A Home at Trail's End (35 page)

The week before Christmas, the men planned to take off for a few days of hunting. But the night before they left, Eli shot a deer, leaving the best cuts of meat for Elizabeth and the children. “If you don't mind, I will take the rest of the meat as well as the skin to Mara and Rose.”

“Thank you,” she told him. “That will take a load off my mind.”

The next morning, Eli went over to her parents' well before daybreak in order to help Asa pack the wagon and hitch up the oxen. Then, according to Clara, while it was still dark, the five hunters—Eli, Asa, Matthew, Brady, and Will—set out.

“I was so surprised when I heard that Will wanted to go hunting with your fellows,” Malinda told Elizabeth. The hunting “widows” had gathered at Malinda's house to work on a quilt that was meant for Mahala and Julius' wedding. Thankfully, the young couple had dug in their heels, making it clear to everyone that their wedding was still scheduled for the first Saturday of February.

“Eli said they were grateful to have Will join them,” Elizabeth told Malinda. “Last week, Eli scouted a nice herd of elk, and he hopes they'll bring home two cows. According to Eli, that's a lot of meat to pack back to the wagon. Will's muscles will come in handy.”

“I appreciate that there are some young men along,” Clara said. “Asa thinks he can keep up, but he's getting older. He needs to slow down.”

“I feel like I'm slowing down,” Jess admitted. “I've been so sleepy lately. Sometimes I feel like I can barely keep my eyes open.”

“That's because of the baby,” Elizabeth told her. “I had the same thing. Not when I was carrying Ruth so much, but with JT. Of course, maybe I had it with Ruth, but I was so busy chasing after JT that I didn't notice.”

Now they all started comparing pregnancy and birthing stories. Malinda, having birthed four children, seemed to have the best ones. Or perhaps she just was a better storyteller. “Unfortunately, we don't have a doctor nearby,” Malinda told them. “But I've helped with a number of births.”

“Mother is a good midwife,” Elizabeth said.

“And she's promised to help me when my time comes.” Jess looked at Clara. “Right, Ma?”

Clara grinned. “You can count on it.”

“I'm not as experienced as Mother—unless you're birthing animals.” Elizabeth laughed. “But I'm happy to help too, Jess.”

“And if by some weird stroke of bad luck they are both unavailable, you tell Matthew to come and fetch me,” Malinda told her. “I'd be happy to deliver your baby.”

Jess smiled. “I feel very well taken care of.”

“Do you think Ruby and Doris will come in time for your birth?” Clara asked.

“I just got a letter from Ruby,” Jess told her. “They don't expect to make it here until early fall next year. Her plan is to keep the business in Empire City going throughout the summer because so many settlers come through there. But in midsummer she expects to have enough profits to send out a carpenter to begin building an inn right next to the mercantile.”

“Wonderful!” Malinda said happily. “Our town is growing by leaps and bounds.”

Elizabeth was relieved to see Malinda in such good spirits today. She had been worried that her friend would be fretting over the wedding that never happened last Saturday. That was the very reason she'd suggested that they gather like this while the men were gone.

“I'll bet you all have plans for Christmas,” Malinda said. “But I've been daydreaming about a little get-together I'd love to have here.”

Elizabeth exchanged glances with her mother. Their plan was to have their family at Elizabeth and Eli's house. They hadn't invited Malinda because they weren't sure about the Bramfords and Prescotts, and Elizabeth knew her house wasn't big enough to contain all those people for that long.

“What sort of get-together?” Clara asked Malinda.

“I thought it would be lovely to have everyone here on Christmas Eve. I imagined a big bonfire, and we could have music and dancing in the barn. I suppose it's because I'd been dreaming of our December wedding,” she confessed.

“I think that sounds like fun,” Elizabeth said. Fortunately, their plan was to gather on Christmas Day. “I know the children would love it.”

“So would Matthew,” Jess told them. “He had been so looking forward to the…well…” She grimaced.

“The wedding,” Malinda finished for her. “It's all right. You can say it. I'm resolved to my fate by now. You know what they say, the best laid plans of mice and men—and I suppose we could add overbearing brides to the list.”

They all laughed.

“I'll promise you all this,” Malinda continued. “If it turns out that Will and I do decide to get married—which is probably not going to happen, but if it does—I will try to follow Elizabeth and Eli's example.”

“What example?” Elizabeth asked.

“Being more concerned about the marriage than the wedding.”

“Oh.” Elizabeth chuckled. “Well, a wedding is one day. A marriage, hopefully, is forever.”

“Do you think the men will encounter any wild cats or wolves or bears where they are hunting?” Jess asked.

“If they do, you probably don't need to be worried,” Elizabeth assured her. “Besides, I know Eli wouldn't mind bringing some skins or furs home. He's almost got that cougar skin ready to become a rug.” Of course, as soon as she said this, she regretted it. The rug was meant to be a Christmas present for her parents, to go in their bedroom, to help cover their hard-packed dirt floor. So now she quickly changed the subject. “What can we bring to your Christmas Eve party?” she asked Malinda. And suddenly they were making plans for what was sure to be a fun evening for all.

Elizabeth tried not to feel worried when Eli didn't come home on the day she expected him. She assured JT and Ruth that it was probably something as mundane as a broken wagon wheel. “Or perhaps they were having such a good time, they decided to stay an extra day.” And she couldn't blame them because the past two days had been exceptionally good weather. But when she finally blew out the lantern and went to bed, she felt a little concerned. And as usual, she prayed for the safety of all of the hunters.

