“In a minute darling, I have to clear the table first.”
“No, you sit by the fire for a bit. Jenny and I will clear up.” Brian ignored the angry look his daughter sent him. “It’s the least we can do after such a fine meal.”
Sorcha looked as if she was going to argue but instead let Meggie pull her over to the fire. She sat before taking the child onto her knee.
“What stories do you like, Meggie?”
“Happy stories.” The child hugged closer to Sorcha playing with her hair.
Chapter 25
Brian wished he could hear the story but Jenny was making so much noise washing the dishes he had to wait. Once finished, he surprised them all by pulling up the other rocker toward the fire. “Tell us another one.”
Sorcha looked even prettier sitting with Meggie on her lap. Her cheeks were flushed but whether it was caused by the fire or the request, he didn’t know. Part of him wanted to believe it was his request.
“Tell us the story of the wicked stepmother.” Jenny said, not bothering to keep the spiteful tone out of her voice.
Brian didn’t get a chance to admonish her before Sorcha responded.
“You mean King Lir and the swans? The story Ben spoke about? I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Jenny, it may scare Meggie.”
Brian hid a smile. Sorcha was cleverer than he had given her credit for. While Jenny wouldn’t hesitate to hurt her new Ma, she idolized her sister and would never put her in harm’s way.
“Do you have any happy stories for Meggie? Then later, when she is asleep you can tell us the story of the King?”
Sorcha’s stomach turned over as she dragged her gaze away from his. He had such lovely eyes and his voice sent shivers down her spine. She racked her brain for a funny story. She wanted to amuse the children but if she was honest, their father too. Maybe, if she entertained him, he would spend more time with them all. Maybe he wouldn’t sleep in the barn. Heat rose to her cheeks. She hoped he blamed the fire.
“Sorra, tell story.” Meggie pulled at her shirtwaist bringing her back to reality.
“Do you believe in fairies?” Sorcha whispered to Meggie but made sure her voice was loud enough to carry to Jenny and Brian.
Meggie nodded her eyes glued to Sorcha’s.
“In Ireland, there is a special fairy called the leprechaun. He isn’t a child and he doesn’t have wings. But appears in the form of an old man. It is said he likes to collect gold and will hide it at the end of a rainbow.”
“Can we find the gold?” Jenny asked.
Sorcha laughed. “No, love, as the rainbow never ends, does it?”
“So what’s the point, then? This is a stupid story.”
Sorcha ignored the nine-year old, instead focusing on Meggie. “If you capture a leprechaun and are nice to him, he will grant you three wishes.”
“What’s wishes?” Meggie asked, before sticking her thumb back in her mouth.
“Gifts.” Sorcha said quickly. “If you wanted three gifts, what you would you like?”
“A doll please.” Meggie sucked her thumb for a few seconds, her eyes slightly shut. “And candy.”
“They’re stupid wishes. I would ask for money, you to go away and ….”
“Jenny, apologize at once.” Brian’s harsh tone, combined with Jenny’s remark, was too much for Meggie. She started crying loudly. “Sorra no go.” She cuddled closer, her hands holding on so tight, Sorcha winched with pain.
“Meggie, Sorcha isn’t going anywhere. It’s time for bed.”
“No leave Sorra. Meggie stay.”
Sorcha held the child closer, if that was possible. She hid her face in her hair not wanting the others to see just how hurt she was. She fought hard to prevent the tears from falling. Brian stood up. “I am really sorry Jenny was so rude, Sorcha. Thank you for the stories.”
The door banged shut behind him. Maybe it was better he left, given his temper, but she wished he had stayed. Her hopes for a lovely family evening had gone up faster than the kindling she’d thrown on the fire earlier. Dear Lord, what can I do to fix this?
Chapter 26
The next morning, breakfast was a quiet affair. Jenny refused to speak to anyone. Her sullen look matched the one on her father’s face. Meggie wasn’t much better, calling for Sorcha every time she moved out of her sight. By the time they had all finished eating, Sorcha was ready to scream.
