Herding the Hellions

by Danni Roan

  “Should we burn them?” Albert asked with a gleam in his eye.

  “No!” Agi said emphatically. “Just put them in the tub and we’ll figure it out later.”

  Helena turned as Agi pushed the door open to the room they shared. She had finished buttoning her simple everyday dress and bundling the other dress for washing.

  “Are you all right?” Agi said fear and doubt mixing in his chest.

  “Those boys could have been killed,” Helena said her voice shaking with emotion as she dabbed at the tears in her eyes.

  Agi raised a brow surprised at her response. “I suppose you’ll be leaving then,” he said hanging his head.

  “Leaving?” Helena bulked. “I’m not going anywhere, if anyone ever needed me, it is this family,” she said. “I just need to know that you’ll stand with me,” she implored.

  Agi looked up nodding. He had married this woman because he couldn’t manage the house and boys, even with all of his money, but the light in her eyes made him want to keep her for other reasons. It was obvious that as angry as she was with the boys, she had feelings for them as well. He wondered if she could ever have feelings for him. Had he even given her a chance to get to know him?

  “I’ll do my best,” he said. “I don’t know what I would have done if something had happened to the boys.”

  Helena crossed the short space between them placing her hands on his arms as she looked up into his face. “That’s all I ask,” she said.

  “What are we going to do about the boys?” Agi asked his head feeling funny as he gazed into her eyes.

  Helena dropped her eyes stepping back as her stomach fluttered. As angry as she was a few minutes ago, she was now feeling something completely different. As annoying as she found Mr. Pennington, she also respected him and felt some affection for him that she didn’t fully understand.

  “I haven’t decided yet,” she admitted tucking a strand of dark hair back into the bun on the top of her head. “Just promise you’ll agree to whatever I decide.”

  Agi found himself nodding even as the idea of agreeing chafed. What if she did decide the boys deserved a trip to the woodshed? He didn’t know if he could do it. Although, it had put the fear of the almighty in him as a boy and had taught him respect and self-control, something his boys seemed to be missing, he dreaded the thought.

  “If you’ll get the boys to the table, I think we had better all have lunch then discuss what comes next.”

  Agi turned reluctantly heading back down the hall to find Ryan and Albert. He hoped that they were dressed and ready to ask for forgiveness.

  “What do you think will happen to us?” Albert asked Ryan as they hurried to dress. “We really did bad this time.”

  “I don’t know,” Ryan said thoughtfully. “You don’t think Helena will actually leave do you? She cooks pretty good.”

  “She smells nice too,” Albert said, "and when that piglet bit my finger she fixed it good.”

  “I thought if Pa married her she’d have to stay, not like them other women who didn’t want to look after us no more,” Ryan said.

  Albert nodded. “Ma’s are supposed to stay,” he agreed. “but Helena ain’t a real ma.”

  “She sure was mad,” Ryan agreed. “Maybe if we do better she’ll stay.”

  “Does that mean we have to do all of our chores, and we can’t bring frogs into the house no more?”

  “I don’t know,” Ryan admitted, “but I think I want her to stay.”

  Albert nodded, the thought of the house without Helena suddenly seeming wrong.

  Chapter 24

  Helena set the cold chicken, potato salad and pickled beans on the table while her father and Tim laid out plates.

  As the boys came down the stairs with their father she turned studying them to see that they were indeed clean.

  “We’re sorry!” Both boys blurted at once.

  Helena bit her lip looking stern. “We’ll discuss this after we eat,” she said indicating they should sit.

  Henry took a seat helping Tim on to a chair and putting food on the boy’s plate as he pointed to the items he wanted.

  As the family took their seats Helena looked at Agi expectantly and he reached joining hands with his sons. “Join hands,” Agi said then raised his voice in leading grace for the first time since they had wed.

  The meal was quiet with the boys on their best behavior, though their manners still left much to be desired. As they finished their meal Tim climbed onto Henry’s knee and looked up expectantly.

  “You’re ready for a book aren’t you little man,” Henry said tapping the boy’s nose. “You’ll have to wait a bit,” he continued. “I think we need to be here for this.”

  “Helena,” Ryan finally spoke, “what are you going to do to us? Are you going to leave?”

  “Don’t leave,” Albert said. “You make good cookies.”

  Helena smoothed her dress then looked up at the boys. “Ryan, Albert, what you did today was very serious,” she began. “Not only did you destroy someone else’s property, you placed yourselves in very grave danger.” She looked at each boy pinning them with her dark eyes. “You need to learn to be the right kind of men, and we’re going to start with both of you going to school.”

  A soft gasp escaped the boys as they turned to their father who only nodded looking back at Helena.

  “Pa, you know I don’t read good,” Ryan protested. “Besides Mr. Parnell don’t like me, and the other boys tease me,” he finished.

