The man held his hand out to Jake. Apparently, he felt that he was now dealing with someone in authority, another man. "The thing is," he said to the farm hand, "I'm trying to get these women to understand that I'm here doing God's work. And, one of the most important things that needs doing, and something that needs doing as soon as possible, is to take the girl's bas..." He paused a moment, and then began again, "I mean the illegitimate boy to his new, God-fearing parents."
"I beg your pardon," Jake said, in disbelief.
"Ah, I'm afraid you've been allowing the women around here to guide your thinking. A sad and reoccurring tendency in this town.
"As a man, you really need to maintain you superior position."
"Mr.... ah, sorry, I didn't catch your name." However, when the man didn't provide it quickly enough, Jake continued speaking, "Mrs. Hendriksen owns this farm. And, at present, I work for her."
"Well, then I can understand why you've submitted yourself to her control, to protect your job. And the name was Wright, Reverend Wright." He stared at Jake for a moment and then added, "However, I can't say I recall seeing you at church since I arrived, either. Perhaps, you could act as an example to these... ah... women."
"Listen, Wright," Jake growled, "I don't particularly like the way you're speaking about the ladies. Or, how you are attempting to insinuate yourself into what is clearly their business and not yours. So, perhaps—"
"I told you, it's Reverend Wright. And, I'm trying to bring some lost sheep back into the fold. Since you are merely an employee, I will redirect myself to the who..." Wright began, but when he caught sight of Jake's face, and amended his word to, "ah... the ladies."
Jake stood his ground.
*****
Miranda stepped back up to the porch and edged towards the house, making sure she stayed between the annoying man and the back door where she could actually feel Kathy's eyes on them.
In her most lady-like, modulated voice, she reiterated, "We'd already planned on coming to church this Sunday. Although, now... I... I believe we'll need to rethink it. You know, talk things over again.
"However, I'm sure we'll come to church, when and if we choose to. But, after meeting you, I'm not at all sure it will be your church. And, you are absolutely not taking Jacob or anyone else with you.
"Now, I'm asking you one last time to leave. And before you refuse, I should tell you I have a rifle just inside the back door. I'm sure you don't want me to resort to forcibly running you off my property. But, I assure you, I won't hesitate. No, I won't hesitate for a moment.
"Or, perhaps you would like me to have the sheriff arrest you for trespassing.
"Good day, Reverend Wright!" With that, she stepped back into the open doorway and waited.
But Wright still didn't leave. He didn't even climb back up on the buggy. Instead, he turned and walked towards Jake. "Mr... .ah, I'm sorry, I don't know your last name."
"It's Kennedy, Reverend. Jake Kennedy."
"Ah, I see. A Papist. Still, as a man, you should appreciate my wisdom in these matters. And, this is especially true about removing the bast..." He regrouped again and continued, "I apologize... the illegitimate child. His upbringing is too important a job to be left to an under aged chit."
"You know, I've been in this town for a little over six months now, and attended church services fairly regularly before the weather closed in. You are the first and only person to assume from my name I'm Catholic, or pass judgment on me, whether that assumption is correct, or not.
"I believe Mrs. Hendriksen has already told you there are no whores or bastards here. The same is true about 'chits', or any other derogatory term you or your wife can think of to use.
"Now, she's asked nicely for you to leave. And, she has repeated that request more firmly, several times. Yet, you have still chosen to ignore her.
"I assure you she won't hesitate to take more forceful, dangerous, and possibly deadly means to remove you from her property."
Miranda really expected Wright to jump onto his buggy and take his wife and himself out of harm's way. But instead, he moved closer to Jake, as if he wanted to say something he hoped she wouldn't be able to hear. Unfortunately for him, she had excellent hearing.
"Listen," Wright said, in what he considered a whisper, "I realize you are in a difficult position. But, these... ah... girls... They're already ruined—probably beyond redemption. And, if they're allowed to remain in the community their taint will only tarnish more.