Brian left as soon as breakfast was over. He had errands to run in town. She hoped he would ask them to go with him but he didn’t. She wished she could go visit Mary but she didn’t know where her ranch was. She couldn’t just set off walking across the prairie with two children in tow.
The sun beamed in the sky as she hung out another load of washing. In the distance, the creek beckoned her, its blue waters shimmering in the sunlight. She was sick of doing chores and being cooped up inside all the time.
“Come on girls, let’s pack a picnic and go down to the creek. We can paddle a bit. What do you say?”
Meggie squealed with delight. Jenny seemed to be fighting a smile but Sorcha wasn’t about to let her stepdaughter ruin another day. She was determined to have some fun. They took a blanket to sit on and walked slowly towards the creek. Mindful of Brian’s remarks about snakes, Sorcha kept an eye on the ground. Shuddering as she looked at the long grasses, she tried to stop her imagination picturing long snakes just waiting to jump at them. Snakes don’t jump. Do they?
“Can you swim, Jenny?”
“Pa taught me. He was supposed to teach Meggie too, but he hasn’t had time. Can you?”
Sorcha shook her head. “Not much call for swimming in Boston.”
“Why? They got the sea there, don’t they? I never saw the sea. Is it true the water goes on forever?”
“No but it looks that way when you look out to where the big ships come in. Granny told me about her trip over from Ireland. She wasn’t too keen on getting back on a boat once they landed.”
“Why did your granny come to America? Why couldn’t she stay in Ireland?”
“They had to leave as they didn’t have anything to eat. The potatoes suffered from blight.” At the questioning look in the child’s eyes, Sorcha explained. “It’s a disease that causes potatoes to die.”
“Could they not live on other stuff? We don’t eat that many potatoes. Couldn’t they grow vegetables, corn and wheat?”
“In some areas they did but most of the wheat was exported to England. Irish farmers were poor and only had small portions of land on which to grow food. They grew potatoes because you can get a big crop from a small landholding. But when the disease came, all that food source died.”
“But why give away food when your family is starving? Pa wouldn’t give away our food.”
“He would if he had to raise money to pay bills. Irish farmers didn’t own their farms. Your Pa owns the land your house is built on. In Ireland, the land was owned by landlords who rented it to the tenants. Often, the owners lived abroad and left someone in charge to look after everything. If the farmers couldn’t work or sell things to earn money, they wouldn’t be able to pay the rent. Then they would get in trouble. So the food was sold. “
“So, how come your granny was able to come to America? Did it not cost a lot of money for the ticket? I want to go to Denver but Pa said the train tickets are too expensive. Denver isn’t as far as Ireland.”
Sorcha hid a smile. Jenny seemed to have forgotten her vow not to speak to her. She was an intelligent child and her curiosity overcame her dislike. “My granny was lucky. She had some family who had moved to America some years before. They bought her the ticket to travel.”
“Wish I had family to buy me a ticket to go see Denver.” Jenny kicked at some pebbles, sending them into the water.
“What’s in Denver?”
“Thomas Stanton said it had the best circus. His Pa took them there last summer. He said they had a fat lady with a beard and an elephant, and some tigers. They even had a man who ate fi
re but I don’t believe that bit.” The look in Jenny’s eyes belied that statement. “I’d love to see real tigers and other animals. But Pa said no. He always says no.” Jenny’s kicking became more energetic.
“Maybe he will take you when you are a little older.”
“Nope. That won’t happen. He doesn’t even like us going into Clover Springs.”
“Are you hungry? I can hear Meggie’s stomach rumbling from here.” The little girl was happily building a house with pebbles but looked up when she heard Sorcha say her name. It wasn’t yet time to eat but Sorcha hoped to distract Jenny. She didn’t want to get into a conversation about all the things Brian stopped his children from doing. Were they even allowed down here by the creek?
Chapter 27
As if her thoughts summoned him, they spotted a man coming towards them.
“Pa, are you going swimming?” Jenny raced towards her father. Sorcha watched, her hands twisting. She searched his face for signs of anger. Finding none, she relaxed slightly letting out her breath.
