tea into each of the china cups she’d brought. “Since we can so readily get pineapple and coconut from the Hawaiian Islands, I’ve experimented by putting all sorts of things in the batter. It’s a different kind of fruitcake.”
“Well, Nancy needs to make these for the boardinghouse ladies.”
“She might have the recipe, but in case she doesn’t, I’ll write it down for you to take back. Nancy’s so creative with recipes that she may have already come up with one of her own. She’s really a much better cook than I am.”
“I don’t know that I would say that, but she is a very good cook. The boarders love her.” Faith took another bite of the muffin.
“I can understand why. Goodness, getting three delicious meals a day and having a wonderful house like Nancy’s to live in would be such a comfort,” Mercy replied. “I’m sure you enjoy not having to cook for yourself, Faith.”
“I do. Cooking is not my strong suit. Mama tried her best to teach me, but it just didn’t take.” Faith gave her mother a grin. “I’m better at cooking up medicinal concoctions.”
“Everyone has their talents,” Aunt Mercy declared.
“Your uncanny understanding of the body and illness more than makes up for that,” Mother declared. “Don’t worry that you can’t cook. You are a great healer, and people will appreciate you for that. You can always hire a cook.”
They chuckled at this.
“But a husband will expect a good wife to cook,” Meg, Nancy’s younger sister, said as she came into the room to join the ladies.
The laughter and smiles faded. Faith hid her frown by pretending to sip from her teacup. Meg hadn’t yet been told about Faith and Hope’s past.
“Meg, why don’t you play us a song on the piano?” Grace suggested.
The girl all but danced to the instrument and sat down. “Do you want me to play hymns or classical? I just learned a Schubert piece.”
“That will do nicely,” her mother replied.
Meg threw herself into playing the song. Faith closed her eyes for a moment and imagined herself sailing on the ocean. When she’d come to Oregon City with Adam and Mercy after being evacuated from the Rogue River area, she had voyaged on a ship up the coast. It had been the most difficult time of her life. She had just lost the man and woman she knew as her parents. She hadn’t even been given time to grieve. Everything she knew and loved had been stripped away. This song’s haunting strains along with her conversation with Captain Gratton made her memories surface.
“When will Gabe be here?” Mercy asked, bringing Faith back around to the moment.
“He told me to tell Aunt Grace he’d be here for supper, along with Clementine,” Faith answered.
“I’m so happy for those two. They are a perfect fit.” Aunt Grace reached for the teapot. “More?” She glanced at each woman, but everyone seemed satisfied. “I remember once when Gabe was helping Clementine out of a tree. They were very young, and she and Nancy had gotten themselves stuck. Alex and I watched helplessly while Gabe climbed up to them. As he was bringing Clementine down, Alex said, ‘Wouldn’t it be something if those two married? We might get redheaded grandchildren.’ Now here we are with them engaged.”
The ladies chuckled and continued talking about their family for quite a while. Faith enjoyed hearing about her cousins and what they were doing, especially when it came to Mercy and Adam’s daughter, Constance. Faith hadn’t seen Constance in some time. She’d left the area to attend Mount Vernon Seminary in Washington, D.C.
“Connie will be coming home to us after her graduation in late May,” Mercy shared. “I will be so happy to see her. We haven’t seen her in all these years, and while she has been faithful to write, I miss her more than I can say.”
“Of course you do. She’s your only daughter,” Hope said, reaching over to give her sister’s hand a squeeze. “Is she coming back to live at the reservation?”
“I hope so. She told me about some program in Washington, D.C., that has to do with cataloging Indian life on the reservations. She’s hoping to get involved because of her close ties. Her desire is to be assigned to the cataloging group coming to Oregon.”
“I’m sure that would be perfect for your family. Speaking of which—how is Isaac?” Faith had last seen her cousin Isaac several years ago when the Brownings came to the farm for a respite