“Don’t mind a bit,” interrupted Jonathan. “You just stay put, and I’ll fetch Phiney.”
“I think perhaps I should fetch her myself, Jon,” he said, his voice hinting of irritation.
Both men arrived at the door simultaneously, and for a moment Delphinia thought they were going to be permanently wedged in the doorway until the pastor turned slightly, allowing himself to advance into the room. “You look absolutely stunning, Delphinia,” he complimented, watching her cheeks flush from the remark.
“She’s a real sight to behold, that’s for sure,” responded Jonathan as every eye in the room turned to stare at him.
Nate and Nettie toddled to where she stood, their hands extended to grab at the flowing gown. “No, you don’t, you two. Tessie, grab the twins, or they’ll be drooling all over her before she can get out the door,” ordered Jonathan.
“Seems to me you’re already drooling all over her,” Tessie muttered under her breath.
The evening passed in a succession of dances with Jonathan and George vying for each one, occasionally being bested by some other young man who would manage to whisk her off in the midst of their sparring over who should have the next dance. By the end of the social, Delphinia’s feet ached, but the gaiety of the event far outweighed any complaint she might have. The only blemish of the evening had been overhearing some unkind remarks from Katy McVay at the refreshment table. When she noticed Delphinia standing close by, she had given her a syrupy smile and excused herself to “find more appealing company.”
Although they were cramped close together on the seat of the buggy, the autumn air had cooled, and Delphinia felt herself shiver. “You’re cold. Why didn’t you say something? Let me help you with your shawl,” Jonathan offered as the pastor kept his hands on the reins. Unfolding the wrap, he slipped it around her shoulders and allowed his arm to rest across her shoulders in a possessive manner. Much to George’s irritation, he remained thus until the horses came to a halt in front of the house. Jumping down, George hurried to secure the horses in hopes of helping Delphinia from the buggy, but to no avail. Jonathan had already assisted her and was standing with his arm draped across her small shoulders. Delphinia attempted to shrug him off, but he only tightened his grip.
“It’s getting late, Parson, and you’ve still got to make the trip back to town. Thanks for the ride and good night,” Jonathan stated, attempting to dismiss the preacher before he could usher Delphinia to the house.
“Now, just a minute, Jonathan. I’m capable of saying thank you and good night for myself. You go on to your place. George and I will be just fine,” Delphinia answered.
“Nah, that’s okay. Want to make sure everything’s okay here before I go over to my place, so I’ll just wait here on the porch till George is on his way.”
Knowing that Jonathan was not about to leave, and not wanting to create a scene, the pastor thanked Delphinia for a lovely evening and bid them both good night.
“Of all the nerve,” she shouted at the relaxed figure on the porch. “You are the most vexing man I have ever met. George Martin made a trip here especially to invite me to the social, made another trip to escort me and return me safely home, and you have the nerve to not only invite yourself along but won’t even give him the opportunity to spend a moment alone with me!” The full moon shone on her face, and he could see her eyes flashing with anger.
“I’ll not apologize for that, Phiney. After all, I have a responsibility to keep you safe. You’re a part of this family,” he said with a boyish grin.
Hands on her hips and chin jutted forward, she made her way to the porch, where he stood, and she said, “I’ll have you know, Mr. Wilshire, that I do not need your protection from George Martin, nor do I want it.”
But, before she could move, he leaned down and kissed her full on the mouth. When he released her, she was so stunned that she stared at him in utter disbelief, unable to say a word, her heart pounding rapidly. A slow smile came across his lips as he once again gathered her into his arms, and his mouth slowly descended and captured her lips in a breathtaking kiss. She felt her legs grow limp, and as he leaned back, she lost her balance, causing her to reach out and grab Jonathan’s arm for support.
“Now, now, Phiney, don’t go begging me to stay any longer. I’ve got to get over to my place and get some sleep,” he said with an ornery glint in his eyes.
