Mary Anne Gruen - The House of Red

Virginia had been staying with Emerald for about three days and things were beginning to move into a routine. She helped her hostess by milking the goats and turning them out into the fields around the house to graze in the morning. She was also learning to cook in the open fireplace. One-pot meals were the main bill of fare. Hearty soups and stews that could be set to cooking slowly through the day and spooned up when they were needed.This gave Emerald more time to work on the manufacture of her cheese and the endless task of spinning wool and sewing. She’d already canned and put away what vegetables in the root cellar under the large barn at the back of the house. For meat, she occasionally slaughtered a goat, being careful to use as much of the animal as she could. And Emerald’s son-in-law had done his share of hunting that fall and she was hoping to get a supply of venison from him. In exchange, she’d been planning on sewing some winter clothing for her little granddaughter. It was hard for her daughter Opal to keep up with the sewing for both her rapidly growing child and her hardworking farmer husband.

It was the beginning of December in this time period in the past. Emerald told Virginia there had been some snow already, but nothing that had stuck. The trick was to get everything ready before any real storms hit.

As for Virginia’s cover story about searching for her father, Emerald had said there was going to be a meeting of some sort later in the week at her house. “We can make a major announcement to everyone then,” she said.

On the morning of the third day, Virginia had just finished the milking when Emerald came and told her that she was going into town. “I need to pick up a few things and trade these in,” she said, holding up a large cloth bundle filled with her homemade cheese. “Do you need anything?”

“Oh, how nice of you to ask,” Virginia said. “But I don’t think so.”

“Fine. I’ll probably be gone most of the day. You stay near the house where it’s safe and keep a look out on the stew. Later in the week I’ll teach you how to do some spinning and candle making.” Emerald started waving her index finger at Virginia as she delivered the next speech, in the style of a mildly scolding parent. “I know you’ve been disadvantaged because your mother died when you were young. But that’s no excuse. You won’t be able to hold onto your man if you don’t become more practiced in the home arts. Soldiers like your husband lose interest fast if you’re not careful. The wanderlust takes hold, you know. So, you’ve got to keep your home just so. After you find your father, I’ll help you find a house. Lots of people in the village owe me favors, so we ought to be able to get you something, however humble. Then you’ll have a proper place for your husband to return to. It’ll also give your father a home base to center himself around. Maybe then he won’t roam so much either. At the general store, I’ll mention your father to the storekeep, in case anyone has seen him there. What was his name again?”

“Tony, Tony Lewis. He’s got brown hair and he’s very tall.”

“Tony.” Emerald tasted the name. “If you don’t mind my saying so, it doesn’t sound quite proper. Too relaxed. It’s a shiftless kind of name. He should change it.”

“It’s short for Anthony.”

“Oh.” Emerald thrust out her lower lip and the wrinkles on her face smoothed out a bit. “Now that’s better. The name Anthony has majesty. Why doesn’t he use that?”

“He does. But where we come from people who are close never use the long version of their names. So, I didn’t think of it at first.”

“I’ll tell the storekeep you’re looking for Anthony Lewis. Since your father doesn’t know anyone in town, he wouldn’t be giving his shorter name, now would he?”

“Right,” Virginia said. It was always easiest to agree with Emerald.

After growing up in a household where she’d often felt responsible for her father, it was a new experience for Virginia to be around someone who took control so utterly. She was very much aware that Emerald was well into planning not only the rest of her life, but that of her father, husband, and child as well. Emerald had already decided to instruct Virginia’s soldier husband on his return to quit fighting trolls and instead put together a militia for the new kingdom she was hoping they would form someday. When she learned that Virginia could read and write, she decided that Virginia could teach school as a way to build income and improve the neighborhood. And of course, the child she was carrying, boy or girl, would inherit the profession and build a big school in the center of the community one day. Emerald had just the spot for it in mind. As for Virginia’s father, Emerald was sure she could get him a job as a farm hand in the vicinity.

No doubt about it, Emerald thought of and planned for everything.

In her absence, Virginia kept busy by watching the antics of the goats. They were interesting creatures with personalities that were more independent than that of the sheep she’d met briefly in Little Lamb Village. The Billy goat was especially fun because he seemed to feel that everything the other goats did needed his direct approval. She sat on a stool in a patch of sunshine, wrapped in her woolen cloak, and listened to the humming of her engagement ring. It had stopped making nasty predictions. Now it only hummed or sang soothing lullabies about fairy queens watching over her.

