Читать книгу A Home Of Her Own - Keli Gwyn - Страница 12

Chapter Three

Worry dug its claws into Becky. She looked up at Mutti on the wagon seat above her. “What do you think is wrong?”

Mutti’s gaze was riveted on her son, who was talking with the troubled boy, but she didn’t seem overly concerned. “It might not be too serious. Since Bobby’s father is out of town, the young fellow probably panicked.”

Mr. O’Brien straightened, spun around and marched to the wagon with a frown on his angular face. “There’s a problem at the Strattons’ place. I need to get there right away.”

Becky’s fear intensified. “Is someone hurt?”

“No. Bobby’s younger brother broke the valve I installed up at the ditch, and there’s water gushing everywhere. It’ll cost their father and me a fortune if I don’t stop it. I need to get Mutti home. Can you drive a wagon?”

She couldn’t, but she didn’t dare tell him that. He already doubted her ability to handle the job. “I’ll do whatever you need me to.”

He yanked off his derby, swiped an arm across his brow and jammed the hat back on. “You didn’t answer my question. Can you, or can’t you?”

“I’m sure I can.” She’d seen Dillon and their father do it many times.

“Yes, you can.” Mutti reached down and rested a hand on Becky’s shoulder. “Do not worry, Sohn. I will help her.”

“You haven’t driven in years.”

“That is true, but I have not forgotten how. You can go. We will be fine.”

Mr. O’Brien scraped a hand over his scar. “The road to Diamond Springs is full of twists and turns, but it seems I don’t have any choice.”

Becky drew herself to her full height but only came to his chin. She did her best to sound confident. “You needn’t worry. We’ll take it nice and slow.”

He studied her a moment and shrugged. “I expect the repair to take a while, so don’t wait supper for me.” He strode to where Bobby waited and swung into the saddle on the larger horse in one graceful movement.

She climbed onto the driver’s seat, clutched the reins and watched as Mr. O’Brien and the red-haired boy took off with a flurry of dust. “What was he saying about a ditch?”

“It’s what they call a canal here. It delivers water to the gold mines, but farmers and orchardists use the ditches for irrigation. They pay a daily fee whenever they tap into one. If they use more water than the slow, steady stream they’ve contracted for—what’s known as a miner’s inch—the cost goes up.” She’d switched to German, as she had before when it was just the two of them.

Becky did the same. “No wonder he’s in such a hurry. Shall we head out, then?”

Weariness had bowed Mutti’s shoulders. Becky was eager to get the dear woman home.

“Let me show you how to hold the reins.” Mutti demonstrated. “Now switch them from your right hand to your left, release the brake and reposition them.”

She did, moving slowly so as not to hurt her ribs.

“Next you give the team their command. James uses ‘walk on.’”

As soon as the horses heard the words, they started up. When the wagon reached a road taking off to the south, Mutti placed her hands over Becky’s and showed her how to navigate the turn.

“Well done, my dear. It’s three miles to Diamond Springs. As James said, the road is curvy. We’re in no hurry, so we’ll let the horses walk and give you time to get used to driving.”

Thanks to Mutti’s gentle coaching, it didn’t take Becky long to feel comfortable. She kept a watchful eye on the road ahead.

The California countryside with its abundant trees and wildlife was much different than Chicago. She flinched when a bright blue bird Mutti said was a Steller’s jay let out a scratchy, scolding call and chuckled when a squirrel frolicked in the crowns of nearby oaks.

A flash of something brown caught Becky’s eye. The dog she’d befriended earlier bounded toward the wagon. His gleeful bark startled a flock of wild turkeys. The ungainly birds bolted from the underbrush, zigzagging their way across the clearing and into the road, screeching loudly.

The horses reared and took off running. Becky’s heart galloped along with them. She gripped the reins so tightly her knuckles turned white. “Hold on!”

Mutti clutched the edge of the seat as they went around a hairpin turn and gasped as the wagon rose up on two wheels.

Becky’s mouth went dry. The wagon wheels returned to the earth with a jarring thud. Bracing her boots against the footboard, she held the reins taut and prayed the team would slow before the next turn.

Gradually, the startled animals returned to a walk. Thank you, Lord. She spun to face Mutti. “Are you all right?”

“Yes. Just a bit shaken up, but I’ll be fine.”

“Good. For a minute there I wasn’t sure how things were going to turn out. I’d better see to the team.” She pulled to a stop, handed the reins to Mutti and climbed down. Using slow, soothing strokes, she patted the horses’ broad faces.

Once she was convinced they were over the worst of their fright and that there was no apparent damage to the wagon, she looked for the dog, but he was nowhere in sight. She couldn’t fault him for upsetting the horses. From her place on the wagon seat, it had been clear he was chasing after her and not the flighty flock.

She returned to the wagon, and they set out again.

Mutti patted her arm. “You handled that well. I’ll tell James you make a fine driver.”

