*Author's Note*
Thank you for the reviews, faves, and follows.
These chapters are just rolling out.
Over A Month
Novella POV:
It's been over a month since Roseanna got kicked out by her poppy an' taken in by the Hatfields. I hadn't been able to visit her yet since Tolbert came home early from checkin' on his still, wantin' them private moments promised by the use of a pressure cooker on the stove paired wit' our daughter's afternoon naps. Yea, I doubt I'll be able to sneak off to see Roseanna til I get with child 'gain.
It was currently suppertime so I was sittin' at my kitchen table with Tolbert. He was actually sober for once and was voluntarily feein' our daughter some mashed taters for dinner as she sat on his knee. "Roseanna shouldn't be shackin' up wit' Johnse under the Hatfield roof." Tolbert bluntly grumbled as he placed a spoonful of food into Rihanna's mouth.
"It ain't right, but what choice does she have after Ole Rand'l kicked her out?"
"She could stay wit' Aunt Betty." Tolbert pointed out, scoopin' up some more taters from our daughter's bowl.
"Or she could stay wit' us." I suggested before taking a bite out of my chicken.
Tolbert's head snapped up to look at me as he quickly spat out in his gruff-velvet timbre, "No, we're tryin' to conceive a son. Her bein' here'd just get in our way."
"Really? Tolbert, she's your sister."
"Just cause she's my sister don't mean I want her livin' wit' us. I like my privacy wit' ya, ya know." That was just an excuse. He just didn't want another mouth to feed, or should I say another mouth to feed that wasn't one of his youn'ins.
Before eatin' more of my meal I simply told my moody ginger haired husband, "Okay, then don't complain 'bout her livin' wit' the Hatfields then."
"Fine, just won't talk 'bout her anymore then." Tolbert snapped while tryin' to feed Rihanna. Our daughter weren't havin' it tho, she clamped her mouth shut, shook her head, and swatted her poppy's hand 'way. "Rihanna, ya gotta finish yer taters so poppy can et, girl." My husband grumbled at our daughter, who was still shakin' her head.
Quickly I stretched my hands out and offered, "Hand her over to me so you can et, Tolbert."
Tolbert's stormy eyes turned into slits an' his nostrils began to flare as he firmly told me in a smooth-gruff voice, "No, Ella, yer too 'tached t'her an' she t'ya. I'm her poppy, she needs t'learn t'like me an' et from me."
My face fell as I was taken aback by his blunt remark. In a shaky tone I squeaked out, "What're you sayin' Tolbert? I'm her mother, it's my job to care for her."
"Yer ov'r doin' it. Damnit, ya barely let anyone hold her for long. Yer too 'tached." Tolbert told me, his face flexin' with anger, as he tried an' failed once 'gain to shove the spoonful of taters into Rihanna's mouth.
After all the pain I've been thru with losin' Bert I think I gotta right to be attached to Rihanna. She's my child, what kind of mother would I be if I wasn't attached. Hell, ever since she was born she's been my baby, not so much his 'cept in blood. Before I could think I opened my mouth an out came tumblin' the snide remark of, "I don't even know why ya care so much for since ya didn't even want her when she was born."
"Ya bitch." Tolbert snapped at me, his face full or hurt, as he shoved our daughter at me.
"Tolbert, I didn't mean to hur-" I began to apologize til he rose from the table an' cut me off with, "Just feed her, I'll et later. I'm goin' out."
"To drink?" I asked even tho I knew the answer most likely was yes.
"Don't worry bout it. I won't be home too late." Tolbert told me 'fore stormin' over to the hooks by the door. Silently he grabbed his coat an' hat, put them on, and went out the door.
The loud slam of the door shuttin' caused Rihanna to cry. While ribbin' circles into her back I was soothin'ly tellin' her, "Calm down, honey. It's okay, mama's here. No reason to cry." I kissed her onto of her coppery tangled mess of hair and continued to sooth her til she calmed down and stopped cryin'.
When she laid her head on my chest, right above my heart, and curled herself into me I just held her closer. At least I had my daughter and wasn't alone whenever my husband had one of his mood swings or went on a drinkin' binge. I don't know what'd I do if I was alone. A couple years ago when I was 16 I never would've thought that at 18 I'd be dealin' with the emotional pain of a stillbirth myself, bein' the sole carin' parent, an' dealin' with a husband that's got drunkard tendencies paired wit' a nasty temper.
