3 Delivering Letters

"There is never a time or place for true love. It happens accidentally, in a heartbeat, in a single flashing, throbbing moment." — Sarah Dessen, The Truth About Forever

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A week passed by the rainy day, Rose looked out from the window of her room, watching the sky that was bright without the somber colored clouds that covered the blue sky like a few days before.

"Without the rain, we will finally get some of the laundry done," said her mother when seeing Rose over the window. She pushed herself and walked to her mother, helping to take the basket in her hand.

"It's a nice weather," she agreed, "I will help you with this," she offered but her mother shook her head.

"How about helping me to go to the market? With your sister," added the woman, "I need you to send me this letter to the postman."

"Letters? For aunty?" asked Rose which her mother answered with a tight nod.

"You know how we haven't gotten any letters from her and I want to ask her if she will come for Easter," her mother said little but Rose could see the little hope and eagerness her mother had in her eyes, hoping to meet with her younger sister who had went away from the village and live a better life in the town after marrying a wealthy man.

Rose knew her mother's sentiment and how she wanted to fix the sisterhood they had that had went astray with the amount of years after the two had builds a home. "But I can go alone, Josie can stay here and help you with the chores. Another hand of help is never enough," said Rose with a thoughtful look. Her mother was old and it worries her that she still had to work around the house.

Like how Rose worries about her mother's health, Mrs. Maury was much worried about Rose. Health wasn't Mrs. Maury's greatest worry to her younger child, however; it was the fact that Rose rarely went out that worried the older woman.

She hoped to see Rose acquainting herself to more men who could be her suitor, but her second daughter, like the first didn't like to leave the house often. Recently, Mrs. Maury noticed her eldest child Josie had found a man she fancied. But she didn't see any sign of it from Rose. This put her at ease, but she didn't only have one daughter. The older woman knows that her two daughters didn't leave the house as they were worried about her and her husband, but she didn't want Rose to turn into a spinster.

Using the chance, Mrs. Maury wishes to create opportunities for Rose to leave the house and become acquainted with eligible men for her future.

"It's dangerous, you know about the attacks that had been going on, I wouldn't want you to go alone," her mother persuaded, placing her hand on the basket.

"It's close mama, and I thought the hunters had been issued to hunt for the wolf that attack Mr. Hearst," answered Rose. She didn't see why she had to bring her sister when it was close.

"That is what they said," her mother sighed and Rose's green eyes turned more curious, "It is said that the attack didn't come form a simple hungry wolf but something far worse. I heard that there were a couple of odd things about the corpse. Mr. Hearst's body had been ripped and torn to pieces by claws. There were traces of roughhousing like when a cat was playing with a mouse. The magistrate declared that it's obvious it was a work of a beast. A very large large wolf," said her mother; Rose, who had quite an imagination in her mind shivered like her mother did as she had ended her talk.

"No matter how large it is, it won't be as large as bears, isn't it?" asked Rose because from the way her mother described it, it appears that the wolves were both tall and large.

"There aren't wolves that are as large as bears, Rose," came the gentle voice from behind that took the attention of Rose and her mother.

Rose turned her head, seeing her sister looking at her back with her brown eyes shining over her beautiful face. Even though she didn't do anything less than washing her face, Josephine, her older sister was beautiful as the blooming flower. The beauty which Rose admired and hold as a pride. Stepping closer, Josie, who was shorter by half an inch smiled at Rose when their eyes met, who then begins to untie her dusty blonde hair and set it to her right shoulders

Rose returned the smile at her sister's words and said, "I have read in the books once that there is something called mutation. It happens often in animals who have stayed too long in the forest affected by climates and their environment sometimes by what they consume as well, causing their body to enlarge or reduce in size."

Josie lightly chuckle, "You shouldn't trust books wantonly, Rose. They often have the habit to mix lies with truth," advised Josie but Rose disagreed because books are the window of knowledge; it was due to reading books that Rose had acquired information of some herbs and medicinal plants she could use to heal wounds and illness.