The rest of the drive to Diamond Springs went smoothly. At Mutti’s request, Becky stopped at the butcher shop. She’d been wedged between Jessie and Callie when they’d passed through the town on their way to Placerville and hadn’t seen much from the stagecoach.

A handful of shops lined both sides of the wide, rutted road. She recognized Harris’s general store, where the coach had stopped to pick up a passenger on their way through town. Tantalizing scents wafted from the restaurant at the Washington House hotel nearby. “So this is Diamond Springs. There’s not much to it, is there?”

“It might be small, but it has the basic necessities. The people are friendly. My William and I liked it here. That’s why we stayed. James liked it, too, but Katharina couldn’t wait to grow up and move to the city. My girl lives in a fancy house in San Francisco with her lawyer husband, Artie, and their five-year-old daughter, Lottie. We don’t see much of them.”

Mutti gazed into the distance with a faraway expression on her face. “James went away, too, but he came back after the terrible accident that nearly took him from us. He was with me when William died two years ago and has been here ever since. I don’t know what I’d have done without him. I couldn’t manage the orchard on my own.”

As much as Becky wanted to ask what kind of accident and if it had caused Mr. O’Brien’s scar, it wasn’t her place to pry. “Was the town always so small?”

“It’s always been pretty much a one-street town, but when we arrived in ’54 it was busier. A lot more mining was going on then. There are only nine hundred or so in Diamond Springs Township now.”

What would it have been like to grow up in a place like this? To look into the distance and see nothing but rolling hills and the distant Sierras beyond instead of buildings? To breathe fresh air instead of inhaling the smoke belching from the ever-increasing number of factories in Chicago, like the small one where she and Dillon had worked?

A newcomer would stand out here, though. She’d have to be mindful of that. The less people knew about her, the better. If Dillon was to show up, she wouldn’t want to make it easy for him to find her. Not that he would, but she couldn’t shake the fear that made her want to look over her shoulder whenever she heard a man with an Irish accent. She was mighty glad Mr. O’Brien didn’t have one.

“I should pick up your order. I’ll just be a minute.”

Becky returned from the butcher shop a short time later, stowed the meaty-smelling package in a crate behind the seat and climbed aboard.

Mutti directed her to a road heading south. “It’s only half a mile or so, and it’s flat from here. I can’t wait until you see the orchard in bloom. It’s a sight to behold.”

“What kind of trees are they?”

“Apple. There are five different varieties, and James plans to add another next year.” Sadness clouded Mutti’s blue eyes, as though she realized she wouldn’t live to see that day. She brightened quickly. “My boy isn’t content to leave things as they are. He’s always seeking ways to improve the orchard and make tasks easier. He figured out a way to give me running water in the kitchen.”

“Running water? I can’t imagine having such a thing.”

“I know he can seem a bit gruff at times, but he really is a fine man. You’ll see.”

Since Becky didn’t know how to respond, having only her initial impression to go on, she kept quiet.

Before long they approached rows of trees crowned with pink and white blossoms. “How beautiful!”

Mutti patted her arm. “I knew you’d like them.”

“This is your orchard? It’s wonderful. The bees like it, too. I can hear them buzzing from here. And the fragrance...” She inhaled deeply. “It’s delightful.”

Pride shone in Mutti’s eyes. “William started the orchard when we first arrived. James helped until he left for college, but my boy’s the boss now. He hired Quon and Chung Lee to help him. He met the brothers while he worked on the railroad.”

“They’re Chinese?” She’d never met anyone from China before, although she’d walked past two Chinese men working at a laundry in Placerville. They wore unusual clothing—loose-fitting, hip-length tunics, flowing trousers and pointed wicker hats. What she’d found most interesting were their long black braids and lovely singsong way of speaking.

“They are. They’re hard workers just like James and are fiercely loyal to him. He thinks the world of them.”

“Will I be cooking for them, too?”

“No. They live in one of the two cabins beyond the barn and get their own meals. Get ready for another turn.” Mutti pointed to a wooden sign bearing the name O’Brien Orchard. “That road ahead is ours.”

Becky led the team down a narrow lane to their left, with the O’Brien’s property on the north and an oak-studded field on the south. Before long there was a break in the apple trees. A house came into view, a darling place with white clapboard siding and a redbrick chimney. Green shutters with hearts cut out of the centers hung at every window.

She parked in front of the house, looped the reins over the porch railing and helped Mutti from the wagon. A whiff of peppermint from an herb garden on either side of the two steps gave Becky a sudden longing for a cup of tea and a nap. She might be able to enjoy the first, but the second was wishful thinking. The next few hours she’d be busy getting settled in and doing her best to convince Mr. O’Brien she could handle the job.

Mutti propped open the door and invited Becky inside. “Welcome to your new home. I would show you around, but the trip tired me out. I think I’ll lie down for a few minutes. If you’ll get your carpetbag, I’ll show you where you’ll be sleeping.”

