Lazy Days (24 page)

Muffled sounds jerked Abigail awake. Reaching
for her pocket watch that she'd set on the floor beside her bed, she barely
made out the time in the light before dawn; four fifty.
What time does this
family get up?
She was used to rising between six and six thirty, but this
was ridiculous. Groaning, she sat on the side of the bed and stretched.
Might
as well join everyone and hope this day goes smoother than yesterday.

By the light of her kerosene lamp, she washed in
the basin of water and dressed in one of her most sturdy dresses. Because she
could barely see her reflection in the wavy mirror, she had to comb and pin her
hair into its usual bun from years of repetition.

Her body screamed that she needed to make a trip
to the outhouse soon. She'd been holding her bladder most of the night because
she didn't want to use the chamber pot.

Tentatively opening her door to the smell of
fresh coffee, she peered around it to see Brant, Luke, and Jenny sitting at the
table, cups in hand and talking. She usually sipped hot tea with a little cream
and sugar every morning, but the bracing aroma smelled heavenly. She stepped
past her door.

"Hello, Miz Abby," Jenny said
cheerily.

"Mornin', Ma'am," Luke said solemnly
after his father nudged him.

Brant smiled. "Good morning, Abby. I didn't
expect you to be up so early. You may want to sleep late the next few days
until you feel rested from your trip."

"Good morning, everyone. I'm not feeling
overly tired so I'd like to rise when you do." She stifled a yawn and
watched that barely visible quirk of Brant's mouth.

"Come join us for coffee. We usually take a
few minutes each morning to discuss the day. Then we work a couple of hours or
so while Jenny collects eggs and makes breakfast. After that, we work until
noon, eat lunch, work until around five, then clean up and have supper around
six."

Abigail motioned to the door. "I think I
should uh…"

"Oh, sure; nature's call," Brant said
easily.

Abigail stepped onto the porch and inhaled the
crisp air. Dawn's light was just peeking over the horizon and cast a magical
glow all around. For the briefest of moments she felt happy and carefree.
Following the path to the outhouse that Jenny had shown her the evening before,
she longed for an indoor bathroom like the one she'd had in Philadelphia.
Sighing, she opened the door to the small and smelly enclosure and did her
business.

Returning to the cabin, Brant motioned toward
the coffee pot. "Would you like some coffee?"

"Yes, thank you."

He started to rise.

"No, I'll get it." Abigail walked to
the sink to rinse her hands and then reached into the open cupboard for a tin.
Picking up a ragged pot holder, she grasped the metal pot from off the stove
and poured the blackest coffee she'd ever seen. Returning to the table she sat
beside Brant when he patted the spot next to him on the bench. The brush of his
shoulder sent tingles down her spine. "What time does the baby wake
up?" she asked.

"Usually around breakfast time. Do you like
sugar in your coffee?"

"I do."

He scooted a half full mason jar and a spoon
encrusted with sugar toward her. Not seeing another, clean spoon, she hesitated
and then stirred a little sugar in her drink and sipped the steaming brew. It
was so bitter she almost gagged. Everyone was watching her so she murmured,
"Wonderful coffee."

This time the quirk of Brant's lips was
unmistakable. "Did you sleep well?"

"Um, yes. Thank you."

Jenny saved the awkwardness everyone was
obviously feeling by chattering about the fairytale Abigail had begun the night
before. "I can't wait to hear how it ends. Too bad Ty fell asleep and
missed it, but I'll fill him in on what happened."

Brant smiled at Abigail over Jenny's head and
the simple gesture made her breathless. He was so handsome and rugged, not like
soft city men. He stood and stretched. "Time to get goin' Luke. Leave your
book behind."

Luke gave him a defiant glance, but walked to
the mantle and dropped his book on it.

Brant paused at the door and reached for his hat
hanging on a peg. "We'll be back in a couple of hours." He settled
his hat on his head and tipped the brim with his index finger. The innocent
motion started Abigail's heart hammering again. Luke grabbed his own hat and
scurried after his father. To cover her flusters, she said, "Jenny, what
can I do to help you?"

Jenny reached for the coffee tins and started
clearing them off the table. "After I get these washed it'll be light
enough for us to go to the hen house. I usually make biscuits and fried eggs
with bacon for Pa and Luke."

