Page 16 of Sleepless in Saunton
Tatiana’s face lit up. She inspected the bowl and then delicately took hold of the largest strawberry she could find, pulling it up by its cap and holding it in front of her face to sniff it. With a deep breath, she took a bite, smiling in pleasure while she chewed.
“Have you thought more about courting my father?”
Jane choked, quickly putting the cup down while she coughed into her hand. “I thought we agreed your papa needed to find his own wife?”
“I went around meeting all the women since then. You are the only one who is right for Papa.”
“Perhaps this house party is not the right place to find his wife? If you did not like any of the women here, there will be more women in London for him to meet.”
“No, I did not mean you are the best woman at the house party.” Tatiana shook her head, clearly exasperated with Jane’s simpleness. “Youarethe right woman for him. I know it! Did you meet him yet?”
“I did, and your papa is a gracious gentleman. But I must confess there is a difference in our ages, and he might prefer someone with more maturity than me. He seemed quite taken with Mrs. Gordon.”
Tatiana’s blue eyes narrowed. “The blonde woman? She is awful!”
“Your papa seemed to like her. He played cricket with her and sat with her at dinner.”
Tatiana stood up, outrage quivering in every line of her body. “Not Mrs. Gordon. She does not like children!”
Jane frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I could tell when I met her. She smiled, but it did not reach her eyes, and she asked me if I had a doll to go play with like I was a simpleton.”
Jane bit her lip, uncertain how to respond. “I am sure if you give her time, she will grow accustomed to you.”
Tatiana clenched her jaw. “Promise me you will think about it. I know you are perfect for Papa. You must spend more time with him and then you will see what I mean.”
Jane did not want to encourage the girl’s hope of a match, but she would distract her and then search out the grandmother to discuss the matter. The older woman seemed sensible, and she had a warm manner. Perhaps they could meet for tea to work out how to address Tatiana’s surprising desires. “Do you want to see what the strawberries are for?”
Tatiana’s little face lit up, her appreciation of the aromatic fruit obvious as her eyes darted back to the bowl.
“I recently read directions for preparing strawberry water. It softens and lightens the skin.”
Tatiana grinned. “We are going to smell like strawberries?”
“That is the plan.” Reaching out her hand, Jane took hold of one of the plumpest fruits and brought it to her lips. Breathing in deeply, she took a bite, tasting the sweetness of its flesh, and finished it quickly. “Pass me that empty bowl.”
Tatiana solemnly handed over the extra bowl, along with the pestle resting in it. Jane selected several well-ripened strawberries, dropping them into the empty bowl and offering the girl one of the remaining fruits to eat.
Then she crushed the strawberries, pulling the caps out to discard them. Once she had the fruit reduced to a pulp, she requested a second empty bowl which she placed on the table before picking up the white muslin. Pouring the pulp onto the muslin, she diligently pressed it through until she had the juice of strawberries in the vessel. She discarded the muslin and its pulpy mess onto the tray before popping one of the remaining strawberries into her mouth, biting it off at the cap to place it back onto the tray as she ate the fruit.
Walking over to the washstand, she used the pitcher of water to rinse her hands before returning to take her seat.
Tatiana leaned over the bowl of juice to breathe in the fragrance which was permeating the air. “Now what happens?”
“Now I mix it with milk and a little water, and then we can dab it on our faces. After our long afternoon in the sun yesterday, it should be quite soothing.”
“And what about the almonds?”
“That is for afterwards.”
“I want to do things like this with you every day.”
Jane smiled. The girl was sweet, and she enjoyed her company. Tatiana had a calm presence unless she was excited, as she had been to play cricket the day before. “I enjoy spending time with you, too.”
“If you were my mama …”
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