The Brocade Baby (Rewrite) Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Motherhood

27 She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.

Proverbs 31:27-28

 

After the 2 women finished their shopping, they along with Ambroise went to the Blumenthal home so they could put them in Miranda's room. It was fortunate that the house wasn't too far from the store as Miranda preferred walking rather driving around town. Brielle felt the same way as she believed that walking would help her be more active especially during the warmer season. Fortunately for both of them, it wasn't too windy nor was there any kind of chill that bothered them. The moment they arrived home, Miranda pushed his carriage inside the house before placing it beside the door so it wouldn't get in anyone's way. She then gently grabbed Ambroise while making sure to keep him covered in the lavender blanket before bringing him upstairs. Brielle followed after them while carrying the rest of the baby products they bought together as she wanted to see where Ambroise was sleeping. Once Miranda opened the door, she placed Ambroise in his crib and smiled as she saw him wriggle on the mattress while looking around with curiosity in his eyes. Brielle also smiled as she saw how happy Miranda was when it came to caring for the infant, especially given that Ambroise reminded her of when Audrey herself was an infant. Those were the days, Brielle thought to herself as she felt nostalgic swept over her like a wave.

"So," Brielle asked as she placed the products right on Miranda's bed. "This is where you've been keeping him since last night?"

"Yes, I figured that my room was big enough for both me and Ambroise," Miranda replied. "Given that this room is so big, I felt that it wouldn't hurt to make use of the unused space especially since…"

Miranda turned her head away in sadness as she trailed off, making Brielle realize what she was about to say

"Oh dear, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to remind you of-"

"It's fine, Brielle," Miranda replied. "I understand you didn't mean to remind me of Jarem." That didn't stop Brielle from feeling guilty for unwittingly reminding Miranda of her husband's death.

She vividly remembered how devastated Miranda was when she heard news of her husband's death back in 1986. She was chatting with Miranda about their children's lives while drinking tea and eating some of macarons and macaroons when a police officer arrived at her home. When Miranda answered the door, the officer informed her of her husband's death in a tone that was both sympathetic yet incredibly blunt at the same time. At first it seemed that Miranda was in a state of denial for a few seconds before reality came crashing down on her and caused her to fall on her knees, letting out a cry of utmost sorrow in the process. As she sobbed into her hands, Brielle could only lay a comforting hand on her back and try to give her words of solace but to no avail. Timotheos and Audrey were hanging out upstairs until they overheard the commotion and went to check on what happened. When the officer informed Timotheos on what had occurred, the young man could only freeze in shock before also falling onto his knees and weeping in sadness. Miranda held Timotheos into a tight embrace as they both grieved for Jarem together while Brielle and Audrey looked on in sympathy and discomfort. It was an incredibly painful moment that nobody wanted to experience again despite the reason being understandable. The atmosphere of the town had changed from a cheerful if somewhat dull place to a quiet and somber site due to the Blumenthals' grief. While nobody blamed them for their grief, especially since the Blumenthals were the only ones who lost someone dear to them, the town had never been the same ever since. Like Timotheos, Miranda took a while to come to terms with her husband's death but with the help of Brielle and the other townspeople, Miranda was able to gradually move on from his death. Although Miranda was doing much better compared to last year, there were still times when the topic of her husband's death would bother her and cause an air of discomfort for everyone.

"Anyways, I want to show you what we found with Ambroise," Miranda said as she went to grab the basket, the letter and the mysterious cloth. Brielle looked on in curiosity as she saw Miranda carry the basket before putting it on her bed and take out the 2 mysterious items found inside. The moment she saw Miranda bring out the cloth, her eyes widened with shock over the sight and let out an audible gasp

"Where did you get that cloth?!" she asked as she quickly approached Miranda to get a closer look at it. Miranda was caught-off guard by Brielle's sudden change in behavior especially when Brielle suddenly took the cloth from her to inspect it.

"We don't know. Timotheos found Ambroise swaddled around in that thing when he first met him. Do you know what it is?"

"Do I know it? Of course I do! This is no ordinary fabric, Miranda. This is a brocade!" Brielle exclaimed.

