Berniece nodded, wiping her face with her apron. “What brings you by?”
“Well, I brought you a loaf of bread, and I figured you would need help around the house today. Getting that much cleaning done while taking care of the baby is going to be difficult.” Charlie walked over and picked up the spoon and oatmeal. “I’ll feed the baby, and you do whatever you need to do next.”
“Thank you. I need to wash bed linens and clean upstairs next, I think. And we need food. I don’t know how Kane expects me to cook with no food in the house!”
“You get the laundry on the line, and I’ll drive you into town for food. I brought the wagon, thinking you might need to make a trip to the mercantile.”
Berniece smiled through her tears. “You’re the best sister-in-law anyone could ever ask for. I’ll get to work right now.”
Two hours later, the laundry was on the line, and Charlie drove them into town. As soon as they reached the mercantile, she took the sleeping baby from Berniece’s arms and waited while she hurried in to shop.
Berniece walked straight to the counter to speak with the proprietor, who was dusting the shelf, but he looked up when she stopped in front of him.
“I’m Berniece Burton. I just married Kane. He said you would let me put things on his account.”
“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Burton. I’m Terrence Walker. Feel free to shop. I have no problem charging your husband’s account.” He returned to his dusting, and she wandered around the store, finding what she needed.
She had to start from scratch, because she couldn’t find even a cup of flour in the house. He must have gotten rid of everything after Veronica died. It took her more than thirty minutes to choose everything she needed and have it charged to Kane’s account. When she was done, Mr. Walker had his son carry everything out to the wagon.
After climbing back into the wagon—which was getting much easier on her own with practice—Berniece took the baby back from Charlie. “All right. Let’s get home so I can have a hot meal on the table at noon as Kane requires.”
Charlie shook her head. “Sounds like he’s requiring a lot from you.”
“Oh, he is, but I’ll manage.” Berniece looked down into the sweet face of the baby sleeping in her arms, and she knew she’d do anything to continue to be allowed to be this baby’s mommy.
When they reached the house, Berniece sent Charlie in with the baby while she unloaded everything from the wagon. The bag of flour was heavy, and she had a hard time carrying it in, thrown over one shoulder. She dumped the flour inside the door and went back for more. It took her six trips to get everything into the house, and she sat down for a moment when she was done.
“I still need to cook lunch, but I need to catch my breath first.” She glanced at the clock on the wall and saw that she had thirty minutes before Kane would be there for lunch.
“Let me get lunch taken care of. I’ll make some bacon sandwiches, and he’ll be just fine with that on your first day.” Charlie took the baby upstairs and came back down to cook lunch while Berniece started working on the parlor.
“Thank you for coming to help me today,” Berniece said softly. “I don’t know what I would have done without you. I couldn’t have slept in that bed one more night without washing the linens.”
Charlie nodded. “I remember helping Veronica clean this house when she was very pregnant.”
“I’m sure cleaning is hard when you’re expecting, yet there you are helping me.” Berniece shook her head. “I shouldn’t let you help, but there is so much to do. Once I’m caught up, I won’t need as much help as I do now.”
“I know that. You can help me when the baby is born,” Charlie said with a smile.
“I sure will.” Berniece finished sweeping out the parlor, and then she dusted every surface. When she had finished those tasks, she started on the windows, which were filthy like everything else in the house.
She had just finished one of the windows and collapsed into a chair when Kane walked in the door.
Charlie put food on the table for the three of them, and Kane glared at Berniece. “I thought I made it clear that you were to be the one doing the work around here and not being a burden on Charlie.”
Berniece bit her lip against what she wanted to say. There was no way she should open her mouth, because she had no idea what might come out of it at that moment.
Charlie set her sandwich down and looked at her brother-in-law. “I came here to offer my help, because I had an idea of what the state of this house would be. I’m glad I did, because I was able to help her with the baby and drive her into town for supplies. Shame on you, Kane Burton, expecting your new wife to do things that no woman possibly could. She needed help, and she got it. She’s already agreed to help me when my baby is born, so you don’t have to worry about her paying me back for it.”
