I wasout walking in the woods about two weeks after Fiona left for Europe when I came upon Delphia. The youngest of the Barnes clan, she was only nine years old but had the countenance of a sophisticated, if rebellious, young woman. There was something about her pointy chin and fierce blue eyes that seemed both wise and impish all at the same time. Unlike her other sisters, who wore their thoughts and feelings on their faces, Delphia was a bit of an enigma.
At the moment, she was kicking a stump with the tip of her boot. She turned to look at me. “Oh, it’s you. What are you doing?”
“Taking a walk. What are you doing?”
“Kicking this stump.”
“May I ask why?”
“Because I’m mad. Very, very mad.”
“About what?” I asked. We were having one of our unusually warm days. Snow that had come only yesterday and covered trees and shrubs softened. Clumps slid from the branches to pile around trees. Tracks from bunnies or squirrels had left patterns in the snow between trees. I cleared a spot on the stump and sat.
“Well, first of all, they’ve all left me and Addie.”
“You mean your parents and Fiona?” I asked.
“Who else would I be talking about?” She scowled at me from under the brim of her red knit cap. “They’ve gone off and left me during my time of need. Addie’s too, for that matter. It’s not just myself I’m troubled about.”
“Right. I’m sorry their leaving has angered you. Did something in particular happen today?”
She crossed her arms. “Now that you ask, yes indeed, it has. I’ve gotten into trouble from Lizzie and it’s not fair. Not one bit. I’m innocent of all wrongdoing.”
“What are you accused of?”
“It’s what Lizzie calls my smart mouth. Apparently, it’s inappropriate for a child my age to have any opinions whatsoever.”
I hid a smile behind my hand until I composed myself. “What opinions have caused offense?”
“Well, I don’t understand why we have to go to church without Mama and Papa. They’re not at church. Fiona’s not at church. Thus, we too should have a hiatus.”
“Hiatus?” Where had she learned that word?
“A break from our usual routine. If they can go off and leave us, then I think we should get something out of it.”
“And that something should be staying home from church?”
“Among others. For example, it’s fine for us to eat every meal downstairs with Lizzie, Florence, Jasper, and the rest of the staff, but we still have to go to church. Do you see the hypocrisy in that?”
I didn’t exactly follow, but I nodded. “You think it should be all or nothing?”
She sighed. “Finally, someone who understands.”
“Could it be that you’re missing your parents and Fiona and that’s what you’re really angry about?” I smoothed away the snow to make room for her on the stump. “They’ve gone for a long time. Surely that must be hard for you.”
“It’s harder for Addie. She’s tender, you know.” The forlorn way she spoke gave me the distinct impression that it was not only Addie who was tender.
“They’ll be back before you know it,” I said gently.
“No, they won’t. It feels like forever.” She pointed to the snow. “Do you know how long it will be until this snow is melted?” Her voice wavered. “It’s too long for them to have left us. I don’t know what made them do it. Unless…”
“Unless what?”
“Unless it’s because I’m so awful that I drove them away. What if they never come back and Addie and I are orphans forever?”
I chose my words carefully. “They’re coming back. Your parents could never stay away from you forever. I know this might seem odd to you, but your mother’s never been able to go anywhere or see much of anything but this town and the inside of her own home. She’s spent all of her adult life looking after others, and this was a chance for her to enjoy herself. See some of the world and meet your father’s family.”
“What about me? Why couldn’t they take me?”
“You have school. Would you want to miss months and months and have to repeat it all again next year?”
She picked up a wad of snow and hurled it at an unsuspecting tree. “I’m already too smart for my grade. I heard our teacher say something about it to my sister Jo the other day. So getting behind would not be ideal.”
“In addition, you wouldn’t want to leave Addie here all alone, would you?”
“I suppose not. If I were to go, she would have to go too. We stick together. We have to. The rest of them all knew one another before we were even born.”
“Once you’re all grown up, you can go on traveling excursions of your own.”
She ground the heels of her boots into the snow. “I suppose.”
“Until then, what can you do to get yourself back into Lizzie’s good graces?”
“I don’t know. Act more like Fiona and Addie?”
“That might help. Although it’s best to be yourself.”
“Not according to Lizzie,” Delphia said.