Olivia’s stuttered response was unintelligible.
Mrs. Place descended the last two steps and walked over to take Olivia by the
arm. “Come along now. You don’t gotta worry. Ain’t nobody coulda recognized
you with that blanket you had draped over your head. No one’s gonna know you
been keeping company with ‘that woman.’”
She led Olivia toward the house. “Oh look, there’s my little Angel, right there
under the steps.” She stooped to scoop up a fluffy white kitten. “Ain’t you the
sweetest thing?” She held the kitten up and rubbed its nose to her own. “And so smart. You’re gonna be the best mouser I ever had.” She held the kitten to her chest with one hand, opened the front door with the other, and reverted to her adult speaking voice.
“Found this poor little thing out by the barn. Throw your wrap on that rack there. Make yourself to home here in the parlor while I put the kettle on. Get acquainted with Angel.” She handed the kitten to Olivia and disappeared through
an arched doorway that led to the back of the house.
Olivia kept her cloak on and perched on the seat of one of the ladder-back chairs. She nervously petted Angel and wondered how she had dared come here.
And why? What did she think she was going to say to this woman? Well, at least
she could count on Mrs. Place’s discretion. If there was anyone in Five Rocks a
person could trust to keep a secret, it was Mrs. Jettie Place. No one in town spoke to her, so who was she going to tell?
“Why don’t you come back here to the kitchen?” Mrs. Place called. “Might as
well have us a little bite to eat.”
Olivia put Angel down, hung her cloak on the rack, and walked toward Mrs.
Place’s voice. The kitchen was large and square, with a heavy wooden table in
its center. It was the kind of table you would expect a large noisy family to gather around, not two lonely women. A lantern in the middle of it cast a
pleasant glow and the fire in the cook stove had taken the chill off the room.
There was a pot of beef soup next to the coffeepot. It smelled wonderful.
“That soup is still warm and won’t take but a minute to get nice and hot.
Meantime, warm yourself up with this.” She set a cup of coffee in front of Olivia
and took the chair next to her. “I see you been earning your daily bread.” She nodded at Olivia’s hands.
“I was farming. Out in Michigan.”
What did you need to tell her that for? Olivia scolded herself. But she was too exhausted to concoct a lie.
“Yes. Your brother Tobey said something like that. Warn’t speaking to me, of
course. I heard him telling Mrs. Burton that might be where you was at. Said he
was thinking of going out there himself, try and bring you back, but I wouldn’t
suppose he did, did he? Not out of lack of concern, mind you, but, we all know
how that brother of yours is. Sweet soul, but not exactly … So, you come home
for a visit?”
“No. Not a visit. I mean … I don’t know.”
Mrs. Place rose, ladled out a bowl of soup, and sliced some bread. “Don’t be
shy.” She shoved it closer to Olivia. “Go ahead and eat. If you don’t, the cats will.”
Olivia did, hungrily, amazed at the way Mrs. Place managed to keep the air between them filled with idle chatter about Angel. For someone with no social life that Olivia knew of, she sure was good at chitchatting. When Olivia finished,
Mrs. Place cleared the bowl away, sat back down, and placed her hand over
Olivia’s.
“Honey, you can tell me, or you can not tell me. But if you came here ’cause
you got something to say, or something to ask, you’d best spit it out.”