Abigail assisted Jenny by drying the cups and
putting them away. An appreciation of the difficult position Brant was in, and
his need for a wife in a marriage of convenience, wedged itself into her heart.
She remembered him expressing in his first letter his desire that his children
return to school. Was money so tight he couldn't afford to hire help and that's
why Luke was home? As for Jenny, caring for her baby brother was a full time
job. Besides being a mother to his children, perhaps Abigail could help
financially. Maybe Brant would allow her to repay him for the passage to Two
Rivers that he'd insisted on purchasing. Although not wealthy, she had a small
savings.
Look at you, already making plans.

Jenny reached and grabbed a basket off the
shelf. "Let's go see how many eggs we got today."

"What about Ty? Should we wake him?"

"No, ma'am. I blocked the door so he can't
get out of the bedroom. He probably won't wake up 'til we get back
anyway."

Abigail glanced at Jenny's bedroom door and
noticed a leather strap wrapped around the handle and stretched to a hook on
the frame. She smiled at the child's ingenuity.

At the front door, Jenny reached for her bonnet
on a peg. "Ma always made me wear a bonnet when I went outside. I think I
can find one of hers for you."

Abigail coughed. "Ah, you know, I have a
straw hat I was going to wear. I'll go get it." She rushed to her room and
opened her trunk, searching for the little hat box holding her work hat.
Settling it in place, she tied the ribbons under her chin and hurried back to
Jenny.

Jenny grinned, "I like your fancy
hat."

Abigail stifled a smile. The hat was definitely
not fancy. "Thank you, Jenny. Between your bonnet and my straw hat, we
shall collect eggs in style."

Jenny giggled. "You're funny, Miz
Abby." She turned toward the door but stopped and looked back at Abigail.
"And you tell great stories. I can't wait to hear more about the Land of
Mysterious Places."

"And I can't wait to tell you more about
it."

Stepping onto the porch, Abigail once again
enjoyed the lovely morning that hinted of rain. In the distance she could see
dark clouds.

Jenny saw them, too. "Looks like it might
rain later. I like the rain. Sometimes we get lightening. Mama loved storms.
She said it was 'cause we all got to stay indoors and talk 'til they were over.
She'd pass around cookies and read a book to everyone. Sometimes she and Pa
would go in their bedroom for what she called 'special talks', while me and
Luke read or did schoolwork and Ty slept."

Abigail bit her trembling lip at the girl's
shared remembrances. How could she even come close to being half the wife and
mother of the woman who had born these children?

Wally darted around the side of the cabin and
followed them to a wooden structure covered with wire mesh. The child opened
the chicken coop door and chickens scattered and squawked when they stepped
inside. Going from nest box to nest box, Jenny began retrieving eggs, sometimes
reaching under an unhappy hen.

Abigail wanted to help and began pulling eggs
from boxes on the opposite side.

* * *

Brant circled the Barn and stopped when he saw
Jenny and Abby enter the hen house. Now was his chance to watch a city girl in
action. Leaning against the siding, he picked up a long straw to chew on and
wondered how their best layer hen, Prissy, would take to a stranger. He watched
Jenny explain the task of gathering eggs from cranky hens and had to stifle a
laugh; first, at another of Abby's ridiculous straw hats, and then at the way
she'd extend her hand to reach under a hen, only to jerk it back when the hen
moved. When she tried distracting the bird by wiggling her fingers on one side
of it, and then quickly reaching under its body with her other hand, he almost
lost it. She stepped next to Prissy and he heard Jenny say, "You best let
me get Prissy's eggs."

Too late, her attempt to distract the ornery hen
sent the bird flying directly at her. She squealed, stepped backwards, and fell
on her backside, which sent all the hens into a tizzy. Brant ran to the coop
and jerked the door open, leaned down to scoop Abby into his arms, and then
backed out of the enclosure while Jenny grabbed Prissy's eggs. Still holding
Abby in his arms, he busted out laughing. She had chicken poop on her cheek and
her silly hat sat askew with strands of hair pulled awry from her bun.

She gave him a shocked look and said primly,
"Please put me down, Mr. Samson."

