Another minute later, Kristin gave up her swim, dried off, and began to redress. She had chores to do, after all, like unloading the wagon. But at least she no longer felt as parched as Uncle Lars’s crops.
As she hooked the front of her corset, she spied the apple orchard on the far side of the pond. Her stomach rumbled, and she figured it wouldn’t hurt to pluck a fruit or two since she hadn’t eaten any lunch. Perhaps she’d offer to make apple butter for Aunt Esther. Would that sweeten her up? Maybe Onkel and her cousins would come around too, and they’d finally start speaking to her again.
But why didn’t her family harvest the orchard? Perhaps they weren’t quite ripe yet. No harm in looking.
Once dressed, she gathered her shoes, stockings, and bonnet and walked around the edge of the pond to the orchard. She noticed the rivets of water, running to the ends of each row of trees. The lanes between the wide trunks were well maintained. It seemed an odd contrast to the rest of her uncle’s property.
Finding a tree that she guessed she could climb with relative ease, Kristin secured her bonnet around her neck and then proceeded to collect apples. When her hat bulged with fruit, she climbed back down.
And that’s when she heard a man clear his throat. She froze then slowly turned.
“Miss Eikaas.” Sam Sundberg gave her a polite nod, although he didn’t remove his floppy-rimmed hat.
“What are you doing here? If my uncle sees you, I will be in even more trouble than I am now.”
“I was about to say the same thing.”
Kristin tucked her chin. “I do not know what you mean.”
“This is Sundberg property.”
She blinked. “Oh, I–I did not realize …” She looked down at her bonnet, filled with apples. “I am so sorry. I had assumed this was part of my uncle’s land.”
“No harm done.”
At his gentle reply, embarrassment like hot liquid ran down her neck and filled her chest. Most likely Sam had seen her climb from the tree and now she stood there, feeling like a thief, caught in the act.
“You may keep the apples,” he said as if guessing her thoughts.
Kristin knew she couldn’t do that. “Thank you, but my aunt and uncle would not allow it.” She glanced up to see agreement play across his features.
“Well …” He removed his hat and raked his fingers through his hair. “I could use a break. Will you join me and eat an apple?”
She knew she shouldn’t. She should turn and run back along the pond. But somehow she couldn’t get herself to refuse. Besides feeling physically hungry, she needed a friend. She felt so alone.
Before she could reply, Sam stepped forward and took an apple from her bonnet before sitting against the wide trunk of the very tree Kristin had climbed. He faced the orchard with his back to the shallow gulley that she now realized separated the Sundberg’s property from her uncle’s.
Against her better judgment, she sat down next to Sam, hearing the crunch of the apple as he bit into it.
Then she took a bite of hers.
“You said you are in trouble? Is that because of this morning’s incident?”
She chewed and swallowed. “No, although it is part of it.”
“I thought you said all the spells were gone now.” With a chuckle, he bent his knees and rested his arms over them, brushing against her shoulder as he did so.
She slid a glance his way, briefly catching his gaze. “Your sister gave me the idea to say that.”
“Brilliant, at least coming from a ten-year-old.”
Kristin had to grin in spite of herself, although it was shortlived. “We came home to find that the cow is sick. She may be dying.”
“That is a serious matter. But surely your uncle does not blame you.”
“He has not said so directly. Not yet. But based on his past reactions, I fear that if the cow dies, I will be blamed.” Letting go of a long sigh, Kristin lolled her head against the tree trunk. “I am beginning to feel as though I really am cursed.”
“Hmm … greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. No Christian is cursed.”
Kristin recognized the truth. “Ja, you are right.” Gratefulness plumed inside of her. “I needed reminding.” She ate another bite of apple.
“Glad to be of some help.” His gaze met hers before his eyes ever so slowly drifted down her face and lingered on her lips.
Kristin ceased chewing and swallowed the piece of apple in her mouth. She had a hunch, and not for the first time, that Sam wanted to kiss her. The thought caused tingles of anticipation to shimmy down her limbs.
