by Danni Roan
“Now, milk, butter, eggs do you have any of those?” she asked looking at Ryan who pushed a chair full of dirty laundry and old coats away from the icebox.
“Pa keeps that stuff on order,” the boy said. “Tim drinks most of the milk though,” he continued pulling items from the box.
“What else you need?” Albert said walking into the room with a bowl full of flour and wearing as much again as he tracked the white dust across the floor.
“Sugar, syrup, jam, soda, and salt,” Helena said ticking items off on her fingers.
The boy plunked the bowl on the messy table producing a cloud of silt as he hurried back through the still open door.
Helena placed the now clean skillet on the hot stove and lifted off a bucket of hot water with a dish towel, before pouring the steaming water over the dishes in the wash basin. “I’m afraid I’m going to need a little space on the table,” she said washing out a large bowl with a soapy rag then drying it on her apron which was the cleanest thing she could find.
Ryan moved to the table gathering papers, pieces of wood, toys, and a plethora of other items and stacking them on the floor by the door.
Helena stifled a groan, but one battle at a time, she thought.
When Albert returned with the rest of the items she smiled at him. “Do you think you could help your brother with the table?” she asked sweetly. “If you give it a wipe with a dish cloth, I’ll have breakfast ready in fifteen minutes.”
Albert looked at his brother and shrugged. “Seems like a waste of time to me,” he grumbled but grabbed the dish cloth, wiping down the table as his brother removed items.
Trying not to cringe at the still dirty table Helena whipped up the batter for the pancakes and checked the pan to see if it was hot enough by smearing a bit of butter on bottom.
“I’ll get some bacon,” Ryan said walking to the back door and hurrying outside.
“I’ll fetch the sausage,” Albert called racing after him.
Helena shook her head as she ladled the first pancakes onto the large skillet.
The sound of a glass falling to the floor made her jump, turning to see Timothy pour milk all over the clean table and already filthy floor.
Grabbing the heavy crockery pitcher before the boy could drop it she groaned. The work was obviously unending in the Pennington home, she thought as she grabbed a tin cup from a peg and poured for the boy.
A hint of smoke escaping from her pan told her the first sacrificial pancake was done and she hurried to throw it out before setting to making pancakes in earnest.
Helena had four pancakes cooked and sitting on the table by the time the older boys returned from what she assumed was a smoke house.
Thanking them she placed the bacon and sausage in another pan and began cooking them as well only to hear a new fight break out between the boys as they fought over the last pancake.
“Enough!” Helena bellowed. “You will not eat anything I cook until we are all seated at the table,” she snapped waving her spatula at them. “Ryan, go fetch my father,” she continued pointing to the door. “Albert give that pancake to Timothy and wipe up the syrup you poured all over the table.”
“I don’t have to listen to you,” Ryan said lifting his chin obstinately.
“Yeah, me too!” Albert chimed.
“Me too,” Tim said lifting his pancake with his hands and taking a bite.
Helena leaned a hip against the edge of the oven and smiled. “No, you don’t have to listen to me,” she agree watching the boys grin at each other in triumph, “but neither do you need to eat my cooking.”
The boys looked at their already empty plate, licking the last of the sweet syrup from their lips, as they eyed the sizzling pan of breakfast meats and fresh stack of pancakes.
“I am kinda’ hungry,” Albert said walking to the sink to retrieve his cloth.
“I suppose the old man needs to eat too,” Ryan acquiesced heading for the stairs.
Helena sagged against the fender of the big cook stove with relief. One step at a time she reminded herself. “Rome wasn’t born in a day,” she whispered, “but Troy was destroyed in one.”
Chapter 14
Helena was utterly exhausted as evening approached. After breakfast, the two older boys left the house, and while her father watched young Timothy, she turned her attention to the kitchen.
It had taken hours to scrub every dish, pot, pan and utensil in the room, and even longer to scrub every surface clean. Once she had cleaned the sink, things did get a little easier as she was able to get fresh water each time she needed it.
As Helena cleaned, scoured, and scrubbed she noted the care that had gone into the building of the house and the contrasting neglect was a shock. She would need to have a serious discussion with Mr. Pennington. She had already begun to make a list of items needed in the home, and she hoped he wouldn’t bulk at the expense.
“Helena?” Mr. Hebert walked into the kitchen leading Tim by the hand. “Something sure smells good,” the older man said.
Helena smiled at her father who carried a heavy bundle of newspaper under his arm. “I’ve got a beef stew on,” she said “though there wasn’t much to make it with. I’ll pop the biscuits in the oven soon.”
“You look tired daughter,” Henry said.
Helena brightened her smile for her father’s sake. “Don’t worry,” she said. “Everything will come together in the end.”
