Winds of Change (The Surveyor's Daughters Book 4)

by Vicki Hunt Budge

  Mrs. Tanner’s ears turned red at her confession. “I couldn’t do it,” she said. “The buttons must stay with the dress however it turns out.”

  Cora smiled as she accepted the skirt and the other dress that Mrs. Tanner placed in her arms. “Don’t forget that Margie or Rose will make you another dress for only the cost of the material because of your donation.”

  “Oh, I remember! And I’m so excited. My fingers are to old sew anymore.” Mrs. Tanner’s face suddenly lit up as if she had a wonderful idea. “Ask the Howell girls to save a few of these buttons for my new dress if they don’t use them all. Just two or three so that I’ll have shiny sweet memories of me when I was younger and thinner.”

  “I love that idea,” Cora said. “There’re so many buttons here. I’m sure Margie or Rose will be happy to save some for your new dress.”

  “Those Howell girls are surely impressive,” Mrs. Tanner said. “I have come to admire that whole family and how they’ve worked together and thrived over the years. I can’t wait to see what they create with my dresses.”

  Mrs. Tanner wasn’t the only woman in the area who was impressed with the Howell girls’ plans and wanted to help. Cora had several more stops for dresses and gowns on her way into town. By the time she reached Clover Creek, the back seat of the carriage was full of gently used clothing ready to be remade into something beautiful for a new owner.

  Instead of driving straight to the Howell home, Cora made one very important stop. The newspaper office. She had to find out Horatio Nelson Jackson’s location.

  “Good Morning, Miss Gardner,” Mr. Weston said when Cora entered the newspaper office. “I don’t need to ask what brings you by this bright and cheery morning.”

  “Are they in Idaho?”

  “They’re almost to Caldwell!” Jake Weston said. “At least we’ve received news that the city of Caldwell is all prepared to celebrate their arrival in Idaho. People are lining the main street, watching for them!”

  “Can you imagine an automobile driving right through town?” Cora asked, clasping her cheeks with her hands and laughing like a schoolgirl. “It’s so unheard of! How I wish I could be in Caldwell today!”

  Mr. Weston shoved his printer’s cap further back on his head. “I wish we could tell you more,” he said. “They’re probably driving through Caldwell as we speak. We can only tell what’s happening as it comes in over the telegraph lines though, and we’re still waiting for more news. You’re welcome to stop by anytime if you’re going to be in town for a while.”

  “We’ll be here all day!” Jake added, grinning as though he would be the one driving the automobile.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll be back in a few hours to hear the news!” As much as Cora wanted to linger, she hurried out and climbed into the carriage, turning it toward the Howell home, and smiling all the way.

  “Cora, you are simply amazing!” Margie Howell exclaimed when Cora showed her the bounty in her carriage. “How can we ever thank you for talking to so many people about our dress shop?”

  “By following your dreams!” Cora smiled. “I stand in awe of you and Rose and want you to succeed.”

  “Well, come in and see what we’ve created so far,” Margie said. “We’ve finished remaking one of Mrs. Stribling’s gowns into two new ones, and we’re so happy with the way they turned out. I just hope some of the mothers in town will love them.”

  Cora loaded Margie’s arms with dresses and gathered the rest from the carriage. “My sisters are excited to see what you create,” she said. “And I’ve heard them talking to their friends. I think you’ll have ready-made customers by the time you open your shop.”

  Rose ran out of the house to help carry the dresses. “Sorry,” she said. “I was up to my elbows in bread dough when you pulled up.” She took some of the load from Cora, and some from her sister. After they placed all the clothing on a sofa in the Howells’ small parlor, Cora showed them which dresses came from which ladies in the community. Margie wrote it all down in a record book. She included Mrs. Tanner’s request to save some of the mother-of-pearl buttons for Mrs. Tanner’s new dress.

  Cora gave a little yelp when she saw the dresses Margie and Rose had made from Mrs. Stribling’s gown. They had made a lovely Sunday dress and matching little girl’s dress from the gown. Both had new lace and applique to set them apart from the original gown. “These are grand!” Cora exclaimed. “You’re going to be so successful! Just you wait and see!”