He choked back another laugh and righted her.
Jenny ran up beside them. "You okay, Miz Abby?"

Brant watched her blush as she tried to compose
herself. She reached to right her hat and rubbed her cheek. When she felt the
poop, her eyes got big and she stared at him. He grabbed his bandana from his
pocket and began gently dabbing the stuff off her face. Her look of horror had
him thinking she would be saying goodbye soon and he was surprised by his mixed
feelings over her departure.

Unexpectedly, when he'd swiped the last of the
bird dropping away, her mouth quirked and something that sounded like a chuckle
escaped. Then she placed a hand over her mouth and laughed uproariously. Jenny
joined her and all three of them bent over laughing. She waved her hand in the
air. "I have never been in such an undignified position in my life."

Brant's eyes rested on her beautiful smile and
thoughts of undignified positions had his mind going in a different direction.
He clamped a vise on his thoughts. Movement shifted his gaze toward the corral
to where Luke was watching them. Abruptly, his son mounted his horse and rode
toward the pasture.

"Jenny, help Miz Abby while I catch up with
Luke and find out what the bee up his butt is. We'll be in for breakfast
soon."

Brant walked to his corralled horse and mounted.
Flicking the reins, he galloped after Luke. His son's smaller horse was no
match for Brant's big sorrel. When he came alongside him, he shouted for his
son to pull up. After a moment's hesitation, the boy obeyed and jumped off his
horse, stomping in the direction of an outcropping of boulders. Brant
dismounted and followed, holding the reins of their horses.

"Are you gonna tell me what's eatin' your
butt, Luke?"

"I don't want a new ma!"

 Brant did his best to hold his temper. "I
can appreciate that 'cause you're older than Ty and Jenny. But
they
need
a ma. I never wanted any woman but your ma, and I don't want to marry now, but
sometimes, for the sake of others, you gotta do things you don't want to. I
can't work a ranch and raise Ty and Jenny on my own, son."

Luke stopped and hung his head. "I want her
to leave. We've been gettin' along okay," he said with tears in his voice.

"No, son, we haven't. She may not be the
one I marry, but I
will
marry again. I'm giving her a chance. Let's just
see how things go over the next few days. Okay?"

Luke shrugged and Brant reached to cup his
shoulder, but he jerked away and grabbed the reins of his horse, mounting and
riding away.

Brant sighed. How could he make Luke understand?

Abigail
exited her bedroom after washing up and changing her clothing. She hurried to
help Jenny prepare breakfast. Together they mixed biscuit dough, washed and
then fried salted bacon, and whipped eggs. When everything was almost ready,
Abigail heard Ty calling from behind his door. "Would you like me to get
him, Jenny?"

"Sure
thing, Miz Abby."

Brant
and Luke entered the cabin and walked to the sink to pump water and wash up.

Abigail
returned to the table carrying Ty, his smile warming her heart. Lifting him
into his high chair, she hastened to the bucket of milk that had been brought
in while she'd changed clothes. Ladling a tiny scoop into his tin and handing
it to him, her heart expanded when he said, "Tank tu." Grasping the
tin with his chubby fingers, he drank and made a milk mustache. She wiped the
dribbles from his chin and he gave her another one of his adorable grins.
"More, pwease," he said.

While
Abigail ladled more milk, Brant sat on the bench and Luke plopped silently
across from him, reading the novel he'd retrieved from the mantle. Within minutes,
Jenny had scooped eggs out of the skillet and into a big bowl that she topped
with bacon. Abigail set a plate of sliced tomatoes alongside the eggs.

Brant
served up Ty's plate and blew on his eggs to cool them. The baby exclaimed,
"Hot!"

Handing
him a biscuit, Brant smiled. "Eat this until they cool down."
Glancing at Luke, his smile was replaced by a stern look that sent the boy back
to the fireplace to return his book to the mantle.

While
they ate, Jenny rehashed the episode in the chicken coop and everyone but Luke
laughed. Peeking from beneath her lashes, Abigail surveyed the homey scene and
joy bubbled inside her.

A
bookshelf against the back wall caught her attention and Brant noticed.
"Please feel free to read any of the books that catch your fancy. Being a
teacher, you've probably read most of them, though."