"A brocade? Isn't that just a piece of fabric?" Miranda asked in confusion.

"It's not 'just a piece of fabric', Miranda!" Brielle replied in exasperation. "This is the type of fabric that only aristocrats and nobles could afford back in the early ages. I can't believe these still exist! You could make a fortune with just this piece alone!"

"Oh wow. I didn't think that piece of cloth was that special," Miranda said in shock. She was never really that interested in fashion or clothing unless she needed to wear certain outfits that were both comfortable and fit her.

"Glossy texture, vibrant yet deep colors, a trimming that basically screams wealth and an intricate design that people would kill to have for decoration!" Brielle stated with utmost seriousness while Miranda looked on in uncertainty and confusion. "Don't you see? This brocade is the real deal! Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?!"

"Well, how was I supposed to know it was that important? You're the one whose interested in that stuff not me," Miranda replied dryly.

"Even so, if this was found wrapped around Ambroise, then it has to mean something. Remember that story Le Fresne? The one written by Marie de France? This is the same kind of fabric the main character wore when she was a baby, the symbol of nobility itself. Wait a minute. Could I read that letter you found?" she asked to which Miranda responded by handing over the letter.

"Here, it's written in French so you should be able to understand it," she said while Brielle eagerly took the note from her and started reading it. As she quickly read through the letter, she put it back in the basket before turning to Miranda with an intense expression.

"Um, are you going to stare at me all day or are you going to say something?" Miranda asked nervously making Brielle realize how creeped out her friend was getting and calm down.

"Sorry, I was just thinking…" Brielle began, "The one who wrote this letter says she will reward you and your family once she comes back for Ambroise right?"

"Right," Miranda replied with growing curiosity and nervousness.

"And this brocade is clearly shown to be the real deal right?"

"Right?"

"That got me thinking, what if the mother of Ambroise is rich?"

"What!?" Miranda exclaimed when she heard her friend's bold assumption.

"I know it sounds crazy but think about it. Does anyone in this town have this kind of cloth?" asked Brielle. Miranda thought for a moment before coming to a tentative realization.

"No?"

"Exactly! And the letter here says that you and your family will be rewarded greatly if you take care of Ambroise. Now I know this may sound crazy but I wholeheartedly believe that this baby must be descended from a noble family of some sort!"

"I don't know, Brielle. It could be a huge coincidence. I mean, we haven't seen or heard from the nobles in a while and the letter never mentioned anything about the mother being rich."

"Even so, it has to mean something doesn't it?" Brielle asked, causing Miranda to ponder over her question. She admitted that the fabric did look expensive but at the same time she didn't want to jump to conclusions and expect any large reward for one good deed. "Even if his mother happens to be from a rich family, I'm not doing this for some reward. I'm perfectly content to take care of Ambroise because it's the right thing to do."

"I know, I know," Brielle replied. "You're not the kind of person to take advantage of an opportunity to get rich even if it's from doing a favor. That's what I've always admired about you. You've always had a good heart that involved helping people, not expecting anything in return."

Miranda smiled when she heard this as she knew that her friend meant well even if she was a bit too enthusiastic about it. While the Blumenthals weren't poor, they weren't exactly rich either but somewhere in between. Though they did get some monetary compensation after Jarem died, Miranda wanted to earn money through her job as a nurse rather than through pity. With Timotheos working at the Gringore music shop, their financial situation wasn't too bad though whether Timotheos would keep working there was another question. Whatever career that he wanted to do full-time she would support as long as it was practical and he truly enjoyed it

"Thanks, that really means a lot especially from you," Miranda replied causing Brielle smile. "Well, I think that's enough chit-chat for now. How about we go make some tea together along with some formula?"

"Sure! I was hoping we could have tea today," Brielle replied before leaning over the crib so she could playfully wiggle her fingers at Ambroise. "Don't worry little mignon, you will get your food soon. Right? You want some food? Yes you do. Yes you do!"

Miranda tried not to laugh as she saw Brielle acting extra affectionate towards little Ambroise who was only too happy to play with her. Now I'm starting to see where Audrey gets her personality from, Miranda thought to herself with amusement.

