by Zina Abbott
Cole straightened his body. “Don’t you need a chaperone, Mama?”
Kendrick offered a tentative smile. “The boy’s right, Mrs. Meyer. If what you wish to discuss is not too sensitive, it might be best, for propriety’s sake, if they stay in here with you.”
Lydia blinked as she bent her head forward. “All right.” She glanced at Kendrick, and then away. “Mr. Denham, I must apologize for bringing my family here while I was working for you. An incident happened at my sister’s house where I felt we could no longer stay there. Madeline was well taken care of the entire time, but, as you might have guessed, I have moved out. My problem is—” Lydia stopped mid-sentence and shuddered.
Kendrick leaped over the rail and grabbed Lydia’s chin. He tipped it so the light coming through the side window illuminated her face. His forehead wrinkled as he studied the pink welt on her cheek. “Who did this to you, Mrs. Meyer?”
Cole answered, his voice barely containing his anger. “Aunt Dorcas. First, she hit Will with a ruler because he didn’t know his multiplication tables and…and other things. When I told her to stop, she whacked me on the head. Will ran over here to tell Mama what happened. Lottie and Caro stayed with Will and Madeline while Mama went to talk to Aunt Dorcas, only Aunt Dorcas hit her, too.” The boy stopped and smiled. “But you should have seen it. Mama grabbed that ruler away from Aunt Dorcas and walloped her good. Then she broke the ruler in half and threw it in the kindling bucket.” He paused and shuffled his feet. “That, sir, is why we’re here. Mama and Will and me aren’t willing to live with Aunt Dorcas anymore.”
Will climbed over the rail and leaned against Lydia as his mother put an arm around him. He looked up at Kendrick. “Aunt Dorcas is too mean.”
Lydia licked her lips. “As I was saying, Mr. Denham, I’m sorry to burden you with our troubles, but I’m not familiar with Columbia. I don’t know what’s available for a widow with two children. I was hoping you might give me a few suggestions.”
Kendrick, fighting the building anger he felt over the way his harridan neighbor had treated her own family, clenched his teeth to keep from saying something he might regret. He shook his head. “Nothing, Mrs. Meyer, except the hotel.”
Lydia swallowed hard. “I might be able to afford a room for one night, maybe two. After that, I need to find something more reasonable. I don’t know…I mean, we never settled on how much you intend to pay me to watch Madeline. I trust it will be fair, but I do need to know the amount…and…and—” Lydia closed her eyes.
His brow furrowing, Kendrick watched as the woman before him pressed her palm over her mouth. He listened to the choking noise in her throat. He suspected that during the course of the afternoon, a sense of panic had built within her, a result of realizing what moving out of the Thompson home meant for her family. He guessed she neared her breaking point due to her worry.
Lydia took a deep breath. “How much do you think a room at a boardinghouse would cost, Mr. Denham? Surely, it must be more reasonable than a hotel room.”
Again, Kendrick shook his head. Jeb’s words came back to him: You need to marry that woman.
Except, something within Kendrick told him that too many situations had been forced upon Lydia Meyer with no choices on her part. If he were to marry, he would want it to be a marriage where both partners wished to join as a family. As much as she would help him with Madeline, he felt no desire to marry because of expediency or convenience. Although I do desire her.
Kendrick cleared his throat. “No, Mrs. Meyer, you cannot take your family to a boardinghouse. It’s not like where you come from, where you rent a room in someone’s house. Here, boardinghouses are geared to the miners who only need a place to drop a sack of their few belongings and tools and have a place to lay their heads at night. They are more like barracks, with cots and pallets practically stacked on one another in two or three common rooms. The Eagle Cottage, where I deliver meat, alone has about one hundred beds—all for men only.”