  The Howell girls followed Cora out to the carriage, and after hugs and waves, Cora left for Mrs. Stribling’s house. She hummed as she drove along, feeling happy to have a small part in Margie’s and Rose’s endeavor. Cora liked progress, and it made her heart happy to see two girls who had grown up in poverty make an opportunity for success for themselves. She was tempted to stop by the newspaper office once again. After all, it had been nearly an hour since she’d been there to see where Jackson was. “I’d better not,” she said to herself as she kept the horses heading straight for Mrs. Stribling’s house. “I’ll get dinner started and some cleaning done before I allow myself to go back to the newspaper office.”

  “Here’s one of my favorite people in the whole world,” Mrs. Stribling said when she let Cora and her large basket inside. “I’ve looked forward to you coming all week.”

  Cora placed the basket on the kitchen table and gave the older woman a hug. Then she shared the garden bounty that filled her basket. “We have new potatoes,” she said, “and lots of tender greens.”

  “Perfect,” Mrs. Stribling said. “And I have leftover ham.”

  They worked together getting everything washed and prepped for dinner. By the time the potatoes and greens were ready, there was a knock at the door. Cora’s heart leaped at the sound.

  Gideon. She took off her apron and ran her hands over her hair before she went to the door.

  “Good afternoon,” Gideon said, his smile lighting his face and Cora’s heart. He carried a small bouquet of wildflowers and handed them to her. “I hope I’m not too early.”

  “No, you’re perfect,” Cora said, accepting the flowers, and then blushing at her choice of words. Well, Gideon was perfect, except for his stubbornness regarding the future of the automobile. “You’re right on time. Did you happen to stop in at the newspaper office on your way over?”

  Gideon laughed. “Certainly. Do you think I’d show up without the latest news?”

  “And . . .?” Cora asked with feigned impatience.

  “Mr. Weston told me you’d been in earlier, and that he still didn’t have anything new to report. He said he’d send Jake over here the minute they have any news.”

  All during dinner, the conversation switched from Jackson’s cross-country road trip to the Howell girls’ plans to open a dress shop to the new orders for mail wagons. Once they finished dinner and cleared the table, Mrs. Stribling and Cora prepared to tackle the attic again looking for more gowns and dresses.

  “I know you’re dying to see what’s in my attic,” Mrs. Stribling said to Gideon. “There might be a ghost or a vampire up there besides all the spiders. Do you want to go with us and protect us? Be our hero for the day?”

  Gideon laughed. “Lead the way,” he said. “I don’t have a lot of time, but you’ve piqued my curiosity now.”

  Mrs. Stribling didn’t ask Gideon to sing In the Good Old Summertime, but she clomped her feet loudly on the way up the stairs and invited Cora and Gideon to do the same. “Ghosts, vampires, and spiders don’t like loud noises,” she said in response to Gideon’s raised brows.

  They walked through a dusty collection of old wooden chairs, a rolled-up carpet, a large desk, numerous bamboo fishing rods, and a few bulky items covered with dusty sheets. When they reached a far corner of the attic, Mrs. Stribling stopped in front of a wooden chest.

  “What do you think of this old chest?” Mrs. Stribling asked after blowing off the dust and sneezing about ten times.

  Gideon dropped to his knees with
a look of reverence on his face. His mouth opened, but no words came out. With a tender touch, he rubbed his hand over the battered and scratched hardwood slats on the trunk. “A masterpiece of craftsmanship,” he said softly.

  Cora smiled softly as she watched Gideon examine the old trunk. Of course he would appreciate the beauty of the wood and the craftsmanship. He was a master craftsman himself.

  “My grandmother brought this chest from England. It contained everything she owned. But don’t worry, I’m not going to pull out one-hundred-year-old dresses and expect the Howell girls to make something of them. I have navy blue velvet drapes in here that I replaced a few years ago. Parts of them are faded, but the parts that aren’t will make the grandest dresses Clover Creek has ever seen. Why, I might even buy one myself.”

  “Here, let me help you open that,” Gideon said when Mrs. Stribling attempted to open the chest. He lifted the lid easily and held it in place while Cora and Mrs. Stribling examined the contents.

  “Oh, so beautiful and soft,” Cora said when Mrs. Stribling lifted one of the drapes from the chest and placed it against Cora’s cheek.

