by Leah Atwood
“A bell?”
“It’s sitting right there.” He pointed to the stack of books he’d brought earlier. Directly besides them was a small bell she hadn’t noticed earlier.
“I will.” Drowsiness overcame her, and soon she was fast asleep.
Chapter 6
Jesse rounded the corner and entered the barn, looking for his father. Spotting him in a stall, he walked to where Pa stood. “How is Mollie doing?” The mare had belonged to his ma, but her advanced years were beginning to show.
“Not very well. I don’t expect her to be around much longer, but she’s had a good and long life.” If Jesse didn’t know his Pa so well, he probably would have missed the fleck of sadness that shaded his eyes.
“We all learned to ride on her. Things won’t be the same without her.”
A moment of reflective silence filled the space between them. They didn’t always see eye to eye, but they were father and son. Consistently through the changing course of time, that relationship would always be a constant.
“There’s something I need to speak with you about, Pa.” He leaned against the barn wall, loosely crossing his arms over his chest.
“Marital advice?” George West asked with a knowing gleam in his eyes.
“In a roundabout way. Faith is having trouble feeling like she belongs. There’s no work for her to do in the house because Marta takes care of it all. I know it sounds strange because there’s always work to be done, but Marta’s been here so long, she has a system. Faith has tried to help, but Marta sends her away. I’m sure Marta thinks she is being kind, not allowing Faith to help, but it has the opposite effect.”
“Faith is a good woman. Much of her personality reminds me of your mother—there was nothing that could keep that woman idle.”
“She does remind me a lot of Ma. Do you have any suggestions to appease Faith without offending Marta?”
“Actually, Son, yes I do. I was going to have a talk with you later about it. When your sisters were here last week, Ellen confided to Marta that she is expecting. Some women have a difficult time while they’re with child, and you know how delicate Ellen is. Edwin approached me after church yesterday with his own worries about Ellen. Marta and I spoke, and we agreed that she would stay in town with Ellen until the baby arrives, helping out with the household duties. By autumn, when the baby arrives, your and Faith’s house should be completed.”
“My baby sister is going to be a mother.” The notion was hard to comprehend. To him, Ellen would always be a little girl chasing behind him.
“It’s more difficult to believe I’ll be a grandpa again. Your Ma would have been so proud of each of you.”
Jesse swallowed hard, fighting the lump of sentiment lodged in his throat. Poignant moments such as these were rare between him and Pa. This was the closest his father ever came to showing approval to him.
“Even you, son.”
The sentimentality between the two men proved too much. Pa reached out and tousled Jesse’s hair, like he would to a small child. Jesse picked up a pail of oats from the floor.
“Who still needs to be fed?”
“Just Mollie. Saved the best for last.”
“I’ll finish up in here. What else needs to be done today?”
Pa gave the rest of instructions, and Jesse mentally calculated the time it would take. The tasks wouldn’t be finished until well after sundown, which meant less time with Faith this evening. Not that he minded the work—he loved what he did, but was surprised by the keen disappointment he felt at losing time with his wife. His affection for her was rampantly growing, and he enjoyed spending time with her. In several weeks’ time, they had developed a real friendship.
The sun was long replaced by a sliver of the silver moon when Jesse finished for the day. Twenty heads of cattle from the Bar R had broken through a weak spot on the fence and were found grazing on Circle W land. By the time the situation was resolved with the bovines back on their proper land and the fence fixed, the sun was a dropping ball of red in the west. A few chores later, he’d called it quits for the day.
A low rumble emitted from his stomach as a reminder of his missed meal. Quietly, he entered the house expecting everyone to have retired for the night. The subtle glow coming from the kitchen of a lit candle caught his attention. Walking lightly, he went to check and ensure someone hadn’t left it burning unattended. To his surprise, he saw Faith sitting at the table. Her back was subtlety hunched over the table, and her fingers moved furiously, writing on a sheet of paper.