“Oh, my. No, that won’t work.” Lydia closed her eyes and looked off to the side. “Maybe…well, I’ve seen these canvas houses some people live in, even a few tents. Perhaps, with what little money I have left and what you owe me, I could afford to buy one—”
. “No.” Kendrick cut her off. “That’s not a good solution for any woman alone with children anywhere, and certainly not here.” His hands on his hips, he took a deep breath. “Mrs. Meyer, here is my offer. I will rent you two rooms of my building—the kitchen and the bedroom—in exchange for you watching Madeline and cooking meals. I will put a lock on the door between this room and the kitchen. However, you must understand that, until I rig a way to open my side gate from the street, I will need to pass through the kitchen several times a day to take care of my animals in back.”
Lydia stammered. “Are you sure, Mr. Denham? I don’t know…”
“I’m sure. You will be here for full-time care so I don’t have to worry about Madeline. I assume, since you have been doing her laundry and feeding her when I’m gone, you’ll continue to do so. The boys can learn how to help me with the animals, for their part. Just being able to eat decent meals prepared by you will make the arrangement worth it.”
Cole eyed him curiously. “Where will you sleep if we stay in the other two rooms? Here in the shop?”
Kendrick hesitated and twisted his lips to the side as he thought about it. “No. Even with a lock on the door between the shop and the rest of the house, word will get around about you being here. The speculation over whether I stay up front or not would ruin your mother’s reputation. I’ll gather up some clothes for tomorrow, and I’ll rent a bed at the Eagle Cottage. I assure you, Mrs. Arnold will find room for me.”
Upon hearing Lydia’s gasp, Kendrick turned to her. “It will work out, Mrs. Meyer. I’ll feel better knowing you and your children are safe within this house. Under no circumstances could I rest easy if I thought you were staying in a tent where just anyone might barge inside.”
Lydia looked down as she caressed the curls on Madeline’s head. “I just hate the thought of pushing you out of your home, Mr. Denham.”
“You’re not pushing me out. It’s my decision to sleep elsewhere. And, Mrs. Meyer?” Kendrick leaned forward, his face within a foot of hers. He waited until she raised her eyes so her gaze met his. “Just knowing how much Dorcas Thompson will have fits over you living in my home, especially after you walked out of hers rather than put up with her abuse, is well worth any inconvenience. Now, let’s get your things in back, my trunk up front, and you can fix supper while the boys and I take care of the animals.”
Chapter 21
Columbia, California – Wednesday, May 31, 1854
W hile he waited for someone to unlock his door to his house, Kendrick ruminated on how uncomfortable he felt—and how silly he must look—to anyone watching him wait to be let into his own property. However, the arrangement had been his choice. Faced with the same circumstances, he would do it again. Kendrick focused on the lock when he heard the metal key grate within its workings.
Soon, the door opened to reveal a sleepy-eyed Cole, his disheveled, curly hair standing on end.
“Good morning, Cole. Did everyone here sleep well?”
“Well enough, sir. How about you?”
“I slept well, thank you.” About as well as one can sleep crammed into a room of snoring, grunting men passing gas every few seconds. “It put me in mind of my time in the Army.” A time I’d like to forget.
Cole squinted and cocked his head. “Did you fight in any wars?”
“Yes. I fought in the war against Mexico. Infantry, so I did a lot of marching.” Need to change the subject. “Are the others up yet?”
“Will’s sort of awake. Mama’s not up yet.”
“Then, I need you to close the door to the bedroom so I can pass through the kitchen and take care of the animals. The chickens will be looking for their feed, and I’m sure Waggles is ready to be milked.”
“I’l
l go get Will, Mr. Denham. He went out and spent time with the goat last night after you left. Maybe you can teach him to milk her. Before our papa died, he tried to teach Will to milk the cows, but they were too scary for him because they’re so big. Waggles isn’t that big.”
“Might be a good idea, especially since he made it known last night he doesn’t like chickens.”
“Nope, he doesn’t. I don’t mind chickens, not even that Rochester. He starts chasing and pecking at me, I’ll just clap my hands and chase him back.”
After taking care of the animals with Cole and Will, Kendrick followed the two boys into the kitchen only to stop in the doorway. The sight of Lydia standing at his stove frying bacon nearly took his breath away. I could get used to enjoying this sight every morning.