Kane frowned at Charlie before looking at Berniece. “This isn’t going to be a habit, though. Is that understood?”
“I didn’t ask for help. She came and offered it.” Berniece kept her voice even, though she wanted to yell at him. Why did he keep assuming she was lazy? Had he not looked at all that had been done around the house since she’d gotten there? “Charlie made lunch, drove me to town, and held the baby. I’ve done everything else that’s been done.”
He looked around the house, noting that the dust that he’d started to think was permanent was completely gone. The windows had been washed, and the floors had been scrubbed. He’d noticed bed linens hanging on the line as well as diapers. “We’ll talk about this later.” And they would. She deserved an apology. He was painting her with the same brush Veronica had needed to be painted with, and it wasn’t fair to her.
After lunch, he rode back out to work, but his mind was still on how unfairly he’d treated his wife. He needed to be kinder to her.
Berniece’s afternoon was filled with more cleaning and cooking supper. She baked some fresh bread and even made a cake for dessert. Charlie helped with the baby, but she was mostly there to keep Berniece company as she worked.
“When you’re all caught up on the house, we can spend a couple of afternoons together every week. We can talk or sew together while the baby sleeps.”
Berniece smiled, nodding. “I would like that a lot. For now, I have a lot of mending to do and so much laundry. I only did diapers and linens today. I’ll have a lot more to do on Monday.” She was tired, but she felt good about everything she’d accomplished. Her fall cleaning was going to be completely finished within a week, and then she would feel as if she had the right to do what she wanted on the occasional afternoon.
“I brought you something as a housewarming gift,” Charlie said before she left. “Let me get it.”
Berniece waited as Charlie went out to her wagon and brought in something wrapped in a dish cloth. “My friend Merry made it, and I think you’ll enjoy having it in your home.”
Carefully unwrapping the package, Berniece cried out with pleasure. “Oh, it’s beautiful. Did she carve it herself?” She turned the wooden sculpture over in her hands, noting that it was a grizzly bear, carefully carved from wood.
“Yes, she did. She’s amazing.” Charlie smiled. “I came to Montana with her when she needed help, and she and I formed a fast friendship. I think my sister is as much of a friend matcher as she is a matchmaker. Because here you are, and we’re friends now, too.”
Berniece smiled and nodded. “We are friends. Thank you for welcoming me with open arms the way you did. I’ll never forget the kindness you’ve shown me.”
“I won’t let you,” Charlie responded. “We’re sisters-in-law, and I live just a five-minute drive from here.” With a quick hug, Charlie was on her way, promising to see Berniece at church in a couple of days. Berniece was pleased she’d know at least one other woman who she could talk to. It would be nice to meet her new congregation with a friend at her side.
Berniece heard the baby then, and she climbed the stairs, lifting Ruth from her crib. “Are
you hungry?” she asked, changing the baby’s diaper. “Milk?”
The baby just looked at her as if she’d lost her mind with her questions, but Berniece noticed that she was settling more comfortably in her arms every time she held her. They would make a great team, her and Ruth, and she would teach her everything a woman needed to know about how to take care of her home.
When Kane walked in the door at the end of the day, he smelled fresh-baked bread and something more. He walked to the stove and looked into a pot of chicken and dumplings, and his stomach stood up and reminded him of how hungry he was.
“Sit down, and I’ll serve it,” Berniece said.
“I didn’t notice you there.”
“I was in the parlor with Ruth.” She put the baby into her high chair and served them both a bowl of chicken and dumplings before carefully fishing out a dumpling for the baby. When she sat down, she waited for Kane to pray over their food, and then she took a small piece of dumpling from the baby’s bowl, blew on it, and fed it to the little girl, whose mouth was open and ready.