“I got the chores done early so thought we would enjoy the sunshine.”
“That was a great idea. Did you pack enough for me?” He grinned at her, causing her heart to soar. “I’m starving.”
“Come swimming, Pa.”
“Later Jenny, I want to eat first.”
Jenny looked as if she would protest but Sorcha intervened. “Jenny, can you rinse off these dishes for me please?”
Muttering, Jenny took the dishes in one hand and Meggie’s hand in the other and walked closer to the creek. Sorcha rose to follow them but Brian’s hand on her arm held her back.
“Let them go. They’ll be safe. Jenny knows not to let Meggie too close to the deep water.”
Sorcha sat back down but kept her eyes glued to the children. Her skin tingled as his eyes roamed her face but she pretended not to notice.
“Did you punish Jenny for her behavior last night?”
“No. She’s hurting. She’s only a child and has lost her mother.”
“Doesn’t give her the right to be rude.”
“No, but maybe if we ignore it, she will stop. I want to show her I want to be her friend, not take her ma’s place.”
Silence greeted her remark. She risked a glance at his face. He was staring at her, a puzzled expression on his face.
“What?”
“Her friend? You are here to be her Ma.”
“In time, I hope she will see me as someone like that but for now I will settle for friendship.”
Sorcha stared back at the girls, wishing she could pull up her skirts and join them. As if he read her thoughts, Brian coughed before saying. “Why don’t you join them? It’s mighty hot.”
“I couldn’t. It wouldn’t be seemly.”
“Why? We’re married now. I don’t think anyone would be shocked if I saw your pretty ankles, do you?”
Pretty ankles? Had he been looking at her? She pushed those thoughts aside.
“Anyone could see me.”
His laugh made the girls look toward them. “We are out in the middle of the prairie. Not a soul for miles. Nobody is going to come calling at this time and if they do, we will see the dust cloud in plenty of time for you to get all respectable again.” He scrutinized her so closely she looked at the ground as her ears went pink. “Go on, you are dying to. I can see it on your face.” When she didn’t move, he leaned closer. “You promised to obey me, Mrs. Petersen.”
At that, she moved. Quickly. She didn’t want him to know how much his nearness affected her.
He watched as his wife ran down toward his daughters. Shedding her shoes and lifting her skirts slightly, she paddled into the creek. His girls immediately started splashing Sorcha. Her laughter rang out. It was such a lovely sound, as musical as her voice. He found himself comparing her to Abby. There was no way his wife would have gone near the creek. She didn’t like water and no amount of persuading could bring her down here to enjoy a picnic.
In fact, she wasn’t big on enjoyment. He shouldn’t be thinking that way. Abby had been a good woman. She’d worked hard around the house, making it a home for him and the girls. She’d worked late into the night sewing clothes, quilts and finally some curtains for their room. She was always working but then, her folks had been that way too.
She wasn’t sociable. She preferred to keep her business private. She didn’t mind not going into town but she was a good neighbor. The first to offer assistance, if required. But he couldn’t imagine her playing with the girls as Sorcha was now. Sorcha looked like a child enjoying the sunshine. She wasn’t much taller than Jenny. He watched as she splashed Meggie and Jenny. She didn’t seem to realize the water was molding the clothes to her body.
Forcing himself to look away, he swallowed trying to concentrate on another image. His feet itched to walk to the creek and kiss Sorcha. His wife. But she isn’t really? And won’t be while you sleep in the barn. He ground his teeth. It was better this way. Safer. When he’d first decided to bring a woman out here to be a mother to his children, he’d been adamant that was all there was to it. He hadn’t bargained on being so attracted to Sorcha.
He lingered for a while longer before realizing his wife would probably be too shy to come back to the picnic when she noticed her clothes. He had chores to do anyway. The work never stopped. He stood up, taking one last look at his family giggling in the stream before setting off back to the barn. Why did I even go to the creek?
Chapter 28
Sorcha didn’t notice when Brian left. She turned to look in his direction but found their picnic area deserted. Her heart sank. Maybe he was angry? He might not approve of her dancing in the water like a child. But he told me to go into the creek.
