Chapter 164. I Am Maria Bailey
Inside the rattling carriage.
Deborah, who was sitting inside there, had been completely captivated by the scenery outside the window since a while ago.
The endlessly unfolding green fields, the flowers of unknown names blooming colorfully here and there, and even the cool air that opened up her chest.
Everything visible to the eyes was of an appearance distinctly different from Denver.
—Is it truly…… fine even if I don’t go together?
In the midst of watching the herds of clouds drifting buoyantly, suddenly the face of Jade from a few hours ago surfaced.
At Deborah’s words that she would go by stagecoach, Jade said that absolutely would not do and ultimately offered his own carriage.
Even after lining plush goose feather cushions here and there inside so that she could go comfortably to Rosewick, as if he still couldn’t be at ease, at the entrance where they exchanged final greetings, he brought out such words.
—Jade is busy too, you know. Are you by any chance worried that I might lose my way?
—It’s not that, but…….
—When you have even offered your carriage like this, what on earth are you worrying so much about. I will be getting off right in front of my nose.
—……As soon as the work I am doing right now is finished, I will go immediately.
—Slowly. Take care of all your business and come slowly.
—…….
—Really, even though I said there is nothing to worry about. To put it bluntly, it’s not that we won’t see each other ever again.
—Go and…… if by any chance an uncomfortable or difficult matter arises, at any time ri—
—To return immediately, right. Without agonizing.
—……Yes.
—Do you know exactly how many times that remark has been already? If anyone saw, they would think you are sending a child off alone on a long journey.
—……Go carefully, and well.
—Take care, Jade. In the meantime…… I was truly, truly very grateful.
At the words delivering her final message of gratitude, Jade knitted his brows, asking why she was acting exactly like a person who was leaving forever and ever.
Recalling his sullen face at that moment, Deborah ended up laughing out loud without realizing it.
Jolt.
As it entered an uneven dirt road, the carriage shook heavily once more.
Honestly she had wondered whether it was a bit too excessive, but the goose feather cushions Jade had prepared were playing their role perfectly at times like this.
Deborah quietly tried placing her hand over her belly.
A feeling as if the minute anxiety that had existed since before departing was gradually fading away.
Right, Deborah was no longer alone now.
Good people who helped her like this were by her side.
Above all, there was the child.
Her child connected by a bond tighter than anything else in this world.
And…… his child.
Therefore, it was fine. She could do it all well.
Vowing like that, Deborah cast her head outside the carriage window again.
The sky where white clouds were drifting was exceptionally blindingly blue today of all days.
—
“Now, now, sit here. Here, comfortably.”
“Thank you.”
The person who was busily gesturing for her to sit on the sofa was the mistress of the house, that is, Maria Bailey, her relative who had exchanged letters with Lea.
—She is a good person. She is a truly good person, but should I say…… she talks a bit much. And her having an excessively great amount of interest in every single matter is also a bit…….
Therefore, if she could just endure that, other things would be fine, the face of Lea who laughed, “haha, haha,” surfaced momentarily.
The place where the carriage, which had run for a long while, came to a halt was a long-continuing road, a cozy wooden house located on the hill inside there.
Whether she had heard the sound of the carriage coming, she who was inside the house quickly came out and welcomed Deborah warmly.
“He will have to stay out for about another hour or two before he comes in. Since right now is a time when he is frantically busy.”
Though it was a bit like that to call her a guest, at any rate she seemed to be concerned that her husband was absent at the place of welcoming a guest who visited the house for the first time.
At the words spoken with a bright smile, Deborah quickly shook her head, saying it was fine.
“Was it not arduous coming here? Since from Denver to here is still quite a distance, it must have been a bit arduous.”
In the middle of speaking, her gaze directed over Deborah’s belly.
Deborah understood that meaning right away and answered.
“It was fine. As I was viewing the scenery, before I knew it, I had arrived…….”
“The scenery? Ah, right. Because it is thoroughly the countryside, it is very different from the capital, isn’t it?”
Her eyes, which had widened roundly wondering what she meant, curved again like half-moons as if understanding.
“Yes. I didn’t know there was such a place. To the extent that it was so wonderful I watched blankly for a long while.”
What to that extent again, Maria Bailey laughed out loud.
“My, look at my mind. I have been chattering away without even introducing myself until now.”
Whether it came to her mind suddenly after laughing for a long while, she twitched her eyebrows upward.
