Читать книгу Her Holiday Family - Winnie Griggs - Страница 14

Chapter Six

Eileen stabbed the needle through the fabric, trying to keep her hands from trembling.

She had gotten used to being something of a social outcast in Turnabout these past two years. But to have that same distrust and dislike focused on her from the eyes of this newcomer, a child no less, was altogether unnerving. It had stung more than she cared to admit.

And all the more so because she’d let her guard down with Molly. She would need to remember these people were just temporary guests in her home. Getting attached to any of them was not to be allowed.

As for Mr. Tucker, she hadn’t been able to tell what he thought. He’d wrested an apology from Fern, but other than that, he’d shown no sign of what he was thinking.

She tried to tell herself it didn’t matter, but knew that to be a lie.

She looked up when she heard a tap at the parlor door frame. Mr. Tucker stood there watching her. Had he just walked up or had he been there awhile? It bothered her that he might have been watching her without her realizing it.

“May I come in for a moment?” he asked.

Was he here to take her to task as Fern had? Well, she was prepared now; she would not be caught unawares a second time.

Placing her sewing in her lap, Eileen nodded permission.

He smiled diffidently as he moved farther into the room. “I wanted to apologize on Fern’s behalf. I’m sorry if she seemed rude—she was just worried about Molly.”

Some of her tension eased at his obvious sincerity. But it seemed to her that Fern should do her own apologizing. “I was not harming the child.” Had she managed to keep the hurt from her voice?

“Of course not. In fact, I appreciate the attention you were giving her. Molly seemed quite comfortable there with you.”

And she had been surprisingly comfortable holding the child. It was the first time she’d been in that position, and it had left her aching more than ever from the knowledge that she would never have a child of her own. “Molly was insistent that she be rocked before she could sleep— humoring her was a simple enough thing. As for Fern, she should know better than to take such a tone with an adult. It appears your Miss Fredrick was not big on teaching the children manners.”

“It’s been a rough day for them, and they’re only children.” He’d frowned at her words, but his tone remained calm. “One can’t expect them to react with the control of an adult.”

“I disagree.” Her teachers had gone to great lengths to school her on the correct behavior for a young lady of breeding. It was only when she had proven that she could conduct herself with proper decorum that she had been allowed to dine with adults or join them in the parlor, and then only on special occasions.

“Still and all,” he said, interrupting her thoughts, “it was very good of you to comfort Molly.”

Eileen deliberately pushed away thoughts of the little girl’s snuggling presence in her lap. She might not have the makings of a good mother, but that didn’t mean she didn’t have maternal longings. “One does what is needed.”

To her relief, the doorbell sounded, putting an end to their current discussion. She rose from her seat, setting the sewing aside. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to see who is at the door. And I’m sure you have matters of your own to see to, as well.”

He stepped back as she exited the parlor, but rather than following her pointed hint, he trailed along behind her. Was he just curious? Or was he expecting someone?

When she opened the door, Regina Barr and her housekeeper, Mrs. Peavy, stood there holding cloth-covered baskets. It seemed the Ladies Auxiliary had put their promises into action.

She greeted them, then stepped aside. “Please come in.”

“The Ladies Auxiliary worked out a schedule for meals and I made sure we were first up,” Regina said with a smile. “I wanted to get this food to you early so it would be ready whenever the children got hungry.”

“Thank you, that was most considerate.” What time did the children normally eat? She supposed it would be up to her to set the schedule now.

Mr. Tucker stepped forward. “Good afternoon, ladies.” He reached for the baskets. “Let me help you with those.”

“Oh, hello. I’m Reggie Barr, one of Eileen’s neighbors.” Regina waved to her companion. “And this is my friend, Mrs. Peavy.”

Mr. Tucker gave a short bow, then reached for her basket, but she resisted with a smile. “These aren’t heavy.” She waved a hand toward the open door. “But if you’ll help my son Jack with the rest, I’d be most obliged.”

Eileen glanced outside to see Jack standing at the foot of the porch with a small wagon containing two large hampers.