That remark caused Delphinia to immediately regain her composure. “Beg you to stay? Is that what you think I want? Why, you are the most conceited, arrogant, irritating, interfering—”
“You just keep on with your chattering, Phiney. Think I’ll get some sleep,” he interrupted, stepping off the porch and walking toward his cabin.
“Ooh, that man! I don’t think the Lord is ever going to get around to straightening him out,” she muttered under her breath as she turned and opened the cabin door.
Chapter 9
The beginning of the school year brought excitement to the household, and the children were anxious for the change in routine. Delphinia made sure that each of the youngsters looked their very best for the first day, especially Joey, since this marked the beginning of his career as a student. Although he was not yet five, the new schoolteacher had come to visit and, much to his delight, declared him bright enough to begin his formal education with the other children. Delphinia and Granny packed their tin pails with thick slices of bread and cheese, an apple, and a piece of dried peach pie. The two women stood at the cabin door watching as the young Wilshires made their way toward the dusty road, their happy chatter floating through the morning air.
With the older children gone to school each day, Delphinia and Granny were left at home with only the twins to care for. Although she loved all the children, even Tessie with her malicious ways, Delphinia cherished the additional time it allowed her to be alone with the older woman.
Granny took advantage of the newfound freedom and devoted most of the extra hours to teaching Delphinia all the things that would assist the young woman in running the household once she had only herself to rely upon. Shortly after her arrival, Delphinia confided that her mother had given her a wonderful education, insisting she spend her time studying, reading, and doing fancy stitching rather than household tasks. It was soon evident that she had much to learn. During the months since her arrival, she had proven herself a capable student of the older woman’s tutelage. But there remained much to learn, and Granny spent hours carefully explaining how to use the children’s clothing to make patterns for new garments; how to plant and tend a garden; how to preserve the meats, vegetables, and fruits that would provide for them throughout the winter and early spring; how to make tallow candles and lye soap, being sure to wrap each candle and bar in straw for storage; how to make big wheels of cheese, being sure to allow time for aging; and how to prepare meals for the large threshing crews that would hopefully be needed in early summer. Listening intently, she absorbed everything Granny taught her.
Delphinia’s true pleasure came, however, when Granny would call for a quiet time during the twins’ nap, and the two of them would read from the Bible and discuss the passages. Their sharing of God’s Word caused a bond of love to flourish between the two women, just as the one that had grown between Delphinia and her mother when they stitched her cherished quilt. Both women were especially pleased when Pastor Martin would stop by, which was happening more frequently. He never failed to raise their spirits. Delphinia enjoyed his attentiveness and insights, while Granny hoped the visits would light a fire under Jonathan.
As winter began to settle on the prairie, Delphinia thought she would never see a blade of grass or a flower bloom again. The snow came in blizzard proportions, keeping the children, as well as the adults, inside most of the time. Although everyone made great effort to create harmony, boredom overcame the children, and tempers grew short.
After several days, Delphinia was sure something would have to be done to keep the children diverted. That evening as Jonat
han prepared to go to the barn and milk Josie, their old brown-and-white cow, Delphinia began putting on her coat and hat. “Where do you think you’re going?” he asked.
“I want to go to the barn and unpack some things from one of my trunks stored out there,” she answered, falling in step behind him.
Barely able to see, the snow blowing in giant swirls with each new gust of wind, they made their way to the barn, and, while Jonathan milked, Delphinia began going through the items in one of her trunks. She found her old slate and schoolbooks, an old cloth ball, a rag doll from when she was a small child, and some marbles her father had bought for her one Christmas, much to her mother’s chagrin. She bundled the items in a heavy shawl and sat down on top of the trunk to await Jonathan.
“Come sit over here and visit with me while I finish,” he requested.
Picking up the parcel, she walked over and sat on one of the milking stools, watching intently as the milk pinged into the battered pail at a steady rhythm.
“Granny tells me George has been coming out to see you some.”
“He’s been here occasionally.”
“I take it that makes you happy?” Jonathan questioned, noting the blush that had risen in her cheeks.
