Ruth tightened her lips and swung a gaze to Susan’s bedroom door.
“Ruthie, dear,” Lily said, balancing a stack of trenchers in her hands, “the Indians are in small groups. If we all stick together—”
The young wife elevated her voice again. “So you’re saying they’ll only be able to scalp a couple of us before the rest of the cove’s men come running!” She burst into tears.
“Shh, Ruth. Shh.” Maggie nodded to Agnes, and they each took an arm and led her to the table, where they sat her down in a chair.
Eva, Jackson’s grandmother, took a seat beside Ruth, and the neighbors gathered around, their expressions laced with understanding.
Lily placed the trenchers on their shelf and turned to the others. “Mayhap we shouldn’t wait for the men to make our decision for us. I’d be pleased to have all of you women and your children living here with me. I’ve only the boys, and I’m certain we could make room.” She arched her brows hopefully. “We could make a big party out of preserving our food for the winter together, peeling and pressing our apples…”
Jackson’s mother nodded in agreement. “We could stay here until we know for sure the heathens have gone back to their villages for the winter. An’ all our little ones would love bein’ able to play together every day. It’d be a real treat for them.”
“Please, could we do that?” Ruth’s emotion-filled voice rang out as she dabbed at her eyes with the edge of her apron.
Maggie placed a comforting hand on the woman’s shoulder. “What do the rest of you gals say?”
“I’m all for it.” Edith Randall looked around the group. “I don’t even have a grown man on my place.” She shot a quick glance at Lily. “That’s not to say my Robby’s not holdin’ his own. He is, sure enough.”
Lily squelched a grin. The lad’s mother wasn’t about to demean her son in front of a prospective daughter-in-law and her oh-so-capable hands.
Maggie stood to her feet so quickly her mobcap went askew. “Then it’s settled. When the men slack off jawin’ and get back over here, we’ll tell ’em what we decided.”
Hearing the old woman speaking so confidently helped Lily to settle another matter in her mind. No matter how much pressure she received from any quarter, she would not allow herself to be rushed into marrying anyone. Not by Robby or his mother—and especially not by Jackson, no matter how many honeymoon cabins he built in her honor.
Upon hearing what their wives had to say, the men were less than thrilled the women had taken matters into their own hands. But by the time the neighborhood wagons started rolling out, smiles reined in abundance. Even young Mary sported a tremulous smile. The decision had been made and approved. The women would pack their necessities and, together with their little ones, would move to Lily’s farmstead during the week. The men and boys would work together harvesting crops from place to place.
After she and Maggie bid the last family Godspeed and strolled back to the house, Lily noticed Jackson lounging in the shade of the porch with his legs stretched out and ankles crossed as if he lived there. Tamping down her irritation, she resolved once more that she had no intention of being pressured into a situation she didn’t want. Besides, Maggie was staying the night. Confident in her assertion, she squelched a smug smile.
John’s boys emerged from the house with their fishing poles. Both slanted a glare at interloper Jackson.
“Sure is nice of you, Grandma Maggie, to stay with us awhile an’ keep us company,” Matt said with added meaning as Lily and the older woman mounted the steps. “Okay if Luke an’ me go fishin’, Lily?” He cut another glower at the would-be suitor.
“That’d be fine.” She tilted her head at Maggie. “I hope some fried rainbow trout sounds good to you for breakfast in the morning.” Even Jackson could recognize the less-than-subtle hint that the older woman wouldn’t be going away anytime soon.
“Nothin’ I like more. I’ll fix us up some fried taters an’ biscuits to go with ’em.”
“Sounds delicious.” Lily nodded to the boys. “Don’t stay out after dark, and don’t forget your weapons.” She motioned toward the firearms they’d left on the porch.
Grinning, the pair snatched up the musket and pistol and took off.
Lily gestured toward vacant chairs. “Let’s sit down and rest for a while, Maggie. It’s been a long day. And I do believe a nice cup of tea would be most refreshing. I’ll brew some. Would you care for any, Jackson?”
“Don’t mind if I do.” He started to get up.
