Chapter 58
Soon after, an elderly woman with a slightly plump figure and a warm, beaming smile stepped out. “Ms. Yates… Is that Tess?”
Tessa froze for a moment. “Ma’am, do you know me?”
The old woman approached her, her cloudy eyes brimming with emotion. “Tess, you’ve grown so tall. Time flies.”
Tessa’s mouth opened slightly, unsure of how to respond.
Stephen spoke at just the right moment. “I learned my cooking skills here.”
Tessa glanced at him, puzzled.
Stephen explained, “This is Helen Wilson. She used to be the Somerton family’s housekeeper, and Madam Somerton learned to cook from her.”
Helen looked at Tessa, her joy overflowing into tears. “It really is you, Tess. Your eyes look just like your mother’s. Tess, I even held you in my arms when you were little.
Hearing Helen mention her mother, Tessa’s eyes instantly glistened with tears. “Yes, it’s me, Tess. Mrs. Wilson, I came to visit you.”
“Come in and sit,” Helen said, ushering them warmly.
She then turned to the man standing nearby. “Billy, go to town and buy some groceries. Get the best ingredients. I’ll cook for Mr. Jacobson and Tess.”
“Got it!” The man, called Billy, replied cheerfully before hopping on a motorcycle and heading off. Helen held Tessa’s hand and began reminiscing, sharing many stories about Tyla’s younger years. From these stories, Tessa learned that her mother had taken up cooking to win over Samuel.
Her mother, a delicate and refined heiress unaccustomed to kitchen work, had learned to cook for the man she loved.
Tessa felt a mix of emotions.
As a child, she remembered her parents being deeply in love. Even after her mother passed away, her father had fallen into depression for quite some time.
If he loved her so deeply, why did he remarry just two years after her mother’s death? And why did it have to be her mother’s close friend?
When she was little, her mother had taken her to meet Marianne a few times. Since Marianne didn’t live in Rivertown, their meetings were infrequent, but Tessa had liked her at the time. Marianne always bought her pretty dresses and delicious cakes.
However, after Marianne married Samuel, whatever affection had existed between her and Tessa disappeared.
To be fair, Marianne had treated her well after the marriage-even better than when she was just her mother’s friend. She gave Tessa the best food, clothes, and care. Yet, Tessa couldn’t bring herself to like her anymore.
With this in mind, Tessa asked softly, “Mrs. Wilson, do you know Marianne?”
Helen thought for a moment. “Is she the girl who was very close to your mother? I remember her. Before your mother got married, she often visited your home. They were college classmates and very close.” Tessa’s expression darkened slightly. “She’s my stepmother now.”
Helen paused, as if recalling something.
After a moment, she said, “I remember that before your mom passed away, Marianne visited her in the hospital several times. Once, when I went to see your mom, I overheard her saying that after she was gone, she hoped that Marianne could take care of you.
“She didn’t want you to grow up without the love and care of a mother. Your dad was there too, and she told him that if he ever remarried, it should only be to Marianne. She didn’t trust anyone else.”
“How could that be…” Tessa’s face paled, and her chest felt tight with pain.
Her father’s marriage to Marianne was her mother’s dying wish?
All of this was because her mother didn’t want her to grow up without the love and care of a mother. She had wanted a stepmother for Tessa who could take her place and love her daughter properly.
Tears welled up in Tessa’s eyes, and her lashes quivered as she fell silent.
Quietly, Stephen took her hand in his. His rough thumb gently pressed into her palm, a small but
comforting gesture.
At lunchtime, Helen prepared a table full of dishes. The flavors were exactly as she remembered from her mother’s cooking.
Not wanting to dampen the atmosphere, Tessa temporarily pushed her sorrow aside. She put on a bright smile and praised Helen’s culinary skills.
Helen beamed with pride. “Tess, you probably don’t know this, but Mr. Jacobson has been here many times before. Every time, he would insist on joining me in the kitchen to learn how to cook.”
Hearing this, Tessa’s tear-filled eyes shifted to Stephen, her voice tinged with a slight nasal tone. “Why did you come here to learn how to cook?