“George is a fine man. I enjoy his company. And what of Katy McVay? Do your visits with her make you happy?” she questioned.
“I haven’t been visiting with Katy. I don’t know how I’ve missed George when he’s come calling,” he replied, rising from the stool. “Guess I need to be a little more observant,” he grumbled as the two of them headed back toward the house.
“From the looks of that bundle, it appears your trip was successful,” Granny said, watching the children assemble around Delphinia, who was struggling to remove her wet outer garments. “Perhaps more successful than the children will care for in a few days,” she answered with a slight smile, pointing at the teaching materials she was removing from the shawl. Handing the rag doll to Nettie, she smiled as the baby hugged it close and toddled away, with Nate in close pursuit.
“Here, Nathan, catch the ball,” she called, just as he was reaching to pull the doll away from Nettie. Chortling in delight, he grabbed the ball with his chubby hands as it rolled across the floor in front of him.
“Where are our toys?” asked Josh, a frown crossing his face.
“I don’t have a lot of toys, Josh,” she replied. “I do have some marbles my pa gave me one Christmas that I’d be willing to let you boys earn by doing well with your lessons.”
“Ah, that’s not fair,” they replied in unison. “The twins don’t have to do no lessons.”
“Any lessons,” Delphinia corrected. “The twins are still babies. You boys are old enough to know you must work for rewards…in this case, marbles. Tessie already understands that the true reward of a student is the knowledge you receive,” she explained, although Tessie’s look of boredom belied a real zeal for knowledge, or anything else at the moment.
“I did, however, find this tortoiseshell comb, and if you’d like, Tessie, I would be willing to consider it a little something extra, over and above the reward of knowledge.”
Tessie eyed the comb, trying to hide her excitement. It was the most beautiful hairpiece she had ever seen, and she desperately wanted it. As much as she wanted it, however, she would never concede that fact to Delphinia.
“I suppose it would make the boys try harder if they knew we were all working toward a reward,” she responded.
Granny and Delphinia exchanged knowing smiles, and the lessons began. The children worked hard on their studies, and the days passed, some with more success than others. The boys finally were rewarded with all the marbles, and Tessie had become the proud owner of the tortoiseshell comb.
When at last the snows abated and the roads were clear enough for school to resume the first week in December, both women heaved a sigh of relief, along with a prayer of thanksgiving. They waved from the doorway as the three older children climbed up on the buckboard, and Jonathan drove off toward school, all of them agreeing the weather was still not fit to walk such a distance.
The children returned home that first day, each clutching a paper with their part for the Christmas pageant. Delphinia quickly realized the evenings would be spent with the children practicing elocution and memorization. Tessie was to portray Mary but had detailed instructions that her red hair was to be completely tucked under a scarf.
“Why’d they pick her if they didn’t want a redhead? It’s not like she’s the prettiest girl in class,” Josh commented, tiring of the discussion of how to best cover Tessie’s hair.
“They picked me because I’m the best actress in the school,” Tessie retorted.
“I must be one of the smartest since the teacher picked me to be one of the wise men,” Josh bantered back.
By this time, Joey was totally confused. “How come they picked me to be a shepherd, Granny?” he inquired. “Does that mean I have to take a sheep with me to school?”
Everyone broke into gales of laughter at his remark as he stood there with a look of bewilderment on his face.
“No, sweet thing, you don’t need any sheep,” Granny replied. “But I think you all better get busy learning your lines instead of telling us how wise and talented you are.”
After school the next day, Miss Sanders arrived to request that Nate or Nettie portray the baby Jesus in the pageant. Just as Delphinia was beginning to explain that neither of them would hold still long enough for a stage production, both twins came toddling into the room. Squealing in delight and their hands smeared with jelly, they headed directly for the visitor. Delphinia was unable to head off the attack, and Miss Sanders left soon after with jelly stains on the front of her dress and a withdrawal of her request for a baby Jesus from the Wilshire home.