She quickly looked away and her reason returned. Kristin would never kiss a man she barely knew. She wasn’t that sort of a girl.
And maybe Sam wasn’t the sort who went around kissing females. Perhaps she had merely been sloppy with her eating, and now traces of apple stuck to her cheeks. For now, she’d give him the benefit of the doubt. She liked Sam. He’d been polite, even kind to her.
Kristin hurried to brush any remnants off her face. “I am not accustomed to my uncle’s temper.” She decided to talk away her discomfort. “My father, his brother, was a very different man, soft-spoken and kind. He would do anything for anyone in need. He did not rush to judgment, but he could be rather stubborn.”
Sam grimaced. “Your father is dead?”
Kristin nodded.
“I am sorry to hear it.”
“I miss him and Mor very much. My little brothers too.” She turned the apple in her hand. “Fever and smallpox ravaged our little village a few years ago.”
“I am sorry, Miss Eikaas. I am sure that had to be terribly difficult for you.”
“Ja, it was …”
Sam reached over, and before Kristin could guess his actions, he lifted the cross pendant she wore. His fingers brushed against her neck as he inspected it. “Very lovely.” He stared into her eyes.
She swallowed her bite of apple. “Takk.”
Sam tipped his head and grinned. “In English, please.”
She could barely breathe with his close proximity. “Thank you,” she eked out.
Suddenly the summer breeze carried her name on it. She froze, listening. Moments later, she recognized Peder’s voice.
Sam peered around the other side of the apple tree. “Your forloveden beckons. Is he the one who gave you that pretty necklace?”
“No. Mor did.” Kristin had heard Sam’s sarcasm and now grinned. “And Peder is not my forloveden. He is not even my friend, so he can beckon all he wants.”
“Did you two have a spat?”
“Whether we did is of no consequence. Peder is the brother of my best friend, Sylvia. We grew up together in Norway.” Kristin let go of a sigh that felt both wistful and weary. “I wish Sylvia were here. I miss her very much. But soon she and her mother will come to America.”
“You do not sound very confident.”
Kristin exhaled audibly once more. “I no longer feel confident …” She tried to find the right words to express her tentative feelings. “The future does not seem quite as bright as it did last week. I could not wait to arrive, but now …”
“Give it time. You have traveled a long way. You are in a new country. There are many adjustments to make.”
Peder called for her again. Kristin rolled a shoulder and ignored him.
Sam laughed under his breath before finishing his apple and tossing the core. “What will Olstad do if he catches you over here? Tell your uncle?”
Kristin honestly didn’t know. She felt as though she knew less and less of Peder with each passing day. “Peder is concerned that if the cow dies, my uncle might turn his anger on him and Mr. Olstad too. If Onkel asks the Olstads to leave, they will have nowhere to live.”
“And what about you? What if your uncle orders you out of his home?”
“I am already sleeping in the wagon bed beneath the stars.” She couldn’t help the facetious lilt.
“I heard.” Sam sounded none too pleased
, causing Kristin to feel a measure of vindication. “Mary told me after she arrived home from school today.”
Peder called for her once more. “Krist-tin!”
She tossed her apple core. “I had best go. Peder does not easily give up.”
Sam stood and helped her to her feet, holding her hand seconds longer than necessary. “If you hurry to the other end of the orchard and cross near the road, there’s a good chance no one will see you.”
“Thank you.” Kristin scooped up her shoes and stockings. “But first will you turn your back so I can put these on?” Her gaze flicked to her hands and the items she carried.
“Of course.”
Rounding the tree, she leaned against the trunk and quickly pulled on her stockings, fastened them just above her knees, then laced her shoes. All the while she kept a close eye on her uncle’s property, praying she wouldn’t get caught here with Sam. It had been foolish of her to take such a risk, and yet the meeting lifted her spirits.
Turning, she saw Sam near the next tree, his back to her. As if he sensed her presence, he glanced over his shoulder before swinging fully around. “Finished?”
She nodded.
He pushed out a little grin. “Be careful.”