I feel like I'm agin' too soon 'fore my time. Even tho I'm still young I don't feel like it. Unlike in novels life, love, an' marriage is hard.
My marriage was unravelin' an' I didn't know how to stop it. I knew that Tolbert still loved me and that the piece of me that loved him in my heart was still beatin', but it seemed that we couldn't get onto the same page. We couldn't connect like we used to 'fore the loss of Bert. Seems like one of us always said the wrong thing. It also seemed that Tolbert was growin' far too attached to the likker bottle.
Rihanna was sleepin' and I was gettin' ready for bed whenever Tolbert finally showed up, smellin' like a brewery too. "Have a nice time drinkin' in Pikeville's saloon?" I sarcastically asked my husband as I pulled my long-sleeved nightgown on while he stumbled a bit to the bed.
"Yes, I did since I didn't have t'listen t'ya runnin' yer big mouth." Tolbert snapped tipsily as he sat down and yanked off his boots.
I just ignored his remark and went over to my side of the bed. Gettin' in I told him, "Turn the light off 'fore ya come t'bed."
"I was drinkin' wit' Parris an' Squirrel." Tolbert told me while unbuttonin' an' removin' his shirt. He tossed it on the floor, near the basket my dress was in. "Parris is seein' a whore named Jenny." My husband revealed as he pulled off his pants.
"Oh." Yea, Parris would go wit' a whore. "Squirrel still single?" I asked as I watched my husband toss his pants at the basket.
"Yep." Tolbert affirmed as he went to turn off the lamp. Once the light dimmed and died out Tolbert got into bed an' took his place layin' behind me. His breath reeked of likker. As he wrapped an arm 'rond me he whispered in my ear, "Seein' our cousin persuin' a whore made me realize I'm lucky t'have a proper lady in these backwoods an' hills where most every girl's a whore or close to it."
Well, didn't my husband have a way with words. Tryin' to butter me up with a compliment. Praisin' me for not bein' a whore. I knew I had to just let what happened earlier go and I also had to get used to dealin' with Tolbert's drinkin'. After 2 years of marriage I've learned that my husband drinks as a copin' mechanism.
Placin' my hand on top of his I told Tolbert, "And I'm lucky t'have ya as my husband. You're hard workin' an' a good man." Actually, I wasn't sure how much of this I believed anymore since my husband's work ethic had dwindled with the lose of Bert and with how cruel he could be at times I wondered how good-hearted he really was. But no matter his faults I knew that he loved me.
"I ain't too likkered up. How bout we try for a boy t'nite." My husband told me suggestively in his velvety timbre as his lips hovered close to my earlobe while his hand that was wrapped 'round me drifted under the quilt to squeeze my hip.
I hope he's not too likkered up cause I don't feel like dealin' wit' whiskey dick tonight. Turnin' 'round in the bed to look at him I remarked, "We can't take all night. I gotta go to town tomorrow, buy some Christmas presents."
"Won't take that long." Tolbert smirked 'fore kissin' me an' rollin' me onto my back.
I wasn't gettin' any sleep tonight. My half-drunk husband was in a lovin' mood. We'd be tangled up together in the sheets all night long. Hopefully he'd get a baby on me soon, perhaps another pregnancy would mend what's unravelin' 'tween us.
I was walkin' out of Adam's whenever I saw Cap in a wagon with Roseanna pullin' up to the store right behind where I had mine parked. Roseanna's heart shaped face broke out in a wide smile whenever she spotted me. She was jumpin' down from the wagon before Cap even had it stopped good, which caused him to roughly shout in his deep rollin' timbre, "What're ya doin'? You're gonna break your neck, ya twit!"
Ignorin' the remark Roseanna ran up the sidewalk, her skirts tightly bunched in her fists, makin' her way to me. With my daughter perched on my hip and a large basket filled with various items slung over my arm I walked over to meet Roseanna, but I didn't have to do much walkin' since she reached me by time I took a few steps. With a large smile she told me in her sweet bell-like voice, "Oh, Novella, it's so good t'see ya."
