Read Online Like Gold Refined by Janette Oke - Free Book Online Page B

the house with a critical eye. For the first time in her life Virginia also looked at it in that manner. It had always seemed a perfect place to her. A place where love was freely given, where real people lived. Really lived. Now she could see that it was a bit shabby. A bit used. The wall? paper was faded. The doorframes worn. A spot of bare brown showed through the pattern of linoleum in front of the stove. The cupboard was tightly crammed with odd bits of china and silver, gathered as gifts from loving family members over the years. Knickknacks occupied every available space on stands, shelves, and windowsills. One might even say that the house was cluttered. But it had always been homey. Always been a haven of sorts. Virginia did not like how the woman carefully peered around through narrowed eyes, studying, assessing, judging without knowing anything about this home or the people.
    “I assume that is the bathroom,” the woman said at last as she pointed to a door.
    “No,” answered Belinda. “That is the pantry.”
    The woman’s face changed its expression for the first time.
    “I must have missed the bathroom.”
    “There is no bathroom,” said Belinda without batting an eye or altering her voice. Virginia was proud of her mother.
    The woman appeared to be totally caught off guard. “I don’t understand,” she said, flustered. “How can civilized persons manage to live in a house without … without a bathroom ?”
    “We use the bedrooms for bathing, the outhouse for … other purposes.”
    “But … Outhouse? Good heavens!”
    “And we do not say ‘good heavens,’ even though we believe the heavens to be good,” Belinda went on softly but firmly. “If I didn’t alert you to this, my mama certainly would correct you the first time you used the term.” She turned abruptly as though to dismiss the matter. “Your main concern will be the health and safety of my parents. As I have told you, they are elderly. Mama has taken a few falls. I don’t expect you to altogether prevent that from happening. Such incidents can happen too quickly. But we do hope that your presence here might help her to feel she can slow down. And if something should happen, you can call quickly for help. My brother Luke is a doctor. He would come immediately.”
    The woman seemed to have not been listening. “No bath? room,” she said again.
    Belinda’s voice slowed so that each word she spoke was clear and distinct. “We need someone to stay with my parents, Miss Groggins. Someone dependable. Someone who will place their safety and well-being first above all else. There is no inside bathroom. There will not be—at this time. I have stated the salary that we will be offering. You may have the weekends off. Your—Cleopatra is welcome to join you. You may take the job—or leave it.”
    The words were spoken with a decisiveness that surprised Virginia.
    Miss Groggins was still flustered. She reached up a nervous hand and began to finger her lace collar. Her face flushed slightly, bringing a bit of color to the powdered cheeks. “Well, I … ”
    “Do you wish the employment—or not?” pressed Belinda. “My son and daughter-in-law will be out of the country for two years. I do not wish to spend further time on this now. Either you are interested—or you are not. And if not—I will continue to look elsewhere.”
    “I … I need some time to think,” the woman finally managed.
    “Very well. I will take you back to town. You may catch the afternoon train or spend the night at the boardinghouse, as you choose. I will expect your answer by tomorrow afternoon.”
    The ride back to town was a quiet one. Even Belinda and Virginia did not chat. The woman did decide to spend the night at the boardinghouse. There was no use traveling all the way back to the city if there was a chance that she might be staying, she said stiffly. They said their good-byes and moved on. With all of her heart Virginia hoped the answer would be no