Hearts and Harvest

by Amber Stockton

  Mother stepped forward. “I would be both pleased and honored to accept that position.”

  Annabelle’s eyes widened at her mother’s offer. It wasn’t that she didn’t feel Mother could handle the responsibility. On the contrary, she’d never seen another woman so willing to get down in the dirt to help or so able to balance multiple tasks at once with apparent ease. No, she simply thought Mother had more than enough other commitments without adding one more. But perhaps some of that work had diminished in light of the current economic state.

  “My daughters, Annabelle and Victoria, will assist me.” Mother moved to place a hand on both Annabelle’s and Victoria’s shoulders.

  What? Not only had Mother volunteered to oversee this new idea, but now she was offering Annabelle’s services as well? What about the charity work she already performed or the water she had already committed to deliver? She glanced first at Victoria, who merely shrugged with an amused grin, then up at Mother, who glanced down with a soft smile. It was difficult to deny the unspoken request. They would be working together as a family, after all. She only wished Mother had sought her input first. Well, perhaps she could figure out how to deliver the water and distribute the food at the same time.

  “Excellent.” Mrs. Jennings nodded once to confirm the arrangement and looked directly at Mother. “I trust you will have no trouble securing more than enough ladies to help. But I’ll leave you to that.”

  All right, so that was done. No backing out now. Annabelle simply had to share her concerns about the water delivery with Mother and work that into this new responsibility. Mother had always been supportive of charitable endeavors, no matter how small. They could come up with a compromise here, too.

  “Very well,” Mrs. Jennings continued. “With the food distribution arranged, does anyone have other ideas for how we can assist those in need?”

  “We could go around again collecting old or extra pieces of clothing.”

  “What about making sure the seed sacks and potato sprouts for planting are available to the workers?”

  “With school coming to a close soon, there is a need for care for the younger children who are unable to work.”

  The suggestions flew among the group like bubbles rising from a boiling pot of water. Annabelle had a difficult time keeping up with everything. Mrs. Jennings seemed to have no trouble, though. In no time at all, at least one woman had been assigned as the head of each project, with promises from others to assist in the area they took the most interest in.

  It felt good to know they would be helping in every way possible. Annabelle knew the Ladies Aid could accomplish quite a lot when they put their minds to it, but she’d never seen the progress in action on such a grand scale before today. It was exhilarating. And she could hardly wait to get started.

  Mother placed pressure on Annabelle’s shoulder, including both of her daughters in her gaze. “So do you have any ideas for how we can organize such a substantial amount of food in a short time?”

  “We’ll cook it,” Victoria offered in her simplistic viewpoint.

  Mother’s tinkling laugh resembled the chimes they had hanging from the trellis in their backyard. “We will be doing some of the cooking, Victoria, but not all of it.”

  Annabelle tilted her head to the left and tapped her finger against her lips. “Well, for starters we could determine how many plots there are and which ones will be the center for meal distribution.”

  “That’s putting your mind to work.” Mother pressed her lips together and raised her eyebrows in apparent pleasure. “I had a feeling securing your assistance would be a wise decision on my part.” A twinkle entered Mother’s eyes, and Annabelle returned the smile.

  “At first I was surprised you volunteered so quickly. I will help, but I wish we could have talked about it all first.”

  Mother drew her eyebrows together. “You aren’t regretting our involvement, are you? Since you jumped at the opportunity a few weeks ago to get involved, I figured this would be the perfect way for you to accomplish that.”

  “Oh no.” Annabelle rushed to assure Mother. “I don’t mind at all. In fact, I am happy to be able to be there among the workers, helping them get the nourishment they need. They work so hard and have so little.”

  Actually, if she used her previous experience of delivering water as an example, distributing food might not be any easier or produce any better results. But it would mean she’d have yet another excuse to see William and Jacob again. And they were sure to show their appreciation, even if no one else did.

  “What is troubling you?” Mother touched her cheek. “I can see something is. You have that crease in your brow above your right eye, and that only appears when you’re worried.”

  “Well. . .” Annabelle paused and looked down at her feet. “You know I’ve already agreed to deliver water when Father makes his weekly visits to the land he donated.”

  Mother nodded. “Yes.”

  “If we get involved with food distribution, will that mean I have to give up that task?”

  “I don’t see why.” Mother shrugged. “We’ll likely make the land your father owns our primary station and put other ladies in charge of the other plots of land. That will mean you’ll be there quite often at mealtime. You can arrive early or stay later to see to the water dispensing as well.”

  “I can help deliver water, too.” Victoria planted both fists on her hips, her duplicated creased brow evidence of her displeasure with being ignored.

  Annabelle flicked one of her sister’s curls. “Yes, Victoria, you can help as well. But only on the days when we are all there together.”

  What Mother detailed would work perfectly. Not only could she visit the plot more often, but she could be there for longer periods of time. Father’s trip there didn’t last long on her first round. Working with Mother sounded better and better with each passing moment.

  Annabelle threw her arms around Mother in a quick hug and stepped back. “Thank you.”

  “For what, dear?” she asked with a smile.