Virginia was just starting to feel the need for a nap, when she thought she saw a figure moving at the edge of the wood. She rubbed her eyes and looked again just as the figure of a woman pulled apart from the trees. The woman was dressed in an outfit of rust colored wool that picked up the magnificent color of her long red hair.

Virginia waved and smiled as she got up off her stool. She wondered if this woman was a neighbor or a relative of her benefactress. Or maybe she was even a traveler like herself.

The woman waved back and started through the flock of grazing goats. They seemed unbothered by her presence. The Billy goat even stopped to greet her and she gave him a familiar scratch on the head.

“Hi,” Virginia said. “Emerald’s not home. She went into town. My name’s Virginia. I’m staying with her for awhile.”

“Hi,” the woman answered. She was younger than Virginia was, with brilliant green eyes. Her smile was soft and had a tinge of sadness to it. She reminded Virginia of Rose a bit, but this woman was slighter and more delicate. Rose wasn’t tall, but she had a definite strength to her.

“Do you want me to leave a message for Emerald?” Virginia asked.

“No,” the delicate young woman said. “I’m afraid it’d only upset her. I had time today, so I thought I’d drop by and surprise her. If I gave her any warning that I was coming, I know she wouldn’t be here when I showed up. Perhaps she’s mentioned me. My name is Topaz.”

“Topaz?” Virginia remembered the name. Emerald had mentioned it on the night she arrived and not since. She’d said Topaz was her elder daughter who’d died. “But that can’t be.”

The sad smile returned to the young woman’s lips. “Has she told you I’m dead? Or did she tell you I was an ungrateful child who’d run off? That’s what she told most of the local farmers.”

“She told me you were dead.” Virginia looked at her visitor very closely. She was still in the Nine Kingdoms, after all, and it wasn’t impossible for this young woman to be a ghost. It was broad daylight, though. And this woman’s freckled complexion didn’t seem even vaguely ghostlike.

“When I left home, my mother told me I was dead to her. That I wasn’t her daughter anymore. Then she told all the locals I’d run away and she’d disowned me. Of course, everyone took her word as law. Even if they see me now, they pretend I’m not there. My mother has a lot of power in this area, you know. She inherited my grandfather’s importance, as well as his fiery temper and stubbornness. He was the self-appointed mayor around here till his death a few years back. Now my Mom rules. After all, she’s the only child of old Flint Thompson.” The Billy goat came over at that point and started to nibble at the hem of Topaz’s dress. She leaned down and patted him away. “Sasha! Don’t you go nibbling on that. It’s my best one.”

“So, if you’re still living in the area,” Virginia said, “you didn’t run off very far.”

“No. I just married against her wishes.”

“Oh.” Virginia knew something about that. Wolf wasn’t exactly the husband her father would have picked out for her, after all. In the back of her mind she remembered Snow White’s prediction that she would someday be an advisor of lost girls. She wondered if this was where she was supposed to start. “Your mom will come around. You’ll see. Just give her time.”

“I’m trying.” Topaz tightened her cloak around her. The sunny day had suddenly become cloudy and it was getting increasingly colder. “It’s been about eight months now.”

“Well, you’ll see. My father wasn’t thrilled at first about my husband either. But he got used to the idea. You just have to do what you know is right sometimes. Even if your parents don’t agree. Maybe it’ll take years, but your mother’ll come around. She’ll see how much you and your husband love each other. And you’ll give her grandchildren. From what I can tell she’s really fond of your sister’s daughter. She’ll probably be thrilled when you start giving her grandchildren.”

Topaz’s eyes fell to the ground. “Actually, that’s the news I have to tell her. I just found out I’m expecting.”

“Really? That’s wonderful!” Virginia couldn’t help but grab the other woman’s hands. “I’m expecting too. Why don’t you stay around and wait for your mom. I’m sure she’ll be thrilled when she hears the news.”

Topaz returned the squeeze of Virginia’s hands, but kept her eyes to the ground. “I can’t stay now,” she said, “Winter’s coming and I need to collect more firewood. I’ll come back later in the week.”

“I can tell your mother you were here. I can even give her the good news if you like.”

“Oh, please don’t.” Topaz’s green eyes widened. “I want to be the one to tell her.”

“Of course. I won’t say a word,” Virginia pledged.

“And please don’t tell her I was here.”

“If Sasha doesn’t say anything, I won’t.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. And congratulations.”

The uncertain smile returned to Topaz’s lips. “Thank you. And the same to you.”

With that, the wraith-like redhead squeezed Virginia’s hands once more and disappeared back into the woods.