“I’ve got fish in the oven,” she said. “Maybe you could cut it into pieces and put it on the plates. Tell me if it’s cooked.”
“It is,” he said after he had poked a fork in it.
“Did you catch it?”
“Yes. I got it this morning. Usually I have to wait for hours but it virtually threw itself at me when it heard I was catching it for you.”
She smiled. “I tried to get out the bones. Could you check that I’ve got them all? I don’t want anyone swallowing one.”
He checked carefully “You’ve done it very well,” he said. “Have you cooked fish before?”
“No. I never cooked at home. Could you take out the pastry? I remembered how to do that from my childhood and the children cut out animal shapes. I did the house.”
“Is it my house?” he asked.
“Definitely your house.”
“It’s all very artistic.”
“It is, isn’t it? Seth will be proud of me.”
Seth kicked the wall and hopped at the resulting pain. “Seth has a cook,” he said.
“Why did you do that?” she asked.
“My boot was a bit crooked.”
“Oh. Shall we carry the food through? How can we keep the pastry warm?”
“I’ll put it in the little warming area at the bottom of the cooker.”
“Can I do anything?” Monica asked, walking to the door.
“Just sit down,” Hannah replied. “You’re our guests.”
“We’re making you a lot of work.”
“I’m enjoying it.”
And everyone seemed to like the meal, she found, which included the custard she went out to make between courses. She must ask Seth to help her milk a cow before she left, though if the other Seth was well off he would probably have people to do that.
But she didn’t want to be waited on because she wanted to be part of everything. She had come here to make a new life, not to carry on the way she was before, allowing herself to be waited on and pampered. The children showed off their animals before eating them and the adults enjoyed the conversation. The meal was a leisurely one and afterwards they relaxed for an hour before returning to finish making the bath chair.
They would return to their farm the following day, Wilfred said. Maybe they could see if there was any way of salvaging anything from the wreckage of the house. But he had a stove in the barn and they could use that for cooking. The animals would hopefully be alright and he would be able to milk the cows from his chair. The children could collect the eggs and Monica would make the barn into a home for them in the way she did in the house.
He put his arm round her where she stood next to his chair and the movement gave Hannah a feeling she could not quite describe. This couple had been married a few years and they were comfortable with each other. They obviously loved each other but then so did her parents. She did not notice Seth’s glance frequently straying to her.
“The rubble will have settled by now,” he said. “And what you need we could possibly get at Independence, depending how things are there.”
“Yes, we can.” Wilfred rolled his chair a bit. “Thank you, everybody, for this. What can I do to help you here, Seth? I’m sure you have chores to do.”
“You could help me with the milking,” Seth said. He looked at Hannah. “Do you want to watch us?”
“I could help too.”
Which was one thing she hadn’t seen because she was not raised on a farm. She wanted to find out and she didn’t want to live in a rich man’s house. The children went to look for eggs and Monica offered to put out food for the animals. Their dogs raced around and generally enjoyed themselves.
She would do cheese on bread for the evening meal, Hannah thought, and they could also have eggs. There was some pastry over and maybe she would ask Monica how to bake a cake. After they had watched the milking for a while she and Monica went into the kitchen and Monica showed her what she wanted to know.
“I’m quite enjoying doing this,” Hannah said. “At home I never bothered because there was always someone else to do it.”
“I come from quite a wealthy family too,” Monica said. “They live in San Francisco. But I’m happy here and always have been. Wilfred is a good man and the children are beautiful. Seth is a good man too. I know you’re going to be happy with him.”
“Yes.” And how I wish I could tell you all about everything at this moment and how I feel, Hannah thought, except that I’m not sure how I feel. Or maybe I am and I don’t want to face up to it. Tomorrow I must go back to Lower Pine and reality, whatever reality is. I should really have gone back today.
Except that Seth hadn’t said anything about it and this family needed her help. Tomorrow they needed it too and she couldn’t ask Seth to leave in view of that. They made a couple of cakes and the rest of the day passed all too quickly for Hannah until it was time to eat again.
Seth suggested he and Hannah go to the barn straight after the meal. He handed Wilfred a pack of cards before they left and told the couple to eat anything they wanted. They smiled and Hannah felt sure they were approving their being alone. She wasn’t sure at all about it all.
But why so early when there were still a couple of hours before dark? When they reached the barn Seth went for a horse.
“I want to check their animals,” he said. “The cows need milking and the other animals will require attention. I know Wilfred is worried about them.”
Hannah went for another horse. “I’ll help you,” she replied.
He frowned. “That’s not fair on you. I’ve brought out a couple of books you can read while I’m gone.”
“I’m coming,” she said.
A smile quirked round his mouth as he looked at her. “You’re an obstinate woman,” he said.
“You need supervising,” she replied, swinging herself up onto the horse with the agility of someone who knew what she was doing. “I can’t trust you not to do something dangerous. Anyway, you didn’t let me milk a cow so I’m going to milk one now. The poor things will probably be full of milk to bursting point.”