“Faith,” he called just loud enough to announce his presence without startling her.
In mid-stroke, Faith ceased writing and looked up. “You’re home.” She stood, gathering the sheets of paper on the table. “I was writing a letter to Mrs. Wallace while I waited for you.”
“I wasn’t expecting anyone to still be awake. You didn’t have to wait up.”
“I know, but I wanted to. Are you hungry? There’s some chicken stew set aside for you.”
Touched by Faith’s consideration, Jesse felt the weariness of a long day melt away. “That sounds wonderful.”
“Have a seat. I’ll get it for you.”
Four chairs lined the right side of the table. Jesse pulled out his usual one and sat down, grateful that Pa had finally relented and replaced the worn, awkward benches with the more comfortable seats. Faith lit a second candle for additional light and placed it on the table, to the side of him. She then returned with a bowl of warm stew and a plate of buttered biscuits.
Famished, Jesse shoveled down his food before remembering his manners. “I’m sorry,” he apologized for his boorish behavior.
“You’ve worked hard today. Enjoy your food,” Faith mollified with an amused tone.
“I have some good news for you. Now that you’re back on your feet, I talked to Pa. There are going to be some changes, which should make you happy.”
“What changes?”
The position in which the other candle rested in barely illuminated Faith’s face, but Jesse thought he detected concern in her expression, regardless that he’d mentioned the news should make her happy. A measure of disappointment seeped into him. Not that he faulted her—he knew his past reputation had given her reason for reservations, but he wanted his wife to trust him.
She’d never said anything directly, but he could tell from her responses, both verbal and visual, that she harbored a small amount of uncertainty. In time. Trust was built over time, he reminded himself. And beyond that, Faith was wonderful. That she’d waited up for him was a testament to her dedication and willingness to be an exceptional wife.
“Marta will be moving to town. Without her here, you’ll have more than enough to keep you busy. You might regret ever asking me for something to do.” He smiled and let loose a chuckle, but Faith did not share his merriment.
She shot up from the chair she was sitting in. “You promised she wouldn’t lose her position.” Her outburst was guilty, rather than accusatory.
Frustration gnawed at Jesse as he watched Faith pace back and forth. Again, he reminded himself that they were still in a period of adjustment and learning to know each other. “No Faith, it’s not like that,” he quickly assured her.
Faith paused her strides. “Then why else would she move to town when she’s been here for so long?”
“As it turns out, Ellen is going to have a baby in the fall. She’s been ill quite often and lacks her usual energy. Before I even spoke with Pa, they’d decided Marta would go and help Ellen until the baby comes.”
Faith took his empty bowl to the basin and quickly washed it. “That is wonderful news for Ellen. I remember Mrs. Wallace being sick often with her youngest, in the beginning. She said once the baby arrives, all memories of the pain and illness dissipate.”
Her back was turned to him, but Jesse knew she was sporting a smile. If he wasn't worried about offending her, he probably would have laughed at her sudden change in disposition. After growing u
p with three sisters, he knew their moods could change in the blink of an eye. And he knew one of the quickest ways to put a smile back on their face was to mention babies. It seemed Faith wasn’t so different from his sisters in that respect.
A yawn escaped before he could stop it. “I think I’m going to retire for the night. Work starts early again tomorrow.”
“I’ll be right there after I put these dishes away.”
“Let me help.” He picked the candle up and walked to her. The dishes were so few, they were put away in under a minute. He blew out Faith’s candle, then took her hand, leading her upstairs.
“Thank you again for waiting up for me. I’ve come to enjoy our evenings together.”
“You’re welcome, and I enjoy them as well.”
After brushing a quick kiss against her cheek, he settled into his side of the bed. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
Chapter 7
Tying her apron strings as she walked to the cellar, Faith tried to remember what she had meant to do earlier, but got sidetracked and forgot. In the late afternoon into the evening hours, the Circle W was hosting a party to celebrate her and Jesse’s marriage. She’d never been prone to activities drawing attention to herself, but Jesse’s sisters had been persistent. Finally, Faith caved into them and collectively, they decided the party would occur on the two-month wedding anniversary.