She took turns feeding herself and feeding Ruth. She didn’t notice as Kane finished his bowl, but she did see when he got up to serve himself another helping. “I’d have done that for you,” she said, not wanting him to accuse her of being lazy again. She was anything but.
“You’re taking care of the baby. I can refill my own bowl.” He sat down, and now that the worst of his hunger was sated, he started the conversation he’d known he needed to have with her since lunchtime. “I want to apologize for being so hard on you. I didn’t know that Charlie had come unexpectedly or that you were planning on helping her when the baby came. I just thought you were adding to her duties, and I saw red.”
“I wouldn’t. I didn’t come out here to be a burden on anyone. That first day when I got off the train, I was so tired, I was stumbling a little when I walked, so when Charlie suggested I take a nap, I jumped at the chance. But I really thought I’d wake when the baby did. I guess I was even more tired than I realized.” She shook her head. “But honestly, that’s the only time I haven’t pulled my own weight since I arrived. I’ve taken care of Ruth and done all the cleaning you’ve seen done. Charlie spent most of the day, but she held the baby and entertained her and kept me company while I worked.”
“Will you forgive me for jumping to conclusions?” He thought briefly about telling her how Veronica had been, but he thought better of it. No, it was better if she thought he’d half-worshipped his first wife than she knew the truth of the matter. What if she took that as an invitation to be a wastrel as Veronica had?
Berniece nodded. “Thank you for apologizing. It’s good to hear that you can see what I’ve been doing around here.”
He picked up his fork and started on his second bowl of dumplings, watching how sweet she was with the baby. “Supper is delicious. Where did you learn to cook so well?”
She smiled at that. “My mother taught me that the most important skill a woman could have was cooking, and I learned at her side. She also taught me how to sew and clean. We had enough money for a servant when I was growing up, but my father felt like a wife who didn’t bother to cook and clean was a waste of space, so Mother always did the chores herself.”
“Well, I need to write a letter to your mother and thank her, then. This truly is an amazing meal.”
Berniece frowned. “You know my parents don’t know where I am, don’t you?”
He shook his head. “I know you were running from an engagement you didn’t want, but I thought you’d have at least told them where you went.”
“I couldn’t. My father would have dragged me back, kicking and screaming. I promise, this is the only way I could have come.”
“So, did you sneak out in the middle of the night?” he asked, surprised.
“No, but what I did isn’t much better. I packed my things, and as soon as my parents went to a party, I left. I did leave them a note along with my engagement ring on the dresser in my room, but they have no idea where I was going or what I was doing. I had no desire to ever even look at that ring again.”
“Was the match they chose for you that bad?”
“Much worse than I can even express. I know they’re looking for me, and I pray they never find me.” She looked at Ruth as she carefully fed her another bite. “I want so much more for our baby than my parents ever wanted for me.”
He frowned at her use of “our.” Already she was seeing little Ruth as her own. He wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but it did make him feel just a tad bit guiltier. Berniece was a better mother than Veronica ever would have been. There was no doubt in his mind. And how was he supposed to not feel guilty for knowing that? Veronica hadn’t wanted the “thing growing inside her.” And here Berniece was willing to take on the burden of another woman’s child without second thought.
Five
Berniece woke up the following morning, aching in every part of her body. She rolled out of bed and dressed in the dark, knowing she needed to keep going even though she wanted nothing more than to give up. If only Kane acted like he appreciated all the hard work she did, things would be easier. At least he’d apologized for acting like she was lazy, but she was fed up with the situation—after only a couple of days.
She checked on the baby before going downstairs to start breakfast. Now that she had fresh bread, she’d do bacon, eggs, and toast. At least she had a little bit of butter Charlie had brought with the bread the day before.
