by Zina Abbott
Dorcas narrowed her eyes. “What have you done to my sister?”
“Nothing, ma’am. I did rent Mrs. Meyer space for her family. She’s currently living in the back two rooms of my building.”
“She’s living with you?”
“No, ma’am, not exactly. Part of her payment is in the form of caring for my daughter and fixing my meals…”
“Your daughter. Then you do admit that you have been cavorting with loose women and littering this county with...with—”
Kendrick jutted out his chin and his voice grew hard. “Enough of your false accusations, Mrs. Thompson. I already heard them the other day. I admit that I was brought a baby to raise as mine, and I have decided I will be her father and accept her as my daughter.”
At the sound of the door to the kitchen opening, Kendrick lifted his head. Footsteps approached. He turned and smiled at Lydia as she joined the confrontation with her sister.
“Good morning, Dorcas. I didn’t expect you to come calling so soon.”
Dorcas lowered her voice to a hiss. “What are you doing here, Lydia? Everyone thinks you are living here as his…as his whore.”
Radiating a gentle smile, Lydia intertwined her fingers and held them at her waist. “Only if that is what you have been telling everyone, Dorcas.”
“But you are living here. With him.”
“The boys and I are living in his house. I do certain tasks in exchange for our room and board, none of which involve being his whore, as you so elegantly put it. It was safer than other options available in this town.” Lydia pointed to the door separating the kitchen from Kendrick’s shop. “He even installed a lock on the door leading to the rooms he rented to me and gave me the key.”
“And you are sleeping in his bed?”
“Of course. It’s the only bed in the house, plus it’s close to the baby’s crib. That makes it easy to take care of her during the night. The boys sleep on the floor beside the bed.”
“You sleep in his bed with him?” Dorcas all but shrieked.
Kendrick rolled his eyes. I wish, but not yet. “Of course not. I’m enjoying the hospitality of the Eagle Cottage where I rent a bed. If you doubt my word, please feel free to check with Mrs. Arnold who works there. I felt that preferable to your sister and her children renting the beds. The effect of all that combined body odor would have suffocated them.” He bit the side of his cheek to keep from laughing while he waited for Dorcas to absorb what he said.
Lydia turned to him. “Oh, Mr. Denham. I had no idea. Perhaps you should have let me find another place for us to stay.”
“No different than a military barracks for me, ma’am. You and your boys are fine where you are.”
Dorcas lifted her arms in supplication and shook her head. “My sister in a common boardinghouse room filled with filthy miners? Oh, my! Considering how many know of our connection, that situation would certainly ruin my reputation.”
Kendrick couldn’t keep the acid of sarcasm from his voice. “We certainly would not want your reputation to suffer any more than it has, Mrs. Thompson, especially after your sister was forced to leave the safety of your home to protect her sons and herself from your brutality.”
Dorcas sucked in a breath. “Brutality?” She glared at Lydia. “Is that what you told him?”
“No, ma’am.” Kendrick offered a smile that held no warmth. “I’ve got eyes.”
Dorcas turned to Kendrick. “I’ll have you know, Mr. Denham, there was no brutality involved.” She pointed at Lydia. If anyone was brutal, it was her. Have you seen what she did to my face?” Dorcas lifted her veil to reveal the welt that still glowed pink on her cheek.
Kendrick canted his head as he studied it. “It seems, Mrs. Thompson, I’ve seen a mark like that before. Several marks like that. Several on Will, and one right here on your sister.” He gently cupped his hand under Lydia’s chin and turned her head so the pink welt on her cheek could easily be seen by Dorcas. “My question is, who received their marks first?”
Dorcas stepped back. “I-I…” She stiffened her stance. “I am a teacher, Mr. Denham. I was disciplining my students. It is necessary for proper order.”
“Mrs. Meyer is your sister, not your student. You were not disciplining your students. You were beating your nephews. Then you beat your sister. Can you really fault her for defending herself and fighting back?” Kendrick studied both women and took note of the matching welts on both their cheeks. “It looks to me like she gave as good as she got. Sorry I missed seeing it.”