"It's good to see ya too, Roseanna." I genuinely told her as Cap climbed down from his wagon.
"Ya said you'd visit but haven't done so yet." My sweet blonde sister-in-law told me, her tone a bit deflated.
"Yea, I meant too, but I my duties as a wife kept me busy." I explained to Roseanna as Cap started to make his way up to his, his boots clunkin' 'gainst the wooden planked sidewalk.
"Oh…" She nodded her head, seemin' to accept an' understand my answer.
"After the holidays I should be able to visit." I assured her with a weak smile.
In a small, but hopeful voice Roseanna asked, "Would you tell everyone I said hi an' miss 'em?"
The look on her face was so heartbreakin'. I felt so bad for her. Of course, I nodded and smiled weakly while answerin' with, "Sure, I'll do that."
"Oh, look at Rihanna. She's gotten so big in the last month." She gushed as she looked at my daughter, smilin' at her while gently smoothin' an invisible wrinkle on her dress.
Cap came to a stop right besides us. He looked at Roseanna, his face hard an' cold, and told her in a deep nasty bark, "Hey, this ain't a social call, go inside the store an' get the shit ya whined to my mama bout needin' so bad." Pullin' a cigarette case from his pocket he added, "I don't wanna be your chauffer all day, got work to do."
"Too bad Johnse wasn't able to bring me here. He'd let me talk to her." Roseanna told him, a hint of sadness in her voice, before walkin' towards the entrance of the store.
"Yea, well, I ain't him." Cap called back to Roseanna as she opened the door an' disappeared inside Adam's.
"You shouldn't be so hard on her. She's only been kicked out a month, she's most likely still upset 'bout it." I scolded, glarin' at him as he struck a match from his matchbook and lit up his cigarette.
Cap took his first drag off his smoke 'fore scoffin' in his deep an' rollin' timbre, "Could've fooled me wit' all the sneakin' 'round an' fuckin' she an' my brother do."
"Cap, watch your mouth. We're in front of the damn store." I hissed at him, my cornflower blues narrowin' as I looked up at the man that towered over me. I can't believe he'd use the mother of all curse words in public where just bout anybody could overhear.
He pointin' his cigarette at me as he chuckled, "Oh, look at ya beratin' me for cursin' by cursin' too."
Of course, the cocky man'd focus on my language instead of his own. Rollin' my eyes an' shakin' my head I heaved out a sigh of, "Oh, you're an insufferable ass."
"Thanks, I'll take that as a compliment." Cap smirked, noddin' his head at me. Before takin' a drag off his smoke he told me, "And you're intriguin', sweetlin'."
"Cocky ass." I scoffed, rollin' my eyes. I got closer to him and asked him low so only he could hear, "Anyways are you serious 'bout Johnse an' Roseanna doin' the trick?"
"Yep, dead serious." He told me, slightly noddin' his head, as he smoked.
"You're not gonna talk to Johnse bout it are ya?"
"Nope and it's not your place to talk to Roseanna 'bout it either. It is what it is, they're old 'nough to make their own beds an' lie in them." Oh, didn't he just have a great outlook.
"Reckon so, but I still don't like idly sittin' by and just waitin' for them to get wit' a bastard."
Cap shrugged and let some smoke waft out of his mouth. "Eh, Johnse's so fickle I bet in a couple months he'll dump her an' she'll be back home."
"I hope. Their illicit affair's gonna cause problems if it don't get sorted out." I just had a feelin' that Johnse an' Roseanna were gonna cause more trouble then what their relationship was worth. That their so-called love was goin' to act as a poison to the feud 'tween the the Hatfields and the McCoys.
He looked 'tween my basket an' my wagon 'fore changin' the subject by askin', "Ya need any help bringin' that to your wagon?"
"No, no thank you, I'm fine." I curtly told him while walkin' over to said wagon.
Cap followed behind me, his loud bootsteps minglin' with his words as he spoke. "A'ight, just thought I'd be gentlemanly and ask since it looks mighty heavy."
"You, a gentleman? Hell, Cap, don't make me laugh." I sarcastically scoffed, rollin' my eyes, while givin' him a tilted look after placin' my basket into the back of my wagon.
