A Faithful Choice

Chapter Twenty-Five

The next day, they went down to Sara and Ben's. When they knocked, there was a flurry of noise, and Sara came up looking terrible. It looked like she was messing around with something. Matt opened his mouth.

"Don't ask. Rosetta was asleep. I got no sleep last night because she was crying all night long, and Ben had to help calm her down."

Matt nodded in understanding. Rosie had always had a little trouble sleeping a night without her stuffed toy, Carol. "We brought little Rosie a present. May I see her?"
Sara nodded and led the way. Upstairs, there was a beautiful little bedroom occupied by the girl. She was asleep on the cushions of her bed. Her golden brown hair was fluffed out around her head. Ben came in, and Matt noticed that he looked like Sara. "Hello. Sorry. We were taking a nap."
Matt walked over to Rosie and kissed her forehead. Abigail walked up behind him and began to sing softly.

Deep in the meadow, a little girl played.

She had the looks of a princess and the spirit of a knight.

She ran uproad, she played all day, and never followed rules. This little girl had the heart of a king!

She always listened to the birds and sang back in her melody.

Deep in the meadow, a girl played.

Matt watched Abigail intently as she sang. Beautiful, sweet music filled his ears. Little Rosie awoke and threw herself into Matt's arms. Matt felt like Rosie was the girl in Abi's song. When he looked to Abigail, she was wiping tears from her face.

"My mama sang that to me as a child. One of the last things she ever did for me was singing this song, even in her weakened state."

Matt watched as Rosie jumped from Matt's arms into Abi's. She kissed Abi's cheek and whispered, "It's okay. Don't cry. I'm here."
Matt thought at that moment that that was the sweetest thing any little girl could say. "Good job, sweetheart. Now, let's get you dressed."
They dressed Rosetta and hurried her downstairs. Abigail placed Angel and her cage on the table. Matt covered Rosie's eyes with his hands and steered her towards the kitchen. She giggled with delight and tried to pry Matt's fingers off her face.
"No peeking, silly goose."
She laughed, a sound radiated in his heart. "I love you, Rosie."
"I love you too, Matt. Where's my present?"
He took his hands from her eyes and she spotted the rabbit. She squealed and ran up to the animal. It sat there looking haughtily up at her new mistress.
"Oh! She's so beautiful! Where did you get her?"
Matt smiled and inclined his head slightly to Abigail. Rosie read the message and repeated the question to Abigail. "Well Rosie, I saw her injured on the way back from the forest."
Sara and Ben widened their eyes at the couple while Rosie played with Angel. Ben carried the rabbit up into Rosie's room with the little girl running behind.

Sara seized the moment to speak. "Abigail, what about the forest? I know better couples that have had troubles there. Did Matt or someone else hurt you?"
Matt was shocked at how easily Sara pinned her suspicions on him. Abigail glared at her old employee and new friend. "No. Why would he? And Lord Nolan of Ayr came flying in at us, figured out who I am, and is probably telling King Charles now."
Sara paled. If the king knew, that could mean a dampened future for Sara and Ben and their hopes on adopting Rosetta Wesley.

Sara promptly shoved them both out the door, saying how she never wanted to see them again.

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Abigail could not believe that her friend had shoved her out the door. Abi knew that she had to talk to Lady Potter, and hopefully she would be able to get advice from her.