Her body shaking, Dorcas licked her lips. “Like you said, you weren’t there. You don’t know the circumstances.”
“Cole and Will were there. I heard enough from them that I’m pretty sure I understand what took place.”
Dorcas pointed to Lydia. “Her children are out of control.”
Kendrick stepped toward her. “The real issue is, you were resentful that, due to difficult circumstances in their lives, your sister asked if she and her sons could live with you until she could get them settled into a new situation. You took that resentment out on them.”
Dorcas stepped back, and the color drained from her face. “No! I was…I was…” She turned to Lydia. “You need to move back to the house, Lydia, you and your sons. It isn’t proper, you staying here with him.”
Lydia shook her head. “I decide what is proper for my family. Neither of my boys are willing to return to your house, let alone your school.”
“What do you mean they won’t return to school? Do you plan to let them grow up like uneducated heathens?”
“I’ll teach them myself. I was your student for five years, Dorcas. I know enough to teach my own children.”
Dorcas squeezed her eyes shut, and her voice lowered to a whisper. “I need your boys back in school, Lydia. Only two of my students returned this morning. While the twins worked with them on vocabulary words and spelling, I went calling on the parents of the other six. They heard about what happened yesterday, and their children begged them not to make them attend school. Unless word gets around your boys are back in class, they might never return.”
Lydia paused for several seconds. “I’m sorry about your school, but my sons are not returning. Perhaps you should dismiss class for the summer. Maybe memories will fade by fall. Dorcas, I mean what I am about to say in the kindest way. Get rid of the ruler. If you can’t teach school without that, or some form of weapon in your hand to threaten your students, maybe you should find a different way to occupy your time.”
Taking several heaving breaths, Dorcas pointed a finger at her sister and shouted. “How dare you tell me how to do my job! What do you know about teaching?”
“I know people learn better if they feel love instead of fear.”
A strangled gurgle coming from her throat, Dorcas lifted her chin and held out her hand. “You owe me rent, Lydia, and four days of school. If what you did for this…this man was truly a paying job, pay me.”
“My pay I earned before has been applied toward room and board for my family.”
Kendrick stepped between the two women. “She will not pay you for the time she stayed in your home. She is your sister and was there less than a week. She visited with family. As for school…” He dug inside his waistband and pulled out a leather poke. Untying it from the buttonhole that held his braces in place, he opened it flat on his counter and pulled out a grain of gold. He grabbed Dorcas’s hand and dropped it in her palm. “Smallest speck I could find, but worth at least two cents. Considering your teaching method, that’s more than the value of the education those boys received.” He grabbed Dorcas’s shoulders and turned her to face the open doorway. “Now, get out of my shop, Mrs. Thompson. I reserve the right to refuse entry to those who prove themselves to be excessively obnoxious. You are now on that list.”
Chapter 23
Thursday, June 1, 1854
L ydia rinsed out the cup she used to offer milk to Madeline. When she heard a knock on the back door to the kitc
hen, she turned. Propping the baby on her hip, she opened it to discover Caroline and Charlotte outside. “Welcome, girls. Please, come in. I missed you yesterday.”
Without making eye contact with Lydia, the twins entered. Their gazes focused on Madeline.
Caroline reached for the baby and pulled her into her arms. “Hello, Madeline. How’s our favorite friend today?”
Charlotte tickled Madeline’s cheek with a finger, which started the baby laughing. “We’re here to see only you because Mama forbade us to visit with Aunt Lydia…”
“…but she did give us permission to visit friends…”
“…and you’re our friend, aren’t you, Madeline? And if someone with whom we are not supposed to visit should overhear us…”
Caroline shrugged. “…what’s the harm in that? After all, we waited until Cole and Will left to help your papa deliver meat so we could honestly say we didn’t visit with our cousins.”