As Mr. Tucker stepped outside, Eileen turned to the women. “You can set your baskets down on the dining room table.”

But Regina shook her head. “Nonsense, we can carry these to the kitchen for you.”

Mr. Tucker returned with the two hampers, and Jack was right behind him with a smaller basket. Eileen didn’t have any choice but to lead the small procession to the kitchen. At least that room was not expected to be lavishly furnished, so perhaps they’d see nothing amiss.

As they walked, Regina described the contents of the baskets. “We have a sliced ham, some squash, butter beans, fresh-baked bread and two pecan pies.” She grinned. “I figured with ten kids and three adults to feed, you’d be needing a goodly quantity.”

“That will make a fine meal,” Eileen said. Actually, it sounded a veritable feast. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had ham.

“Tomorrow,” Regina continued, “Hortense Peters promises to deliver a basket of fresh eggs in the morning along with a generous length of summer sausage. And Eunice is going to bring over a roast with some vegetables that should be enough to take care of your noon and evening meals.”

Eileen nodded. Eunice Ortolon might be a gossipy busybody but there was no denying she was a great cook. “I’m certain the children will be quite grateful for your generosity.” It seemed as long as the children were under her roof she would be eating well. An unexpected benefit.

Mr. Tucker set his things down, brushing closely past her. Had he done that on purpose?

He made a short bow in Regina’s direction. “Absolutely, ma’am. I can’t begin to tell you how grateful we are to have fallen among such kind and generous folk.”

Regina smiled, obviously not immune to the warmth of his tone, either. Then she turned to include Eileen in her comments. “And don’t you worry. We have folks lined up to take care of your meals for as many days as you need us to.”

Eileen was getting hungry just smelling the tempting aromas coming from the hampers. She hadn’t eaten such fine fare in some time—meat was a rare treat indeed.

Regina sent a subtle signal to Mrs. Peavy, and the older woman made her exit, taking Jack with her. Then she turned to Mr. Tucker. “Thank you so much for your assistance getting these inside. I’ll just help Eileen get everything put away before I go.”

This time Mr. Tucker took the not-very-subtle hint. “If you’ll excuse me, then, I’ll leave you ladies to it. I think I’ll check in on Molly to make sure she stays put this time.” He gave Regina another of those warm smiles. “Thanks again for the food, ma’am.”

Once he’d gone, Eileen turned to Regina. “It’s really not necessary for you to stay and help me. You’ve done enough already.” She really wasn’t comfortable having people poking around in her cupboards and closets.

Regina opened one of the hampers. “I don’t mind. And there’s something else I wanted to say.”

Eileen steeled herself. Was Regina, like Miss Ortolon, concerned with her suitability to house young children? Was this to be some sort of advice or condition set down for her?

But there was no hint of censure in Regina’s expression. “Daisy and I discussed how children can be hard on dishes, and it didn’t seem right that you should bear the brunt of that. So she sent over some of the plates from her restaurant that have seen a bit too much wear and that she was ready to take out of service. I hope you don’t mind. They have some small chips and cracks but are still serviceable.”

Regina seemed to sense her hesitation. “If you’d rather not use them, that’s okay, too. But Daisy wanted me to assure you that either way she doesn’t need them back—she was ready to replace them anyway.”

Had these women suspected her true circumstances and decided to offer her charity? That was a lowering thought, but Eileen couldn’t afford to turn down the offer. She hadn’t given much thought to place settings, but she’d be hard-pressed to set a table for the ten children, much less the full complement of thirteen now residing here.

First towels, now dishes. Was she forgetting anything else?

At least Regina had worded the offer in a way that left Eileen with some of her dignity intact. She nodded matter-of-factly. “I had not considered the added wear and tear these children could have on my things. I will have to thank Daisy when next I see her.”

Regina touched her arm lightly. “I know you were put on the spot earlier. And given all that’s occurred the past couple of years, it was mighty generous of you to open your home to these folks. If you need any help at all in the coming days, you know where I live. Don’t hesitate to fetch me.”