“What if they don't get home in time for the Christmas party tomorrow?” JT asked as he picked up his guitar case the next morning.

“I'm sure they'll be home by today,” she told him.

“In time to come to our Christmas program at school?” Ruth asked hopefully.

“I'm not sure about that.” She tweaked a braid, adjusting the red bow that Ruth had insisted was necessary because they were doing their program. “But I am sure that Grandma, Aunt Jess, Aunt Malinda, and I will all be there. And I'm also sure that if you don't get going, you will be late for school.”

After the children left and after she finished with chores as well as delivering some food to Mara and Rose, Elizabeth focused her attention on finishing some Christmas presents for the children and Eli. For Ruth, she had sewn a school dress from some of the green calico she'd brought from Kentucky. And then she'd made a matching dress for Ruth's doll. For Eli and JT she had sewn matching chambray shirts in a nice shade of blue. Just as she finished the last buttonhole on JT's shirt, it was time to go hitch up the team. She had promised to give her mother and Jess and Malinda a ride to school. She hoped that perhaps the men would be arriving at her parents' house by now, but to her dismay, there was no sign of them.

“You don't think anything went wrong with the hunters, do you?” Elizabeth asked Clara as she sat down on the seat next to her.

“I expect they've had good luck and it's just taking longer.”

“Or they might have had a breakdown on the wagon.”

“Your brother took tools. If they break down, he will fix it.”

“Yes. I'm sure you're right.” Elizabeth saw Jess waiting for them on the edge of her property. “And I won't act worried around Jess.”

Before long, they were standing in the back of the school with the rest of the parents, watching as Mrs. Taylor led the children in a number of lively songs. Some, like JT, had instruments to play, and all in all, it was quite a nice production. But Elizabeth couldn't have been prouder than when Ruth sang “O Come, All Ye Faithful” accompanied by JT. It was so beautiful that tears filled her eyes. She wished Eli could hear it. Malinda's girls along with Will's older daughters sang a lovely rendition of “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” and some of the older boys bellowed out “Joy to the World.”

For the finale, all the children joined in to sing “Deck the Halls,” and then the parents were treated to goodies that were provided by Mrs. Taylor, the Holmeses, and Prescotts' Mercantile. All in all, it was a very nice program. Considering they were just a little one-room frontier school, Elizabeth was impressed.

“We are so fortunate to have you,” she told Mrs. Taylor afterward. “If you don't have plans for Christmas, we would love to have you join us.”

“Thank you,” Mrs. Taylor smiled happily. “But I promised to spend Christmas at the Levines. Reverend and Mrs. Holmes will be joining us.”

Elizabeth squeezed her hand. “Merry Christmas!”

After visiting with the other parents and explaining more times than she cared to about why Eli and the other men were missing, Elizabeth suggested that it was time to go home. “Those clouds look like they could let loose before long,” she told Malinda. “And we'll have a heavy load of people to get home.”

The children insisted on singing Christmas songs in the back of the wagon. And for a while their merriment seemed to displace her concerns about the missing hunters.

“Susannah and Emily want to know if I can stay overnight at their house tonight,” Ruth said when they reached Malinda's house. “There's no school in the morning.”

Elizabeth glanced at Malinda. “Is that all right with you?”

“Sure. I'll put her to work helping prepare for tomorrow's party.”

“What about JT?” Bart protested. “If Ruth gets to stay, can JT stay too? Please, Ma?”

“I'm fine with that,” Malinda said as she climbed down.

“Ma?” JT asked hopefully. “Do you mind?”

Elizabeth made a tolerant smile. “Not at all. But both of you mind your manners and help Aunt Malinda.”

They assured her they would, and suddenly it was just her and Clara and Jess. “Do you ladies want to keep singing?” Elizabeth asked tentatively as she drove the team on toward home.

“Not particularly,” Jess answered solemnly.

“Yes, I think I've had enough music for now,” Clara said. “Although it was a lovely program. And when JT and Ruth sang “O Come, All Ye Faithful”…oh, my. That was so beautiful. JT is such a musician and our dear Ruth has the sweetest voice.”

“I just wish Eli and Father and Matthew could have heard it.” Elizabeth sighed.

“Perhaps the children can do it again on Christmas Day,” Clara suggested.

“Yes.” Elizabeth nodded. “Of course.”

“Do you think the men are all right?” Jess asked suddenly.

“Oh, sure,” Clara told her. “I expect they're home by now. Probably dividing up the meat.”

They speculated on this for a while, but when they reached Clara's there was no sign of Asa's wagon. “I'll walk from here,” Jess told Elizabeth as she climbed down with Clara. “You better hurry and get that wagon home before the rain comes.”

“Thanks,” Elizabeth called out. “I don't want to get stuck in the mud again.” She waved to them, and trying not to feel too dismayed over the missing men, she kept the team moving quickly, getting home just as the sky opened up.

By the time she'd unhitched and tended to the team, checked on the rest of the livestock, and gotten the hens safely into the henhouse, she was soaked to the skin. At least she had a safe and dry house to go to, albeit a house with no children and no Eli. But she did have a dog. “Hurry up,” she told Flax as they were going inside. “Let's get ourselves dry.”