The Apothecary's Daughter

Chapter 22

Emmeline had successfully gotten Matilda down for bed. The little one was quite tired after trying to help Emmeline in the shop after dinner. With everyone in her care warm in their beds asleep, Emmeline returned to her office. The lavender she had hung above the fireplace was finally dry and ready to be made into oil. She split the buds open and poured the grape seed oil over it. She went to the pantry and retrieved a vial. She held it close to her heart and said "Lord, may the oil come out as fresh as the first batch ever created" before adding a drop of the old lavender oil to it. It was a tradition passed down by her mother.

"A little oil from batches past and a prayer will ensure the perfect batch every time." She would tell Emmeline. The vial she held in her hands had been passed down by generations of healers, all using it in the hope of making something that would help others.

Emmeline stoked the fire and placed the oil-soaked buds above the it. The buds, she knew, would have to cook for a few hours.  She busied herself with other work as the oil cooked. She dared not stop. She prepared for the next day's appointments and tidied her workspace.

When the clock chimed 11, she began melting down the soap base for the lavender soap she intended to make that night. While it was melting, she quickly chopped the leftover lavender and dried rosemary. She found that many people who had aches and pains were simply in need of a little indulgence, many a time it being a good soaking in a tub with warm water. With the base fully melted, she added the rosemary and lavender and poured it into the molds to harden.

The oil had cooked down by that point and Emmeline removed it from the fireplace and strained the buds from the oil. She then stored the oil in a bottle and placed it in one of the cabinets.  She finished cleaning her workspace before retiring to her room.

~

"Miss. Emmy, where were you?" Matilda asked when she entered her chamber.

"I was working with the fairies of course. Matilda, my sweet, what are you still doing awake?" Emmeline replied, going over to her side.

"I woke up from a nightmare and you weren't there. Normally when I have them I call for Father but he's not here so I didn't know what to do."

"You know you could've called for me, my dear." Emmeline strokes a piece of hair away from Matilda's face, "Now tell me, what was this nightmare about? Maybe we can make it less scary so it doesn't come back."

"It was Father, I had a dream he got sick and died, just like Mother, and then I would be an orphan." Matilda hiccuped "I don't want to be an orphan Miss. Emmy." Emmeline hugged the girl close to her chest.

"Oh Matilda, you will never be an orphan. Orphans have no one that can care for them, and you know I will always care for you. And your father will come back. He's so healthy and strong. Why don't we write him a letter tomorrow and you can tell him how you've missed him. Would you like that?" Matilda nodded her head eagerly. "Now let us try to sleep, we have another full day tomorrow."

"Miss.Emmy, I will always care for you too." Matilda said before she rested her head on Emmeline's chest and quickly fell asleep. Emmeline's mind, however, was far too busy to fall asleep.

Her mind ventured to a place it rarely went, the time after her mother's death.

Emmeline understood Matilda's nightmares perfectly, as they were the same ones she had for many years after her mother's died. These dreams occasionally entered her sleep as she became a young woman. She dared never to share these dreams with anyone. She had seen the look of brokenness on her father's and knew if he ever knew how badly she still hurt it would only hurt him more.  "Be strong" her mother would always tell her, and Emmeline was. She did not allow herself to mourn, and instead tried to put her energy into making others happy, hoping one day it would heal her own wounds. Emmeline also knew her father was not long for her world, and the thought scared her.

As Emmeline's mind finally quieted,she said a quick prayer to Cecelia and her own mother before falling asleep.

~

"Daniel, my friend, you've hardly a taste of your bourbon. Don't tell me your time as an earl has made you a snob about your liquor. What happened to our old down it Daniel? You used to drink anything placed in front of you. " Isaac joked.

"Have you become soft? No wife to lead you to the drink?" William asked, taking a hearty sip from his glass. "Lord knows my Teresa leads me to it."

"I am sorry friends," Daniel said, quickly finishing the whisky in front of him, "I meant to be more of myself tonight." As much as Daniel wished, his mind was not with his companions tonight. They were far away, back home in Abbotshire.

"I believe the country has made you soft. Nothing some more time in town won't change." Edward added.

"Not the country lads, but a woman." Charles joked, dramatically placing a hand over his heart. Daniel shot his brother a deathly stare.

"A woman has stolen your heart again, I thought you were through with the lot of them. That is what you told me before you left." William queered.

"I assure you my promise still remains true. My idiot brother is referring to my daughter of course. She and I haven't been apart for this long since her mother's passing." Daniel replied.

"Or is it the country lass looking after her?" Charles asked, raising his eyebrows.

"How do you know about Miss. Somers?" Daniel asked, trying to hide any emotion he might have shown, not that there were any feelings to hide.

"You forget, dear brother, that I am quite good friends with the stable hands working on your estate still. They wrote me of the mysterious young woman that arrived to care for my niece late one night. I cannot risk you ruining your daughter's chances at a good match if you are frolicking with some country girl."

"She is the town's apothecary. She began caring for your beloved niece after a near brush with death. She makes my daughter happy so I asked her to be of more service. That is all." Daniel growled.

"Sorry old chap, we did not mean to get a rise out of you." Isaac said, "We were simply wondering where your mind had gone. Now it is abundantly clear." Everyone laughed in an attempt to lighten the mood, and Daniel's thoughts once again returned to the girls in the garden.

~

Hello everyone! Here is the extremely late update to our tale. I have been crazy busy over the past few months but will be working earnestly to get back on a regular writing schedule.

Thanks to everyone for all your support! Let me know what you think of the latest update!