“Though you probably know already, even so. I am Maria Bailey. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Ah, I am Deborah Coleman. ……Thank you so truly much for willingly accepting me.”
The words she had wanted to say first of all when they met, Deborah cautiously added at the end of that.
At that, Maria smiled softly and brightly.
“I heard the story from Lea. Telling me that because you have circumstances you cannot speak of, by all means never to pry into the detailed circumstances, how earnestly she entreated.”
To what extent she had been plagued by it, she shook her head from side to side.
“But just looking, I can’t tell well. To be sure, though it isn’t a period to be full-bellied yet…….”
Even so, you are too thin, somehow those swallowed words felt as if they were heard in her ears.
In fact, Deborah belonged to a type that didn’t have much of an appetite since the time she was young.
Whether because of poor meals, even among the orphanage children whose eyes rolled back when they saw delicious things, she was always calm alone.
Even so, ever since she carried the child, she exerted effort to eat better than usual.
To the extent of emptying all the dishes that came out full every meal.
But whether this was her constitution, no matter how much she ate, flesh did not cling at all.
Since her already slender frame was added with the flesh she had lost a while ago.
It was also understandable that it was worrisome in the eyes of Maria, who was slightly plump.
By any chance, whether a woman carrying a child had been in such an unfortunate environment where she couldn’t even feed herself properly. Because such thoughts would occur.
At that transparent gaze, Deborah formed an awkward smile without realizing it.
“Have you had a meal?”
A question that came flying in again.
Since it was a time well past lunch, honestly it was a time zone somewhat unsuited to ask such a remark.
—Because she is a person who uniquely likes to make food and feed others, you must refuse moderately— otherwise you will end up becoming a pig. To be sure…… it would be fine for Deborah to gain some weight, no, you must gain weight. What on earth is with this waist…… my goodness.
Recalling yet again the appearance of Lea who was shaking her head from side to side, Deborah opened her mouth.
“Yes, I ate before departing and came.”
“Is that so? Even so, if by any chance you are hungry, tell me at any time. Because as for me, after I conceived the child, I became hungry that frequently at intervals.”
At the remark asking, isn’t that so, Deborah nodded her head saying it was true.
Had it been about thirty minutes since they exchanged various stories.
Maria’s gaze suddenly directed toward the clock hanging on the right wall.
“My goodness, when did the time…… I am just like this.”
The brow of Maria, who was startled by the time that had flown past, narrowed tightly.
“I am sorry. Holding onto a person who is tired from coming a long road, my words were long again.”
“No, I was joyful too, you know.”
It was not a remark made out of politeness, but a sound truly welling up from her sincere heart.
That she welcomed her this warmly was one thing, but above all, it was so good that she could share stories regarding the child.
Because due to the situation she was placed in, in the meantime she couldn’t share such stories with anyone.
Whether Deborah’s answer was to her liking, the expression of Maria, who was rising from her seat, momentarily brightened.
“Then, shall we slowly go and take a look now?”
At the unexpected remark, Deborah looked intently at Maria with a puzzled expression.
Of course, while faithfully rising from her seat according to her words.
“Though I inspected as meticulously as I could inspect, because it is a place left empty for quite a long time.”
“…….”
“Even so, it will be fine to dwell in. Because that man thoroughly ran his hands through it extensively. There is no place where rainwater leaks, and the windows were newly replaced too. Ah right, as for whether there are mouse holes too, since I asked him to look into that very meticulously, you won’t have to do that worrying.”
Because as for me, I absolutely detest mice, adding the trailing remark, Maria shuddered.
Though if it were mice, she herself also detested them, but no, more than that—
Deborah, honestly she did not understand well what on earth she was saying right now.
What rainwater was about, and what windows and mouse holes were about again.
Even so, she couldn’t cut off the words of her who was chattering while being absorbed and ask.
Therefore, she was blinking her eyes blankly, and at that dazed appearance, Maria suddenly began to laugh out loud.
She who had laughed for a long while, while wiping away the tears hanging at the corners of her eyes, finally put forth the answer regarding that riddle-like remark.
“Now, follow me. I will guide you to the place where Deborah will dwell from now on.”
Ah, only then did a short exclamation escape Deborah’s mouth.
The place where she would dwell from now on in this place.
Behind Maria who stepped forward with large strides, Deborah quickly followed close.
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