Eileen was surprised by the genuine warmness of the gesture. Was this the start of a thawing of the community toward her? Or would the friendly overtures disappear as soon as her houseguests departed?

* * *

Once Regina took her leave, Eileen made quick work of unloading the various baskets and hampers. Dovie joined her just as she emptied the last one.

“Goodness, but isn’t this all a welcome sight. I don’t mind saying I’m not a bit sorry we won’t need to rustle up supper from scratch for all these folks.”

Eileen folded her hands in front of her. “I’ll admit I don’t know how much children eat, but there seems to be enough here to feed us all.”

Dovie peered inside the various bowls and pots. “I agree—this should be more than enough. There might even be some ham left over to serve with breakfast in the morning. I’ll get the stove stoked. We can set these things on the warming rack so it’ll all be heated through when we’re ready for it.”

Eileen glanced up toward the ceiling. “How much longer do you think the children will nap?”

“I imagine some of them are awake already, if they slept at all. It’s been an emotional day for them and different children will react differently to that.”

Emotional—Eileen didn’t like the sounds of that. Orderly and obedient—that’s how children should behave.

But Dovie was still speaking. “As to your question, Mr. Tucker instructed them to stay in their rooms for at least an hour.” She grinned. “I imagine it was as much to give you a reprieve as to let the children rest.”

Eileen relaxed, pleased that he might have indeed been thinking of her feelings. And it seemed there was an expectation that the children were at least able to quietly amuse themselves. Good. “That being the case, I don’t suppose they’ll have the energy for much activity the rest of the day.”

Dovie shook her head sympathetically. “You really don’t know much about children, do you, dear?”

Eileen didn’t like the condescending tone. “I remember my own childhood quite well.”

The older woman gave her a long, considering look, and it was all Eileen could do not to fidget under that gaze.

“Don’t you remember how hard it was to sit still for long periods?” Dovie finally asked. “You can’t expect them to stay in their rooms all afternoon. An hour or two, yes, but no more. Children need activity to keep them from getting restless.”

Eileen disagreed. It was merely a matter of training and discipline. Most of her childhood, at least that part after her father’s death when she was five, had been spent with boarding school teachers in quiet, educational pursuits. Those teachers had believed in the adage that children should be seen and not heard, and they had vigorously drilled their students on matters of etiquette, deportment and other matters of social acceptance.

But if indeed these children had not been trained properly, she would have to find other solutions. If she hadn’t had to sell her pianoforte or stereopticon she could have entertained them in a decorous, proper style. She’d also sold most of her books and her husband’s finely carved chess set. There was nothing even remotely appropriate for entertaining company of any age left in her home.

Dovie startled her by patting her hand. “Don’t worry,” the woman said. “Children are easily entertained. Just leave it to me.”

“And so I shall. In the meantime, I should take care of organizing our meal.”

Just as Dovie had predicted, thirty minutes later there were sounds of stirring from the upstairs rooms. When Eileen stepped into the hallway a few minutes later, she saw Dovie leading the entire group of children into the parlor. Curious as to what the woman was planning, Eileen followed, as well.

Dovie knelt down next to the low table in front of the sofa and signaled the children to gather around. “I want to show you a game my mother used to play with me.” She untied the cloth and spread it open with all the flair of a pirate revealing his treasure. The children all pressed closer to get better looks.

Eileen couldn’t resist taking a step forward herself. Peering over the children’s heads, she identified a thimble, coin, needle, spoon, button, pumpkin seed, pecan, twig, two rocks, a hairpin, hat pin, chalk, a bit of ribbon, a candle stub, a feather and a spool.

“Now, I want everyone to study all these items very closely,” Dovie said solemnly. “In a moment you’re going to turn around, and I’ll mix them up and take one away. Then we’ll see who can be first to figure out what’s missing.”

The children immediately leaned in closer to study the contents intently.

Eileen was amazed. Dovie had managed to capture their attention with very little effort. And with such a simple device.

“It looks like she’s in her element, doesn’t it?”

Eileen turned to find Mr. Tucker at her side, his gaze on Dovie and the children.

