind, and that that was part of why she'd come out here, but it still seemed wrong.
"Barnabas has talked about getting a housekeeper or a nanny, but I just don't know about that...it seems wrong."
"No, I'm fine with it plain, and besides, I should stay away from sweets until I have my girlish figure back!" stated Emeline.
"Ach, your figure is fine even now. I am confident your husband has no complaints," Clara dismissed that issue, "My breasts got bigger once I had Em which is something I needed not that Jacob ever complained prior."
"A couple days of rest sound good, but I won't mind getting back to work!" declared Emeline.
"And a couple of days you shall get. That is why I am here, use me," assured Clara.
She then brought laundry as a possible chore. Turned out Emeline informed her Miss Campbell had not only helped with the birth but also did some washing too.
"Oh that is good, nice of her. I do not really know her," Clara responded.
"There is some sweeping that could be done, and dusting, but those are things that can wait, I hate to treat you like a servant," Emeline admitted though.
"That is all? I shall sweep and dust then, simple enough chores. Right after we finish our tea and conversation," Clara promised.
Emeline brought up a topic, "Barnabas has talked about getting a housekeeper or a nanny, but I just don't know about that...it seems wrong."
"Well...it is not like you cannot afford it. Also it would give some young lady a job. So give it some thought," Clara threw in her view.
"Well, I do suppose you're right about it giving someone a job," Emeline mused, slowly rocking, "and it would give me more time to work with the horses and other livestock."
She sighed, then shook her head. "But no nanny, I didn't go through all the joys of childbearing just to let someone else raise my child." She glanced affectionately at the cradle, smiling. "I'm not going to let him out of my sight...well, except with you."
"I'm not even sure how to go about hiring someone, after all, I'd known you a while before you started working for me. And it would be just my luck that if I were to advertise, I'd end up with..."
Well, she was too nice to say that out loud!
"Well, I do suppose you're right about it giving someone a job," Emeline mused, slowly rocking, "and it would give me more time to work with the horses and other livestock."
"If working with horses and livestock is your desire. It would not be mine," Clara commented.
"But no nanny, I didn't go through all the joys of childbearing just to let someone else raise my child." Emeline glanced affectionately at the cradle, smiling. "I'm not going to let him out of my sight...well, except with you."
"Well, there we are in complete agreement. We are the mothers. It is both our duty and our pleasure to raise our children," Clara nodded."Now hiring a housekeeper though, there seems to be some real logic to that."
Emeline did point out,"I'm not even sure how to go about hiring someone, after all, I'd known you a while before you started working for me. And it would be just my luck that if I were to advertise, I'd end up with..."
When the other woman paused, Clara understood alright and she was far more outspoken to not keep to herself, "An Arabella you mean? Yes, that would be indeed harrowing."
"Do not get me wrong about that girl. I do like her but only in small doses," she smiled just a little.