Once Brielle was finished cooing over Ambroise, the 2 mothers went downstairs to make some tea as well as some formula for the baby. Thought it had been years since either of them took care of a baby, they were still able to make the necessary milk for Ambroise despite it not being organic. Miranda prayed that Ambroise wouldn't reject it as she heard how certain infants preferred their mother's breastmilk or other alternative liquids for nutrition. But given that Dr. Fuchs suggested that the Infant Angels brand was the best option for Ambroise, she could only trust his word. As she set up both the kettle and a small pot to boil on the stove, she couldn't help but wonder if Brielle was right. Sure, Brielle could jump to conclusions at times but Miranda couldn't help but wonder if she was right for once. The brocade did look rather lavish not to mention old-fashioned but I'm not sure if that alone is proof of Ambroise being a blue-blood, Miranda thought as she continued to watch both the kettle and pot. Still, that does raise some questions regarding Ambroise. Just who is he?

As Miranda watched over the stove, Brielle brought out the baby bottle along with a bib for Ambroise and placed them on the dining room table.

"Hey Miranda," Brielle began. "Where did you put the tea bags again?"

"Oh they're beside the upper cabinet with the bowls and plates," Miranda responded.

"Thanks," Brielle replied as she went to the shelf that Miranda described and found a small box with different types of tea bags inside ranging from mint to oolong. "Which one do you want this time? Oolong? Green? Earl Grey?"

"Is there any chamomile in there?" asked Miranda causing Brielle to search through the box until she found the tea she was looking for.

"Yes there is!"

"Then I'd like to have that one please."

"Got it! I'll have the Earl Grey one if you don't mind."

"Sure, help yourself."

Once Brielle took out both the chamomile and Earl Grey tea bags, she went to where the cups were hanging and brought 2 of them onto the table. After she had placed the tea bags in their respective cups, Brielle sat down before proceeding open the can of Infant Angels formula and poured some in the bottle to the amount that would be enough to feed Ambroise. When the pot was warm enough for the formula, Miranda turned it off while keeping the other part of the stove on for the kettle as it had yet to whistle. She carefully held the pot by the handle and slowly poured some of it in the bottle, allowing both the water and formula to mix together, before putting it in the sink. Reminds me of when I would bottle-feed Audrey, Brielle thought to herself as she once again felt nostalgic thinking about the past. Though Brielle didn't want to admit it but a part of her felt a tad bit envious that Miranda could breastfeed her child while she couldn't. Just a tad. Still, it felt nice to take care of a baby again especially since this particular baby was cute as a button. While she was aware of the downsides of having children, specifically the tantrums and sleepless nights that would accompany it, she felt that it was all worth it as she watched her daughter grow.

"I almost forgot, do you want some biscuits to go with the tea?" asked Miranda.

"Oui. I always enjoyed having biscuits whenever I drank tea," replied Brielle as she watched Miranda get some from the upper cabinets. As Miranda brought both the box of biscuits and 2 small plates for both of them, she set them on the table before sitting down. Now that they were all set, the 2 women waited for the kettle to whistle which wouldn't be too long. As Miranda opened the box, inside was a variety of different biscuits which pleased Brielle as it contained several which were her favorite.

"Ah, boudoirs and madeleines. Mon préféré," Brielle exclaimed as she took a few of them from the box and placed them on her plate making Miranda grin.

"Well, of course I saved them just for you," Miranda replied.

"Oh you shouldn't have," Brielle responded as both women giggled. They stopped the moment they heard the kettle whistle, signaling that it was ready, prompting Miranda to get up and turn the stove off. She quickly brought the kettle along with a placemat and put them both on the table, with the kettle itself being placed on top of the mat. Once that was dealt with, Miranda sat back down in her chair and was ready to pour some of it into their respective cups.

"Well, then shall we?" Miranda asked.

"Oui," Brielle replied as Miranda poured some for Brielle. The 2 women enjoyed their personal tea party while conversing over the various events in their lives. It was moments like this that allowed Miranda to gain some form of peace and quiet with her best friend especially during the summer. Though she knew that she would have to feed Ambroise very soon, she was fine as it gave her something to do instead of doing nothing.