An hour later, Evelyn knocked on Maddie’s door. “Time to get up. We have lots to do today.”
A groan seeped under the door. Evelyn waited a moment and knocked again.
“Hey, where’d my pants go?” The door wrenched open, and Maddie stuck her tousled head out. “I can’t find any of my clothes.”
Evelyn pushed the door wider. “All your clothing is in the wash. And that’s where you’ll be soon. Today you’re going to take a proper bath and put on clean clothes. The bathwater is heated, and the tub is ready.”
Mutiny gleamed in Maddie’s eyes and hardened her jaw. She scanned the room, and when she saw her father wasn’t in the house, her thin arms crossed in a gesture Evelyn had grown to loathe. “No. I washed in the creek already this week.”
“Dogs and cows bathe in creeks. Little girls use the bathtub. And soap.”
The child didn’t even have a proper nightgown. Faded red-flannel underwear only emphasized her skinny frame and clashed with her flaming-orange hair.
“I ain’t going to take a bath.”
“You are if I have to drag you to the tub and hold you there.”
Maddie’s eyes narrowed to angry slits. “You better bring your lunch, because it’s going to be a long day. Wait until my pa hears about this.”
“Your father has given me the staggering task of turning you into a lady. I’ve tried to be nice, to guide and assist you in learning some manners and the basics of hygiene, but you’ve chosen to ignore everything I’ve said. Obviously, a change in tactics is necessary.” She planted her foot firmly along the base of the door when Maddie went to slam it and grabbed her by the upper arm. “As to your bath taking all day, that’s up to you, but I assure you, I’m equal to the task. If you want to be so undignified as to hiss and spit like a frightened barn cat, go ahead, but it won’t do you a speck of good.”
In the end, Maddie got clean, but Evelyn was hard pressed to decide who had gotten wetter. Halfway through the struggle, the child gave up trying to escape and became a block of stone. Though relieved not to be wrestling the slippery eel-like body any longer, Evelyn didn’t labor under the notion that Maddie had given up. She could almost hear the gears churning in the child’s mind, and she tensed for the next onslaught.
This came when Evelyn finished rubbing Maddie dry and handed her the new garments she’d spent every night for the last three weeks sewing.
“What are those?” Maddie scowled.
“Drawers, chemise, petticoat, dress, pinafore.”
“I ain’t wearing those. Those are for girls.”
“I have news for you, Madelyn Kittrick. You are a girl, and you’re going to act like it from now on. Now get dressed. You have a cooking lesson awaiting you.”
“I’m not wearing that sissy stuff. I can’t ride or work in a getup like that.”
“You won’t be riding anytime soon, and when you do, it will be sidesaddle like a proper lady. If you won’t dress yourself, I’ll have to do it.” Evelyn’s muscles chided her, worn out from bath time, but she ignored them. “As to work, you surely can work wearing a dress. I do it every day. You’re going to learn to cook, clean, sew, garden, and you’re going to study.”
“Study?” Maddie’s jaw dropped. “Study what? I can read some, and I can add some. That’s enough.”
“You’ve barely scratched the surface. You’re going to study grammar and history and spelling and much more. I refuse to raise an ignorant child.”
“Ignorant? You’re the one who’s ignorant! You don’t know anything that’s worth a hill of wormy beans.”
After a protracted battle, Maddie donned the new clothing, but Evelyn suspected it was because the only other option was to walk around in a bath towel until her other clothes were clean.
When Evelyn had asked about appropriate clothing for Maddie or a shopping trip to procure material, Gareth had shrugged. “I can’t sew worth a lick, and it was easier to buy ready-made boy’s clothing at the mercantile. But Justine’s stuff is upstairs in a trunk. Maybe you can cut down a dress or two for Maddie, though you can expect some pretty heavy ordnance to go off when you try to make her wear it.”
Heavy ordnance indeed. However, except for the black scowl on Maddie’s face, she would’ve looked quite sweet in the light blue calico dress and snowy pinafore.
“Roll up your sleeves, please. You’re going to learn to make biscuits.”
The girl’s green eyes blazed, but she unbuttoned her cuffs, shoving them up before crossing her arms.