Clamors outside made everyone look up as Agi stepped through the door, his boys dogging his footsteps. Helena could hear the boys peppering the man with questions as he came through the door and was surprised when Ryan asked him why he was home so early.
The afternoon sun was already low on the horizon, and she was sure the family should be sitting down to dinner already.
The boys raced into the kitchen pushing past Henry and scrabbling to the table with yells, but Agi stopped dead in his tracks as he gazed around the kitchen, his shocked eyes coming to rest on Helena’s face as he gaped in wonder.
“What’s for supper?” Albert yelled elbowing his older brother on the bench they shared before being pushed off onto the floor by Ryan a second later.
Helena raised an eyebrow at Agi who didn’t seem to notice the two boys now brawling on her clean floor.
“Boys, stop that this instant,” Helena said, walking over to them only to be ignored. With a subdued growl of impatience Helena grasped a cup of water and threw it on the boys who jumped up sputtering for the second time that day. “You two go wash up before supper,” Helena said turning to the stove and shoving the ready pan of biscuits inside.
Behind her both boys climbed back up on their bench while Henry found glasses and cutlery for the table.
As Helena turned around from the stove she noted Augusta’s horrified expression. It was obvious that he didn’t approve of her dousing his boys, but she only lifted her chin.
“I believe I told you boys to get washed up,” she repeated her eyes running the length of her sawdust covered husband with a significant gleam.
“We don’t got to listen to you,” Ryan bridled. “You aren’t the boss here.”
Helena smiled, a long slow wicked grin that spread across her face making her father gasp and step back a pace.
“Perhaps you don’t have to listen to me,” Helena said quietly. “Perhaps I’m not the boss in this home,” she continued looking to Augusta for some acknowledgement. “However, I am the cook and if you want to eat, you will all wash up,” she finished turning to look at Agi. “That includes you Mr. Pennington.” She said. “I will not have my food seasoned with sawdust.”
Agi gaped at the woman again, her soft tones a frightening contrast to her flashing eyes.
“I’m hungry,” Tim said looking between his father and Henry.
“Then let’s get washed up so we can eat,” Henry said taking the boy’s small hand once more and heading for the sink.
Helena crossed her arms over her middle and waited, her eye
s still locked on her husband who hadn’t moved.
“Something does smell mighty good,” Agi finally said taking a step toward the sink.
Letting out the breath she had been holding, Helena walked to the stove lifting a bucket of hot water and pouring it into the sink for everyone to use, even while ignoring the grumbles of the two older boys.
Placing their dinner on the table a few minutes later Helena sagged into her chair. For a moment, she had been afraid that she was losing this battle, but just getting the children and Augusta to wash up seemed a victory to her after a long and arduous day.
Serving out steaming bowls of stew along with hot fluffy biscuits, Helena realized that she had more work to do than simply getting the house back in order. This was her new home now, and the boys were her responsibility as much as they were their father’s. She needed to plan a campaign to not only provide for them, but to help them grow into good men with proper manners, and a strong work ethic.
It was obvious to her that for too long the boys had been allowed to run loose with little or no discipline or responsibility. It wasn’t going to be easy, but Helena was determined to make this whole marriage work. Looking up she gazed across the table at Mr. Pennington who seemed surprised at the hearty stew. She would start with him, and perhaps in time everything else would fall into place.
As the boys began to scramble from the table after finishing two bowls of stew and decimating the entire tray of biscuits Helena spoke again.
“I was going to make cookies after supper,” she said quietly. “Of course if I have to clear the table and do the washing as well, I don’t think I’ll have the time or energy.
Ryan and Albert stopped mid step as if jerked backward by an invisible string. “Did you say cookies?” the boys chimed in unison.
“I did,” Helena said, “but perhaps I’ll make them another day, unless everyone scrapes their plates and puts them in the sink.”
Henry smiled at his daughter helping Tim from the table and handing him his bowl. “Come on little man,” he said. “I think I’d like some cookies.”
Helena turned her eyes on Agi her dark gaze full of mingled hope and doubt.
Agi met his new wife’s gaze and shivered at the light of doubt that lay in their depths. Slowly he rose from the table lifting his dish and heading for the sink.
Chapter 15
Agi unbuttoned his shirt still uncertain what had happened at the supper table that night. He had wanted to take Miss Hebert to task over her treatment of his boy, yet he was so taken with the meal and the fact that they all sat at the table that he hadn’t had the heart to chide her. When she had managed to get the boys to clear the table with the promise of cookies he had been shocked at her ingenuity.
Apparently his new little wife was someone to be taken seriously. It was true that Agi had only married the woman out of desperation, but he was starting to see that unlike the housekeepers he had tried to employ in the past, she had a vested interest in his home.