"But there is still the truth," Rose answered to have her older sister sigh.

"I heard what you are talking earlier mama; are you really thinking of sending invitation to Aunt Marie?" Josie asked, her tone was slightly laced with bitterness which both Rose and her mother could pick out. Out of their family, Josie was the person who is against her aunt the most.

"Well, we are a family. Things like holidays are the best when we spend it together. I hope we can do that with your aunt this year," her mother kept her tone light but Rose know that there was sadness in her voice, something which saddened Rose as well. While some people tried to keep their family close sometimes the other person wouldn't think of the same, such was the case to their aunt.

Josie sighed, shaking her head as she looked at her mother and younger sister who were both naive to her eyes, "Aunt Marie wouldn't want to stay at our house for too long. If she doesn't send letters to us in intention to spend her holidays; I don't see the need for us to invite her every years only to be turned down."

Mrs. Maury showed a small smile, "Dearest, I know. But between two people it is always one of them who need to make more efforts to achieve what we want. I am sure there must be a reason why she turned our invitation down."

"Yes, all those empty reasons that said she had prior party engagement and soirée. Mama, I think we should put this to rest. To be honest, I don't see her willing to come here even after we got married," Josie said with a bitter look on her face.

Rose looked at her sister, and thought of how she cannot blame her sister's reaction which might come off as rude to others. They both know that Aunt Mary dislikes living in the village. After being married to a wealthy man, they saw their aunt feeling uncomfortable whenever she came to a village.

Although the village itself was not the problem for Aunt Marie, she didn't want to remember living in poverty. However, despite their aunt not wanting to come to the village, she would send them an annual gift each month and the girls appreciate her kindness.

Nowadays, her mother has been making changes for her aunt to stay, and the girls both hoped Aunt Marie would spare her time to put their mother's efforts as a chance for them to relish the time when the two were inseparable.

Rose held her sister's hand, trying to be the bright one on the room so they won't have a gloomy air. "I think Josie, maybe auntie is very busy. We don't know the life of the wealthy but then most people have their life it is just that the time wasn't perfect for it. I trust that auntie also want to be with us, every years she sent us gifts and letters to express that."

Josie thinned her lips, her eyes showing the dislike. "We are not beggars that keep waiting for her gifts. While I am thankful, I would be more thankful if she can show herself for once."

"I am sure that day would come soon," Rose said, trying to keep her family away from discourage. She changed the conversation, "Where is the letters, mama? I will deliver it now."

"It is in the cupboard on the foyer," said her mother and Rose tugged Josie's hand, leaving when her mother added, "Oh! And don't forget to bring your umbrella!"

Being youthful, the two girls were quick to arrive on the foyer of the door. While Rose took the white envelope after looking around the top of the cupboard, she heard Josie whose cheeks were bright pink, talking with vivacity about the man who had saved her a month ago whom then her sister fell for. "Mr. Harding said that the new shoes had been sent and the King had even requested one shoes to be made for him. Isn't that amazing?"

"It is," Rose said in surprise. For a shoemaker to be able to work under the King is no less than a dream and the man had achieved it which only added more thought in Rose how she support Josie to bond with the man whose name was Jayden Harding. "It had been three days since you met sister, you said that he went to Vinney, right? You should come and visit his shop when he came back."

"That is what I am planning to do, I also—" Josie's words stopped all of a sudden. Rose turned her face to look at her sister when Josie had left the door they had been standing and quickly ran over the yard, coming to the gate with a clear excitement.

Rose didn't know what happened that had her sister excited and she followed her gaze to see the tall man who had walked by the house. In time her green eyes met the man's brown ones, Josie's voice bloomed, "Mr. Harding!"

Mr. Harding heard Josie's voice but his eyes were unmoved as he stared affixed on the younger girl who still stood in front of the door and he found himself stunned, unable to tear away his gaze from Rose.