Training this child was like dragging an elephant through a knothole backward, but Evelyn wasn’t about to give up.
Gareth listened at the barn door, but the caterwauling from the house had quit. Though his first instinct had been to race over to see what was happening, he refrained. The showdown had come at last. Three weeks. About time.
Even knowing how stubborn his daughter could be, his money was on Evelyn. She had some steel to her. Her stubborn insistence on coddling Jamie showed how, once she latched on to an idea, she wouldn’t let go.
Jamie wielded the hay rake awkwardly but with his mother’s same determination. “What else are we going to do today?” The handle bounced off a partition and jumped from his hands, but he grabbed it and attacked the soiled hay in the stall again. “Besides clean the barn, I mean.”
“Grease the axles on the wagon and go over the equipment. Bridles, saddles, branding irons, knives, the lot. That way we’ll be ready when it’s time to roll out.”
“And I can really go with you? On the roundup?” He searched Gareth’s face. His shoulders bunched, and he quivered like a happy pup as if he couldn’t quite contain his joy at the prospect.
“That’s right. You’ll never learn any younger.” Though what Evelyn would say, Gareth hated to think. She had a hard enough time letting the boy out of her sight long enough to do a few simple chores. Roundup could last a month and took in a fair amount of range. “You’ve done a good job on the barn here. How about we take care of the wagon?”
Jamie dropped the rake and headed for the tack room then stopped and scampered back to get the tool and hang it up properly. Gareth tousled the boy’s hair and winked at him. “That’s right. Always take care of your equipment and put it back where it goes. That way, if you need something in a hurry, you’ll never have to waste time looking for it.”
The boy nodded. “That’s what Mama says, too. ‘A place for everything, and everything in its place.’”
“You’ve got a smart mama.” And pretty, too. Sharing a house and a bedroom with Evelyn, seeing her go about her duties, having her so near, was taking a toll on Gareth. He’d had to stop himself from reaching for her several times. And in her sleep, she forgot to keep her distance. She crossed the no-man’s-land center of the mattress and cuddled up against his side as if they’d been married for years. He always made sure he left their bed first, and the minute he slid out from under the covers, she rolled back over to her own pillows as if he’d dreamed the whole thing.
“Gareth?” Jamie’s voice broke through his thoughts, and from the impatient edge, the boy must’ve called his name more than once. “Aren’t we going to grease the wagon?”
With Jamie’s help, he worked his way down his chore list. The boy was eager to learn and to try everything, and Gareth had to stifle a chuckle when he realized Jamie was copying his every move. Now if he could convince Evelyn to let the boy wear something besides those ridiculous knickerbockers and that straw boater. A velvet suit was no proper attire for a cowboy-in-the-making.
At noon they made their way to the house, pausing on the porch to whack the dust from their clothes and scrape their boots well. The quiet from within sent a shiver through Gareth. Had they killed each other?
The door was propped open to catch the breeze, and he thought he caught a whiff of something burnt. Odd, since Evelyn had proven to be an excellent cook. Shrugging, he ducked and removed his hat as he went under the lintel.
A stranger stood
beside the table with a fistful of cutlery. A little red-haired stranger in a dress. Green eyes narrowed into a resentful glare.
“Maddie?”
Her mouth bunched, and she slapped knives and forks down beside plates. Her hair was neatly parted and braided. The braids had been looped up at each ear, and bless him if they weren’t tied with ribbons. Ribbons on his Maddie!
Evelyn emerged from the pantry with a pitcher and a plate of biscuits. “Oh, good, just in time.” She smiled, but her eyes had a strained look, as if the wrong word might send her right up into the air.
Jamie seemed to read the same sign, for he scooted to his seat without a word.
“We washed up at the pump.” Gareth slid into his chair at the head of the table, hardly able to tear his gaze away from his daughter. A snowy pinafore covered her dress, and her face and hands were immaculate, even down to the nails.
When everyone was seated, he said grace and silently asked for an extra blessing on Evelyn for the changes she’d wrought in Maddie.