“We’ll go off the property that way,” Seth said, pointing. “Then Wilfred and Monica won’t hear us. Can you jump over a fence?”
“No, but I’m sure....” Hannah paused and stroked the horse. “What’s her name?”
“Charlotte.”
“I’m sure Charlotte can jump a fence. Lead on, sir. We have work to do.”
Seth smiled widely, they tapped the horses and cantered away from the barn and the house. Hannah speeded up as the fence came into view, Seth did the same and they both went over it together. A wonderful feeling, because she hadn’t ridden for weeks.
“You really do know how to ride.” Seth called across to her from where his horse galloped beside her.
“I learnt when I was young. We didn’t have any horses ourselves but there were stables nearby.”
“You must be very rich,” Seth said.
“My father is. Like I said before, I have some money but it was left to me by my great grandparents.”
“I have enough to keep a wife,” Seth said. “Though not a lot.”
“As long as there is enough,” Hannah replied. “Shall we have a race?”
“I’ll easily win.”
“We’ll see about that.” But he did not forge ahead in the way she expected him to do and she rather felt it was on purpose. She looked around while they rode. There were quite a few more trees down, she noticed, and quite a bit of rubble in some places. She wasn’t sure if she imagined it but it seemed a bit more bleak than yesterday. There had been quite a few aftershocks and a large rock she saw the day before which sat on a rise was now resting on the flat.
When they reached the farm the house seemed to be more of a pile of rubble than when they left it. Maybe because of the tremors, Seth said, and really it was safer that way because when they started moving the bricks there would be no danger of falling debris. They circled the house, wen
t to the barn and the cows were obviously more than ready to be milked. Seth went for the equipment and Hannah watched him.
She was a quick learner, Seth said when Hannah started to milk after he instructed her concerning what she should do, and she found the task surprisingly acceptable. She would never have done it at home, she knew, but then she wouldn’t have done a lot of things she was doing now. They collected eggs, checked all the animals and fed them and Seth once again circled the barn to make sure it was sound.
“Is it safe?” Hannah asked from where she was laying the eggs neatly in a basket.
“Yes, it’s safe.” He walked over to crouch beside her where she sat on the ground. “That’s very artistic.”
“It is, isn’t it? Flowers would be nice in a vase.”
“I never had one,” he said. “I used my shaving mug.”
“I know. My father and brother have similar ones.”
Seth screwed his nose. “I thought it might look like a vase.”
“It doesn’t.” And if it was for her, which it was, it should look downright ugly.
“You’re very outspoken,” Seth said.
“Is that bad?” she asked, standing and beginning to circle the barn.
“It’s nice.” He walked after her. “What are you looking for?”
“Something to use for a vase. I want to put flowers in it and make the place look a bit homely for them. Everything has been so traumatic, both for Monica and Wilfred and also for the children.”
“That will be a nice touch. You see what you can find and I’ll start clearing hay to the side. I’ll actually put it in the next division, which I must do for us tonight. I could smell it every time I woke.”
“Good idea. When you’ve finished we’ll see what else needs doing.”
Hannah found a container which she felt would do. It was a beer mug, Seth told her, and there were a few. But they hadn’t been used for beer, he said, sniffing one of them. It smelt more like apple.
“Can’t you get apple wine?” she asked.
“Yes, but Wilfred doesn’t make or sell wine. He does sell apple juice because I’ve had some from him. I’ll get some water from the well, which is something I should have checked.”
Hannah followed him to the well and when they looked down their heads were very close. Somehow it made her feel she couldn’t breathe which, of course, was ridiculous because she could. Seth pronounced it safe, drew up some water and Hannah picked flowers from the garden which were amazingly healthy looking.
She took them in, he filled the mug and she stood back. “You arrange them,” she said.
“I don’t have the women’s touch,” he replied.
“You did yours beautifully. Flower arranging is not just for women.”
“The first time I put them in I just pushed them together,” he said. “But then I remembered how my mother put the tall ones at the back, which encouraged me to produce the work of art you saw.”
“Work of art,” she repeated.
“Work of art.”
He grinned and began to put the flowers in carefully. “You said it was artistic.”
“It was and you’re very modest. I’ll just oversee your efforts and then we can move the hay together.”
“Together,” he repeated, bending over his task. “That’s a nice word.”
“It is. That back bit of greenery needs to be moved to the right the tiniest fraction.”
“You’re a hard taskmaster,” he said, doing as she said.
“Outright and a hard taskmaster?” She screwed her nose at him. “That doesn’t sound so good.”
“It’s meant to sound wonderful. You are the nicest lady I have ever met, the kindest, and there is no cook better than you.”
“Not even your mother?”
“My mother is a wonderful cook but it’s different.”
“Why is it different?”
She wasn’t sure if she should be pursuing this line of conversation, Hannah thought, but she couldn’t resist it. He looked at her thoughtfully.
“I don’t know how to define it. You are so new to it that it’s nice watching you. You come at everything with a refreshing enthusiasm which makes a person feel good.”