Which was today. Even though she was not an official host, she still felt responsible for providing a quality event. This would be the first major entertaining at the ranch since her arrival, and she wanted everything to be perfect. Ellen and Josie were already at the house, and Sally was expected to arrive shortly with her husband, Mark. Since they lived so far away, Mark and Sally would be spending the night at Circle W.
“That’s it,” Faith said out loud to no one in particular. She remembered she’d gone upstairs earlier to check on the guest room, but never completed the task. Once she had the pies baking, she would go change the linens and freshen up the room. Three jars of apples and one jar of peaches sat on the cellar shelf. Grabbing the peaches and one container of apples, she could almost taste the pies. Peach pie had always been her weakness since that first week she’d worked for the Wallace family and had her first taste of the scrumptious dessert.
On the porch, she met with Jesse, Edwin and Jason, each with a cleaned chicken in hand. Edwin looked a little green, and Faith felt sorry for him. The banker certainly wasn’t accustomed to killing his own food, but to his credit, he offered not a single word of complaint.
“Where would you like these?” Jesse asked, holding up the carcass in his hand.
“You’ll have to ask your sisters because they insist on taking care of all the preparations. Pie baking was their only concession to me. They are in the kitchen now if you want to go ask them.”
Jesse opened the door, allowing Faith to pass through first. In the kitchen, Faith stifled a laugh at how fast Edwin discarded the chicken he’d been holding. Unfortunately, he handed it off to Ellen, who turned greener than her husband had been. She passed it off to her brother’s free hand before running outside.
“Oh dear. I forgot how offensive, raw meat can be while expecting. Poor Ellen. We’ll have to keep her away from the chicken.” Josie quickly plucked the chickens out of the working areas so her sister wouldn’t have to see them when she returned. “We need the tables and chairs from the bunkhouse moved under the large cotton tree to the right of the house. Will you men take care of that, please?” she directed.
“All the tables?” Jason asked.
“Are there still three tables with eight chairs each?”
“Yes,” Jesse answered.
“All of them then. Marta, I’m so glad to see you.”
The men were effectively dismissed when the housekeeper appeared in the doorway. Once again suppressing an amused grin, Faith’s curiosity pondered about the dynamics of the house while the sisters still lived at home. One only had to spend a small amount of time with Josie to witness her take-charge personality, yet there seemed to be no conflict between her and Marta. Maybe because they had spent so much time together, but they both knew what needed to be done and did it.
The easy camaraderie among the women produced a tinge of jealousy in Faith, but she wouldn’t allow herself to dwell on it. There had been adjustments certainly, but she adored her new life. Never in her wildest dreams would she have imagined herself married, let alone happily wedded. Jesse was a devoted husband—despite her concerns in the beginning upon discovering his past shenanigans, he’d displayed no actions even hinting at the wild man he’d been.
Their friendship continued to grow, and lately she noticed different feelings toward him. During the day, while he was working, she would miss him, and not just because she’d been alone all day and wanted companionship. When he hugged her, his touch would send shivers down her spine. Though she had very little experience and knowledge on the topic, and though she hadn’t meant to, she believed she was falling in love with Jesse. She wished she had a way to talk to Mrs. Wallace without waiting months for a reply letter. She needed another woman to confide in, and although Jesse’s sisters had been wonderful, she wasn’t yet comfortable enough to discuss such matters with them.
“Can I help you with the pies?”
Looking up, she saw Ellen standing weakly, one hand resting against the workspace counter. Faith didn’t need assistance, but knew they were a safer option, scent wise, for Ellen. “I’ll mix and then you can roll them into crusts. How does that sound?”
“Much better than cutting and battering chicken.” Ellen gave a frail laugh.