“Just relax.” Lily stayed him with a hand. “I’ll only be a moment.”
His shrewd eyes flicked to Maggie, and he eased back down without a smile. Obviously the evening wasn’t going according to his plans. Nor had the earlier part of the day, since his attempts to catch Lily alone had been to no avail.
Inside the cabin, Lily chuckled to herself as she pulled out a tray from a shelf and loaded it with cups and a few scones left over from the Sabbath get-together. Through the open window, she could hear Maggie speaking to their persistent visitor.
“I take it you got yourself set on that lass in there.”
Lily paused to listen.
“That’s right, ma’am. Don’t want no other but her.”
“She ain’t no peach a body can just pluck off a tree, you know.”
“She sure ain’t.”
There was no lack of determination in the young man’s tone. Lily recognized it whenever he spoke about her or to her, and it rankled her.
Thankfully, Maggie’s tenacity matched his. “I’d say you’d best trim your sails a mite, boy, if you’re really serious about her. Just ’cause Lily was a bond servant, that don’t mean she ain’t without a lovin’ family that wants her. Her folks tried to buy back her papers the first year she come to us. If it hadn’t been for her carin’ so much for poor sick Susan, she would’a lit out from here a long time ago.”
Lily couldn’t help herself. She inched closer to the window.
“Well,” Jackson drawled, “she said herself she likes livin’ at the cove. I’m purty sure I can talk her into stayin’. Besides, I’m a hard worker. I’ll take good care of her.”
His confidence made Lily’s eyebrows hike upward. The guy actually believed he could make her dance to whatever tune he played! She shook her head as Maggie’s voice came back into play.
“You must’a noticed them fancy duds she come here with. That gal was used to fine things, lots better than the rest of us. Her pa had a bad run of luck is all, or she wouldn’t be here in the first place. An’ you do know she can read an’ write. That’s more’n half the folks around here can do.”
A span of silence followed, stretching long enough for Lily to feel sorry for Jackson. After all, it was not his fault he hadn’t been schooled. Still…
“My pa’s the best tanner and harness maker twixt here an’ Reading,” he finally said, force returning to his tone. “A good livin’ can always be made from workin’ leather. Pa learnt me a lot before the war. When it’s all over, I’ll be able to do right by Lily. See if I won’t.”
“Mm-hmm.” The chair creaked as Maggie shifted her weight. “That’s right good to hear. But then there is that quick temper of yours. I heared tell about lots of them whoppers you an’ Frank got into. You two boys’re known for flyin’ off the hook at the least little thing.”
Lily clamped a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing out loud. Bless her heart, the old woman was relentless.
But Jackson didn’t back down. “Aw, that’s just me an’ Frank bein’ brothers. But when it comes to defendin’ myself an’ what’s mine, I ain’t ashamed to say I can hold my own.” He paused and spoke again in a more gentle voice. “You can ask my ma. I wouldn’t harm a hair on Lily’s head…or any other gal’s. I know womenfolk are…delicate-like.”
His statement pierced Lily’s heart, and she felt ashamed to have thought ill of Jackson. He was a touch rough around the edges, but inside, he had a soft heart. She poured wat
er into the pot and added some tea leaves.
“I have just one more question for you, boy,” Maggie said.
About to pick up the prepared tray, Lily stopped again.
“Yes’m?”
“Have you prayed about this? Courtin’ Lily, I mean.”
He gave a snort. “Ain’t no need to. I don’t see Robby Randall’s much competition. The lad’s still wet behind the ears.”
No need to pray about something as important as choosing a wife? A lifetime partner? Lily had heard more than enough. Plastering on a smile, she hastened toward the door and strode outside to join Maggie and His Arrogance.
Chapter 26
Neither Jackson nor Maggie wore a smile when Lily stepped out the door with the refreshments.
Jackson, however, brightened when he saw her. He sprang to his feet. “Let me help.” He whisked the tea tray from her hands.
“Thank you. Put it on the side table.” She indicated the one next to Maggie, then sat opposite her.
The young man plopped onto the seat next to Lily’s.