He tossed his used-up cigarette onto the street, grindin' it into the dirt with the toe of his boot, as he told me in his deep wavin' voice, "If it makes ya feel any better you're not too much of a lady."
"I am too a lady." I quickly defended myself as I walked to the front of my wagon.
"Nah, you're too high spirited t'be a real proper lady even tho ya got the pedigree for it."
"Pedigree, so what am I now a show dog?" I asked in a sarcastic snap, narrowin' my cornflower blues at his lone icy eye an' it's milky twin.
As I placed my daughter onto the driver's seat I heard him tell me, "No, just meant ya was raised up rich's all. Your uncle's a lawyer and one of the richest men 'round Pikeville." No shit. Everyone knows that, but what good's it doin' me now. I ain't rich an' Uncle Perry ain't sharin' his money with me and my husband, that's for sure. I climbed up into the driver's seat while Cap continued on with, "Got schooled up in Louisville an' I reckon got ya a tutor from up there too." After gettin' settled in my seat I took my daughter and placed her on my lap. She always sat on my lap when I drove, mostly cause I was afraid she'd fall if not since she was so little. "Mhm, ya might be educated an' raised up as a proper lady, but your sharp tongue and attitude says otherwise." Cap told me with a wink an' a knowin' smirk.
"Are you done makin' assumptions 'bout me?" I asked, quirkin' a brow at him.
"Yep." Cap popped his tongue. In less than a second later he held a finger up only to say, "Oh, hold it, bet you bite you're tongue 'round your husband wit' that mouth of yours."
"Oh, and you wonder why you gotta pay for a woman. With an attitude and words like that nobody'll want'cha."
"And I really don't care. I say what I say, do what I do, and if nobody likes it that's their problem. I frankly don't give a shit." He was serious too, I could tell by the hard look on his face.
"Well, ain't that a pleasant outlook to have in life." I sarcastically told Cap, slightly shaking my head at him. "I'd hate to cut this short, but I gotta go."
"Yea, I better run into Adam's since I got the money and not the twit." Oh, isn't he just somethin' else. Poor Roseanna's stuck livin' with that since he's Johnse's brother. I pity her, he's the type to get under one's skin.
"Her name's Roseanna, Cap. Try bein' nice an' usin' it." I suggested as I held a firm grip on the reigns.
"Eh, Nova, ya know I ain't a nice man. Least not to anybody 'cept you and Anna." Cap told me with a smirk, pointin' a finger at me and the girl sittin' on my lap.
I just shook my head at him for snapping the reigns, causing my wagon to move. "Bye."
"Bye." I heard him call out 'fore goin' into the general store to pay for whatever Roseanna anted to buy.
Whenever I got home I was surprised to walk into my cabin to see Tolbert puttin' up a Christmas tree in the corner of the main room, near the door to Rihanna's room. I was expectin' him to be out doin' his shine work all day. Havin' heard me come in Tolbert turned his sight towards me an' explained, "Thought ya'd want a tree up t'put the pre'sents under since ya went to town for 'em."
"Thank you. That was thoughtful of ya." I told my husband as I went over to the kitchen table, placin' my large basket full of my purchases down.
He pointed to the direction of the tree he'd just put up while sayin', "I got the box of decorations outta the closet. Its ov'r on the floor, near the tree."
Tolbert bein' so kind an' thoughtful today put a smile on my face an' warmed my heart. For so many months he's been a moody drunk, but perhaps now he's changin' into a tolerable an' kind man for me. Perhaps seein' our cousin courtin' a whore was the smack upside the head my husband needed t'realize that he had a good wife an' family at home.
"I'll put on a pot of coffee an' then we can get started decoratin' the tree." I told my husband as as I placed our daughter on the floor so she could toddle an' walk 'round.
"Was she good for ya?" Tolbert asked me, noddin' his head at Rihanna as she walked towards him.
"Yes, she was very good." Why wouldn't she be good?
Tolbert just nodded his head as I placed the coffee pot on the stove to perk an' boil. As Rihanna walked by him he scooped her up, causin' her to scrunch her nose at him since she didn't want to be held. "Ah hell, ya get home an' now yer gonna be fussy." Tolbert grumbled to Rihanna, who was swattin' at his arms in an attempt to get him to put her down.
