Laura's Second Chance (Widows of Virginia Book #2)(12)
Before the day’s end Arthur had to scour the farm for other ingredients. The kitchen was almost empty except for the delicious aroma of baking by the time they were done making and filling the last of their puddings and tarts.
Exhausted and excited Laura barely slept that night. She rose early ready to go to the market. As they couldn’t afford any staff she was going to sell the goods herself with Arthur’s help, while Gemma stayed behind to work at the house.
The sales started out slow, but as the word spread amongst the townsfolk about how wonderful the desserts were, buyers began to flock to Laura’s stall. The next day they set out their stall in a different town and the same thing happened. All week Laura spent her days at market selling the pies and tarts and her evenings back in the kitchen helping Gemma make more of them. Tired, but happy to see the fruits of her labor, she went to bed every night thinking about the time when Robert would hear about their success.
After a week they returned to the first town. As Laura laid out her goods a lean man in a smart white apron approached her.
“Mrs. Bennet?” he asked.
“Yes?” Laura turned around to greet him with a smile. “How may I help you?”
“I have been hearing a lot of good things about your desserts from my customers. Some have recommended including them in my menu.”
Menu? Customers? Laura raised her brows.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t follow..."
“Please excuse my manners for not introducing myself properly. I’m Mr. Chris Tabs.” He tipped his hat. “I own a restaurant in the city and several bakeries, including one just two blocks from here. Have you heard of it? It’s called Breadcrumbs.”
“Yeah, I know where it is,” Arthur chimed in, appearing at Laura’s elbow.
“I was wondering if I could order from you in bulk. We would need desserts delivered regularly to the bakery and restaurant.”
Laura stared at the man, then at Arthur. The boy’s jaw dropped.
“I don’t know what to say, Mr. Tabs…”
Could this be the way to save farm and the house? It was definitely a start. She felt dizzy with excitement and… speechless.
“Please, don’t say no.” He laughed seeing her hesitation.
“Mr. Tabs, this is such a pleasant surprise, no one’s asked us before-”
“Do we have a deal then?”
Mr. Tabs extended his hand and she shook it.
“Yes, we do.”
Epilogue
Six months later.
Laura had just came back from the shop, bringing pastries for the farmhands. Business had been going well enough to move from a simple stall at the market to a permanent shop.
“Robert?” she called for the man of the house from the hallway.
She wanted to tell him about more good news – with the business growing she planned to add some chairs and tables for the regular buyers who demanded a place to sit down. Laura looked in the office and in the kitchen, but he wasn’t anywhere in the house.
“Have you seen Mr. Smith?” she asked the first worker she met on the way to the farm.
“Yes, Ma’am. He is resting under the arbor.” The man pointed towards the hill covered in sprouting sweet potato and cassava.
“Thank you.”
She followed the path leading to the arbor Robert had put up for her. An expansion to the store, I’m sure he’ll be thrilled. Laura smiled. The money from the shop would help tide them over till the crops were ready to sell. Robert also started painting again and his portraits fetched a fair price. But as she got closer to the arbor her smile faded. She couldn’t see Robert anywhere.
Where on earth could he be...?
She walked up to the structure to catch her breath before looking elsewhere. But what she saw in the middle of the arbor made her heart skip a beat.
The rose petals were scattered all over the wooden floor and bouquets of flowers in different sizes and colors covered the table inside.
“Robert?” she called, turning from side to side.
“Hello, Laura.”
He appeared out of nowhere holding a bouquet of white tulips. He remembered! Laura blushed and smiled. Those were her favorite flowers.
Robert’s black suit clung to his muscled frame, much like the one he wore when he first set foot in Laura’s home in Newport News several months earlier.
She raised a brow and tried to cover up her nervousness with a joke. “Look at you, all neat and prepped-up. What’s the occasion?”
He approached her and she couldn’t help but notice the trepidation in his steps. Laura’s chest tightened when Robert handed her the tulips.
“I think I have enough flowers to start my own farm,” she said, but her giggle fell flat, the air around her feeling heavy.
“Are we celebrating something?” she asked, peering up at him. He looked so happy. Maybe it was news about the farm. She didn’t dare think of anything else.
“It depends on your answer.”
Not about the farm then, Laura swallowed and took a deep breath. “And the question is?”
Robert dropped to one knee. “Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
Laura covered her mouth with her free hand, trying not to choke on the surprise. Cold sweat dripped down her neck. Her hands shook, but thankfully, the tulips had more strength in their petals and stems than Laura did in her knees and legs.