Abigail flipped slowly and carefully through the pages of the Bible in front of her. Her head was bent low but she was watching the young woman across the table from her. Elizabeth's elbows were on the table and her head in her hands as she studied the three slips of paper on the table in front of her.
"I don't understand how Mary could do this," she sighed heavily. "Is this sort of thing even legal?"
"They were filed with the land office, Elizabeth," Abigail responded quietly. Elizabeth's hand fell flat on the table.
"Then how could Seth Franckle take advantage of a poor widow like that?" Elizabeth's cheeks were red and her blue eyes flashed in anger. "He's left those children with practically no home!" Abigail started to respond but looked up as the door opened. Emma, swathed in several scarves and a knit hat stepped inside in the middle of a swirl of snowflakes and closed the door behind her. She carried a paper wrapped package tied with string to the table.
"Mr. Harris said this is the last of the sugar until the supply wagon comes," the little girl said.
"Oh, I knew supplies were getting short," Abigail shrugged. "Would you put it on the shelf in the kitchen for me?" Emma nodded and carried the package past Elizabeth.
"I left a mug of hot cocoa for you on the stove," Abigail called after the little girl. "Be careful though. It might be hot."
"I will," Emma Grace promised happily. "Thank you." Abigail watched her go and then her eyes met Elizabeth's. The younger woman's blue eyes filled with tears and Abigail reached across the table to squeeze her friend's hand.
"Is it still snowing hard, Emma?" Elizabeth asked, her voice cracking just a bit.
"Yes," the little girl replied as she carried a blue enamel mug to the table where the two women sat. Elizabeth gathered up the papers and watched with a smile as Emma Grace unwound the knot scarves and pulled the mittens from her hands. She laid them across her lap.
"Mr. Harris said that he didn't think anyone would be coming to the café tonight," Emma stated importantly. "He said the snow is too bad."
"He just might be right," Abigail agreed. Emma lifted the mug carefully to her lips and took a sip of the hot, chocolaty drink.
"Emma," Abigail asked as she turned the open Bible to the little girl. "Do you know who any of these people are?"
"Yes," the little girl said as she studied the open pages. "They are my Mama's family." She set the mug down carefully and reached out a finger to trace over the names in the Bible.
"My mother's father was Caleb and he was married to my grandma Rose," she said. "They died when my mama was first married to my papa." The finger moved upward on the page.
"Before Grandpa came his father Benjamin and then his father Ezekiel and then Moses and then the 'kis'," the little girl said. "Mordecai and Malachai were twins and the first of my mama's family to live here." The little girl's eyes widened and she looked up at Abigail.
"They ran away from their home across the big ocean to come here," she explained. "Their father was very angry."
"Moses?" Abigail asked. Emma Grace nodded and then took another sip of her cocoa.
"Where did they come from, Emma?" Elizabeth asked. The little girl's forehead wrinkled as she thought. Then she shrugged.
"I don't remember," she said and then her face brightened. "Ned might know. I'll ask him at school." The three of them sat quietly for a moment sipping their warm drinks and then Emma set her mug down on the table. She glanced from one to the other in panic and then burst into sudden tears.
"Emma?" Abigail reached over to pat the little girl's back. "What's the matter?" Elizabeth reached across the table to grasp the little girl's hand.
"Sweetheart…." Emma sobbed quietly and glanced from one to the other as tears clung to her long, dark lashes.
"I forgot," she finally choked. "My mama told me to remember so I could tell Thomas about our family and I forgot."
"People forget little things all the time, Emma," Elizabeth reassured her. "You'll remember when you think about it some more."
"But its not a little thing, Miss Thatcher," the little girl cried. "Its very important. My mama said it is." Abigail reached for both of her hands and held them as she turned Emma toward her.
"It is important," Abigail said softly. "So we will think about it. Did they come on a ship across the big ocean? The Atlantic?" A tear slipped down Emma's freckled check as she nodded thoughtfully.
"Yes," she replied slowly.
"Let's remember some of the countries from our Geography lessons then," Elizabeth joined in. Emma turned to look at her.
"In Europe there is England….and Spain….Italy…." her teacher recounted slowly.
"France!" A smile washed over the little girl's face as she named the country she was trying to remember.
"They came from France, Miss Thatcher," Emma said happily. She threw her arms around Abigail and hugged her.
"Thank you," she sighed. Abigail squeezed her close and her eyes met Elizabeth's. Emma pulled away.
"Now that you are warmed up, go take your coat off and put on your apron," Elizabeth directed. "I've got bread ready to be kneaded." Emma nodded and hurried back to the kitchen slipping her coat off her shoulders as she left.
"Can I help too?" Elizabeth asked. Abigail hesitated a moment and then nodded.
"I'll do everything exactly as you tell me to do," Elizabeth chuckled. "I promise." She slipped the land sale receipts back into the Bible in the middle of the table and stood up.
"I'm coming to help too, Emma," Elizabeth called. Abigail smiled as a slight groan came from the kitchen.
"I heard that," Elizabeth cried ruefully as she pushed her chair in and moved toward the kitchen. Abigail smiled and shook her head at their banter. She glanced at the open pages of the Bible thoughtfully for a moment and then closed it safely. She looked up as Emma Grace swung through the kitchen door with an apron tied around her dress.
"You better get in here fast," she cried. "Or Miss Thatcher is going to do something to your bread dough!"
"Emma Grace!" Elizabeth scolded her. "I just lifted the cloth off it." Emma nodded worriedly at Abigail and the older woman laughed as she headed through the café's table to the door of the kitchen.