  “I admit, I wasn’t too sure about this new venture with the food.”

  “And now?”

  “Now I look forward to it. With so many in need these days and without a lot of activity in the city due to the lack of funds available, we need something to keep us busy.”

  Mother chucked Annabelle’s chin with a forefinger. “Somehow I have a feeling you will not suffer from lack of things to do, my dear.” She turned away and looked over her shoulder. “Now I must see to the other ladies who will be working with us. Do feel free to mingle if you wish. Or you can join me over there.” She gestured toward a small gathering of women awaiting her instruction.

  “I believe I will make my way to the other side of the courtyard. Victoria can come with me. Caroline and Rebecca are there with their mother. I’m sure we can find something to talk about.”

  “Of that I have no doubt.” Mother waved them on their way. “Off with you now. We’ll meet back together again in about half an hour over by the south entrance.”

  “All right.”

  “Bye, Mother,” Victoria called.

  Annabelle led her sister around the path and raised a hand to signal their friends. About halfway there, she overheard some murmurs coming from a group of three women standing off to the side. From their pinched faces and curled upper lips, it didn’t appear they wanted to be there. They took no notice of Annabelle and Victoria.

  “I don’t see why so many are eager to get involved helping these families,” one woman sneered. “If they lost their investments, they probably weren’t wise when making them in the first place.”

  “Exactly,” another agreed. “If you ask me, I think they got what they deserved. They no doubt squandered what they had, and now they’re paying the price for their actions.”

  “How can you say that?” The words were out of Annabelle’s mouth before she could stop them.

  All three women snapped their heads in her directi
on. Victoria gasped but otherwise remained silent.

  “Excuse me?”

  Annabelle stepped closer to the trio. “I asked how you could say such a thing about these families in need. Not all of them come from undesirable backgrounds.” She thought of the Berringer family. “Some truly are suffering from uncontrollable circumstances.”

  The first woman looked Annabelle up and down and raised one eyebrow. “Aren’t you Felicity Lawson’s daughter?”

  “Yes.” Annabelle stood tall, proud to be associated with her mother.

  “That explains the outburst then,” the second woman said.

  “I beg your pardon?” What did Mother have to do with her behavior?

  “Well, it’s no secret, my dear,” the first woman began with disdain in her voice, “that your mother has been rather heavily involved in charitable causes for many years now. And that work has taken her into some rather questionable areas of the city. It’s no surprise that some of the manners of the people she encounters would rub off on you as well.”

  The woman’s words raised Annabelle’s hackles. How dare she insult Mother that way? If she weren’t concerned about the repercussions, she might give these ladies a piece of her mind. But that would only give credence to their already misguided allegations. So, instead, she took a calming breath and squared off against the women.

  “I don’t believe you know my mother well if you feel her manners are anything but impeccable. And I honestly can’t understand why you would come to today’s meeting if you didn’t agree with the purpose. You obviously have no intentions of getting involved.” She took a moment to look each woman in the eyes. “However, be that as it may, I’m sorry you feel the need to insult others in order to make your lack of participation justified. As for my sister and me, we will continue on our way and do our best to forget this little altercation even occurred.” Annabelle offered the most congenial smile she could muster. “Good day, ladies.”

  With one hand lifting her skirts and her other at Victoria’s back, Annabelle encouraged her sister to again head in the direction where they had started in the first place. They were almost out of earshot—but not quite—when one of the women muttered loud enough for Annabelle to hear, “As I said. Poor manners and an obvious show of disrespect for her elders. That young woman is on her way to following the same footsteps as her mother.”

  Annabelle smiled. The final remark couldn’t have been more accurate, nor provided her with more pleasure. If she became even half the woman her mother was, she’d be pleased. What a shame those women didn’t understand the blessings that could come from giving.

  ❧

  “Come on, Berringer. Admit it. You or your little brother here threw dirt at us, and now you’re lying about it.”

  William stood not three feet away from the two men about his age making false accusations against him and Jacob. Their greased-back hair and clothing with holes in it made them look the part of the ruffians they attempted to be. They’d been inventing stories and causing problems for several days now. And William was nearing his tolerance point.

  “Yes,” the second hoodlum echoed. “We saw you do it.”

  With a sigh, William glanced down at Jacob to be sure his little brother stood behind him. Then he looked between the two accusers. “That is a bald-faced lie, Charlie, and you know it. Neither Jacob nor I did anything of the sort.”

  The first man snorted in derision. “Are you saying we made it up?”

  “That’s exactly what I’m saying, Johnny.”

  “Then how come the dirt was flung from this direction? There ain’t no one around who could’ve done it except you two.”

  William clenched his fists and ground his teeth. These two weren’t going to go away, but he refused to give in to their taunts. “If dirt truly did fly in your direction, perhaps it was blown by the wind as a result of your digging in it.”

  “Or you digging and making certain it landed at our feet,” Charlie piped in, “instead of keeping it on your own bit of land.”

  Johnny took a step closer. “You’ve been swaggering around here for weeks now, acting superior with your fancy talk and making the rest of us feel like scum under your shoes. But you’re no better than us, and we’re gonna prove it.”