“I plan to be.” Gathering her skirt, Kristin took off through the grove. Dapples of sunlight flitted through the leafy canopy overhead and onto the sweet-smelling pathway. Kristin noticed how well tended the orchard appeared.
Reaching the last row of trees, she leaped across a narrow stream. She trudged up a small embankment and saw the back of her uncle’s home. The next sight, however, was far more disparaging than even the wooden shack. Kristin watched as Uncle Lars, Mr. Olstad, and Peder dragged the dead cow out of the barn.
Sam cringed. In the distance he could just make out the men struggling to remove the cow’s lifeless body from the barn. Losing their only cow would prove devastating for the Eikaas family. It meant no milk, cream, cheese, or butter—all necessary ingredients for preparing other foods too. He couldn’t blame Mr. Eikaas for being upset about it.
But would the man blame Kristin?
Sam thought over these last minutes, sitting with her under an apple tree. If Pa found out, he wouldn’t like it any better than Lars Eikaas. Still, Sam hadn’t been able to resist her company.
Lord, forgive me for my blatant disobedience to Pa …
Glancing at his feet, he realized Kristin had forgotten her bonnet. Shiny red apples still bulged inside its ruffled rim. He squinted across the way and saw Kristin still dallying near the house. She’d placed her hands over the lower half of her face. Was she frightened? Of course she was. She’d said as much.
Lord, do You want me to step in? If so, how? And I’ll need Pa’s permission.
His thoughts in motion, Sam picked up the white bonnet.
He recalled the beetle hidden in its folds last Sunday. He’d relished removing it. And Ma had said Kristin seemed like “a nice young lady” after getting to know her that day. What’s more, Kristin wasn’t betrothed as he’d assumed. The discovery had encouraged him in a way he didn’t understand.
Smiling, an idea began to form. A way to help Kristin—and Ma too. He strode through the orchard and then walked the acreage to the barn.
Reaching it, Sam squinted into the structure’s darkness. “Pa?” The sweet smell of hay mixed with the pungent scent of animal hides tickled his nostrils. “Pa, you in there?”
“Up here, son.”
Bonnet still in his grasp, Sam walked to the ladder, climbed to the upper level, then found his way to Pa’s office. He paused in the doorway. “Can I have a few words with you?”
“Of course. Come in.”
As Sam entered, he caught a glimpse of his stepmother’s willowy form in the corner armchair. He nodded a greeting and removed his hat. “Ma.”
“I’ll leave you two men to your business.” She stood.
“No. Please stay.” Sam glanced down at his booted feet. “What I have to say involves you too.”
“All right.” Ma tipped her head, and a lock of dark brown hair fell over her shoulder. She’d been having good days lately. But when her chronic condition flared, there were days when Ma could barely get out of bed. That’s where Rachel had been such a help to her. “What are you carrying, Sam?”
Somewhat embarrassed, he handed her the apple-filled bonnet. “It belongs to Kristin Eikaas. I found her in the orchard this afternoon. She was picking apples. Apparently she thought she was on her uncle’s property.”
“Bah!” Pa pulled his chin back. “Lars probably said the orchard was his.”
“No, I don’t think so. I believe it was an honest mistake. Kristin apologized.”
“She could have kept the apples, Sam,” Ma said.
“She refused them, saying she’d be in even more trouble with her aunt and uncle if they found out she’d been on Sundberg property. Kristin has already been banished from that shack of a house and is sleeping in the back of Mr. Eikaas’s wagon because of last Sunday—because of us.”
“I thought we had this discussion this morning.” Pa tipped his head in a challenging manner.
“Well, there’s been a new development.” Walking to the desk, Sam sat on its edge so he could face both parents. “As I’m sure you’ve heard, Ma, Kristin helped Mary and Jackson this morning.”
“I told her all about it.” Pa folded his arms.
“And Jack and Mary filled me in on the details.” Ma smiled and sent Pa a coy glance.
He sent his gaze upward before looking back at Sam. “I plan to work with the school board to coordinate a volunteer lookout. It’s a sorry shame my children were attacked so close to the schoolyard.”
Sam dipped his head in agreement.