Will proudly held up the crock jug used for Madeline’s milk. “Look, Mama! Mr. Denham teached me how to milk Waggles. She likes me.”
Will’s excited words brought Kendrick’s thoughts back to the present.
Lydia smiled down at her son. “That’s wonderful, Will. I’m so proud that you learned to do that. And the proper way to say what you told me is that Mr. Denham taught you. It’s one of those funny English rules that doesn’t make sense. You teach someone to do something, and afterward, they have been taught. We’ll work on some word games later.”
“Are you going to teach us, Mama? You know I won’t go back to Aunt Dorcas’s school.”
Lydia turned to her oldest son. “Yes, Cole. There may come a time you will need to go to a school again to learn more than what I can teach you, but it won’t be with Aunt Dorcas.”
Kendrick squinted as he studied Lydia’s face while she talked to Cole. Between the droop of her eyelids and the gray smudges below, her eyes showed signs of fatigue. “Did you sleep well, Mrs. Meyer?”
“As well as can be expected, Mr. Denham.”
“The baby woke up fussing last night.” Cole volunteered the information Kendrick sought. “Mama said she was running a fever. She had to rock the baby back to sleep more than once.”
Kendrick felt the beginnings of panic. A fever? His forehead wrinkled with concern. “She sometimes stays up late, but ever since I got her, once she went to sleep, she stayed asleep all night. Not even Rochester’s crowing woke her up.”
“Maybe Madeline missed you.”
Just as Kendrick’s chest began to swell with pride at Will’s words, Lydia burst his bubble.
She offered him a weak smile. “Actually, I think Madeline might be teething. She’s about the right age. I began to suspect it yesterday, when she fussed more than usual and kept trying to put everything she could reach in her mouth. I even allowed her to gnaw on my knuckle a little, which seemed to pacify her.”
“But, the fever…” Tell me it isn’t consumption.
“Babies sometimes run low fevers when they’re teething.” Lydia tapped her finger just below her bottom lip. “These teeth will come in first.” She returned her attention to the stove and began to turn the frying meat. “I hope you don’t mind tooth marks on your wooden spoon handles, Mr. Denham.”
“Of course not. If they were made by Waggles, yes. By Madeline, no.” Kendrick grinned as he watched his statement send Will into a fit of giggles. Cole, fighting a smile, glanced at his brother and shook his head.
Kendrick looked straight ahead. Thank heavens Lydia is here. What do I know about teething babies?
“I’ll have breakfast ready shortly, Mr. Denham. I do think it’s best that we let Madeline sleep as long as possible. She had a hard night.”
“I understand. If your nieces show up, I’ll let you explain that to them—if you can get a word in edgewise.” Kendrick smiled once he realized his comment had started all three of the Meyers laughing. “Don’t get me wrong—I think they’re wonderful, and they have been a great help with Madeline. But, sometimes, I feel like I don’t stand a chance against them.”
“We understand, Mr. Denham. We feel the same. That’s why I love them like they are my own.”
Kendrick cleared his throat. “While you finish cooking breakfast, I need to install the lock on this other door so you don’t have to worry about intruders.”
“I hate that you feel you must go to this extra trouble and expense for us.”
Kendrick turned back to Lydia. “Mrs. Meyer, this lock is long overdue, from before you or Madeline arrived. More than once, I’ve had customers try to bust through here. I even had one young fellow, so drunk he couldn’t see straight, insist he had a right to my kitchen. I had to bodily throw him out of my shop. Now I have more to protect, so the lock needs to go on the door.”
Kendrick walked through the doorway leading to his shop, and then to his trunk where he kept some of his tools. More to protect—I have Madeline now. He looked back to see Cole and Will, framed by the doorjamb as they watched him. He returned to digging for the screwdriver he knew was buried somewhere in the depths of his belongings. I have even more than Madeline to protect—maybe permanently—if I can talk her into it.
Once he installed the lock, and everyone finished breakfast, Kendrick turned to Lydia. “Mrs. Meyer, I want to remind you that today is the day I’ll be traveling down to that ranch below Sonora to pick up my butchered beef. I’ll be gone most of the day. Do you think you’ll be all right with the boys here?”