A soft knock on his door startled him, but he turned to open it only to goggle at Helena standing in the doorway with her bag in hand.
“What are you doing here?” he asked horrified as she pushed her way into the room. “You have the best room in the house.”
Helena dropped her bag on the rumpled bed turning to look at the man she had wed.
“Your boys do not believe that I am in charge here,” Helena said simply. “That is not going to improve with us in separate rooms. Perhaps you were not truly looking for a wife when you approached Miss Viola, but now you have one, and you’ll have to adjust accordingly. When I stood in front of the preacher yesterday, I said my vows, and I meant them. That included for better or worse, and at the moment I can’t see things being much worse. I do not expect you to take me as wife in every way if you do not want to,” she continued glancing at the bed. “However, I do expect us to become partners in this house. Your boys deserve that much.”
Agi gaped at the woman again, his throat tightening as she spoke. He only wanted her to look after his boys and the house; he hadn’t expected her to take on the role so seriously.
“I didn’t think you’d want to,” he stammered. “I mean I had no expectations of you,” he tried again.
“Of me sharing the marriage bed?” Helena spoke. “I have no expectation of you in that area,” she continued. “However, we will share a bed, and we will work together to see that those boys are well cared for, and guided in the right direction.”
Agi nodded, not sure what else he could do. His final hope as he stripped down to his long johns and crawled under the covers was that he could sleep at all with the woman next to him.
Keeping his eyes closed tight he felt Helena slip under the covers with him. She was warm as her body slid past his and his heart kicked up a notch.
“I’ve left a list for you on the kitchen table,” Helena spoke, “I hope that if you are gone before I wake in the morning you might get it filled for me.”
Agi nodded afraid to speak. On one hand it rankled that this slip of a woman was taking over his house, but on the other, wasn’t that exactly what he had wanted?
“Good night Mr. Pennington,” Helena said her heart heavy with doubt about their future.
Agi stomped about the kitchen the next morning trying to find the coffee as the pot began to perk. Where in tarnation had that confounded woman put his coffee? He snatched a cold cookie from the plate on the perfectly scrubbed table shoving it in his mouth as he dug through the cupboards.
He had barely slept the night before, and the sun was already up. He was going to be late for work and would have to stop at the diner for coffee and breakfast.
A soft tread had him standing upright from the ice box as Helena walked into the room. He was sure it was her; he could feel her presence in the room, like the kiss of the morning sun.
“Good morning,” she said, her soft voice and cheerful tone infuriating.
“Good morning yourself,” Agi growled slamming the door on the ice chest. “Would you be kind enough to tell me where you’ve hidden the coffee?”
Helena ducked her head unaccustomed to such rough tones but kept her own voice quiet. “Of course,” she said walking to the shelf above the stove and lifting down the tin of coffee. Before Agi could even react she had the pot filled and back on the heat.
“Would you like breakfast?” she asked leaning down and scratching an ankle. It seemed that a man’s union suit protected his skin from such things as wood shavings in his bed.
“What?” Agi said watching her move around him to retrieve eggs and milk from the cold box.
“Breakfast,” she said. “If you are impatient to leave for the mill, I can make bacon and eggs, or if you can wait, I’ll make biscuits as well.”
Agi looked around the clean kitchen as his stomach growled. There was no need to take his temper out on Helena, still did she have to rearrange everything?
“I suppose I can wait,” he said grabbing a cup from a hook above the sink.
Helena grinned. She could tell that Augusta was struggling with the changes to his home, but he had said he needed someone to put the house in order, and that was what she would do.
The sound of racing feet on the stairs made her smile as the boys ran into the kitchen, shocked when they saw their father calmly sipping coffee at the table.
“Wash up please,” Helena said indicating the sink of hot water. The boys bulked until their father nodded, and then they shoved and pushed their way to the sink.
“I can’t,” Tim said being too short to reach.
“Here,” Henry said as he clomped into the kitchen pulling a chair to the sink so that the four-year-old could do as he was told.
In short order breakfast was served and the children fed. Helena counted breakfast as the first victory of the day, and with the help of Augusta and her father had the boys repeat their actions of clearing the table.
“Augusta,” she called as the man turned to leave, �
��Please don’t forget the list.”
Agi grabbed the list from the table still feeling like a stranger in his own home as he made his escape through the front door.
“Father can I speak to you please?” Helena said as her husband slipped out the door. “In here please.”
Henry nodded following her into the beautiful bedroom at the end of the kitchen. “I think that you should take this room,” she said softly. “First I know how hard it is for you walking up and down the stairs. Secondly, Mr. Pennington and I need to be near the boys in case there are any problems.”