  Charlie thumped his right fist into his palm. “Right here, right now. Let’s see how much of a man you really are.”

  William fought hard not to roll his eyes at their attempts to intimidate him. Two against one should have made him a little wary, but these two were more filled with hot air than true mettle.

  “Come on, Willie,” Jacob said from behind. “Show them what you got.”

  The other two chuckled. “You even got yourself a cheering section.”

  “Jacob, you stay out of this,” William growled. “Father will have both our heads if we get into a fight.”

  “Oh, so you’re still answering to Daddy now, are you?” Johnny taunted. “Why don’t you send little Jacob here running on home to tattle on us? Then maybe you won’t have to hide behind your kid brother instead of facing us like a man.”

  The tic in William’s jaw started pounding like crazy. His lungs expanded and contracted at a faster pace, despite everything he did to calm himself. These two were asking for trouble, and he’d give it to them if they didn’t stop. Then he remembered that Jacob stood right there behind him. If he did send his brother scurrying to Father, he’d never hear the end of it. But if he lowered himself to fight Johnny and Charlie, Jacob might learn the wrong way to deal with men like these two bullies. No, he had to stay in control—for both their sakes.

  “So what’s it gonna be, Berringer?” Johnny narrowed his eyes then kicked dirt at William. “The way I see it, you got two choices.”

  “You’re right, Johnny, I do.” William swallowed, fighting hard to keep back the growl in the back of his throat. “You can say whatever you wish about me. You can even make up lies about things that never happened.” He took a step forward and stared directly into Johnny’s face, clenching his fists again until he could almost feel his nails puncturing the skin. “But I will not engage in any form of a fight with you. Not now or ever.”

  A flash of hesitation appeared in Johnny’s eyes then disappeared. The man swallowed, not once but twice, before taking an almost imperceptible step back. William tried not to grin at the obvious show of anxiety. He might not agree to fight Johnny, but at least he could leave the man with his dignity still intact—what little there was, anyway.

  Several moments of silence passed. Johnny didn’t break his gaze, and Charlie stood there waiting to see what would happen. The leader of the two was clear.

  Finally, Johnny released a slow breath. “Come on, Charlie. These two just ain’t worth our time.”

  Charlie took a moment for the words to sink in. “You mean we aren’t gonna fight today?”

  “Not today, no.” Johnny leveled a menacing glare at William. “Maybe another time when little boys aren’t around to get in the way.”

  As if Jacob could stop William if things got too out of hand. Sure, he’d do what he could to spare his brother from such violence, but he had his limits, too.

  Johnny turned to leave, and Charlie followed, but not before delivering one final parting remark.

  “You just watch your back, Berringer. Because when you least expect it, we’ll be there.”

  William had no doubt Charlie spoke the truth. And if that time came, he might not have much of a choice. For now, though, he had managed to avoid the immediate problem. Oh, how he wished he could’ve taught those two a lesson.

  FOUR

  “Look at all this food, Annabelle!” Victoria walked up and down the length of the table, eyes wide. If she weren’t attempting to maintain her ladylike appearance, she’d likely be licking her lips as well.

  “Yes, I only wish it hadn’t rained so hard last night.” Annabelle lifted her boot again and grimaced at the mud caked on the bottom. The hem of her skirts had become soiled the moment
she set foot on the land from the stone-paved sidewalks.

  The fare being set out on the solid tables tantalized her taste buds. From bean soup, braised beef, and boiled asparagus, to great mounds of mashed potatoes and cherry pie for dessert, the ladies had worked hard to create a delicious meal sure to have the workers coming in droves.

  “So when will we begin serving?” Victoria nearly bounced in excitement. “I love the idea of being a food angel.”

  Annabelle smiled, her heart warming at her sister’s tenderness. It helped having someone else eager to serve working alongside her. Most of the women had willingly prepared the foods and even helped transport them. All but a few of them ceased their efforts or were unwilling to engage when it actually came to interacting with the workers. But that’s where Annabelle knew the true joy came. To see the gratitude on their faces and know they were getting a warm meal meant a lot to her.

  At least she hoped she’d see their thankfulness. A part of her wondered if the reception would be as cold as last week with the water. No sense fretting about that now, though. She had work to do.

  “Annabelle,” Mother called from a few feet away, “make sure you tie an apron over your clothes. I know we aren’t wearing anything that can’t get soiled, but we should still do our best to remain as clean as possible.”

  “I will.”

  Annabelle stepped away to reach for her apron and tied it around her waist. Then she made a final perusal of the tables to make sure everything was in order. With only ten minutes until the noon break, her hands started twitching. She wanted the workers to come in droves for a hot meal, and she wanted to be busy doing something. But there didn’t seem to be anything to do.

  “Take this, Annabelle,” Mother said from behind her as she carried a pot of braised beef.

  Annabelle had been so lost in her own anxiousness that she hadn’t heard Mother approach.

  “Stir the gravy and make sure to spoon it across all the meat.”

  Finally! Something to do. She glanced over her shoulder to see her mother smiling.