"Now, the bast... the children might have a chance, if we get them away from the... women as soon as possible. By taking them from these fallen women, we might be able to save their souls."
"That's it!" Jake snapped. He stepped up to the older man until their noses almost touched, and said, "You are even more of a pompous idiot than I'd heard. And, seriously, I didn't believe that was possible. Because I'd heard you were really quite possibly the most stupid man ever born.
"Just go, now." He stepped back and was about to turn towards the barn again when Wright caught hold of his sleeve. "If you don't let me go, I'm going to..." Jake told him, before he jerked back, to free his arm. Then he made a move to leave, before he stopped, and said, "Oh, what the devil..." and punched the minister in the eye.
Mrs. Wright screamed as Jake turned and calmly walked back to the barn. Miranda ignored the woman's cries of hysteria, and stepped back inside the house and shut the door, before she peeped through the curtain.
After several minutes, the clergyman staggered over to the buggy, and, with the help of his wife, got back up into the seat. Then they finally did what they'd been asked to do, they left.
*****
Frank was finishing up his instructions to the deputy he was about to leave in charge for the night when the door opened and Reverend Wright walked in. And, once again, he was sporting an injury.
Frank looked at his deputy, and said, "Why don't you go in the back and start a pot of coffee?" Then he dropped into his desk chair and, shaking his head in disbelief, asked, "Not again? Since you hadn't been here in almost a month, I had, naively, believed you had learned your lesson.
"Well, that's not exactly true. I mean I have been in church. I've heard your sermons. Or rather, what you pass off as sermons. And, of course, the things you say before and after church.
"Who decked you this time?"
"That Hendriksen woman's hired hand. Jack... no... Jake... Jake Kennedy."
"He almost never comes into town. How did you manage to annoy him?"
"My wife and I drove out there on a mission of mercy. We went to encourage those women to come to worship. And, of course, to pick up the baby that whore dropped—"
"What?" Frank said, incredulously.
"It took some doing, but we found a family willing to take the child and raise it as their own. Well, it was really my wife who found them. Apparently, their own baby died several months ago. She heard the poor man telling someone how hard his wife had taken it. They have girls and were ecstatic when they finally had a boy. But, then he died. So, of course, we both saw immediately what God wanted. He wanted to give the bast... ah... the child to this couple."
"Are you insane? What special privilege do you believe you, or anyone else, has that gives you the authority to remove a child from his mother?"
"I told you. It's God's will."
"I will tell you this one last time. Mind your own business. And, that goes for your wife, as well."
"But—"
"Wright, get out of my office now, or I'll blacken your other eye."
The pastor sputtered, but was at least heading towards the door, when Frank added, "I truly think you need to listen this time. You're running out of places that can be hit, without getting seriously injured."
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Dr. Thorne and Miranda tried to counsel the girls against attending church, citing that between Lynn tiring so easily, and Kathy's need to nurse Jacob often it might not be the best time for a trip into town. Espe
cially, since they planned it to be such a long day. But, after spending weeks and weeks of freeing themselves from their opium addiction, the frigid weather, and being so removed from everyone and everything, the girls refused to be dissuaded.
Even though Miranda knew Victoria was right, there was no way she could convince the girls it was wiser to stay home. She couldn't even convince Kit or Colleen. In fact, both Colleen and Kit argued in favor of flaunting their appearance in church. They were all determined to leave the house.
So, on Sunday, Jake harnessed the horse, and then lined the wagon bed with several quilts. While Miranda supervised the packing of baby necessities, Kit helped Kathy deal with her overly tender, and often leaking breasts, so she could get through the drive to town and church service with no accidents.
*****
"Remember what we talked about before," Kit said in a low voice. "Don't recognize anyone. Don't make eye contact with them. If you see some man that visited Harding's place, you look straight through them."