Lydia laughed. So, that’s the game they’re playing this time to get around my sister. “Madeline, please tell your friends that I’m happy to have them over to spend time with you. Also, Mr. Denham mentioned that it concerns him he doesn’t know how much they spent on the fabric for the curtains in his shop. He wants to pay them what he owes.”
Charlotte shook her head hard enough one of her braids flew over her shoulder until it rested in front. “Madeline, we decided it wasn’t fair for Mr. Denham to spend a lot of his money to make his butcher shop better for Aunt Lydia, so we bought the material for the curtains with our own money.”
Caroline twisted Madeline to face her. “You see, Papa gives us pin money every now and then…”
Charlotte turned her back. “...but we don't tell Mama, because she'd want us to spend it on something she considers practical.”
“That’s right. This way, we could pick out the right color and the flowers that you will like.”
“They go with your quilt, too. Ow! Madeline, did you have to pull on my braid?”
Caroline playfully sucked in a breath. “Did you do that to Lottie? Is that the way to treat one of your best friends?”
Charlotte pried Madeline’s fingers from the braid. She then reached the end of it over to tickle the baby’s nose. “So, there, Madeline. Do you like that? Tell Aunt Lydia we’re happy she’s here taking good care of you, although we miss seeing you each morning.” She looked at her sister and held out her hands. “It’s my turn to hold her.”
“Oh, all right.”
Charlotte turned the baby facing away from her. She propped Madeline’s bottom on one forearm while she wrapped the other around her tummy. “Do you like the chair I made for you, Madeline?”
Caroline leaned forward and tapped Madeline’s nose with her finger. “Back to Aunt Lydia. We think she needs to marry Mr. Denham. Then she can be your mama, and he can be our Uncle Rick. Tell Aunt Lydia that your papa really likes her. We can tell.”
Charlotte reached her head down like she wished to whisper a secret in Madeline’s ear. “He might really love her...”
“…and Cole and Will already said they wouldn’t mind having him for a Papa Rick. We talk to them over the fence when our mama isn’t looking, you know.”
Lydia cleared her throat. The girls’ game had gone on long enough. “Madeline, tell Lottie and Caro that I have a high regard for your papa. However, they need to let us work things out for ourselves.”
The twins locked gazes as they silently communicated with each other.
Caroline turned to the baby once more. “Madeline, we think Aunt Lydia should tell your papa how she feels—really feels—deep down in her heart…”
“…because we’ve watched how your papa looks at our aunt…”
“…and we think he really does like her a lot, but he doesn’t want to push her too fast.”
“We sure would like to go to a wedding soon. This Sunday, after church, would be nice.”
“Maybe the following Sunday, if it takes them longer to figure out they’re perfect for each other. Madeline, did you wet your diaper? It sure feels like it.”
Caroline held out her hands. “Let me take her. I’ll change her.” She looked around the kitchen. “Where’s her oilcloth that goes on the table?”
Lydia cleared her throat. “Madeline, tell the girls I moved the changing table into the bedroom. I keep the oilcloth on it all the time now.”
“That makes sense.” Caroline walked toward the bedroom. “Oh, look. Aunt Lydia put your diaper carpetbag on the shelf below. That’s really handy.”
Charlotte, her arms now empty, put her hands on her hips and huffed as she watched her sister disappear in the next room. She called after her. “Fine. You change her, but I want to choose what gown she wears to the wedding.”
A concerned expression on her face, Caroline returned to the kitchen a few minutes later holding a fussy Madeline. “What’s the matter, baby? I know I didn’t stick you with a pin.”
Lydia held her arms out. “Time to come to me, Madeline, tell the girls you started teething and sometimes, your gums hurt. I’m so happy they came to visit their friend, but perhaps they should return home before their mother discovers what friend they came to visit. I’d hate for them to get in trouble.” Lydia picked up one of Madeline’s hands and waved it at the twins. “Tell them bye-bye.”
Charlotte leaned over and kissed Madeline’s head. “Bye-bye, Madeline. We’ll come visit you again real soon.”