Forking up a helping of ham, he noticed the black spots on the edges of the meat. Evelyn caught his eye and she inclined her head toward Maddie. His daughter sat with her shoulders hunched, watching him from under her lashes.
“Sure smells good. I’m hungry enough to eat a badger—teeth, claws, and all.” He helped himself to a couple of biscuits. When he took a bite from one, all the moisture disappeared from his mouth, absorbed by the incredibly dry fare. Trying not to hurry, he lifted his glass and drank. “Mmm. Good.”
Maddie relaxed, and Evelyn sent him a grateful smile. He’d read the situation right.
“Mama? What happened to these biscuits? They’re hard and dry.” Jamie crumbled the bread on his plate. “And the meat’s burnt.”
“Jamie, hush. Eat without complaint and be grateful for it.” Evelyn frowned at her son. Gareth peeked at Maddie and wished he hadn’t. Two tears hovered on her lower lashes. Maddie never cried. Never. Screamed, threw things, stomped her feet, maybe, but never tears. Her little throat worked, and she pushed back from the table. Scrubbing at her face, she rounded on Evelyn.
“I told you I couldn’t do it. Making me wear a dress and cook and clean. What a waste of time.” She shoved her plate away and turned to run to her room.
Evelyn reached out and snagged Maddie’s arm before she could get away. “Oh no you don’t. You can’t run away every time you’re faced with something unpleasant. You’ll sit here and finish your lunch. Jamie, apologize to your sister.”
“Sister?” Jamie spoke around a mouthful of ham.
“Jamison! Don’t talk with your mouth full. Madelyn became your sister when I married her father. She’s taking her first steps in the kitchen, and we can do without your criticisms.”
Jamie ducked his head and mumbled an apology. Gareth blinked. Evelyn had certainly taken charge of the children. And Maddie stayed in her seat, even lifting her chin a bit. How had Evelyn managed that?
“This afternoon, Maddie and I are going to work in the garden.” Evelyn spread her napkin back in her lap. “Thank you for having Rimfire till the ground for us.”
Gareth cut off a bite of ham. “Are you sure you want such a big patch? You’ll have to tote water for it this summer.”
“The children will help me. That’s why I wanted the garden so close to the creek. We’ll be able to raise enough vegetables to feed us through the winter.”
“Rimfire should be back from town in a few hours. He’ll have those seeds you wanted.”
“Good. I’ve got enough to keep us busy until then.”
Maddie sent Gareth a pleading look, as if to say, “Get me out of here!”
Evelyn sent him a steady look that said, “Don’t you dare.”
A smart man would vamoose, and Gareth was known to be a smart man. He rose and reached for his hat. “You finished, Jamie? We’ve got plenty of work to do. The sty fence needs reinforcing before that sow gets loose.”
The boy was off his seat in a flash and headed for the door. He stopped and muttered a thank-you for the lunch before disappearing into the sunshine.
Gareth took a little more time. “Maddie, that was a fine lunch. Learning to cook is a good and necessary skill.” He put his hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged it off.
Evelyn rose and began stacking plates. “Maddie, would you go get a bucket of water, please, so we can start washing up?”
With the posture of a condemned man, Maddie got the bucket, banging it against her legs as she trudged outside.
“I can’t believe it. What a transformation.” Gareth rubbed the back of his neck and tucked his fingers into his hip pocket.
“Only on the outside, I fear.” Evelyn put her hands on the base of her spine and stretched. “And we’ve had several altercations this morning just to get this far.”
“Still, it’s quite a bit of progress.”
Maddie reappeared in the doorway. “Wagon coming, Pa. You want help unloading supplies?”
“Naw. You stay here and help out. Jamie and I can handle things with Rimfire’s help.”
Maddie’s shoulders went limp, and she set the bucket on the table. Keeping her head down, she skirted him with a deep sigh.
Escaping the house, he blew out a breath. A man could only take so many female emotions being pelted at him. He headed for the barn with Jamie on his heels. At least in a barn a man knew where he was and what he was supposed to be doing and saying. Wagon wheels rattled and hooves clopped. His foreman had returned.
Moments later, Rimfire shuffled in under the weight of a bag of grain. “Found a couple more riders for you while I was in town.”