“We’ll be fine.”
“Can I go with you?”
Kendrick turned to Cole, who had asked the question. “I don’t know, Cole. I don’t want to take you from your studies if your mother has plans for you. Besides, I’ll be picking up a beef that has been skinned because the man I bought it from wanted the hide and horns. What’s left is kind of a gruesome sight.”
“I used to help my papa butcher animals, including steers. Last year, I helped my stepbrother, too. I can handle it.”
Kendrick turned to Lydia for confirmation. After she nodded her head, he turned back. “It’s up to your mama, Cole. It’s not too long of a trip, and I’d welcome the company.”
“You may go. After breakfast, both you boys can read while Mr. Denham sees to his customers. While you’re gone, I’ll work with Will on the multiplication tables he evidently missed.”
“Aw, Mama!”
“Your time will come, Will.” Kendrick turned to Cole. “You have a hat with a good brim? The sun will burn hot out there.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll bring it.”
Lydia rose from her chair. “I’ll prepare food to go. I better do it before Madeline wakes up.”
“I have a water skin to take. We’ll fill it at Wood’s Creek on the way. Will, if your mama can spare you, maybe you can walk with Cole and me down to the livery to pick up Sunshine. She’s my mule that pulls my wagon. She’ll like getting to know you.”
Chapter 22
I f Kendrick thought he had been subjected to a host of prying questions full of insulting insinuations after word got out about the county sheriff bringing Madeline, it was nothing compared to the questions and accusations he received the morning after he decided to rent two rooms of his house to Lydia Meyer.
“You keeping a woman back there now, Rick?”
“Nope, renting the space to her in exchange for taking care of the baby.”
“That mean the baby won’t be out here anymore? Look forward to seeing her. The woman, too. She a pretty one?”
Kendrick sighed and shook his head. “I’ll bring the baby out here now and again. Remember, this is a meat shop, not a side show.”
“What about the woman?”
“No.”
“Well, if you aren’t taking up with her, she’s who you need to get out here—give the rest of us a chance at her.”
“I’m a butcher, not a matchmaker. You interested in any meat?”
His blood boiling, his stomach tied in knots, and his jaw aching from clenching it much of the time, Kendrick could not get the men out of his shop soon enough. It occurred to him that he was fortunate that, in order to protect his meat, he had secure
d his yard. If not, men would be walking through, approaching Lydia every time she stepped outside, and beating on his kitchen door with the hope of talking to her—or more.
At least, he did not need to haul half his furniture out to the front room so she would not be entering his private realm whenever the twins were not around to “chaperone” her. It was now her private living area. His lonely trunk, along with the bench and baby-changing table sitting behind the rail, bore witness that his space was limited to the front of the building.
Involuntarily, Kendrick’s gaze sought out the door that separated him from Madeline—and Lydia. He needed to collect Cole and Will and bring Sunshine back from the livery. What he really wanted to do was spend time with the two females who had entered his life and now held his heart captive.
No, he needed to see to his own business.
Kendrick turned once more toward the front door to lock it against any late-comers. He and Cole needed to pick up that butchered steer and get back. He had promised those grumbling about the lack of beef he’d have some tomorrow. That meant he needed to return in time to get the quarters hung in his shed tonight.
Just as Kendrick reached for the doorknob, the door flew open. In walked the last person on earth Kendrick wished to see—Dorcas Thompson.
Dorcas wore a bonnet with a lacy veil that covered half her face. If she thought she had adequately disguised herself so he would not guess right away who she was, she was mistaken. He would recognize her anywhere. She stepped in with such a determined stride, she nearly bumped into him.
Startled at the prospect of colliding with Kendrick, Dorcas backstepped. “Oh!” She rolled her shoulders before she jammed her fists on her hips and glared. “You!”
Kendrick bit his tongue until he could speak calmly. “Yes, Mrs. Thompson, me. This is my shop, so it stands to reason you would find me here. How may I help you today?”