"She had a long day travelin', Tolbert." I reminded him, takin' a seat at the table to wait on the coffee.
"I know that, darlin', but it don't 'cuse how she always gotta fuss wit' me." He told me while he sat down on his sittin' chair with our daughter, who had a pouty look on her face.
"If you spent more time wit' her maybe she wouldn't be so fussy wit'cha."
"I gotta farm an' make shine t'support us. I can't spend all day wit' her like ya can." Tolbert told me in a gruffly smooth tone as he tickled our daughter, causin' her to squirm.
"I know, Tolbert, I just meant maybe after work or dinner you could sit wit' her, read t'her or play wit' her."
"Ya can read t'her. I'll just play, ya know I ain't into books like ya be."
"I know." I simply told my husband. Lookin' 'tween him and the coffee pot heatin' on the stove I remarked in an informative tone, "Talk 'bout books, the clerk at Adam's told me t'tell ya that the book you ordered should be in from Louie-Ville day after next."
"Okay." Tolbert nodded, bouncin' Rihanna on his knee while holdin' her hands so she'd keep her balance.
"I wasn't aware you ordered a book." I told him as I heard the coffee pot begin to bubble an' boil, indicatin' it was done.
"Yea, it's somethin' for ya for Christmas." He answered as he continued to bounce our daughter on his knee. She didn't seem too impressed by bein' bounced tho, she kept cranin' her neck 'round in search of me.
"Oh…I feel so stupid for not thinkin' of that." I trailed off as I poured Tolbert a cup of coffee.
"Don't feel like that. I ain't been too good of a husband t'ya lately. Ya didn't have a reason t'think I'd be getting' ya anythin' anyways." Tolbert told me as I walked over to him and placed his cup down on the side table by his chair. Lookin' 'tween the coffee an' me he asked, "Ain't ya havin' any?"
"Not right now. I'm gonna start decoratin' the tree." I told him with a small smile 'fore walkin' over to where the box of decorations was.
"Whoa, Rihanna, calm down." Tolbert ordered our daughter as she squirmed an' tried to get onto the floor. "We'll go help mama. Don't worry." He assured her as he placed her on the ground.
I heard the loud rushin' pitty-pats of Rihanna's little feet as she ran over to me. Tolbert wasn't even out of his chair good whenever Rihanna jumped on me as I was bent down next to the box, pullin' ribbons an' strings of beads out of it. "Look, honey, this goes on the tree." I smiled at my girl as I showed her a burgundy ribbon. "Ain't it pretty?" I rhetorically asked her as she grabbed the ribbon, a big smile on her face.
"Not as purty as ya, Ella." Tolbert remarked in his velvet voice as he walked over to join us.
I just shook my head as I took another ribbon out of the box, handin' it to my daughter. "That's a gold one."
"A'ight, let me grab the topper an' stick it on the tree." Tolbert remarked as he stopped next to me and bent down to look into the decoration box. He grabbed the tin star topper, that was painted gold, and went over to the tree. While sippin' on his coffee he placed it on top of the tree. "If ya want I can put some bows on the tree while ya stick somethin' in yer fancy pressure cooker." My husband told me as he walked back over to us.
"Okay." I nodded before getting up and goin' into the kitchen.
As I cubed up some meat an' potatoes to put into my pressure cooker I noticed that Tolbert had put down his coffee and was holdin' Rihanna, lettin' her place the burgundy, gold, and red ribbons onto the tree. Today I felt like we were actin' an' functionin' like a real family. Tolbert was showin' glimpses of his softer side, of the man I knew he could be when he wasn't angry or likkered up. I just smiled and finished my task 'fore joinin' my family to help them decorate our Christmas tree.
AN:
Yea, Tolbert's pretty much a bi-polar alcoholic 1880s style… Rihanna's a mama's girl so she's very attached to Novella. Rihanna's rejection of Tolbert/her not wanting to be held or close to Tolbert is cause he usually smells like 'shine a lot and to a baby that's stinky plus for most of her young baby life he's been cold. Novella's dealing with the cards life's dealt her the best she can. Next chapter will probably have Novella visiting Roseanna along with some other fillery things.