  “Wouldn’t you like to have a gorgeous gown made from this fabric?” Mrs. Stribling asked Cora. She pulled several panels of velvet from the trunk.

  Cora nodded, her eyes aglow even in the dimmed light.

  Mrs. Stribling shoved the panels into Gideon’s arms, forcing him to hold them close to himself so they wouldn’t sag on the flooring. “Wouldn’t you like to hold Cora in your arms and dance across a ballroom floor if she wore a gown made from this fabric?”

  Gideon rubbed the velvet against his face. His twitching eyebrows answered Mrs. Stribling’s question more earnestly than his nod.

  Cora drew in a breath of musty attic air, thankful that the lighting was so low no one could see her blush. Nevertheless, she envisioned herself in a soft flowing velvet gown, dancing to beautiful music in Gideon’s arms. She turned away from Gideon, but her lips curved into a delightful smile.

  “Well, let’s get out of here,” Mrs. Stribling said after a few more sneezes, and after pulling the remaining drapery panels from the trunk. “There’s so much fabric from these drapes, the Howell girls will be busy for weeks. We can come up again another time and rummage through that.” She pointed to an old armoire not far from the trunk.

  Gideon stepped closer to the armoire as though enchanted by the intricate woodwork in the beautiful piece of furniture. He tried running his hands over it, but it proved difficult with the load he carried.

  “Now if you were to start a home of your own anytime soon,” Mrs. Stribling said, holding her lantern up directly in Gideon’s face, “I’d gift that armoire to you.”

  Gideon sputtered a bit but didn’t say anything. With a tilt of his head, he lifted the heavy drapes high enough to avoid tripping and carried them down the stairs to the parlor. “I must get back to the wheelwright barn,” he said after he placed the drapes on the sofa. “It’s been delightful. Let me know when you plan another excursion to your attic, and I’ll be happy to come and help.”

  Mrs. Stribling wrapped the drapes in another old sheet and stood back with a satisfied look on her face as Gideon lifted them to place in Cora’s carriage. “Thank you for your help,” she said. “We’ll be sure to let you know when we’re going to traipse into the attic again.” Then, with a mischievous grin, she added, “Now, don’t forget my offer of the armoire.”

  Gideon shook his head, and just as he reached the front door, he turned to Cora and smiled. “Please let me know if you hear anything more about Jackson,” he said.

  Cora felt like she might melt at Gideon’s endearing smile. “Absolutely,” she said as he walked away.

  Cora worked hard to finish the house cleaning. She still had visions of wearing a navy blue velvet gown and dancing the night away in the arms of Gideon Lewis, so she fairly danced her way around the house, dusting, scrubbing, and beating some of the rugs out on the clothesline. While she was outside beating the rugs, Milo Henderson appeared, walking briskly up the road toward her.

  “Have you heard the news?” Milo called before he even reached Cora. Without waiting for her response, he added, “Jackson made it to Caldwell! He and his mechanic are in Idaho for sure, and there’s no stopping them now.”

  Cora let out a little squeal. She almost gave Milo a hug, but caught herself just in time. She had always felt a little formal around Milo. It didn’t seem like throwing her arms around him was the right thing to do even though she was bursting with excitement. Still, she laughed and giggled, all the while wanting to dance around the rugs. Horatio Nelson Jackson was on his way to New York City, and he still had plenty of time to make it within ninety days in order to win his bet.

  “There’s more,” Milo said, raising his brows. “They’ve picked up a third passenger for the remainder of the trip. Look at this!” He unfolded the Caldwell newspaper that had just come in on the stagecoach and handed it to her.

  “Oh, my goodness!” Cora exclaimed when she looked at the paper. “This is the most fantastic news ever!”

  “You can keep that paper,” Milo said, grinning. “I knew you’d be excited about it. We have another paper at the bank.”

  After Milo and Cora laughed and visited for several more minutes, Milo said he had to get back to work.

  “Thank you for letting me know,” Cora called as Milo walked away. “And thank you for the newspaper! You’ve made me so happy!” She waved the newspaper in the air, and then ran inside to show Mrs. Stribling.