“I am enjoying things which I never thought I would enjoy,” she said.
“And I am enjoying watching you.” Seth stood back to look at the flowers. “Is that alright?”
“It’s beautifully and professionally done and you also are doing things you haven’t done, or did you fill the house with flowers before?”
He grinned. “I think you know the answer to that. Where shall I put the flowers?”
She pointed. “On that ledge where everyone can see them. Shall we make a welcome sign for them?” She walked over to pick up a broom. “I’m going overboard, aren’t I? This property is already their home.”
“I think a welcome sign would be nice,” Seth said. He went for a piece of wood and lifted down a tool box which had a hammer poking out of it. “I’ll see what Wilfred has in here.”
“Maybe a Bible verse would be better than the word welcome,” Hannah said. “You know the Bible well. What do you think?”
“I think it’s a wonderful idea.” Seth began to smooth down the wood before picking up a knife which was in the box. “There’s a verse I love which is at the end of Luke. It was when a couple were walking along the road on the third day after Jesus died on the cross. The verse says, Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. He then walked with them but they didn’t recognise Him until He broke bread in their house. He then disappeared and they went back to Jerusalem to the disciples to tell them. Jesus then appeared to all of them again.”
“Jesus Himself drew near and went with them.” Hannah repeated the words. “That is really nice. He’s been with us all the time, hasn’t He?”
“He has. Shall we carve the words on here and put it near the flowers?”
“You carve it while I sweep the hay into the next barn. I’m not particularly artistic.”
“I could do the hay afterwards.”
“No. I don’t mind doing it.”
Her gaze travelled to him frequently while she swept but she did not see him looking at her between his carving. He worked carefully, dusted it off and put the wood up on the shelf.
“How is that?” he asked.
She walked over to stand next to him. “It shows up very clearly,” she said.
“There’s some paints over there. Shall I paint it? Let’s see what colours they’ve got.”
“Gold for the wording,” they said together.
“Because God is more precious than gold,” Seth added.
“Yes. Would black or brown be better for the background?”
“I’ll do the words first then we can try a bit of each colour and see.” He dipped a small paintbrush in gold and held it out. “You do the words.”
She painted carefully. She knew any errors could be painted over but she wanted to get it right. When she finished Seth took a thicker brush and painted a bit of brown and a bit of black. “Brown,” they said in unison and smiled at each other. Seth painted, they set it on the shelf on another piece of wood ready for it to dry and stood back again to look at it.
“We could do one for your house when we get back,” Hannah said. “Would you like that?”
“I would.” Seth looked round. “I could help Wilfred make some furniture.” He put his hand on a table, pushed it and it buckled a bit. “I’ll just strengthen this. What else could I make?”
Hannah pushed a few chairs which stood round the edge of the barn. “These could do with strengthening. Maybe Wilfred made others or bought them and threw these out because there’s five of them.”
“Yes. They could do with painting and so could this table.”
“I could do that,” Hannah said. “You do the strengthening and I’ll do the painting.”
“Good idea.”
And once again they kept glancing at each other while they worke
d. When they finished they put the table in one part of the barn with the chairs next to it. Seth cleared out the stove and filled it with wood for when they returned the following day. He would bring a couple of pots for them, he said, because he had a few, and they could pick some of the vegetables at the back of the house. He could catch a fish again and that would keep them going for the first day. Maybe the next day he could get a rabbit for them.
“Wilfred has a room underground here,” he said, walking over to a trapdoor in the floor. “He uses it to keep things cool there. Not as cold as if you use ice boxes but cool enough to keep meat for a couple of days. I’ll go down and see if it’s safe.”
“Be careful,” Hannah said.
“I will.”
He went down the steps and she followed him, frightened for his safety. He lifted her when she got to the third step from the bottom and swung her down. “I haven’t checked if it’s safe yet,” he said.
“We’ll check together.”
Together, Seth thought, and he was really enjoying that. He examined everything carefully, pronounced it safe and went up the steps ahead of Hannah.
Hannah dug into her pocket and brought out a little clock. “Theirs stopped when the earthquake occurred,” she said. “They don’t want to be reminded of that.”
“Your pocket is a treasure trove,” he replied. “I thought it was boys who packed their pockets with stuff.”
“I had this dress specially made,” she said. “A couple of others I’ve brought also have secret pockets. I have money with me though most of my money is in a bank which has a branch in San Francisco. I had time to draw out cash which had been telegraphed there. I would like to help Wilfred and Monica but I’m not sure they’ll take money. We could work out how we can help without making it too obvious.”
“I have a bit of money,” Seth said. “But not a lot. I can help in kind by making furniture. We can collect fallen trees which will supply the wood.”
“Yes.”
It was exciting being able to help, Hannah thought, and she was going to do so even when she wasn’t here. She would come over from Lower Pine though not on the days Seth and his future wife would be here. She turned away as the inevitable lump rose to her throat.
Lone Pine Bride (The Brides Of Lone Pine Book 1) Page 14