  “Seems all I do these days is read,” Henry said adjusting Timothy on his knee. “I can help you with that son. Don’t you worry.”

  “I ain’t been to school yet,” Albert said. “Sounds all right to me. Is that all?”

  “No, that is not all,” Helena said. “You will also work for Pastor Gregory every afternoon until you have repaid him the cost of the outhouse and the clean up.”

  “Pa can pay for that,” Ryan said. “The mill works good and he’s got money saved.”

  “No,” Helena said calmly looking up and meeting Augusta’s eyes. “Your father is not the one who did the damage, and he should not have to pay. You boys need to learn to take responsibility for what you do, both good and bad.”

  Ryan and Albert exchanged glances then looked at their father who shook his head watching them sag in defeat. “When do we start?” the boys asked.

  “Can we go now?” Albert asked.

  “No, Ryan you can go work on your reading with Father,” Helena said. “Albert you will help me wash dishes.”

  “Wash dishes!” Albert grumbled. “That’s women’s work.”

  “It is work,” Helena corrected.

  “Pa,” the boy whined.

  “Do as you’re told,” Agi said relieved at the way Helena had handled the situation.

  Albert climbed from the table as Ryan trailed Henry from the room.

  “Thank you,” Helena said walking around the table to speak quietly with Agi.

  “You made it easy,” he said. “I think I’ve let those boys off the hook for too long,” he continued. “After their ma died, I couldn’t find it in me to get after the boys then the mill took off, and I never had time.”

  “We’ll work on it together,” Helena said resting her hand on his arm. “That’s all I ask.”

  Agi studied the young woman and her soft features as his respect and admiration for her grew. Perhaps their shared need had been the catalyst to their union, but if need had brought them together perhaps working in tandem would make them something more.

  Chapter 25

  Looking down into his wife’s face Agi could see the track of the tears that had marred her pretty face only moments ago. Had she been crying from anger or was it true love and concern for his unruly brood?

  “Why were you crying?” he asked touching her face with a rough finger.

  “I don’t know what I would have done if something had happened to those boys,” Helena confessed. “I didn’t know if I wanted
to shake them or squeeze them when I saw them fighting on the ground.”

  Agi smiled, his heart conflicted. He was touched by the sincerity of her feelings for his boys, and drawn to her soft lips like a moth to a flame. His heart thudded as he longed to lean toward her.

  It had been clear that she had his family’s well being at heart only moments ago as they’d talked to the boys.

  “You really care for them don’t you?” he asked lamely pushing a wisp of dark hair behind her ear.

  “Of course I do,” Helena said her voice a breathy whisper. Augusta’s hand was making her head fuzzy.

  “Do you think you could ever care for me?” Agi asked his whole being hanging on the words. Suddenly, in that moment he knew that if he allowed it, he could love this woman.

  “Yes,” Helena replied, her heart had been drawn to him since the minute she had seen him so desperately trying to convince Espe he needed a wife.

  Agi smiled feeling his reservations melt away. Perhaps their relationship was just starting out, but he felt hope spring to life in his heart. He had needed someone to cook and clean and wrangle his boys, but apparently, he needed someone who could also call to his heart.

  Leaning in Agi kissed Helena gently, his lips lingering on hers as he tasted her sweetness. Pulling away reluctantly he smiled, his hand cradling her head. “Call me Agi,” he whispered. “We’re in this together from here on out, and I’ve never liked Augusta, it’s too formal.”

  Helena smiled her heart bubbling in her breast with hope, desire, and delight. “Agi,” she whispered before he captured her lips once more.

  A soft knock on the door made Agi jump, and he took a step back trying to clear his head while Helena smoothed her rumple dress.

  “Yes,” Agi said opening the door to see his two boys standing there.

  “You ain’t leavin’ are you?” Albert asked holding his hand awkwardly.

  “No, I’m not leaving,” Helena said tucking that stubborn lock of hair behind her ear again. “What have you done?” she finished squinting at the boy’s hand.

  “I got a splinter,” Albert said extending his hand to show the large sliver of wood in his palm.

  “It was an accident,” Ryan quickly added.

  “Let me get my sewing kit,” Helena said turning toward the chest of drawers she had taken over. “Ryan would you please go put some water on to boil?”

  She almost gasped when the boy turned and raced down the stairs without so much as a protest.

  Agi looked at Helena with raised brows, wishing he could return to kissing her. “I’m going to work on the wood pile,” he offered scooting through the door and down the stairs.

  “What happened to your hand?” Helena asked taking a seat on her trunk and pulling a needle from her kit.

  “When Gramps said we was done with our reading lesson me and Ryan went out to see if we could stack some wood. We figured if Pa didn’t have to work so much, maybe you’d fall in love with him, and then we wouldn’t have to worry about you runnin’ away from us.”