"I remember what you'd said. But," Kathy whispered back, "what if I can't 'just look through them'? I did pretty well before, probably because those men didn't want to recognize me anymore than I want to know them. Except that one man. I told you about him. He stared at me.
"No, worse!" she corrected, excitedly, "He didn't just look at me, he stared straight at me."
"Don't let him, or anyone else, upset you. Simply ignore them."
"I wish I could, but I don't think I can."
"You can! You will! How often has Miranda or the doctor told you what a good mother you are? They say it because it's true.
"You only need to look at Jacob and know it's true. He's fine. He's better than fine, he's thriving."
*****
The doctor and Neil were waiting outside the church when Jake drove the wagon up. Neil helped Miranda down first and left her chatting with Victoria. Then he went around to the back to help the girls down.
Kathy waited until Jake could take Jacob from her before she allowed Neil to lift her down. And, once the baby was safely back in her arms, the men got the rest of the girls down, and Jake hopped back up, to take the wagon over to the workshop, when Meg and Gus walked up.
"So, you all decided to run the gauntlet, did you?" Gus asked.
"Why don't we just go to dinner now?" Meg suggested. "I promise, we'll have a much more relaxing, enjoyable dinner. Reverend Wright is awful. He is possibly even more horrible than my father."
"I'll second that," Victoria said, "I mean the part about luncheon."
"You're right. But, we've spent a lot of time 'discussing' this," Miranda answered. "In fact, I've talked myself blue in the face. Still, the consensus is to go, test the waters—so to speak. So let's just go and get it over with.
"We can decide what we'll do from here on out, over lunch."
"All right, then," Gus said. He walked up the steps, and held the door open, while the ladies filed in. Then, Neil, Jake, and he followed them inside and slipped into the last pews.
Few people appeared to notice as they entered. A few that did gave perfunctory smiles and nods while the others remained stone-faced. Miranda didn't like how this was panning out. Perhaps, she should have insisted they stayed home. Or, at least, just gone straight to lunch.
Rev. Wright entered from his office and surveyed his flock benevolently. Until he caught sight of Miranda and her brood. Then, his look morphed from benevolent father to malevolent dictator.
He didn't even bother to proceed with the service. He went right for the jugular, metaphorically, and said, "I see we have some people joining us today that we've discussed for several weeks now. People we've prayed for.
"You've all witnessed the physical abuse I've endured, because of my belief in God, and you all. My wife and I have tried to reach out to these troubled individuals.
"We struggled to find a family willing to accept the baby one of Harding's women produced. And, finally we found a family prepared to take the child into their home. However, when we went to fetch the child, we were thwarted. What's more, we were even threatened with violence. Not just attacked by brutish men's fists, mind you, but threatened by guns.
"However, we need to accept these lost souls, without criticizing or judging. We need to do more than that. We need to embrace them, carry them back into the fold, whether they wish it or not.
"We must all work together and pray for their souls as a group."
None of the congregation seemed to be paying attention to Reverend Wright's pontificating. At least, that's how it seemed to Miranda. Instead, the majority of heads swiveled for quick looks at the 'devil's spawn' now sitting among them, before turning back around.
Nearly everyone took their turn staring at them before openly speaking about them, in clearly audible whispers. However, none of them risked watching them too long—as if by lingering their gazes—they, themselves, opened themselves up to the devil.
Meanwhile the group under scrutiny fidgeted. Gus hissed, "Isn't his assessment of the girls' morals, the babies' worth, Victoria being a doctor as unwomanly, and Margaret and I rushing to marry because we had something to hide, both criticizing and judging us all?"
The double doors at the back of the church opened, and Frank Dunkirk and his wife broke the spell, by noisily arriving late.
*****
Once Wright's concentration was broken, he moved on to a more traditional service. One deacon read from the scriptures. Another led the congregation in a hymn. And, a third made several announcements. Then Reverend Wright began his prepared sermon. The thing was, the man never took his eyes off his 'problems'.