  Cora finished her chores with new vigor, wanting to hurry over to the wheelwright barn and share her news with Gideon. After leaving Mrs. Stribling’s home she dropped off the velvet drapes and shared her newspaper with the Howells. Then she drove to the wheelwright barn, and walked into the main part of the barn, looking for Gideon. There was a great deal of heat coming from the forge, and since no one seemed to be around, she hurried back outside to the cooler air. She peeked around back and didn’t see anyone. Finally, she walked to the door of the living quarters and knocked. Mrs. Lewis came to the door, and when she opened it, the most delicious aroma of dinner and bread baking greeted Cora.

  “Cora, dear!” How nice to see you! Come on in.”

  “Hello, Mrs. Lewis. I can’t come in today, but I wish I could. Your home smells heavenly. I’m running late to get home, but I wondered if Gideon is around.”

  “He takes Thor out for a little jaunt this time of day, but he should be back shortly. You’re welcome to come in and wait for him. I’ll fix you a slice of warm bread with butter.”

  Cora smiled. She had worked so hard cleaning for Mrs. Stribling that she was hungry again and tempted to accept the offer. “Thank you, Mrs. Lewis, but I’ll wait by my carriage. Ma will be watching for me to get home, and I don’t want to make her worry. If Gideon doesn’t return soon, I’ll go on home and talk to him another time.”

  Cora almost shared her newspaper article with Mrs. Lewis, but then she saw Gideon riding Thor toward the barn at a full gallop. He pulled the big horse up next to the barn and dismounted.

  “Thank you, Mrs. Lewis,” Cora said, waving and practically skipping over to Gideon. She could hardly talk fast enough to share her news with him. “Jackson’s in Idaho! He’s in Caldwell, and the whole town’s celebrating!

  Cora thought she saw the smallest bit of disappointment on Gideon’s face, but it was gone in a flash, and he grinned. “That’s wonderful!” he said.

  “And here’s the best part. Jackson and his mechanic picked up another passenger. You’ll never guess who it is!”

  Gideon shrugged his shoulders. “The governor?” he asked.

  Cora laughed and waved her newspaper at him. “No, silly. Look! They bought a pit bull and named him Bud! Bud’s riding the rest of the way to New York with them!”

  Cora held out the newspaper. There on the front page was a photo of Jackson and his mechanic sitting in the Vermont with Bud, the pit bull perched between them. Al
l three wore riding goggles to keep the wind and dirt particles out of their eyes. Gideon took one look and broke out laughing. He threw his arms around Cora and pulled her so close the newspaper scrunched between them.

  Cora pushed him away. “You’re making fun of me,” she said.

  “No, I’m not, Cora,” Gideon said. “I’m excited. Honest. Who wouldn’t be excited to see a dog joining Jackson’s road trip and wearing goggles? Where did you get this Caldwell newspaper, anyway?”

  “It came in on the stage and was delivered to the bank.”

  “So, Milo gave it to you?”

  “Is there anything wrong with that?”

  “Oh, no. Of course not. I know Milo’s just as interested in Jackson’s road trip as the rest of us in southern Idaho.” With that, he gently pulled her close again. “Can’t I give you a hug because I’m excited for you, Cora? When I brought you news about Jackson the other day, you not only gave me a hug, you kissed my cheek.” The look he gave her said he intended to return the favor.

  Cora stopped him with a firm hand on his chest. “Are you sure you’re not making fun of me?”

  “Honestly, I’m not,” Gideon said, but he grinned mischievously. “You’ve made a believer out of me. I’m afraid Jackson and his mechanic are going to make it all the way to New York after all. Look at what they’ve been through and they’re still rolling. And with Bud onboard, wearing his goggles, they’ll no doubt become celebrities. Watch and see if every newspaper in the country doesn’t pick up this story.”

  Cora narrowed her eyes at him, but after several seconds, a coy smile spread across her face. She turned her cheek toward him. If, in their shared enthusiasm for Jackson’s success, he wanted to kiss her on the cheek, she decided that she’d be more than happy to accommodate him.

  Gideon somehow missed her cheek and kissed the side of her lips. The kiss was soft and sweet, and over way too soon, leaving Cora breathless.

  8

  Friday morning, Gideon wiped his brow with a handkerchief after he finished a new wheel for a beautiful little mail wagon. His father and two of his brothers had been working on the wagon while Gideon made the wheels. They expected the buyer to arrive in Clover Creek early Monday morning to pick up the wagon.