“But what’s this got to do with the Eikaas girl?” Already Pa wore a stubborn tilt to his chin.
But Sam refused to be deterred. “The Eikaases’ cow died just minutes ago, and Kristin is afraid she’ll be blamed for that too—because of what happened this morning.” He wagged his head. “You know how Mr. Eikaas can be.”
“Sure do. That hot-headed man needs to take some responsibility for himself and his family.”
“Seems that way, Pa.” Sam eyed his father.
“Oh, that poor girl.” Ma came forward and touched Sam’s shoulder. “I sense her heart is in the right place.”
“It is, but it won’t be for long if Mr. Eikaas continues to punish her,” Sam said. “She’s lived through a lot of heartbreak.”
Sam raised his gaze. “Her family took ill and died in Norway.”
“Yes, she told Agnes and me on Sunday.” Ma’s dark eyes trained on him. “And now here she is, living in a new country, unable to speak or read English. I’m sure she’s confused … perhaps even frightened. It doesn’t seem like she gets much direction from the Eikaases.”
“She gets none from them.” He recalled how he’d pointed out the way to Miss Betsy’s this morning. She hadn’t a clue where she was going.
“Son, it’s none of our concern.”
“Hear me out, Pa.” Sam watched his father’s shoulder’s sink in resignation. “Kristin desires to make a new life for herself, but how will that happen if she’s oppressed by her aunt and uncle, not to mention her cousins, who, I’m sure, wouldn’t dare cross their pa. And the Olstads …” Sam pulled in a deep breath. “Kristin told me they won’t defend her because they’re afraid Eikaas might turn them out and they’ve got nowhere else to go right now.”
Ma squinted and searched his face. “What are you thinking, Sam?”
“How about hiring Kristin as your house girl? The position is available, now that Rachel and Luke are married. Mary can help Kristin learn English.” He grinned. “Mary wants to be a teacher someday. It’ll be good practice for her.”
“Well …” Ma looked at Pa, and Sam didn’t miss the hopeful glint in her dark eyes.
A stubborn frown furrowed Pa’s brow. “No!”
Sam moved his leg off the ed
ge of the desk and stood. “Pa, if Kristin was Oneida or Menominee we wouldn’t think twice about helping her. And Rachel … we took her in.”
“He’s right, Karl.”
“No!”
Ma gave him a hard stare.
“No.” Pa lost some of his vehemence, but his glare held Sam in place. “Even if we did offer her Rachel’s old job, Eikaas will never agree to his niece working for Sundbergs. This is all nonsense.”
Sam stood his ground. “But if we go over there with a cow, I’ll bet Mr. Eikaas will listen.”
“And I should give Eikaas one of my cows?” Disbelief and sarcasm laced Pa’s words.
“Karl, please.” Reproof filled Ma’s voice. “This isn’t about Lars Eikaas. It’s about his niece. What if she’s in danger? We all heard him threaten to horsewhip the young lady on Saturday—and just because she bumped into Sam.”
“My sentiments exactly, Ma.”
“The Eikaases allowed her to suffer with an inflamed foot.” Ma’s dainty chin went up. “Another day and it would have been infected. Think about this, Karl. Kristin has been ordered to sleep in the wagon bed. What is next?”
Pa grunted out an inaudible reply.
“Kristin can have Rachel’s old room,” Ma suggested.
Sam worked to conceal a grin, and he sent up a quick prayer of thanks that Ma agreed with him. Pa would likely soften now.
“A cow? I should give Eikaas one of my cows?” Pa snorted indignantly.
“What is a cow compared to a young lady’s future, Karl?”
“That’s right, Pa.”
He grumbled and began to pace his makeshift office.
Then, all at once, he stopped and stared at Sam. “All right. We will offer the position to Lars’s niece, not that he will allow it.”
Ma smiled.
Relief welled up inside of Sam.
“But under one condition.”
“What’s that, Pa?” Sam squared his shoulders.
“That you go to Madison in my stead. I had just been discussing the matter with your mother when you walked in. With her ill health …”
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