Gus found the man's focus extremely unnerving. And, if he found it eerie, his was sure everyone felt the minister's disapproval disturbing.
He didn't like the man and was sure Neil, Frank, and Jake felt the same intense dislike. He wasn't sure about how the women found him, aside from being a pompous, self-satisfied ass.
And then he caught sight of the expression on Kathy's face. It was more than dislike. It was the look of abject terror.
*****
Wright was still sermonizing, when Kit stood up, took Jacob from Kathy's arms, and whispered, "I think we need to go to the surgery." Then she led the girl out, while Miranda and the doctor watched, frowning.
Once the two young women were outside, Kit handed Jacob to his mother, and asked, "What was that about?"
"What?"
"You know what," Kit said, scowling. "You looked as if you'd seen the devil."
"Oh... well..." Kathy answered, "maybe I had. Perhaps, that's exactly who I caught sight of."
"Meaning what?" Kit asked, as she reached for the surgery door, and held it open as Kathy entered. Once inside, she said, "He's not acting like he's quite ready to eat, so why don't you let me change him, while you go use the convenience. Then you can sit on the bed and undo your dress? "I'll bring him in to you, and then I'll make a pot of tea. I'm sure you wouldn't say 'no' to a cup of tea, would you?"
Finally, the painful look disappeared, and Kathy smiled and nodded, "No, I wouldn't say no to it, at all."
"I didn't think so." Kit jiggled Jacob, and cooed, "You come with me, Jay. We'll get you cleaned up, so Mommy can feed you when she's ready."
*****
"Well," Miranda began, said to no one particular, "that was a unique experience, wasn't it?"
"Don't let that man get to you, Mrs. Hendriksen," Jake said, as they walked across to the hotel. "He's not right. I'm serious. I don't think he's altogether sane.
"And, even if he is, he shouldn't be a minister. They're supposed to help people, guide them. A pastor should build people up. Encourage them to live better lives.
"But Wright, all he and that... ah... woman he's married to do is pull people down. It's not right. Not right, at all."
"So," Miranda repeated with a sly smile, "Wright isn't right."
"I never would have thought you would make a pun, Mrs. Hendriksen."
"Why
do you do that?"
"What?"
"Insist on calling me that? Mrs. Hendriksen?"
"Because that's your name," Jake said flatly, as he grinned at her.
"Yes. But, Miranda is also my name. And, you've been working at the house, taking care of us all, for nearly six months, give or take.
"Don't you think after all that time, you could loosen up and just call me Miranda?"
"No, ma'am. I don't think it would be respectful."
"What if I told you, it makes me feel old?"
"What? How does being respectful make you feel old?"
"I can't explain it. It just does. Besides, I know you want more than to work on my place for the rest of your life. You need to get back to working with Neil. He says you're a natural woodworker.
"And as soon as Lynn's baby arrives, I'm sure Gus will find someone to replace you. That way, you can work with Neil again. And then, you can come out to the farm to visit."
Jake's head snapped up, as he asked, "What? What do you mean? Why did you say that?"
"It's all right, Jake," Miranda told him. "I know you like Colleen. And, if you just take your time, I bet she'll come around."
For some reason, Jake shook his head and acquiesced, “Fine. I'll call you Miranda. However, I'm sure that Wright will have something to make out about that. So, just be prepared.”
*****
"Well," Gus announced, as he rose and greeted the rest of their group, "that was interesting. And, something I hope to never have to endure again.
"The man is clearly insane." He looked around, and asked, "Where are Kit and Kathy?"
"They went to the surgery to change Jacob and feed him. I'm sure they'll be here soon. That baby never takes long to eat," Victoria answered. But she shot Neil a meaningful look.
"I'll just run across the street," he said, "and make sure they're all right."
Meg looked at him and asked, "You aren't actually worried about their safety, are you?"
"I suppose not. But..."
"But what?"
"Let's just say I'll be happier when we're all together."
Miranda Takes a Stand Page 20