By Any Other Name

Chapter 5

"Do they cut people's heads off?" That was from one of the boys.

I started getting dizzy, looking from child to child, each one asking a new question before I had the chance to answer the last.

"Children!" Minnie stopped the chatter. "Perhaps Miss Annie would be willing to teach you all about England in your studies." Her suggestion earned appreciative and hopeful smiles all around the table.

"Of course," I agreed, grateful for the break.

I was able to take about three peaceful bites of my food before the children's curiosity got the better of them again.

"Do you have family in England?" The sandy-haired boy asked, almost making me gag on my bite of bacon.

I didn't count Charles as my family any longer though, so I could still be honest while omitting anything to do with him.

"Yes, I do. My mother and my two sisters, Lily and Violet are there. I miss them very much."

"Why ever did you leave?" the older girl asked.

"Well, I..."

"Are they as pretty as you?" the small, obviously shy girl nearly whispered.

"Much prettier." I smiled.

"Did you put something in your hair to make it like that?" the blonde girl asked. "I've never seen hair that color before."

I laughed. "No, this is just the way God wanted my hair to be, I suppose."

"How come you came here all by yourself if your family's over there?" asked the boy with wavy brown hair.

The children suddenly stopped talking and watched me, waiting. Apparently, I wasn't going to avoid these questions so easily as I had with some of the others. I could understand their fixation with family, but that didn't make me any more willing to talk about it.

I didn't intend to tell anyone anything about Charles - I wanted it to be as if that part of my life had never happened. At least, as much as possible. But that was basically everything they would want to know about me since it was the entire explanation of why I was suddenly in their lives.

"Well...I..."

"Did you have a beau?" the older girl asked with a dreamy look. "There must have been all sorts of men who wanted to marry you. How come you didn't get married?"

"I...um..."

"Alright, quit pestering Miss Annie," Minnie said, saving me from having to answer. A glance told me that she understood, at least vaguely, why I was becoming uncomfortable with the current topic.

"You're all being very nosy," she scolded. "Why don't you introduce yourselves so she can get to know a little bit about all of you."

I sent Minnie a grateful smile and focused on the children again.

They all turned to the older girl to start them off.

"I'm Cassie," she said. "I'm thirteen."

"I'm Jack," said the sandy-haired boy at the other end of the table. "I'm thirteen too."

"But I'm older," Cassie said, sounding like the typical bossy older sister.

Jack rolled his eyes, clearly used to hearing that. "By two months," he muttered.

The blonde girl's bright blue eyes met mine. "My name's Phoebe and I'm nine." She nudged the girl beside her. "This is Hannah. She's eleven and she's shy."

Hannah was the one who only dared to whisper one question while the others fired them off as soon as they could think of them. She had hazel eyes and chestnut colored hair that reached beyond her waist. Color rose in her cheeks, but she smiled, looking content not to have to say anything herself.

"And that's her brother Joshua," Phoebe pointed to the boy who sat beside Jack. It was easy to believe that he and Hannah were siblings. They shared facial features, but Joshua's hair was a shade lighter than Hannah's and his eyes were a sea green color.

"I'm ten," Joshua said solemnly.

"And I'm five!" Oliver added enthusiastically.

"And what's your name?" Minnie prompted.

"Oliver." He looked at her, bewildered, wondering how she could have forgotten.

Minnie chuckled. "Miss Annie might not have known."

"Oh." He faced me. "I'm Oliver," he repeated. "I can lasso a horse!" The pride shone in his eyes.

"Really?" I exaggerated.

"Uh huh! Levi taught me."

I fought the scowl at the mention of that man.

"I'm Lilah!" The small blonde girl next to Oliver cried. She held up three fingers.

"You're three?" I asked.

She nodded, grinning.

"Four, Lilah," Joshua corrected her. "This many." He held up four fingers.

"Four!" She added another finger.

"And the little one is Susan." Minnie indicated the smallest child beside her. "She's not quite three yet."

With a thumb in her mouth, little Susan stared at me with curious and intelligent eyes from behind a curtain of nearly black hair. I'd never seen someone with her bronzed skin tone before. It looked like when my sisters would stay out in the sun too long. I only ever burned of course. But I could tell that the color of Susan's skin wasn't due to being outside.

It was easy to see that the children were about to start up again, but Minnie halted the questions before they had the chance to begin again.

"Now." She looked between them all. "I want you to give Miss Annie some peace and quiet while she eats her breakfast. You'll have plenty of time to talk to her later, and your chores are waitin'."

The children groaned, but did as she said and stayed quiet for the remainder of the meal.