“Very much so,” she agreed.

He turned to her. “If you don’t mind, perhaps we can step into the hall to talk for a moment?”

“Of course.” What did he want to discuss? Had she done something he didn’t approve of?

“I want you to know that I meant what I said about taking care of any maintenance or repair work that needs tending to while I’m here.”

Some of her tension eased as she settled back into her lady-of-the-manor role. “As it happens, there are a few things that could use some attention.”

“Good. If you’ll let me know what you think are the most pressing tasks, I’ll start figuring out how to best tackle them.”

Eileen didn’t have to think about it. “The gutters require a good cleaning and there are a few loose rails on the back porch.”

He nodded. “That shouldn’t be a problem. Is there anything else?”

Surprised he hadn’t balked, even a little, she added another item to the list. “Since we’ll need to do more cooking than usual and heat more wash water and more rooms, there’s the matter of firewood.”

“Of course. I’ve split many a cord in my day.”

“You may need to gather the wood as well as split it.”

“Understood. Why don’t you show me the porch rails you’re concerned about now so I have a better idea of what’s needed?”

Relieved that he didn’t seem overly concerned by her requests, she nodded. “Of course. This way.”

As she led the way to the back of the house and out the kitchen door, she was very aware of him walking beside her. What was wrong with her today? She’d never let herself be distracted by such feelings before. Nor even admitted that she had them.

They stepped out onto the back porch, and she immediately put some distance between them. Moving to the far end of the porch, she pointed out the loose railings. “These three spindles and a couple of the ones lining the steps, as well.”

Mr. Tucker followed her and examined the rails in question more closely. “I’ll need to replace at least one of these, maybe more, but it shouldn’t be difficult to do. And I might as well check all the other spindles while I’m at it.”

It would be such a relief to have those things taken care of. Perhaps he could even get a little ahead on the firewood so she wouldn’t have to buy so much when winter set in.

He stepped down onto the lawn and looked up at the roofline, rubbing his chin. “I have my own tools with me, of course. But I’m going to need a ladder for getting up to those gutters.” He glanced her way. “And an ax for chopping firewood.”

She waved a hand toward a structure at the far end of her property. “I believe you’ll find what you need in the carriage house. Feel free to look around in there and make use of whatever you need.” The carriage had been one of the first things she’d sold off. The only thing she used the structure for these days was as a storage shed and a place to keep her gardening implements.

“I’ll check it out first thing in the morning.” He took a long, slow look around her property. “I could get the boys to rake up these leaves for you, too, if you’d like.”

“That would be appreciated.” She was beginning to feel as if she were taking advantage of him. She hadn’t expected him to work for his keep.

“Good. It’ll give them something to focus on besides Miss Fredrick’s situation.”

She wondered what he was really thinking about the state of her home and property. It had to be painfully obvious to him that she hadn’t been able to take care of the place as she ought for some time now.

But his next comment indicated nothing of the sort. “It appears you have quite a garden,” he said.

She felt her cheeks warm in pleasure. “It’s done well this year. There’s not much left to it right now, but I should still be able to harvest a few things from my fall planting until first frost.”

“You take care of it yourself?”

Was that surprise in his expression? She tilted her chin up. “I do. Though Dovie helps.” Truth to tell, she actually enjoyed working her garden. What had been a pleasant hobby in the past had turned into a means of survival. Many was the day the only thing she ate for her meals was what she’d harvested from her garden. And she’d learned to preserve what she didn’t need for her immediate sustenance so that she could stretch her bounty even further. It was surprising, the sense of accomplishment she felt at having vegetables she’d grown and harvested herself in her pantry.

He nodded. “Miss Jacobs seems like a fine person. And I can tell she knows how to deal with children.”

Unlike her—was that what he was thinking? And was he assuming Dovie did most of the gardening, as well?

She turned and moved back toward the door, feeling suddenly rattled by all these unaccustomed thoughts. Time to take control of the conversation again. “Speaking of the children, perhaps we can discuss what sort of routine they are accustomed to. And then determine what routine will work best while they are here.”