Excitement swirled in Becky’s chest. For the first time in years, she wouldn’t have to worry about waking in the night when her brother stumbled in drunk.

It didn’t take her long to stow her few items in Mutti’s bedroom, the far one of the three that occupied the western half of the house. She took a quick peek out the window. A huge wooden tank supported by a sturdy base towered over one end of the backyard—the source of the running water, no doubt. A clothesline had been strung across the other end. Beyond the yard were trees, trees and more trees. She couldn’t begin to imagine how many apples they would produce. “Would you like me to close the curtains, Mutti?”

“Yes, please. And then feel free to get acquainted with your new home.”

“I’ll see to the horses first.” Although Dillon had never let her drive, he’d left her to see to the team many times.

“One of the Lee brothers should be around and would be happy to take care of that for you. Now, you must promise you won’t let me sleep too long. I want to help with supper.”

“By all means.” Becky closed the bedroom door and smiled at the cheery scene that greeted her. A breeze fluttered the red-and-white gingham curtains at each of the three windows. Sunlight bathed the spacious room, and the sweet scent of apple blossoms filled the air. Four chairs formed a half circle in front of the impressive rock-faced fireplace that took up a large portion of the back wall, giving the room a homey feel.

The most well-appointed kitchen she’d ever seen occupied the other end of the room. A modern stove with a hot-water reservoir sat in the corner, with varnished counters stretching several feet from it in either direction. Shelves and hooks above the counters held a seemingly endless supply of pots, pans and utensils. There was even a pie safe. She put the meat inside, where the cooler air from below would rise up through the mesh shelves and keep it fresh.

She opened the floor-to-ceiling cupboard just inside the front door and stared in disbelief. She’d never seen so much food in one pantry before. No more racking her brain to come up with decent meals from next to nothing. Working in a kitchen as pretty and well stocked as this one would be a real treat. “Thank you, Lord.”

The horses whickered, reminding her they were waiting. She went in search of the workmen. Wooden barrels were stacked under the eaves of a massive barn to the east. Hens clucked and pecked at the ground in a fenced area in front of a sturdy chicken coop. Smoke curled from a soot-black chimney pipe at one of two cottages beyond the huge building.

A short man wearing a plaid shirt, trousers and slouch hat wielded a hoe in a good-sized plot between the barn and the orchard. If it wasn’t for the long black braid hanging down his back, she wouldn’t have known he was Chinese. She made her way to him. “Good afternoon.”

He jumped.

“I’m sorry I startled you. Are you Quon?”

He shook his head. “I Chung. Who you?”

“I’m the new nurse Mr. O’Brien sent for—Becky.” She wouldn’t provide her last name unless necessary. The fewer people who knew it, the better. Not that Dillon would be asking for Becky Martin, but just in case... “His mother said I could ask you to help me with the horses.”

“Yes, miss. I go.” The short man dropped the hoe and sprinted toward the wagon. Mutti had said the Lee brothers were helpful, but Chung’s quick response went beyond that. No wonder Mr. O’Brien thought so highly of his hired hands.

She should go inside and get to work, but the apple trees whispered her name, begging her to pay them a visit. After her days cooped up on the train, she could use a walk. Mutti wouldn’t need her for a while, and Mr. O’Brien wasn’t around, so she could do a little exploring.

Becky strolled beneath trees bursting with pale pink blossoms. A single flower floated from a branch overhead, the soft petals brushing her cheek as it passed. She caught the beautiful bloom in midair, buried her nose in it and inhaled nature’s perfume.

Several rows in, she spotted trees frosted with white flowers. She started toward them, but a movement in the distance caught her eye. Squinting, she tried to make out what it was. An animal. Not too large, but quick. It flew toward her, a streak of grayish-brown with a gleeful bark. She smiled. “Oh, it’s you. Come here, boy.”

She dropped to her knees, opened her arms and welcomed the friendly dog she’d seen earlier. He gave her a sloppy kiss. “Aren’t you a charmer? I wish you could stay, but...”

Mr. O’Brien didn’t want the dog, but the least she could do was give the poor fellow a bath. Maybe if he was clean, someone would take him in.

She found the supplies she needed in the barn, filled a pail with water and set to work behind the empty cabin, where she couldn’t be seen from the house. She scrubbed the dog until all traces of mud were gone. He gave himself a good shake, splattering her with water droplets.

“I knew it. You are a handsome fellow. Look at your shiny red coat. If Mr. O’Brien could see you now, he might change his mind. I need this job, though, so you’ll have to go.”

The dog nuzzled her and looked up with such trust in his eyes that she couldn’t send him away. She petted the friendly animal. “I could get in trouble for this, but I’m going to do what I can for you while I try to find you a home. I’ll slip you some table scraps later. In the meantime, you’d be wise to keep out of sight.” As though the handsome fellow understood her, he bounded off toward the rolling hills at the eastern edge of the property.

She put away the items she’d borrowed and hurried inside to change and start supper. If all went well, no one would find out that she was feeding the stray.