“Are you hoping for a boy or girl?” Faith asked, drawing Ellen into a conversation to distract her from an ill stomach.
A wide smile stretched across Ellen’s face. “I know the correct answer would be either, as long as the baby is healthy, but I’ve always wanted a boy first.” She paused, looking to the side, recalling a memory. “Jesse was a good brother to us, even when he didn’t want us to know. When we were still in school, Tommy Tanner told a bunch of the guys that Josie kissed him under the tree behind the school. When Jesse found out about it, he punched him good. He never told us the reason he went after Tommy—I presume to spare Josie’s feelings, but Sally was on her way to the outhouse and heard everything. Anyhow, I’ve always thought if my first child were a boy, he could look after the subsequent children like Jesse did for us.”
“I always wanted a brother or sister, but it wasn’t meant to be.” Faith frowned, thinking of her own childhood.
A thought struck her—looking back, maybe it was providence she never had the sibling she’d desperately craved as a child. What kind of life would that brother or sister have been subjected to? Her hand stirred the spoon with furious swirls, sending flour over the edge of the bowl. Ellen looked at her with a peculiar expression, and Faith realized what she was doing. With a flushed faced, she added the eggs and water to the mixture. She continued to mix the ingredients, this time at a slower, calmer pace.
“My childhood wasn’t exactly ideal,” Faith stated, the only explanation she was willing to give for the moment.
“It’s okay. There’s no need to say more.” Ellen leaned close to Faith. “I think my dad is in love with Marta.”
“What?”
“And I think she’s in love with him,” Ellen whispered softly.
Now that Ellen mentioned it, Faith could see the signs. “Do they know it yet?”
“I don’t think so, but I’m hoping that their time apart will show them.” She cast a conspiring wink toward Faith.
“You orchestrated the arrangement?”
“I like to think of it as divine intervention. Truly, I’ve had a difficult time of late. When Edwin suggested hiring help, Marta first came to mind—since you are here now, I thought she could be spared at the Circle W.” She gave a soft laugh, which Faith found contagious.
“In that case, I hope you are right and every
thing works out for them. The dough is ready for rolling now.” With both hands, she lifted the dough from the bowl and set it on the counter. “When you’re done, just set them in the tins. I must attend to the guest room, but I’ll be back down shortly.”
Upstairs, Faith opened a window, allowing a spring breeze to flow through the room. She changed the linens and gave the furniture a quick dusting. There wasn’t much cleaning to be done since the room had been kept up so well. Carrying the old linens to a designated basket, Faith heard the noise of Sally’s arrival downstairs. She dropped the sheets off, then went to greet Sally and her husband.
When all the food was prepared, the sisters departed to separate rooms to dress for the party. Laying on her bed was a green and ivory silk dress trimmed with exquisite lace and embroidered burgundy flowers, more stylish than anything Faith had ever owned. Her fingers stroked the stylish fabric, luxuriating in its velvet touch. There was a small note placed atop it.
A gift to our new sister,
Josie, Ellen and Sally
Tears pooled up in her eyes, but Faith refused to let them fall for fear of spotting the beautiful fabric. No one had ever given her anything as fine as the dress—it was a lovely gift in both physical and thoughtful form.
“Do you like it?” a chorus asked from the doorway. The three sisters each poked their head into the room.
“It’s beautiful,” Faith answered. “I love it. Thank you.”
“The color will accentuate the natural hues of your eyes. I envy their beautiful shade of green.” Josie entered the room, followed by her sisters.
“I’ll help you fasten the rear buttons,” Ellen volunteered.
Thrust into acceptance by Jesse’s sisters, Faith’s head spun with contentment and giddiness. Through her marriage to Jesse, she’d gained the family and sisters she’d always wanted. Allowing herself the pleasure of the moment, she accepted Ellen’s help with dressing, followed by Josie and Sally’s with her hair. When the sisters were satisfied with her appearance, Sally held up the silver looking glass.