Between the Rivers
Page 30
EDDIE’S small house was packed with family. They had called the boys in from their ball game, hands were washed all around whilst one young man shoved another aside to have his turn and was in turn shoved back. Gabriel was last, having been held over Lee’s shoulder and then handed off to be held upside down by his brother, Fred.
A proper modicum of decorum elbowed its way into the fracas as all ten of them— was it really only ten?— gathered around the supper table. Uncle James said grace and dishes were passed.
“Where’s Gov?” Gabe asked, unaware of anything amiss.
Everyone was a possible playmate to him and he was disappointed to have been deprived of the opportunity to ambush another.
“Well, little cousin,” Aspen answered, trying to restrict his comments to what Gabe could understand, “Gov decided he was not fit company this evening.”
“You mean he was naughty. Did you send him to his room?”
Aspen ruffled the little boy’s hair. “It was his choice. He’ll be alright. You can shoot marbles with him another time.”
Taking that as an invitation, Gabe reached into his pocket and pulled out his latest mib for inspection, followed by a lengthy telling of how he had won it. The conversation shifted in an animated fashion, each person welcome to their turn. For all the chatter, not a single comment was made about the lack of elbow room.
“I’ve been thinking about that shipment, Amos.”
“James Miller, don’t you dare talk about business,” Eddie cut in. “We can live without it for one night and don’t you encourage him Nichodemus.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Amos agreed, willing to please his sister, and James echoed his agreement.
The convivial meal went on, plates were cleared and filled again and eventually collected by Emberlee. Eddie shooed her other menfolk into the sitting room and Gabe upstairs to do his schoolwork. She smiled tolerantly when he dragged Fred and Fort along, presumably as tutors.
“Keep that up and Aunt Eddie will have your hide,” Aspen cautioned, gathering the trappings for coffee.
Ember tossed another plate across the room to Lee, who caught it deftly.
“Only if we break one.”
“Did you really leave Gov with Luke?” Lee asked.
“It seemed prudent,” Aspen replied, fetching the sugar bowl.
“Did you tell him he wasn’t under arrest?”
“No, sir, I did not,” Aspen said, innocence trying hard to assert itself. “It must have slipped my mind.”
Ember grinned. He had only ever caused one brother at a time to be locked up, not two. It amused him that someone other than himself was in the fire.
“You aren’t going leave him there?” Lee all but pleaded, as he took another plate, sedately this time. “He didn’t mean no harm.”
“Any harm,” Aspen corrected automatically.
“Well, are you?”
“Lee, I am not against Gov, but he has a habit of telling only the bits of a story he thinks best and leaving everything else out. Maybe when I go back he’ll be straight with me— and recall his manners.”