“Yeah?”
“They’re stowing their gear in the bunkhouse. Then we’ll start on those horses.” The bag thumped to the barn floor, sending out swirls of dust and burlap chaff. “Should be ready to pull out in three days.”
Gareth seized the grain sack, propped it on the edge of the bin, and cut open the top with his jackknife. The oats slid into the grain bin with a rattle. Three days to convince Evelyn that Jamie should go on the roundup. And three days to convince Maddie that she shouldn’t.
He wasn’t certain which would be the more difficult.
Chapter 5
How on earth did this happen? I thought you were watching him.” Evelyn stood in the shadow of the barn and stared in disbelief as a muddy creature blinked at her from under the most vile-smelling coat of slime she’d ever encountered.
“Mama, don’t blame him. It was my fault.”
She rounded on Gareth anyway. “I told you to watch out for him. Now look. His suit is ruined. And where is his hat?”
“The pig ate it, Mama.” Jamie swiped at the muck on his cheeks, causing the malodorous cloud around him to shift.
“I’m sorry, Evelyn.” Gareth’s grin only infuriated her more. “We were repairing the pigsty fence, and that sow thought we were after her piglets. She let out a bark and barreled into the boards. Jamie went flying, and he landed right in the sty. In the wallow end.”
She wanted to check the child over for injuries, but the stench and the viscous coating he wore deterred her. Pinching her nose, she scowled at Gareth. “He could’ve been-killed. That sow has teeth like a wolf.”
“Now, Evelyn, it isn’t as bad as it looks. I’ll take him to the creek and sluice him off. That’ll knock back the worst of it. And I had Rimfire pick up some clothes for him while he was in town today. We’ll get him kitted out in something more suitable for a cowboy.”
Even liberally smeared with pig-muck, Jamie’s eyes shone. “Sure enough? That would be great, Gareth. Are they just like yours?”
“He doesn’t need new clothes. The ones he has are perfectly serviceable. Or were until you let him fall into the pigsty.” Evelyn put her hands on her hips. “Every respectable young man in the East is wearing a velvet suit.”
“He’s not in the East anymore.” Gareth tucked his hands into his hip pockets. “He can’t do all the things a boy is supposed t
o do out here if he’s always worried about his clothes. I’d say him falling in the pigpen is a blessing.”
“A blessing? He could’ve been killed. And he can’t bathe in the creek. He’ll catch his death of cold. He needs a proper bath.” And considering the stench, probably more than one.
“Naw, he’s man enough to take a dunking in the creek. Besides, if we let him in the house like he is, we’ll never get the smell out.” Gareth shooed Jamie ahead of him toward the little river. “Bring down some soap and the package I tossed up into the loft. You’ll see. He’ll be good as new in no time.”
Evelyn closed her eyes, willing herself to remain calm. She’d heard the wild yelp clear from the garden and raced toward the sound, sure that her son was killed or maimed. Seeing Jamie flat on his back, spread-eagled in a lake of pig swill, her mouth had gone dry and her heart had taken up residence in her throat. To have Gareth pass it all off as just another day in a rancher’s life infuriated her.
A tug on her sleeve. “You gonna get the soap? He’s going to need a lot to get that stink off.” Maddie spoke to Evelyn for the first time since early morning. “Sure wish I could’ve seen him land in that puddle.”
Evelyn pressed her lips together and went to gather the items Jamie would need. And she’d stir up the fire, too. He’d need a hot drink after bathing in the creek.
This day couldn’t possibly get any worse. She’d battled Maddie to a draw, worked in the garden until her back screamed and her hands blistered even through her gloves, and her son had nearly been killed by an enraged sow.
The few scrub trees along the creek bank unfurled pale green baby leaves, a promise of what they would look like come the summer.
“Do you think she’ll mind?” Jamie’s voice piped up over the gurgle of the water.
“No, I don’t think so. Your mother is a reasonable woman. She won’t mind at all,” Gareth answered.
Evelyn slowed to a stop, still out of their sight. What wouldn’t she mind?
“What about Maddie? Will she mind?”
Where the Heart Is Romance Collection Page 46