"Thank
you." Abigail glanced at Luke and then back at Brant. "I also love to
read. I brought some books with me; perhaps they'll complement your
library."

After
breakfast, Brant bid Abigail and Jenny goodbye again and made sure Jenny knew
the area where he and Luke would be working. While Abigail helped clean the
dishes, she asked the question that had been on her mind since arriving.
"Do you have a bathtub?"

"Oh,
yes, ma'am. My Pa bought a fancy one for Ma one Christmas. It's in Pa's room
and he makes us pull it out once a week for baths."

"Only
once a week?" Abigail choked.

"Course.
Why would we want more'n that? Me and Ty wash up everyday at the sink and Pa
and Luke splash themselves clean at the well or creek."

"When
is your next scheduled bath?"

Jenny
looked at Abigail like she didn't understand the question.

"Is
there a certain day of the week you bathe?"

"Yes
ma'am. Saturdays."

"Hmm.
I wonder if your Pa would mind if I bathed tonight?"

"I
don't see why not. My Ma used to bathe a lot and Pa always said he loved
scrubbing her back. I used to hear 'em laughing in the bedroom and…."
Jenny paused. "Hey, you okay Miz Abby; you sure look red in the
face."

For
the remainder of the morning, Jenny kept up a running conversation while she
worked. The responsibilities the child was shouldering staggered Abigail. She
asked, "Jenny do you also wash clothes?"

"Oh,
no, ma'am. Pa takes our clothes to Miz Mayberry the washer lady. He'd never let
my ma wash clothes either. Said he wasn't about to let her pretty hands get
rough. You got pretty hands, too, Miz Abby. Pa won't let you wash clothes, even
if you've a mind to. Beside that, Miz Mayberry's a widow and washing clothes is
the way she makes money. Pa says it's our duty to help her."

After
their discussion about washing, Jenny led Abigail to a large garden behind the
cabin and placed Ty on a blanket with some wooden toys. Together they picked
tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, and other vegetables. After filling a couple of
baskets, they delivered the food into the house and started washing it. A sound
outside distracted them.

Jenny
looked out the window. "Oh, criminy. It's Lola Pitts and her Ma and Pa. I
just know they're here so's Lola can check you out. She's been wantin' my Pa to
court her since forever. She went to school with Ma and Pa and she's right
pretty, but Pa said she's just not right for him. I'm glad 'cause she's kinda
uppity and mean to us when Pa's not around."

Abigail
had no idea how to respond to Jenny's confidences. She leaned over and picked
Ty up when Jenny opened the front door to their visitors' knock. Kissing his
soft hair, she breathed his baby scent. A high pitched female voice said,
"Well, hello, Jenny. Don't you look pretty. We came by to bring some
welcoming blackberry preserves to your guest. May we come in?"

"Course,
Miz Pitts. Can I get you some tea or coffee?" She stepped aside to allow
the Pitts family to enter.

Abigail
almost gasped at the beauty of the woman entering the room. If she were a
debutante, every eligible man in Philadelphia would be courting her. Her
youthful appearance suddenly made Abigail wonder just how old Brant was. He'd
never said in his letters, but she'd assumed he was close to her own age
because of the ages of his children.

Lola
Pitts was followed by portly parents. Glancing from Lola to her parents,
Abigail couldn't imagine how they'd conceived such a beautiful daughter.

Abigail
extended her hand in greeting. "Hello, I'm Abigail Vaughn. It's a pleasure
meeting you Mr. and Mrs. Pitts, Miss Pitts."

"Oh
goodness, you must call me Lola." As the beauty spoke, she untied the bow
of her bonnet and slid it off to reveal golden hair of a shade Abigail had
never seen. The woman's pale blue eyes traveled up and down Abigail in a manner
that made her straighten her shoulders. Obviously, Lola Pitts found her
lacking.

Mrs.
Pitts said, "So you're the mail order bride. News is all over town that
you arrived yesterday. Can't fathom why Brant would want to marry someone he's
never met, but men do strange things." She looked at her husband,
"Isn't that right, dear?"

"Yes,
that's right." Mr. Pitts looked uncomfortable.