  Helena smiled, her heart filled with affection for the boy. With careful hands, she picked the splinter out of his hand using a long needle then impulsively hugged him tight. “Now you need to soak that in hot salt water for a while so it doesn’t get infected,” she said.

  “All right, Ma,” the boy said making tears spring to Helena’s eyes. Apparently the boys were taking their new mandate seriously.

  Hurrying down the stairs she followed Albert into the kitchen where her father was pouring boiling water into a basin and adding salt.

  “Ryan told me what was happening,” he said absently watching out the window to where Agi was chopping wood with Ryan stacking it as fast as his father could split it.

  Helena took the basin testing the water and placing it on the table where she had Albert dip his hand into the steaming solution.

  “It’s hot,” Albert said pulling his hand out. “Yes, so just dip it in and out until it cools down and you can soak it.”

  “Read a story Grandpa,” Tim said walking into the kitchen dragging a book and tugging at Henry’s pant leg.

  “How about a piece of cake first?” Henry said a sparkle in his eye.

  Helena chuckled. “You two sit down and read, and I’ll get the cake,” she said feeling hope for a bright future for the first time in weeks.

  Agi lifted the ax letting it fall in a smooth familiar motion as it split yet another piece of wood. He almost chuckled as Ryan hurried to remove the pieces and set up another one, before stacking the wood neatly.

  “We’ll have to move some of this over to the house later, so Helena can get it easily,” he said. “Perhaps you could take on the task of keeping the wood box filled.”

  “If you say so Pa,” Ryan said flicking the hair out of his eyes.

  Agi resumed his work knowing that something was on Ryan’s mind. “Pa, do I really have to go back to school?” the boy finally asked.

  “Yes, I’ve let you off for too long,” Agi said.

  “But I’ll still have the same problem I had before,” the boy continued. “I get the words all mixed up when I read, and then everyone laughs at me.”

  “You work with Henry a bit this week and then we’ll see about getting you back to school,” Agi said. “I’ll talk to Helena, and see if that’s all right with her.”

  “I don’t think she’ll care if the others laugh at me,” Ryan admitted. “The way I’ve argued with her all this time she probably doesn’t want me around.”

  Agi raised an eyebrow, was that a hint of shame in his son’s voice.

  Resting his ax against the wood pile he knelt in front of Ryan. “I think that deep down Helena already cares for you a great deal,” he said. “She doesn’t want to punish you because she is angry with you. She wants to protect you and help you grow up to be a good, honest, and dependable man.”

  “You think so?” Ryan asked skeptically.

  “I’m only starting to get to know her myself,” Agi admitted feeling a warm glow fill him as he thought of the woman he had married in haste, “but I think she’s the kind of woman that has a whole lot of love to give if we’ll just let her.”

  “Even for you Pa?”

  “Even for me,” Agi said ruffling the boy’s hair and standing to retrieve the ax as they resumed their work.

  Chapter 26

  “Pa said I didn’t have to go to school yet this week!” Ryan yelled as Helena pulled on her gloves. “You can’t make me go either,” the boy added clenching his fists and glaring at her.

  “Ryan I am not taking you to school,” Helena said patiently. “We are simply going to town to meet a couple of my friends and talk to them about school.”

  Ryan looked at her suspiciously. He hated school. He hated reading, and he hated the children who teased him about reading. He was sure he was dumb, but he didn’t want others to realize it.

  “I think we’ll have supper in town today as well if you can all mind your manners,” Helena continued calmly taking Timothy’s hand and walking outside to where her father had the team ready.

  “She ain’t lied to us yet,” Albert whispered to his brother. He wanted to run after Helena, but didn’t want to be disloyal to his brother.

  “You really think she isn’t gonna make me go to school?” Ryan asked.

  “Not yet anyway,” Albert said taking a step toward the door.

  “All right,” Ryan said grabbing his hat and heading outside to jump into the back of the wagon. He still wasn’t sure about this new way of living, but he had to admit that he liked the food, and having clean clothes again. He also liked the way his father came home with a smile on his face and spent a few minutes with them each night.

  Ryan watched as the school house rolled by and they drew up in front of the big house where they had first met Helena.

  “Boys if you’ll come with me, I’ll see if Beans has some milk and cookies or anything nice for you while I talk to my friend.”

  “C
ookies!” Timothy shouted.

  “Oh no you don’t,” Beans said raising the spatula he had been using to lift cookies from a tray as Helena walked the boys into the kitchen, “You ain’t leavin’ these boys with me. They’ll burn my kitchen down.”

  “They will not, will you boys?” Helena said as she smiled at the old cook. “They’ve been living up to their word all week.”