His nearness irritated Lily, but she maintained her composure. She turned to the older woman. “What would you like in your tea, dear?”
“Plain’ll do fine. I’m still full from that big meal we had this afternoon.”
Lily dispensed some of the hot brew into a cup and handed it to her, aware of Jackson’s gaze hot upon her. She reminded herself of her resolve to be strong and confident as she turned to him. “And how would you like yours, Jackson?”
“I like mine sweet an’ creamy.” The words sounded innocent enough, but his eyes said a whole lot more.
Once she’d handed him his tea, she poured her own plain drink and sat back, hoping to enjoy it for a moment. Alas, mere seconds passed before Jackson spoke again.
“Lily?” Balancing his cup and saucer on one knee, he leaned forward. “If you don’t mind, when we finish our tea, I’d like a private word with you.”
“How about now? The sun will be down soon. You can walk with me while I go shut the chickens inside their coop for the night.” She set down her cup and looked at Maggie. “Would you excuse us for a few moments?”
At the woman’s nod, she exited the porch, with Jackson right behind her. The coop was out of Maggie’s line of view, but not so far that Lily couldn’t summon her if need be.
Several fat fowl sought their roosts as Lily approached, and others came running when they saw her. Watching them scramble up the board ramp to their little house on stilts, she chuckled.
Jackson wasted no time coming to his point. “I ain’t thought about nothin’ but you since I was here last spring. I want you for my wife.”
That was it? His proposal of marriage? Lily was tempted to give him a flat no. But what if the young man was actually God’s choice for her? “I must say, that was an odd proposal.” She switched her attention from the chicks to him. “Why do you want to marry me, Jackson?”
He frowned, as if that was the dumbest question he’d ever heard. “Why not? I can’t keep waitin’ for this lousy excuse of a war to get over. It’s past time I started thinkin’ on my future, an’ you’d make a real fine wife. Besides…” He leaned closer, his breath feathering the fine hairs on her neck. “There’s no other way to say it. I want you in my bed. Real bad.”
The intensity in his voice almost compelled Lily to holler for Maggie. She took a step back to put distance between them as she weighed her response. The young man was only being honest, and his reasoning regarding the war was logical. “Jackson, I’m honored that you would consider me for your wife. Truly I am. But before I answer you, I must spend some time in prayer and seek God’s will. This is a momentous decision that would affect the rest of my life. My family expects me to join them once my indenturement is over. But even though I’ll no longer be his bond servant, I promised Mr. Waldon I’d stay with his sons until he returns in November.”
Jackson captured her shoulders. “You belong here with us, Lily. With me. You know you do.”
“Perhaps.” She reached up and gently removed his hands from her person. “Nevertheless, I believe we both need to pray about it. November is only two months hence. John will be home then.”
He scoffed, and a corner of his mouth quirked upward. “We don’t need to pray or wait. It’s obvious. Who d’ya think God put you here for, anyway? Me. We could up an’ marry now, an’ I could stay here with you till Waldon gets home.”
Lily couldn’t squelch a droll smile. “You and me, honeymooning here with all the women and children from the cove? I think not. Besides, I have no intention of being rushed into the most important decision of my life. I will say this much. I will never marry a man who doesn’t pray.”
“Okay, okay.” He took a step back and spread his hands. “If that’s what you want, I’ll do some prayin’. But it won’t change a thing.”
The following week proved to be a whirlwind of activity. By Tuesday, every entire family, not merely the women and children, took up residence in the farmhouse, the workshop, and the blockhouse. Crude canvas coverings also shrouded the wagons scattered about the Waldon clearing. The paddock was filled with milk cows. Inside the cabin, sleeping pallets were everywhere, and after bedtime, it was nearly impossible to step between them.
At dawn each morning, the men and older boys split into two groups and took their leave. One group headed downriver, the other upriver, to tend the remainder of the cove’s livestock and to harvest whatever crops were ready. Lily and the neighbor women picked the last of the vegetables from her garden and began cooking them down for preserves, or drying what couldn’t be stored in her root cellar. She didn’t want to think about the pears and apples that soon would be ripe for picking.