Next, Caroline stepped over to the baby and kissed her cheek. “Bye-bye, Madeline. We love you.” She turned her gaze to Lydia. “We love you, too, Aunt Lydia. We sure hope you decide to marry Mr. Denham soon.”
As Lydia watched her nieces wave goodbye and disappear out the door, tears filled her eyes. She mouthed her words after the girls started walking across the yard to the fence that separated the two properties. “I love you, too.”
She sighed. She wished a waist-high picket fence like the one across the five feet of property line was all that separated her from her sister instead of the gulf as vast as the Pacific Ocean.
Lydia reached for the wooden spoon she had been allowing Madeline to chew on before she walked over and settled in the rocking chair. She knew, if the baby fell asleep quickly, she would have plenty of time to brown some stew meat and onions in the skillet to add to the flavored beans that had been simmering all day.
Lydia next turned her thoughts to Kendrick. She might call him Mr. Denham to his face and before others, but in her mind, she already thought of him as Kendrick. The girls were right; she did have a high regard for him. In her time of trouble, he had sacrificed his own comfort to save her and her boys from ending up in a difficult, and possibly dangerous, situation. However, what about love? Did she love him?
You know you love him, Lydia.
Lydia closed her eyes and leaned her head against the high back of the rocking chair. The girls were pressuring her to marry him—soon. When she had married Horace, it had been because her father arranged the marriage without consulting her. It had not been her choice. She did not want to feel pushed into marriage a second time.
If I choose to marry him, no one will be pushing me.
Chapter 24
Friday, June 2, 1854
A fter Kendrick waved the last morning customer out of his shop, he locked the door and walked across the room. He knocked on the door leading to the kitchen. He smiled upon hearing the scramble of footsteps racing toward him. The key turned in the lock, and the door opened to reveal Cole and Will, their faces filled with anticipation.
Will stepped forward and grabbed Kendrick’s hand. “Is it time to make the meat deliveries? Mama said I can go with you to get Sunshine.”
“Yes, it’s almost time. Before we go, I need to talk to your mama first.”
Will heaved a sigh. “All right.”
Kendrick entered the kitchen and viewed his favorite sight—Madeline in Lydia’s arms. He held his hands out. “Come to Papa, Madeline?” He smiled as the baby leaned tow
ard him and held out her arms.
Kendrick jostled her on his forearm. He reached up and rubbed the side of his index finger against her cheek. “How are the gums doing, sweetheart?”
As if she understood him, Madeline reached for his hand and pulled it toward her mouth.
Kendrick jerked it away. He turned to the dishpan as he spoke to her above her protesting cries. “Just a minute, Madeline. Papa’s been cutting meat.” He swished his hand in the soapy water left from breakfast dishes before doing the same in the clear rinse water. Pulling a towel on the drainboard toward him, he pressed his hand against it. He brought the knuckle up to Madeline’s mouth. “Now, let’s see if your papa got this right.”
Madeline wrapped her little fingers around his fist and pulled his knuckle into her mouth. She pressed her gums together as hard as she could.
“Ow! Madeline, I think that tooth broke through. Take it a little easy on Papa.” Kendrick turned and grinned at Cole and Will.
Both boys laughed.
Will shook his head. “I’m not sticking my finger in her mouth. Besides her slobbers being yucky, I don’t want to get bit.”
Kendrick removed his hand from Madeline’s mouth and reached around to pat her back. “It’s not so bad. She’s too little to bite hard yet.” He rocked side to side as Madeline began to relax against his chest and rest her cheek on his shoulder.
Kendrick faced Cole and Will. “I’d like to put Madeline outside on her quilt in the shade for a few minutes while I talk with your mother. Will you boys watch her?”
Cole nodded. “I’ll keep an eye on her. If Will gets bored, he can play with Waggles.”
The children outside where Kendrick could check on them from the window, he turned to Lydia.
Lydia, her hands clasped in front of her, gazed at him expectantly. “What did you wish to talk about, Mr. Denham?”
“Us.”
Lydia turned her face away and stared at the floor. “I was afraid this arrangement would prove too inconvenient.”