Granny, Jonathan, and Delphinia had been making plans for months, hoping the upcoming holiday would be a special time, since this was the first Christmas the children, as well as Delphinia, would be without their parents.
“I want it to be a good Christmas, one we’ll all remember fondly,” Granny kept reminding them.
Jonathan made several trips to town for special purchases, and while the children were at school, gifts were ordered through the mail or made by the women. Oranges, a rare treat for all of them, were poked full of cloves, and tins of dried apricots and candied fruits arrived. Gingerbread men were baked with the distinctive spice Granny ordered from back East, and the children delighted in helping cut and bake them the Saturday before Christmas. Even Tessie seemed to enjoy the preparations, helping the younger children make decorations.
The day before Christmas Jonathan and the two older boys went in search of a tree with instructions from Granny that it not be too large. They came back with a somewhat scraggly cedar and placed it in the corner. The homemade garland and strings of popcorn were placed on the branches, and Delphinia hung ornaments and a star that she had brought from home. The tin candleholders were clipped onto the tree, with a promise that the candles would be lit Christmas morning.
The day went by in a stir of confusion, and soon everyone scurried to get ready for the Christmas pageant being held at the church. Jonathan worried the weather would be too hard on Granny, but she insisted on going. Dressed in her heaviest woolen dress and winter coat, Jonathan wrapped her frail figure in blankets, carried her to the wagon, and placing her on a mattress stuffed with corn husks, tucked a twin on either side. Finally, he covered all of them with a feather comforter. The rest of the children piled into the back, all snuggling together to gain warmth from each other. Jonathan helped Delphinia to the seat beside him. Starting down the road, he pulled her closer with the admonition she would certainly be too cold sitting so far away. She did not resist, nor did she respond, but his touch caused her cheeks to feel fiery in the frosty night air.
The program was enchanting with each of the children performing admirably. The audience gave its enthusiastic approval, and the evening ended with the grou
p of delighted parents and relatives sharing cocoa and cookies. Miss Sanders proudly presented each of the children with a stick of peppermint candy as a gift for their hard work.
“I’m sorry I haven’t been out to see you,” George told Delphinia, offering her a cup of cocoa. “The weather has made it impossible, but I hope to come by again soon,” he told her.
“We always look forward to your visits, George. I’m sorry I’ve missed you the last few times you’ve come to call,” came Jonathan’s reply from behind Delphinia. “You just come on out anytime. I’ll make a point to be watching for you,” he continued. “We’re getting ready to leave, Phiney,” he stated, holding out her coat and giving her a wink, sure that George would notice.
“Pastor Martin plans on coming out to visit soon,” Delphinia informed Granny on the trip home.
“I think he’s more interested in visiting Phiney than the rest of us, but I told him we’d be happy to have him anytime,” Jonathan stated. “You two be sure and let me know when he comes calling so I don’t miss another visit,” he instructed and was disappointed when Delphinia did not give one of her quick retorts.
Once home, the children were soon tucked into bed, anxious for morning to arrive. Granny was quick to admit that she, too, needed her rest and apologetically requested that Delphinia complete the Christmas preparations. Before retiring, the older woman instructed Delphinia where everything had been hidden, fearful that a gift or two might be forgotten. Smiling and placing a kiss on her cheek, Delphinia reassured her that all would be ready by morning.
Christmas Day was a joyous event of sparkling eyes and joyous laughter. The children were in good spirits, the tree was beautiful, and the gifts well received. Jonathan had gone hunting the morning before and returned with a wild turkey, which was the main attraction of the festive holiday meal. After dinner, Granny read the Christmas story from the Bible while the family sat in a circle around her listening intently, even the young twins. When she finished, Jonathan began to sing “Silent Night,” and the others joined in. One by one, they sang all the Christmas carols they could remember until Jonathan declared it was bedtime for the children. Not long after, Granny bid them good night, thanking them both for all they had done to make it such a wonderful day. “Don’t stay up too long,” she admonished, always in charge.
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