She started the fire in the stove and ground the coffee beans, her arm aching with every turn of the crank. She was surprised at just how much it hurt until she thought about all she’d done the day before. The house was almost completely put to rights because she’d worked from the moment she’d woken up until she’d gone to sleep. Maybe Kane had apologized for assuming she was lazy, but he certainly hadn’t thanked her for cleaning up almost an entire year’s worth of dust and dirt. She hoped it was only a year. Veronica may have been a slob, but from the way Kane talked, that would be hard for her to believe.
Pushing through the pain, she took her anger out on the coffee beans. She knew the man wouldn’t hit her, so she wasn’t afraid of him, and she also wasn’t afraid to feel her emotions. She went to the stove, put a frying pan on it, and waited as it heated up. Cutting off pieces of bacon, she threw them into the pan, hoping that Kane would choke on the breakfast she was making him. That would serve him right.
She cut off pieces of bread and buttered them, putting them on a baking sheet and sliding them into the oven, getting angrier and angrier each time she felt a twinge of soreness float through her. She was putting herself in physical pain for him and his daughter, and he couldn’t even be appreciative of all she was doing? Yes, choking sounded like a fitting punishment.
When he walked through the kitchen to get the milk and eggs, she refused to even look at him. His handsome face didn’t even begin to make up for his terrible attitude. She understood that he was still hurting from the death of his wife, but to treat her like she was second class? That was unacceptable from that moment going forward. No longer would she put up with it. She didn’t want little Ruth to learn that it was all right for a husband to disrespect his wife.
Berniece took up the bacon and poured a mixture of milk and eggs into the pan, cooking the scrambled eggs in the bacon grease. Just as Kane stomped back into the house, she put his food on a plate and pulled the toast from the oven, slapping that on there as well.
“Coffee?” she asked, hearing the harshness of her own voice.
“Yes.” No “please.” No “thank you.” Just “yes.” The man needed to learn some manners, and she was just the woman to teach him.
She poured him a cup of coffee and then got her own plate ready. Truly, he was driving her absolutely crazy, and he’d only said one word to her all morning. She sat down and took a bite of her bacon, spotting an eggshell in the eggs. She knew she should apologize, but she was beyond that. She couldn’
t even speak to the man without exploding at the moment.
Kane looked at his wife warily, wondering what bee was in her bonnet. He’d thought they’d mended things between them the night before, and here she was, angry with him for something, and he didn’t even know what it could be. He poked his eggs with his fork and saw an eggshell. Her cooking the day before had been perfect. Had she left shells in on purpose? “There are shells in the eggs.”
Berniece closed her eyes and counted to ten. “But there’s no poison in them, so you should be thanking me.”
His eyes widened. “You’re thinking about poisoning me?” Why on earth would she be angry with him? He’d apologized for his bad behavior, and he was treating her well.
“It’s what you deserve! Do you have any idea how many hours I spent yesterday putting this house to rights? My entire body aches from all I did, and you never even once said thank you, and instead you complained that I had someone here helping me. I don’t know what your problem is, but I will not be your whipping girl. I’m here to be a mother to your daughter and to take care of your house and your meals. I don’t even get a real marriage out of it. I’m more or less an unpaid servant in this home. And you can’t even thank me for the work I do without pay? I will not put up with that type of behavior any longer!” Berniece was shaking with anger by the time she finished her tirade, and she took a sip of milk to cool herself off.
“I apologized to you for my assumptions. What more do you want from me?” Kane felt his own temper rising to meet hers. She was being absolutely unreasonable.
“I want thanks for all I do. Thanks for taking care of your child and cleaning and cooking. Thanks for working so hard to make you happy.” Berniece chomped on a bite of her bacon. “And I want you to stop glaring at me as if you think I’m here trying to usurp your precious Veronica.”
Veronica’s name felt like a slap in the face to Kane. “It’s not like you’re not getting anything out of this arrangement. Remember that man your parents wanted you to marry? He’s not beating on you, and you never have to look at him again. You’re doing what you would have done married to him, but you’re doing it without being hurt!”
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