By the end of the week, wagonloads of corn and vegetables from the other farms arrived to be dealt with. Lily wondered where they would put it all. The boys had cut the hay while she’d been in Philadelphia, and it was dry now and needed to be raked up and brought in.
And the corn! On Saturday evening, a weary Lily stopped with her pail of milk to stare at the bulging corn crib. Even with all she and the others had already done, tons of corn still needed to be shucked and dried and hulled. Some would need to be ground into meal at Cal’s watermill. Then there was sorghum cane to be cut, pressed, and boiled down for molasses. Chestnuts and walnuts would be ready to gather soon, and then it would be hog-killing time.
Agnes, toting her toddler Margaret Rose, came to her side. “It’s been a good week.”
“Yes.” Lily managed a smile. “Tiring, but ’tis nice to have company while we work. Lots of helping hands.”
“Extra ladies help things go a lot faster. This evening, though, we have the biggest job of all to take care of.”
Lily wanted to sink down to the ground and curl herself into a ball. “What are you saying?”
“Baths. You tell me how we’re gonna get all them young’uns cleaned up tonight and keep ’em clean for the Sabbath.”
Shoulders drooping, Lily turned toward the house and saw the Patterson twins toting water buckets to three tubs heating over fires, while Cissy Dunlap hauled more from the well for other tubs waiting to be filled. “I’m just glad Davy’s not here. He’d be impossible.” She laughed lightly, then sobered. “No, I wouldn’t care at all. I miss him and Emmy terribly.”
“So does my Joey. But soon the Indians will leave for the winter, and the children will be able to come back. Never expected I’d be looking forward to the cold months.” She shook her head in disbelief.
Lily nodded in agreement. “When Jackson and Frank went out scouting, they said they didn’t see any sign of war parties lurking about.” Having mentioned her persistent suitor, she had another thought. “We’ll need to string up some blankets around those tubs. We womenfolk will need some privacy when our turn comes.”
Agnes chuckled. “Especially you. Between Jackson and Robby, one of ’em seems to always be watching you. Personally, I think that Robby is a real charmer. A
nd so handsome, with those cute curls and that smile of his. Don’t you think?”
Knowing her friend was teasing, Lily just tucked her chin. “I think ’tis time I take this milk to the springhouse and rustle up whatever blankets I can find.”
Moments later, on her return trip from the springhouse, the sight of a wagon drawing to a stop made her sigh. More work for her and the other ladies. Would it ever end? Thankfully tomorrow was the Sabbath, a most needed day of rest.
Ian, holding the reins, set the brake. Richard Shaw occupied the other half of the seat. His son Michael rode in back atop another load of corn with Matt and Luke, both of whom sported big smiles. It was good for her boys to have older men to rely on for a change, since their father was absent. At least John would return soon. Too soon, in a way, yet not soon enough for her longing heart. She knew the decision regarding her future would have to be made then.
As she walked toward them, her two lads hopped off the wagon bed. Matt waved something in his hand that looked suspiciously like…a letter! “We found some mail and a notice hooked on the nail at MacBride’s dock on the river. This one has your name on.” He held it out to her.
Lily took the missive and scanned the writing. John! Her heart leaped with joy. “ ’Tis from your father.”
“Thought so.” Luke grinned. “The notice came from Fort Henry, so we figgered the letter prob’ly did, too.”
Her joy dimmed. “Did the notice say anything of importance?”
Matt scoffed. “Nothin’ much. Just that we should all do what we already done.”
“Which is…?”
“Gather together at one place an’ harvest the fields, like we been doin’. Now open the letter, would ya? I wanna hear what Pa has to say.” He tapped his foot impatiently.
Glancing down at the smudged paper, Lily only hoped the news was good. But according to the notice the boys had seen, nothing had changed, so what good could there be? She broke the wax seal and unfolded the rough, heavy paper, then read aloud:
Daughters of Harwood House Trilogy : Three Romances Tell the Saga of Sisters Sold into Indentured Service (9781630586140) Page 84