“Come on girls, time to go.” Her curt tone got their attention, their anxious looks giving her a lump in her throat. It wasn’t their fault she was confused by their father’s actions. “Sorry Jenny, Meggie, I didn’t mean to sound cranky. I was having so much fun, I lost track of time. We need to get back to start dinner. Your Pa will be hungry.”
Grumbling, the girls waded out of the creek toward the bank. Sorcha let Jenny go in front as she picked Meggie up. She almost walked into Jenny who came to a sudden stop.
“Jenny, don’t stop like that. I could have hurt you.”
Jenny didn’t respond, causing Sorcha to look closer. The child was shaking but not with cold. Sorcha followed her gaze which was focused on the ground. On a snake.
She moved Meggie onto her hip and mindful of what Brian had said, moved slowly backward into the creek. “Jenny, stand still. I will be back in one minute. I just want to put Meggie on the bank.”
Sorcha moved slowly until she judged she was far enough from the snake not to attract its attention. Then she moved quicker than she ever thought possible. Moving further down the creek, she left the water as quickly as she could. Finding a dry, safe place for Meggie, she set the child down. “Meggie stay here, I will be back in a minute. Do not move.”
Meggie sat with her thumb in her mouth. Sorcha was torn between wanting to stay with Meggie to keep her out of danger and going back for Jenny. Meggie is fine. It’s Jenny who needs you. Praying hard, Sorcha ran back toward the creek until she came close to the terrorized child. Then she walked very slowly, talking softly to Jenny. The child was frozen in place, staring at the snake lying to the right of her foot. The snake wasn’t moving. Perhaps it’s asleep. Or dead.
“Jenny, move toward me.” Sorcha held out her hand to the child but she didn’t seem to be listening. She had to get closer to her.
“Jenny, I’m here. I am going to move to your side. When I take your hand, we are both going to walk away slowly. Okay.”
No answer. Sorcha moved closer until she was touching Jenny. “Come on, love. Remember what your Pa said, we have to move slowly.”
Jenny still didn’t move. Sorcha was afraid to pull her in case the jerky movement woke the snake, if it was just sleeping. She hoped it was dead. “Meggie nee
ds you, Jenny. She’s up there all alone. She might crawl toward us if we don’t move now.”
Sorcha watched Jenny’s eyes widen, a sure sign her words had met their mark. Holding her hand tightly, she pulled her stepdaughter away from the snake’s path. They walked as slowly as possible until Sorcha judged they had put sufficient distance between themselves and danger. Stopping she pulled the child into her arms, her heart beating wildly. Jenny’s sobs tore through both of them. “You’re safe now, Jenny. Come on, love, let’s go get Meggie and go home.” She pulled the child behind her as she headed toward Meggie. She was sucking her thumb, watching them with an intense look of concentration on her face.
Sorcha grabbed the baby and together all three of them walked to the picnic blanket. Putting Meggie down for a second, Sorcha packed up as quickly as she could. She draped the rug around Jenny’s shoulders as she couldn’t stop shaking. Probably shock. Sorcha prayed Brian was home. They made their way slowly toward the house.
“Brian, Brian.” Sorcha called, not wanting to alarm him too much but at the same time, she was worried about Jenny. The child was still shaking. Meggie joined in calling “Pa, Pa.”
Chapter 29
Hearing his name, Brian rushed out of the barn wiping his hands on his trousers. “Back already, I thought you would…”
His words died as he spotted the trio. Only Meggie looked normal. Sorcha looked even paler than usual, but it was Jenny his gaze focused on. His daughter’s eyes had a wild look about them. Moving quickly to her side, he tried to draw her close. “She’s shaking. What happened? What did you do to her?”
“Snake, it was at the creek.” Sorcha burst out.
“Snake? Did it bite her? Are you hurt, darling? Show Pa.”
Jenny shivered violently. Brian’s ears roared. He knew it. He shouldn’t have risked marrying again. God was angry. He scanned his daughter but couldn’t see any angry marks.
Sorcha: Clover Springs Mail Order Brides Page 6