Lola
said, "We'll have some of that tea you offered, Jenny."

"Yes,
ma'am. I made cookies yesterday, would you like one?"

"I
don't think so. The last batch almost broke my tooth."

Abigail
couldn't believe the woman's insensitivity and her mouth dropped. Jenny turned
quickly away and rushed to gather glasses off the shelf.

Abigail
set Ty in his high chair and walked to the stove to stir a pot of beans warming
for lunch. Jenny returned to the table with glasses and began pouring tea and
Abigail heard footsteps on the porch. Brant opened the door. "Hello, Mr.
and Mrs. Pitts, Lola. This is a surprise."

Abigail
noted that although he spoke politely, he didn't sound exactly thrilled to see
them.

He
continued, "We've just come in for lunch. Would you like to join us?"

Lola
gushed, "Well, thank you, Brant. Yes, we'd love to join you."

Mr.
and Mrs. Pitts murmured their agreement.

Abigail
watched the children's faces as she set out plates and utensils. Neither Luke
nor Jenny looked happy, and even Ty turned fussy.

Their
guests made themselves comfortable on the benches and Miss Pitts said, "My
dear Miz Vaughn, you must be suffering culture shock coming from the east.
Please tell us why on earth you would want to come to this wild frontier?"

Jenny
set a plate of sliced vegetables on the table and Brant lifted the pot of beans
with a pot holder and ladled scoops onto everyone's plates. Miss Pitts beamed
up at him with open admiration and a wave of jealousy unexpectedly hit Abigail.
To cover her embarrassment, she placed a square of cornbread on Ty's plate.

Miss
Pitts' shrill laughter filled the room. "Do you think Ty can eat all that
cornbread?"

Abigail
stared at the baby's plate. She'd added more cornbread to what was already
there and now he had enough to feed a man. Pink suffused her face. "Oh, of
course not." Because putting it back would be terrible etiquette, she
grabbed the large cornbread and set it beside the one on her plate. Now
she
had enough for a man.

Brant
placed the pot back on the stove and sat beside her. He said, "I wouldn't
mind relieving you of that cornbread, Miz Abby."

"Yes,
please, help yourself," she said gratefully.

Miss
Pitts continued, "You haven't answered my question, Miz Vaughn. What do
you think of our way of life? Not quite up to your accustomed standards?"

Abigail
set her spoon down and her shoulder rubbed against Brant's because of Mrs.
Pitts' chubby body on the other side of her. The contact started her stomach
swirling with butterflies and she stuttered, "I-I." She glanced at
the smirk on Luke's face and knew her answer was very important. Inhaling, she
said, "In this
wild frontier,
as you call it, I find the
countryside lovely and the inhabitants even lovelier. It's like being suddenly
dropped into one of my favorite adventure novels. Perhaps you would feel the
same if you moved east. Of course, after a time, you would fit in quite nicely,
just as I will here."

Abigail
glanced at Jenny's widened eyes and then at Luke's slightly opened mouth. She
couldn't make herself look at Brant. Had she been unforgivably short with his
childhood friend? She felt a slight shaking of his body. Like he was trying not
to laugh.

Miss
Pitts narrowed her eyes.

Mrs.
Pitts broke the silence. "The MacGregors are having a barn-raising on
Friday. Are you planning on attending?" She glanced from Brant to Abigail,
and back to Brant.

"I
surely am. Mick MacGregor helped me raise my barn. I was right sorry to hear
his burned down."

The
rest of the meal continued with small talk and an undercurrent of unease.
Abigail was glad when the guests decided to leave. She watched Miss Pitts pull
on her gloves and then place a hand on Brant's arm, giving him a look that held
her heart in her eyes. "I look forward to seeing you at the barn-raising.
I still remember the first time we danced when we were fourteen. Do you
remember?"

Brant
looked uncomfortable. "Yes, I do. That was the first time I got the
courage to ask a girl to dance and the first time I danced with Molly, too.
But, that was a long time ago."

"Some
things can never be forgotten," Lola Pitts said sadly. The longing in her
eyes made Abigail look away. Her previous irritation was replaced by sympathy
for this woman who obviously pined for Brant.